I have tried all sorts of batteries and even invested in a proper conditioning charger. Nonetheless nothing has matched the Sanyo Eneloops, which were difficult to obtain until Argos started carrying them. Forget the rest; use Eneloops.

It's also got twice the distortion at the wide end, which is of course not even as wide as the DA 16-45. And it costs twice as much. Not really that impressive.

The DA 16-45 remains the great bargain standard zoom.

The review says: "All-in-all it is optically superior compared to its smaller cousin, the SMC DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED."

Plus you get another 100mm of reach. So, yeah, it's a better lens. Whether it's worth it to you no-one else can say.

You know, buying Sanyo Eneloops batteries solved all my problems. I had two sets (different makes) of high rated NiMH rechargeables. Now they're in a drawer. Use a K100D Super.

Just get Eneloops. They really are that good.

Isn't that why you're called MatteMatic?

Argos pricing is bizarre. And generally instills in me an adverse reaction! But the K100D Super kit was EUR 380 at one point. Not only did I buy it, I sold at least two others on the deal as well. How did I do this? Simple. People looked at my camera and wondered why it didn't cost twice as much.

It'll be interesting to see how they price the K-m.

They even stock the K20D, though under the Samsung name. Not sure what their buyers are thinking, but I am at least glad the Pentax name is not totally lost to them.

Thank you, Mike.

And Argos have Pentax, which I always thought was odd. But I bought mine there since I had no other choice.

Again, this is why the DA 16-45 is a recommended lens. The focal lengths perfectly cover what you might need for landscapes, it is fast enough at f/4 for this application, and it has nice rendering and low distortion. Plus it's cheap.

For those not addicted to primes, it's a no-brainer. Get a polarising filter for it and you're all set.

Well, at first glance that puts a different complexion on things. A maximum of £400 in each of your four target areas of interest seems a lot better than £400 between them. But that's not really so, because the leap from very good to excellent lenses comes at quite a premium.

In the sports category, for example, you can't do better than sticking with my suggestion above, the DA 55-300mm for £230. A better lens with similar versatility, the DA* 60-250 f/4 will set you back £900 -- a huge premium.

Some call that a landscape lens but I don't. It is great for urban shots, interiors and that "large object in the foreground adding contrast to a big scene in the background" type shot. Me, I think the DA 16-45 is a more versatile landscape lens since it covers a more useful focal range with less distortion. But maybe that's because I'm not fixated on "large object in the foreground etc. etc." compositions.

For macro nothing beats a Vivitar Series 1 105mm (aka Lester Dine aka Kiron). It's quite fast at f/2.5 and incredibly sharp. The amount of control it gives you for macro shots is stunning. The price for this lens keeps edging up... likely £250.

You can use the same for portraits in combination with your fast 50. But of course you'll want an FA77 at some point. It's inevitable.

Hmmmm... that is just about everything.

You want auto-aperture but how about auto-focus? That makes a big difference, since there aren't too many bargains in the AF world. I'll assume you do want AF.

I'll furthermore assume you have the kit lens with your K10D.

So you mean £400 per lens or total? If total you are going to have to pick which of your four subject areas mean the most to you. Here are two recommendations

The first at £330 will tick three of the boxes: the Pentax DA 35 f/2.8 Limited Macro. This lens is a Limited and will spoil you for anything of lesser build quality. It is nice and small and very versatile. The 35mm focal length is near normal so it works for portraits. The maximum aperture will gain you a distinct advantage over the kit. The macro is extremely useful, though you have to get awfully close so it's not best for bugs. Amazing rendering for flowers! And the lens will also do you for landscapes. Use the kit if you need to go wide.

Then, save up £160 more so you can get the DA 55-300mm, which will cover your outdoor sports tasks.

The second idea is to get that DA 55-300mm now along with an FA 50mm f/1.4. That would be exactly your budget. This gets you an even faster lens for thin DOF portraits, should that be your thing. What you will miss out on is macro. The cheapest way to fill that gap is to get a reversing ring for the 50mm, as suggested above.

If that is too fiddly, grab a manual focus version of the Vivitar 100mm f/3.5 macro. It's a plastic lens with rather good Cosina optics. Should be able to find one under £100.