Excellent illustration LiamD, but tell me, is it common practice to refer to zero cropping IE: full image, IE: No cropping, as 100% crop. If it is, it's daft.

Why not just say it's uncropped, or full image, or full frame?

No surprise there then. I'm going to stick with my original expectation that these cameras will not be seen in UK until 2007. I will however be very happy if I'm wrong.

I visited the 'bricks & mortar' retail outlet of www.mediamarkt.es in Cartagena, Murcia yesterday and was very disappointed to find only one Pentax camera in the entire store, a *istDL at nearly €600 with a Sigma lens.

Not even a Pentax Compact in sight. On that score I'm not going to be able to get a Spanish K10D for ages yet.

They did have a Canon 1D Mk II at €4500 and a Nikon 1D (I think that was the model or maybe it was D1). Both very big cameras when compared to Pentax DSLR's.

Sorry, I can't answer that one as I don't have your version to try. If version 7 has the Photomerge function then it should be very similar, if not the same.

Serif produce a cheap 'n easy to use application called Panorama Plus 2. Have a look at it here.

If you have Adobe's Photoshop CS or CS2 you can use the File > Automate > Photomerge facility.

You'll not like this little bundle of joy then

Did somebody mention macro season ? ? ?

The SMC Pentax-FA 80-320mm is a good performer and will cost you around £100.00'ish second hand. The Sigma 70-300mm APO Macro Super is also a good performer and benefits from its macro setting at the long end of its zoom range. The Sigma can be found a bit cheaper than the Pentax.

I have the opposite impression of the SMCP-FA 28-200 IF AL lens to Brian's. I have had some excellent results with this lens and as it approximates to a 42 - 300mm range on the Pentax DSLR's, it is a brilliant lens to carry about if you have the room/weight for only one lens.

Granted, it's not the sharpest, but it is versatile.

The site tells you waht the password is, it's "Pentax" ( no quotes, case sensitive)

This one comes with a free ME Super. Manual focus/aperture, but not a problem.

The 28mm lens on a Pentax DSLR has the equivalent angle of view of 42mm on a 35mm SLR. You might be better off looking for a 24mm lens, equivalent to 36mm, for the extra angle of view often required for indoor shots.