I've only recently started to use online photo sharing using flickr and only a small number on facebook. None of those online images is in hi-res and all have a copyright watermark because if it can be displayed on a web page, it can be stolen.

I would not trust my original image files with anyone other than myself. That way, if any gets lost I only have my own a*s to kick. Who's a*s would I kick if an online service lost them, as facebook did a short time ago for some users.

I keep my originals on my PC's hard drive and back up to a NAS system. This in turn is backud up onto 2 separate 2Tb external HDD's. The PC is backed up to a separate external 1Tb HDD, and to two 3.5" drives which are then confined to my fire safe.

I think that should be enough resilience to the most disastrous of disasters.

I used to use my NAS system, a Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ with 4 x 1Tb (2.7Tb usable) HDD's, to store the originals and to work from, but it was way too slow for me.

Could you post your images here please, so we can all see them.

RegiStax is also quite good, but aimed primarily at astrophotographers and perhaps suits their needs more.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a suitable camera at an affordable price, but the *ist is a film camera, not digital.

The earliest Pentax DSLR was the similarly named *istD.

Lightroom will be an excellent choice for your images.

A vacuum cleaner would be a better option for your house.

Excellent, I'm not too late then . . .

Strewth. I just crossed Myanmar off of my 'places I want to see before I die' list. Maybe I'll go to Burma instead.

Interesting to note the length of time that the Nikon F & Pentax K1000 were in production, 14 & 20 years respectively.

4 or 5 years is about the maximum nowadays, and much less for many models.

I like the high key treatment of those two images.

Have it repaired. It'll be cheaper than a new camera, and guaranteed for a further 6 months too.

Might be a silly question, but have you tried cleaning it?