Nice one, Nigel.

I've habitually not been a flash user, preferring natural light. But who knows, maybe, one day...

Hm, not a problem here with iPad and Safari browser. Can't think what your problem might be.

Nope, this is how I've had it set up for a couple of years, set into 'user' mode. I set up the front wheel in Av mode (customisation in one of the menus) to set the manual ISO, with the green button to return to auto. Maybe there's more difference between the K-7 and K-5 than meets the eye, especially using the sequential firmware updates...

@Nigel,

My K-5 will use auto ISO in Av mode. I have mine set up so that I can fix the ISO in Av by using the front wheel, returning to auto ISO by pressing the green button. Then I can vary the auto ISO range by using the info button, and adjusting the range using front and rear wheels.

If I then go into the menu ISO AUTO setting (menu 3) I can set the sensitivity such that the camera will increase the sensitivity as little as possible, thereby preferentially changing the shutter speed, and vice versa.

Size/weight/portability were big factors for me, and the marvellous performance and handling were real bonuses. And of course, it's so ... cute!

There was a time way back in my youth (the 60s) when Japan had a very bad reputation; cheap goods, cheaply made. Of course, I hadn't laid my hands on a 1957 Asahi Pentax at that tender age!

I agree, Vietnamese assembly should be no worse. My HD20-40 Limited is superbly assembled, felt-inlaid metal cap and all.

Yes indeed, important to keep your eyes open if you're thinking of a specific lens. I got the HD20-40 Limited from SRS for £499, when it dipped from £659, which is where it's gone back now. Brilliant lens, absolute bargain.

Hi Trixie.

I also shoot a fair bit indoors with my K-5, and I hardly ever use flash at all (mainly fill-in during the day, if at all). Yes, the K-5 doesn't have built-in modes, so here's what I would do:

- Use Av exposure using a combination of fast lens, higher ISO and shake reduction - your Sigma will give you a max aperture of f2.8 at the short end (useful for indoors), although this will drop to around f3.5 in mid-range and f4 at the tele end. An alternative would be to use a faster lens if you have one: I typically use my 'plastic fantastic' 35/2.4 indoors, or the 20-40 at the wide end (2.8 ). The K-5's noise performance is excellent, and you should be able to go to ISO 1600 (I often use 3200 too) to enable a faster shutter speed. This is where the shake reduction function (which I normally have turned off) is very useful. Indoors with a wide aperture and higher ISO, you might be able to get around 1/30 or 1/40 shutter speed which isn't really fast enough, but shake reduction can give you the security of up to three extra stops, effectively moving the shutter speed into the 1/hundreds, which is ample. This also gives you the flexibility to stop the lens down a bit to assist with sharpness and depth-of-field.

- Shoot RAW - this gives you the option of modifying the white balance in-camera if there's a perceived problem when you review the image, and then generating a JPG from it. If you've never shot in RAW than it can be a daunting experience regarding post-processing on a PC (which is a different ball game), but the in-camera option gives you a good half-way house as it enables you to apply some easy corrections and produce JPGs out of your shots, which you could then give to your friend. Use the review button to bring the picture up that you want to modify, press the down button (bottom of the four buttons surrounding the OK button) and select RAW Development. This gives you access to a range of modifying options: custom image, white balance, ISO (for changing exposure), noise reduction etc. The quality of the JPGs produced like this is pretty good.

I had a square blue enamel pin badge which came from the Pentax Club, that I had attached to my MX shoulder strap from the 80s to the noughties, when I got my *istDS. It had the eye symbol that was on the outside of the film-era ever-ready cases, plus the letters AP in the centre. The pin snapped when I tried to transplant it to the DS strap, so it has since disappeared...

I was in Cornwall last weekend, staying in Mullion. The coves around there are very photogenic and there is a great coastal walking path. Around Mullion (south of Helston towards the Lizard) you'll find Mullion, Poldhu and Church coves, and also Gunwalloe. If you're a museum fan, there's the Marconi museum at Poldhu Cove where the UK end of the first-ever transatlantic cable was based.

p.s. watch out for snakes in the garden at Eden...