Thanks David. There was one here but it's gone now - I'll keep my eyes open for another one.
I've just been to this new electronics shop in downtown Shanghai to take a look at the lenses. They didn't have the Sigma 70-200 there but I was able to look at the larger Sigmas in CF mounts (too heavy and unwieldy for my intended use) and try the two Pentaxes on my K5.
BTW this shop had 43 DSLRs on display that you can handle and shoot (all with different lenses attached) of which 16 were Pentaxes (K5, Kr and Kx) - pretty good exposure right there, in fact I think there were even more Pentaxes than Canons. I really liked the D700 and also the D300s - they felt better in the hand than the 7D whose dials felt a little flimsy compared to the K5's. The D7000 felt awful as did the 60D, IMHO.
Anyway I'll put up some shots later but IMO the D*300 felt much nicer in the hand than the 60-250. I understand what a member on another forum meant when she said the Bigma was easier to hand-hold than the 60-250. I think it's the placement of the zoom ring, it could take some getting used too - that was it's only 'fault' though.
However I have to say I still loved the 60-250, the AF didn't feel slow and even in the shop at 6,400 ISO both the *300 and the 60-250 both locked focus quickly and surely without any drama. Both were easily hand-held.
The DA*300 was though, an undoubted step up, the AF was totally silent and a little faster than the 60-250. Shots were a little sharper too - tiny details clearly visible on small articles located on the other side of the shop (60 yds away - the shop is 5 floors of 3,000m2 per floor) ! It just called my name. Decision made. DA*300 it is. And the 60-250 goes to the top of my LBA list, instead of the Sigma 70-200, and can wait until the Summer to join it's brother