Thanks, I haven't tried UFRaw, I will give it a shot. So far I've been using the Pentax DCU software that comes with the K-5 when I need to edit RAW. It seems very slow and a touch unstable, having frozen up a couple of times when using it.

Thanks for the comments. I'm likely to get Lightroom some time unless anybody sells me on something better.

Yeah, but the K-5 can't play mp3s so ehmm... never mind.

This is why I have a Cowon Audio mp3 player, which works as a standard usb storage device (just drag and drop your files into it) and has among the best sound quality out there. It also has an SDHC card slot so if you run out of capacity, just get another card. No deciding what you have to delete and regretting it later on. It's also compatible with more file formats than iPod, so there's almost never any need to convert sound files (which tends to degrade their quality)... I could go on and on. Better than an iPod in almost every possible way I can think of. Sorry Apple fans, it just is.

Despite all of the above, when I get it out I tend to get strange looks, and on at least a couple of occasions comments along the lines of "Why didn't you just get an iPod?", said with a mystified tone, as if buying a personal music player other than an iPod is somehow against nature.

It's no surprise certain non-Apple users like to mock the Apple fans, because this is the kind of attitude we're up against. The average man on the street simply assumes an iPod is the greatest mp3 player their cash can buy, without ever once having actually considered the alternatives, let alone researched them.

I think you're thinking of TAv mode. With Sv mode one only dials in the ISO.

It was mentioned in another thread that using Photoshop Elements 8 to resize a photo will leave only minimal EXIF data intact. I resize my pictures using GIMP - does anybody know if this will have the same effect? If so, is there a way to resize images without this happening? (And without using expensive software I don't have).

Whilst I'm on the subject I'm thinking of getting Lightroom 3 in the near-ish future. GIMP is good (and fast!) software but one has to use a separate RAW development application where necessary which is not the most efficient way to work. Is there any particular software people would recommend over Lightroom for a similar (or cheaper) price, and if so, why?

Thanks very much.

Matt - I take it AE Lock was off in the second pic? If so I'm sure you've hit the nail on the head.

Both Apple and Microsoft actively annoy me with their respective approaches to technology as both try to convince us their limited, boxed-in visions are the future of everything, whilst desperately trying to fend off the real future potential of technology for fear it will encroach upon their comfortable monopolies. So consider me neutral insofar as I hate the lot of them equally.

At home I use Windows, MacOs and Linux. Technology is a tool, not something I'm prepared to be tied down by. Much as I like my Pentax camera I'd be even happier if DSLR lens mounts were universal so that when the time comes to upgrade (probably a long way off) I could choose brands freely. I simply don't do brand loyalties, I've never seen the point. I tend to actively avoid systems which will tie me into a particular format or brand. Unfortunately in the case of DSLR cameras it's unavoidable as every manufacturer's system ties you in to their particular lens mount.

Frankly, I think you're both being silly. It looks more like a Shadow Vessel from Babylon 5 to me.

The timing for that was all wrong, plus it was back when Apple still did 'ugly'. If Apple produced an iCam now I'm pretty sure that millions of iGeeks who were previously quite content with the cameras on their iPhones would suddenly feel a burning need for a 'proper' digital camera, and be prepared to spend £400 on one despite the fact that the could get a perfectly competent Samsung, Lumix or whatever for half the price.