miss pentax

If you find it difficult, you could always try loading some spare film on in the light, that way you can see if they work correctly, and also get used to the correlation of what it feels like when the filmis being loaded correctly with seeing it. Then practice in the dark. My photo teacher made us practice like this, and it really made the difference, I think.

Personally, I'd look for the reels with the huge tabs on them, because it makes working by touch much easier.

As was mentioned above, I think the most fun is to be had in development and printing. Or at least it's satisfying. The other thing is, you're going to need a tripod to shoot slow film unless you're shooting in very bright light. This may not work for you, depending on exactly what you want to do.

Some ideas:

Agfa APX 400 - The grain can make some of the landscapes seem moody or depressing, in my opinion. It has great contrast and is pretty versitile in most light conditions.

Efke/ADOX CHS 25 - Super slow, near-grainless film. Perfect for detailed shots assuimng slow shutters work for you. The contrast and resolving power are pretty outstanding. Also inexpensive, at roughly $3.39 a roll.

Storing exposed film without deterioration depends greatly on the environment it has been exposed to and the one in which it will be stored. Your two main enemies are heat and humidity, both of which should be avoided as much as possible. You'd want to avoid the fridge after exposing film because it's moist in there and it can cause damage.

There isn't a real numerical answer to this question (or I don't know of one) but aging is a constant process and usually the sooner you develop the film, the better.

As for the question about D76, hopefully someone else can answer that. :)

The ME series is wonderful, and, owning an ME Super myself, I can attest that, when used properly, you can create some incredible images with it.

Like mentioned above, the Pentax SMC (Super Multi Coated) lenses are the most desirable, and can be had for reasonable amounts. Soligor lenses I've found aren't the highest quality, but aren't as crappy as many alternative brands avaible today (Opteka, etc). The Soligor 80-200mm zoom lens I have has reasonably fine glass considering how inexpensive it was, and I imagine that holds true for the 28mm too.

If you're interested in trying out lenses (just to see what they're like) you might try the local pawn shops. Often times you can get a pretty good lens cheap, and you can try it out beforehand (as opposed to eBay or online retail).