When I decided to buy a DSLR I found that I had no idea of what I was looking for. I thought of my dad's old Minoltas, but I couldn't find an entry level that matched my memories(probably because his Minoltas weren't entry level
). I finally settled on Pentax for several reasons:
-Reputation: rock solid for Pentax. And their pedigree is long.
-Backward lens compatibility: it's nice know that i can explore some classic lenses at a good price.
-Weather sealing: I haven't torture tested mine, but I've shot at -10F to 95F in rain and dust with no problems.
-Recommendation: Consumer Reports had rated the K200D highest in it's catagory at the time.
-Growth: I didn't want to out grow the camera too fast.
-Aesthetics: it just felt like a real object in my hands. Solid.
And as someone else pointed out, Pentax users on other forums seemed like quiet professionals when compared to the Canon/Nikon cat fighters.
All in all I am very pleased with Pentax. The newer stuff can be pricey, but that's okay. I probably wouldn't know what to do with it yet anyway.
