Quote Originally Posted by LoudPicture
So i had joined the forum a few monthes ago after my pentax ME super broke. I posted asking what everyones advice was where i should go, some said to stay with film and keep going, and others said to switch to digital. So, i took it from there and decided that i would go digital. I still had two perfect lenses from the me super (50mm, and a 120mm) and thought that it might be handy if i was to buy a pentax camera. So i came back, posted again, and mostly everyone said to keep them and buy a pentax SLR. I sat down with myself that night, thought about it for a bit, and then made the decision to sell the two lenses...boy was that stupid. See, had i sold the two lenses for a decent amount of money, i wouldnt feel bad about it, but nope, KHE offered $115 for the two, and i took it :mad2: . *sigh*. Well, i sat around for a few monthes, started using my mothers Canon A95, and figured that ill stick with it until i finally make my decision. Well, now that i find myself using the Manual function on the camera everytime i turn it on, i figure...its time. Anyway, to get on with it, ive really narrowed it down to two choices; the pentax *IST dl, or the nikon d50; The two low budget dslrs out right now. I took a look around and found a meer $80 dollar difference between the two (both kits at $470 [pentax] and $550 [nikon] both at reputable dealers). The camera will be used for multiple things, from sports photography to portraits and so on. Ive used the nikon at stores before and i absolutly loved it, it was very solid and so on, however, i have not yet used the pentax. The nikon i dont really have any concerns about, there is no lack of reviews on the camera, but the pentax is a has a different situation. From the few reviews that i found, i got the vibe that the camera isnt really great for sports photography, and that it is really small. Exactly how small is this camera? If one of our users who owns this camera would be willing to take a photo of the camera with them holding it so that i have an idea, that would be great.
Both cameras are excellent. The Nikon gets more buzz because there are more Nikon users out there. Sports photography can be taken by any camera. I got some great sports shots with my little Canon S400. Photography depends almost completely on the photographer, not the equipment. Both cameras do very well regardless.

I like the Pentax because it is small, light, and has the largest selection of lenses around. Nikon does OK but their lenses are not always compatible, you have to look them up to see what works. Go to a store and play with the Pentax, see if you like it. If you don't, go for the Nikon. Also, take a look at the Canon 350D. You might like that one better than the other two.