The problem is that some quality compacts are not very compact. A few years ago I bought a Canon G12. Loads of features and decent build but it is too large to fit comfortably in a pocket and still has the limitations of a small sensor. I still have it but it gets little use nowadays. I have a Pentax WG3 waterproof jobbie which is great for swimming and beach but the image quality is only average. The compact which does get used a lot is the Ricoh GR. Truly pocketable and the same IQ as a K5IIs. Great camera. If you can live with the fixed focal length that would be my recommendation.

Sterling exchange rate has weakened over the past few months. Probably limits the scope for deals.

On the basis that 'the only good flash is the one you have with you' I bought a 201 as a lightweight travel unit. Primarily for the K1 but it should be equally useful with the K5 or K01 as it offers significant advantages over the built in units. I was intending to purchase the small Metz but when I tried them both in the shop the Pentax felt like the nicer bit of kit.

I have a set of 540s for events and such but I don't want to carry one of those when I'm on holiday.

Yup! K1 now also updated. Result!

Thanks Stu. I had not thought to look on You Tube. I found a Pentax Forums vid that showed me what I was doing wrong. I was transferring the whole of the downloaded file to the card instead of just the .bin file. I have just successfully updated the K5II.

The last successful firmware update I managed was some years ago with my K10d. Since then every time I have tried to update my cameras nothing happens. I have just tried my K5II (which is still on version 1-0) and my K1 and it's the same story - zilch!

The instructions seem straightforward enough and everyone else seems to manage, so plainly I'm doing something wrong.

I download the file, copy it to a newly formatted SD card (top directory), check that it has copied, put SD card into the camera, hold down menu button and turn camera on....and nothing! Just confirmation of the current version on the K5II and the normal 'on' screen on the K1.

I could ask SRS to do it for me next time I go there but I feel I really should be able to do this myself.

Well I hardly use my manual focus lenses (except for macro) because I find manual focus more difficult with DSLRs than it was with film cameras. A slightly out of focus image will not be as good as an in focus image. Older lenses are usually more prone to purple fringing. That said they do feel very nice to use, when I get it right.

Oops! I had forgotten the 55-300 was one of the lenses you tested. Can you remember if you had the lens hood on when you tested it? Because I am seeing even less vignetting without the hood.

Thanks for that Miles. I have tried my DA primes on the K1 in FF mode but not the zooms, as I thought they would be no good. I must give the 55-300 a go.

It is a bit early to have a strong opinion but my initial impression of the 28-105 is that it is a bit ordinary - lacks 'bite'. I was hoping for a FF equivalent of the 16-85, which I love, but I'm not sure it is as good. So far I have achieved better results from my Sigma 24-70 f2.8.

So I would say go for the Pentax 24-70 if you don't mind the extra weight.