I am very tempted. It may not be a substitute for a DSLR, but it's now a viable alternative to a compact camera for people (like me) who want a little bit more functionality and quality in a similarly small package.

I was erring towards the WG2 when it was announced (similar price, similar sensor), but the results I have seen so far from that camera (Pentaxforum's review) are poor in comparison.

OK I'll bite. The star filter really doesn't do anything for me! The contrast adjustment looks good though.

I think the results (for the 15mm) are fairly predictable. The lens suffers in edge quality at f4 and slightly less so at f5.6. The centre is always sharp though, and at f8 the sharpness evens out across the frame. Fortunately f8 is a very reasonable aperture to use with such a lens! All the other reviews have taken this into account, and given credit for the small size of the lens, and it's lovely contrast and colours, and referred to real life shooting, but DXO seems to have more of a rigid test procedure.

They are right about the CA of the DA15mm - easily removed but a bit disappointing to have it there in a prime.

The Samyang 14mm f2.8 seems like a good wide, fast lens. Although I must admit, I don't really see the point of the extra speed UWA lens. You can select lower shutter speeds before camera shake affects images, and generally UWA type shots benefit from greater depth of field.

Cheers Alan!

I used to have a Miranda 700CD - worked on my k200d. So not sure why yours isn't! I did 'upgrade' to a Cobra AF480 (for the princely sum of about 8 quid) which is more powerful and has a more neutral colour (the Miranda was a tad yellow).

If she sees a camera she likes the look of, the importance of the optical viewfinder may recede somewhat! I can understand why someone would want an OVF, but the truth is, the OVFs on compacts (excepting the X10, which is probably too big / expensive) were always pretty poor and a screen is much better. The OVFs on digital compacts were really just a leftover from the days of film when there was no possibility of using a screen. As screens have got bigger and better, they have been phased out.

OVFs on compacts are always small. they do not allow you to check focus. They are not accurate in terms of framing as they are not TTL. They do not display any shooting information.

You can hold the camera steady while using the screen by tucking your elbows in and resting them on your chest. And choose a model with image stabilisation to get rid of any remaining unsteadiness.

I would far rather use the screen on my K7, or purchase a K01 (which is even better as it has focus peaking) than resort to an expensive rangefinder system (with limited lenses to choose from). Live view is always 100% accurate as you are seeing 'what the sensor is seeing'.

Hopefully Pentax will one day release an EVF model which will combine the features of live view with a shielded, eye level viewfinder. Until then, stopping down to ensure decent DOF when using the OVF, plus resorting to help from the live view monitor for shallow dof focussing, are workable.

1. The viewfinder on APSC cameras is quite small, and with no split screen, quite difficult to check critical focus with. (OK if you habitually stop your lenses down, as I suspect John does, as the dof masks focussing error).

2. The green hexagon light has a margin of error. Turn your focus ring slowly, and you will notice the green light come on, but it will stay on while the ring is turned until it goes off again. The optimum focus will be between the point where the light comes on and the point goes off. You can learn to anticipate where this point will be.

3. Manual focussing by eye - again, as you move the focus ring you'll notice the point where the image comes into focus and the point where it goes out of focus again; try and sense the optimal point in the middle where the correct focus will be.

4. Live-view focussing is with an enlarged view is the most accurate technique, and if you are shooting a subject many feet away, it doesn't matter if the camera moves an inch or two because you are hand holding it.

Sigma still available. Non-crinkle!