Yeah, piece of cake!

But in reality, the only item you list there that is extra to autofocus operation is : ' press green button' - only 1 really. All the others apply to AF as well - you have to mount the lens, set AF.S or AF.C, select aperture, press shutter or AF button to focus ... the same number of steps apart from the green button.

I don't think that extra step on Pentax is much to worry about.

I was correcting the (as saw it) overly negative impression your previous post was giving about using manual lenses. You mentioned 'faffing around' on a Canon, I just wanted to stand up for what I see as the special value, and excellent functionality, we are lucky to have with our manual lenses.

I agree, it wouldn't be worth keeping rubbish old lenses that gave poor IQ - but it surely would be worth keeping and learning to use on Digital any good ones.

It depends on your budget - for many it would make economic sense to build a system based on what you already have. You'll get a quality AF kit lens anyway for minimal extra outlay, that will allow you to learn all about the newer autofocus features in the digital models, while keeping your familiar lens collection. If they're 'A' types then there's not really any difference in the operation of them on the DSLRs is there?

I probably depends on the exact particular lenses the OP has - stew-art, can you give us some details of your current collection?

Is it really to do with the photographers skill and experience? I'd have thought the steps involved in carrying out resizing processes in Photoshop could be read about and followed fairly easily by most - you just have to understand the concepts of the best method to select whether increasing or reducing size and the appropriate sharpening options.

Surely it is really the underlying technology and processing algorithims employed in the different softwares that is more critical? That is why I am suggesting that commercial software, linked to professional grade equipment, and set up by trained and experienced technicians who produce these particular kinds of prints all day, might be better.

Of course, I'm talking about limited print runs of large sizes, individually controlled by the lab, not large-scale mass runs of 7'x5's.

Well I can't agree with all of that - sure, you need to choose carefully, but there's plenty of reviews available of the old lenses to allow a good choice. Many on here surely value the quality, handling, that special 'feel' and the extra physicality of operating the manual lenses on the DSLR bodies? For me there's no 'novelty' about it to ever wear off.

All of my best recent shots have been taken with manual lenses - one an 'A' type (the new Samyang 14mm) and the other an 'M' type zoom. Quality is not an issue as far as I'm concerned, value is impressive, and its a joy to shoot the images with that equipment.

In fact, really, Pentax offer an extraordinary functionality with its 'A' ring setting, to provide auto-exposure control. Reading the Samyang manual for my lens, it appears that this ease of use is not available on any other brand version of the lens. And the extra steps involved in metering with a 'non A' type (setting M mode, using the aperture ring, using the green button for 'stop-down' to get your shutter speed) just add to the fun it all I find. Once practised and perfected it doesn't have to limit you.

What is not clear to me then is why should we assume that a photographer performing resizing on a home computer would produce better results than a commercial software package connected to a specfic professional grade printing device, operated by an experienced technician?

I am enjoying this sort of shooting environment also at present - these densely packed city areas offer so many creative options, and you've created these very well here

I really like the angles and diagonals drawn out on the old stone building. Personally I do think both these (1st & last one) would benefit from some shadow lifting, just in the darkest parts of the underhangs and window areas.

Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on choosing a great new DSLR You'll get plenty of support and advice here whenever its needed.

How are you finding the camera so far?

Just sticking to the PPI issue (the OP had 72), my own experiences with printing services suggests that this figure should be irrelevant to the printers, at least as far as the file supplied to them is concerned.

What would matter is the total amount of pixel data. So long as the camera had been set to its maximum 'resolution' setting, there will be plenty of pixel data in total for all standard print outputs, at least A3 I'd have thought.

What should happen is that the print service's software will adjust the file to give the best PPI figure to match the ideal DPI for the actual print -we don't really need to bother with these details I believe, unless we are printing our own shots at home on an inkjet machine.

Unless there was an issue with the amount of 'total pixel data' suppled in the file, (for example there was not enough for the requested print sizes to be printed at good quality), I don't understand why the printer is questioning the OPs 'DPI' figure (they mean PPI, right?)

Louise, just check that your K30 is set to its maximum resolution setting (that would be 16mp is that right?) - your shots will then be recording the maximum amount of pixel data, and any print service should be able to output big prints - the 'DPI' (PPI) of the files from the camera should not matter at all.

If you can't get a clear explanation from this particular print service of what the problem is for them, then just send your shots somewhere else.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. Yes, lets encourage all photographers to keep shooting interesting things in public places and not be put off by concerns of being questioned when we're only doing what we are lawfully entitled to do.

I'm working on a few more City building shots now, so will get them posted up soon. Thanks for all the encouraging input!