Very odd indeed because the Super-A is a manual focus camera.

It's quite possible that you may have changed my impression of the K5 with these images. Superb.

If I buy one, and I get a duff one, you can be sure that you'll be the first to know about it.

The cost of sending such a weighty item from Spain to UK via courier is high, and not one I'd be prepared to pay. I don't think the Pentax warranty includes reimbursement of postal expenses.

Re: "What's wrong with it now?", maybe nothing.

I've probably just developed a mistrust of it given the various faults that others have had. From what I have read, the K5 has suffered more from issues requiring it to be returned to its supplier or Pentax for remedial action than any other previous Pentax DSLR body. Now that might be an inaccurate impression, but it's my impression.

There have been many times when I've gone through the shall I, shan't I, quandry when thinking of upgrading to the K5. At the moment, my decision is no, I won't. That could change.

In the past, I've been an early adopter of new Pentax DSLR models and lived with the various minor issues that were eventually fixed with a firmware upgrade.

The K10D, I think it was, had no wireless flash support at it's launch, but it was enabled soon after in a firmware upgrade. That alone should demonstrate that, at times, Pentax are too quick to bring out a new body before it's ready. I think the K5 is the latest example.

The one thing that might make me decide to buy a K5 is my son's wedding in a couple of years. If there is not a newer model Pentax body that I might prefer at that time, I might go for a used K5 for the improved IQ that so many users have attested to.

The answer to that question has to be, I don't know. K3, K1, who knows?

I could live with one QC issue and buy when I was sure it was dealt with, but the K5 seems to suffer from so many seemingly unrelated problems in numerous users hands that I have no confidence in it.

I buy only from 'that well known company in Watford', but I live in Spain.

Whilst Chris has never failed to provide me with exceptional after sales service when I needed it, and I have needed it, my visits to UK are becoming less frequent. This means that I could be stuck with a piece of dead kit until I can get it back to him which could be 6 months or more. I'm not a naturally lucky person and if anything can go wrong for me, it will. That's not pessimism, it's reality.

I'm not prepared to risk it.

I've been more than happy with all of the Pentax DSLR bodies I have owned, which include approx. 5 x *istD, 2 x *istDS, a K10D, and 2 x K20D bodies. I think the K5 was probably both designed and manufactured on a Friday afternoon when everybody concerned was in too much of a hurry to get home. It's work in progress as far as I'm concerned. IMHO it's not a finished, trustworthy product.

Yes it has Alan, suffice it to say that I bought mine believing the price would go up from what I paid. When it went down by about £50 I was not best pleased.

I will add that the supplier offered to refund me the difference, which I declined, and I'll be more than happy to buy from them again because to me, after sales service counts for much more than buying at rock bottom prices.

All in all, as long as the lens is as good as I believe it to be, I'll be a happy bunny.

See my post in your other thread on the same subject.

Sigma DG-EX 180mm 1:3.5 is your answer, if you can find one.

If you can find a used Sigma 180mm 1:3.5 lens in good shape, go for it without hesitation. As a macro lens, it is the nearest you'll get to the fabled SMC Pentax-FA 200mm macro lens, and a small mortgage cheaper too.

It's not so great as a telephoto prime, but at macro distances it is truly superb.

The next best in the range you mention is the Sigma 150mm macro.

I had the 135-400mm but sold it as I wasn't using it. The few images I took with it were less than encouraging, but I put that down to my technique rather than the lens.

I bought the 150-500mm in 2010 when the price was supposed to be going up. It didn't, instead the price went down by a significant amount. It is still in its unopened box in UK waiting for my return in June.

I sincerely hope it is as good as users claim it to be.

I think you will love the K5 as long as the one that you get doesn't suffer from any of the issues experienced by many other owners.

Many K5 owners are more than happy with theirs. There are also many others who are not.

Only you can decide. I've made my decision, I won't be buying a K5 unless I can have a cast iron guarantee that I will not experience any of the problems other users have encountered. My K10D and K20D bodies more than satisfy my needs, and so far, I haven't had to send them away to be repaired or exchanged.

I think the K5 has suffered from more quality & early life failure issues than any previous, and hopefully future, Pentax DSLR bodies.

If other SDM/HSM lenses AF OK on your K20D, it's not likely to be problem caused by a changed setting. If only screw focus lenses AF then the problem would seem to be with the SDM/HSM contacts and/or related circuitry. It could also be a faulty, under-charged, or under-powered battery.

You could try the following:-

1: Remove the battery from the camera for a while, refit it and try again.
2: Reset the camera to factory default and try again.
3: Try another fully charged battery and try again.