I just came back from holidays. On this trip I simply backed up my memory cards to hard drive and USB stick (I brought 24GB worth).

My plan was to not erase the SD cards until they were all full. That way I'd have three copies of everything. This never happened as it turned out. If I would have needed to erase the cards I would first have copied them to DVD-R.

You need at least two copies of every file, but I prefer three.

The image tank devices are way too expensive; I agree with those who vote netbook.

The very few times I have need for a tripod (e.g. waterfalls) I think how grateful I am that Pentax SR serves my needs 99% of the time. No way I'd ruin a vacation by lugging around a tripod. (And this from someone just back from Niagara Falls!)

Oh yes. That last post? That was sarcasm.

But why? My post was a joke too.

That should be obvious from the lack of any features that identify it as such. And my need to backpedal furiously when someone else protests my opinion.

That's a joke, right?

Because out of 11,000 people how many have said you're right? How many say anything on any given topic? I guess by this bad use of stats all threads are useless.

Not to mention if popular vote meant anything McDonald's would have the best food in the world. And Canadian Club would be the best whiskey.

Indeed! Portraiture is not just about focal length. The FA43 renders images in a 3D way even the FA77 cannot. The whole "3D" thing is a matter of contention I know. I am also aware that the FA77 is "sharper". Certainly I use the FA77 more on a daily basis.

But if I know someone's face is going to be in the shot and I can get a little closer, I grab the FA43.

You don't use the FA43? That's maybe the best portrait lens ever made. Even if you dislike the focal length, no one can argue with the rendering.

Far from useless, 40 or 43mm is great for head and shoulder shots when you want to include some context. It is also nice for small groups, like family gatherings of 2-4 people. While it might not be my favourite focal length in an absolute sense, the FA43 has made it one of my favourites.

They have the designs but updating them for digital and retooling an assembly line to make them are both cost-intensive propositions. I am very much looking forward to the 645D so we can see Pentax leap-frog the whole full-frame thing.

Yes, it's true that Pentax is slack in the accessories department. They need to fix this so their system offering is complete. However, knowing their pricing, it will be much cheaper to source the rare third-party items.