I've had a Canon S90 for sometime and recently got the S95. These are outstanding cameras. Before them I used the Canon SD series like SD 700 is. The cameras are metal and very competent. I won't leave home without one.

While serving in the Army in Viet Nam I saw photographers who, in my mind, were doing a more important job with their cameras than I with my weapons. There was an Army Post Exchange in Pleiku and I bought my first half frame camera there. I was smitten! I went through about 6 cameras in the time I was there. I can vividly remember the smell of the new Minolta SRT-101 that I ended up bringing home with me. It has always been my intention to do my best to use photography to make the world a better place. I ended up becoming a pro and have also taught college credit classes, high school, and about 50 Photo-Safaris and workshops. I never tire. The transition to digital was a huge boost to what was becoming a lazy brain. My Facebook site has around 5000 shots on it and I never leave home without a camera, even if just my Iphone. I love digital! I can shoot all I want without the expenses involved with film.

same size on frame or sensor as in real life.

1 to 1 simply means the subject will the life size on the film or sensor.

I'm sure some or maybe all is gray market, but the fact remains that some stuff is way too cheap, others are way to high. Prices are all over the ballpark! Also, though I'm not sure about it, the D60 is an older camera model and I wouldn't think new ones still would be available.

Not really, the terms are used loosely to describe close-up ability with camera lenses.

I looked at prices on the Digital Hunter site and something is REALLY wrong! A Nikon D3100 was over $300 more than a D5100. The was a Canon 75-300 cheapo lens selling for the image stabilized model price. A D3000 was more than a D3100. Brand new Nikon D60's. This has to be some kind of scam site!

This one is easy. Almost every micro lens made is exceptional, and your D90 will work with just about everyone made in Nikon mount. I think the biggest decision is focal length. While the 50-60 mm range serves dual purpose as head and shoulder portrait lenses, you are really close to your subject when getting really close micro shots. The 85-105 range let you stay a little further back and still get the same image size, but don't make as good "walk around lenses". For micro, longer is usually better. One of my personal favorites in an old manual focus Nikkor 200-4.0. The early models were built to last a lifetime, the newer stuff not so much so. Also, for what its worth, AF is almost useless in the very close range so I prefer to focus manually. Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron also make very nice models. When shooting flowers and insects around my property I use my older 105 D Nikon. When I go out I'll replace it with a 50 or 60 for greater versatility. I've also been amazed at some of the close up images I've seen from the 18-55 kit lenses. Too shallow DOF and camera shake are the biggest causes of lost close ups, not lens sharpness. I've used point n shoots to the best most expensive cameras and lenses and technique can tell you with certainty the technique is much more important than equipment. This folder contains shots from ever conceivable camera and lens combo: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.110211874343.92262.621264343&type=3

I've used the cross screen for various shots. The aperture really affects what it does. The closer to max aperture, the more diffused the image. At small stops it pretty much just makes star effects from point light sources, has little effect on the rest of the picture. I've used it to diffuse bridal portraits.

The biggest problem is the colored glow which isn't always wanted. I did a workshop years ago where everyone used a series of different filters to soften portraits. The Zeiss Softar, Nikon and other expensive filters were tried. We even used the vaseline on filter trick. By far the best effect was black tulle which had little or no color fringing, and only really affected the light skin with little softening of fine details like eye lashes. We simply wrapped it over the lens with a rubber band. I bought a couple yards of it at a fabric shop for a few $$.

I don't see much difference except for some real advantages with digital. Most of the principles are the same.

a. You have immediate feed back.

b. You can set your WB and not have to change film type or filters.

c. It doesn't cost to make a digital image (until you print)

d. You can process and send the image anywhere in a matter of minutes.

e. You have more control on what you send to be printed if you're sending out to a lab.

I generally leave my camera on AUTO WB. I've found that different cameras handle the WB balance differently, and I almost always have to set to incandescent (light bulb symbol) if shooting under tungsten light. Rough tune in the camera, fine tune in Photoshop. Mixed lighting can really be tricky, but I like to see the different colors of light so I usually fine tune in PS so that my subject looks best. I've seen photos that were way to yellow-orange from tungsten light that could never really be fixed in Photoshop. All of this beats the film days when it was necessary to chose films and filters to balance color!

I liked your choice A. Just remember that you need the lenses that have AF motors built in. My Tokina 12-24 doesn't have the motor, so I had to use manual focus with my D5000. The inexpensive little 55-200 VR is an exceptional lens.

The Spotmatic was made from 64-76. I bought one from the PX in Viet Nam in 68. I think Honeywell was the US distributor for Asahi thus the Honeywell designation.

I think you'll find your 68 model to be a screw mount, probably Spotmatic, since Pentax didn't build the K Mount until 1975. The K1000 was a stripped down (no self timer, DOF preview, etc) version of the Spotmatic. It's still one of the most recommended cameras for film students.

I'm an avid photographer, pro, and photo teacher, and shoot every day. I've been astounded at what I can do with my Iphone. Here is my Iphone gallery on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.435921699343.223595.621264343&type=3