I don't think it's difficult at all. Technology and techniques move on. When (not if) film makers stop producing their film, there will once again be no choice for new photographers to learn their craft using the only available medium.As far as I know, the development of film technology has stopped. It is what it has been for years, and the choice is diminishing. Digital sensor technology is in its infancy relatively speaking. There will come a time when all that can and could be done with film, will be done digitally with the sensors of the future.

When that time comes there will be no need to produce film. Imagine a camera where you can preset your favourite film type EG: Kodachrome 25 or 64. It will come, one day.

At the moment we can hark back to times gone by and still use the old technology because we can still get all the parts (film, chemicals, paper, etc.) There will come a time when that will either not be possible, or prohibitively expensive for the general populous.

I know that I'd rather cut my fruit, meat, and vegetables using a modern steel or ceramic knife rather than a rough blade fashioned from flint.

I have used Sigma IS lenses with their IS on and Pentax SR left on, no problem that I can see.

Yes, the manual says switch it off, but why? They may state that because you don't need it when a lens is on a tripod, but will it cause any problem by leaving it on?. I've never seen any evidence of it.

If the manual states something like "turn SR off when the camera is on a tripod", and I can't get my head around to understanding the reason for that statement, I question it rather than just follow it, not to cast doubt on the statement, but to understand more.

I understand that he's bought a film camera John, several it seems, but I picked up on "I've taken it into my head to learn from scratch. I don't even know what focal length is." and giving my best advice on how to achieve his goal.

Neither would I, but I think the best advice that can be given to someone who says they want to learn photography from scratch, is to use digital to learn because the learning curve is very much faster than if using film.

The camera and the recording medium you use are a tiny fractional part of photography, as you well know. There is much to learn about exposure, technique, jargon, and all manner of other topics.

To use the "What is DOF?" example, having learned what DOF is and how to influence it, with a DSLR you can take several shots at different apertures and see the results within minutes, thus reinforcing what you have just learned.

That is simply not so with film, the time lag between taking the shots and seeing the results is much greater and that time delay can mean the difference between understanding DOF and moving on to another topic, or not understanding and doing it all over again.

When you've learned, then pick up a film camera and apply what you have learned.

Many of us on here learned using film cameras because we had no choice, the OP does have a choice. If you wanted to shoot a home movie today, would you choose an 8mm, 16mm film cine camera to do it, or a modern video camera or mobile phone?

I'd venture to suggest that anybody coming into photography today who chooses to learn using film, will soon give up on it.

You may be disappointed. Only a few 'classic' lenses appreciate in value. Mostly they depreciate but you may get more or less what you paid for them, depending on whether you paid a typical price at the time you bought them, and how long you've had them.

Damn, when I read the topic title, I thought you were selling a K mount 500mm lens. My brain must have added the mm after the 500

Why?

If you master digital first, you'll master it faster, and become more knowledgeable about film too, but faster.

Again, why?

If you really want to learn photography skills fast, use a digital camera, not film.

When using a digital camera, you will see the results more or less instantaneously, good or bad, and can immediately learn by trial and error if necessary, where you went wrong.

With film, you'll have to wait for it to be processed and printed, which could be weeks later, and you'll need to take notes as to exposure settings, location, time of day, date, etc.

With digital, it's all (except location) stored in the image file. If you have any old GPS and you synchronize the date and time between your GPS and camera, you can add the location data to a digital image file later.

If I were ever to be asked to teach somebody photography, I'd never choose to use film, it all takes too long in the instant world we now live in.

Challenging situation, you did well.

I helped Marshall the Wales Rally GB for many years up to about 10 years ago. It was held down south then, around Cardiff and Swansea.

I think it's been about 20 years since some of the 2014 stages have been used in North Wales.

That must have been a stunt box Ken, the real one is huge inside.