The PF issues you're having sound sensor-related, so whether the 12-24mm has lens-related PF or not is neither here nor there really.

Personally I can live with a little PF if the lens is otherwise good - the DA16-45 and Tamron 70-300 fall into this camp.

Re the PF on the K5, there's some interesting examples in this thread... link

Also shows the great latitude of the K5 for 'exposure pushing' (although the K7 is actually as bad as I expected given the shots are pushed 4EV..) PF or not though, I'd rather have the K5 sensor!

Are any of the older f and fa 100-300s any good (for casual use)? They're often very cheap... Compared to the 80-320 even.
But I take it that's for a reason?

That's one sexy beast of a camera!

It's very easy to ask someone if you can take your picture, and what's the worst that can happen? They say 'no'!

It's just having the cahonas to do it, and being confident enough about it that you put people at ease, I'm guessing. And being prepared to persevere when (at least) 9 out of 10 people tell you to 'F off'!

It's a photo gallery / challenge section, and it just happens that it is sponsored by Pentax.
link

An example of the new marketing drive.

I believe that's from K20D... the banding is rather extreme! I wonder what the settings were... I've only gone up to 30secs on the K7 and the results were lovely.

ISO1000/handheld isn't too bad either.

Probably equivalent to ISO6400 on the K5 or something silly!

Presumably something straightforward like 'Hello, would you mind if I took your picture?'

They're excellent shots aren't they?

I'm not going to C&C as it's been cropped to the point where IQ is non-existant

But I'll hazard a guess - is it a 'pussy willow' bud?

They've got... err, Bonnie Pink... Lol

Is she bad-ass enough?

Agreed... I'd pay at least double that for such a lens

That was the sudden big price hike a year or two ago.... rather dispiriting for those of us wanting to buy such a lens and then to find it virtually doubled in price.

Some new prices have comes down a little tiny bit since then though, or at least the SRS ones have.