I've found any kind of stabilisation softens images to too high a degree and nothing seems to be able to combat my shaky arms.

Davids' post brings something else to mind, RAW files will look flat and lifeless compared to a jpg from the camera, don't be put off as it's for you to put the spark into them. For me that's the whole point of it, I decide what the finished image looks like, not the camera.

Actually re size you can check for yourself. Put an empty card in the camera, choose RAW only and have a look to see how many shots the camera says you can take before the card is full. My K3 will fit almost 600 on a 32gb card. A K30 has smaller files so would fit more.

RAW isn't an image, it's the 'raw' data that the camera records and usually converts into a jpg for you. There are many programs that can do the conversion for you so don't worry about that.
As for card size it depends what you normally do, if you shoot loads and loads of images at a time than a bigger card like 16gb will be good but even 8gb will do well if you're going to download your stuff often. Speed is more important with RAW as the files are bigger it takes longer for the camera to save them. Class 10 is currently the fastest but there are different speeds even in the class 10 range. If you stick with a good name (Sandisk for example) you can make sure you get one that's good quality and fast.

Remove the dvd drive, fit the new hard drive in its place and buy an external dvd rom? you'd need to find something to fill the hole the dvd left in the front of the unit though.

Nigel Watts - http://www.photoutopia.co.uk still pimping canonikon, now apparently "Head of Faculty of Art & Design at Exeter College."

http://www.photoutopia.co.uk/nwindex.html gallery, he's got a good eye I think even if his equipment lacks the Pentax charm

The K-r batteries that I have don't fit in the K3 charger, a lack of cutouts stop them even going into it. K5 might be different though.

Thanks for the heads up.

I've gone over some of the other images from yesterday and it's visible in them too, I think it's the double glazing effect. A reflection off the front element onto the rear of the filter and back down the lens, slightly off line.

Coming from North Scotland I'm not sure I could handle the sun and flat landscape, I'd be willing to give it a darned good try though. Lovely shots