For the string strap, the only one I have experience with, the weight of the unit keeps the loop tight. Like any other strap, really. The manufacturer's website has images showing tests of how much weight the string can bear.

Exactly. I am surprised no-one else has experience with the type of simple leather straps I linked to above. At least one other brand is available, but perhaps it is lack of retail distribution in the UK?

The leather strap solves all the problems mentioned:
1. does not restrict movement
2. does not contribute bulk that gets in your way, as a neck strap does
3. prevents the camera from falling
4. made of leather not some stinky plastic (literally! I found others to smell)
5. can be used with many different cameras
6. version for lugs (eg K7) also available

The only thing is doesn't do is lock your hand on the camera so it is impossible for it to leave your hand. But I find that to be an advantage.

I have tried straps like the last few posted, but found they restricted movement way too much. Perhaps Pink used similar?

After much research I recently received a string wrist strap (fits K20D and the like) from Gordy's Camera Straps. These are hand-made leather straps you can colour coordinate. 18 bucks delivered anywhere. A bargain IMO.

Well, if you start by knowing you don't want one of the single best portrait lenses ever made... well, that sure makes the search more interesting!

I agree. Some of the conclusions seem a little off. They are based too heavily on pure stats. For example, I'll use FA43, since I have been writing about it a bunch recently and the info is fresh in my mind. Photozone say "At f/1.9 the contrast and resolution is somewhat soft but beyond the quality is superb and probably as good as it gets on the K10D." And yet they do not give it a recommended stamp of approval. Despite the fact that no-one will care that wide open the borders are weak. In fact that actually helps the image composition in the vast majority of cases!

They also do not seem to appropriately factor in aspects like size and build to their overall judgement.

Nonetheless it is a great resource for what it does.

I look at Photozone for the numbers and then I look at other sites, Pentax Forums mostly, to get real photographers opinions... and there are a lot of them! And then I use Flickr etc. to see real-world pictures. The combination of these three works for me.

PhotoRec is free and works perfectly. Command-line driven but not so hard to use.

Too late. The rare ones were all snapped up a month or two ago.

The DA12-24mm is indeed the one. Very impressed by this lens, considering its focal length range.

Nice one Chris. I cannot wait to see what it does in your hands.

The DA35 rocks and for macros is amazing. Does everything from right up close to wonderful landscapes. Anyone who wants only one lens should buy it immediately.