I bought a close out [ i.e . reduced ] Pentax K10d when the 20d arrived and was able specifically to buy used manual K lenses 50 f1.7 , 28 f 2.8 , 80-200 zoom at £25 each from my local dealer !
To me , this seemed the ideal way to translate from film to digital on a budget . I could never afford such lenses in auto focus form .
I confess that I never quite got on with it , but the faster prime lenses are useful .
Obviously , I considered a later Pentax , to extend the system , and there are lighter and smaller bodies since the K10d !
However , handling the Nikon 3100 / 5100 , Pentax K5 etc , and equivalent Canon , only one cheap and cheerful entry level camera just felt perfect - the Sony A290 , reminiscent of my Minolta 404si .
It has such a clean uncluttered body devoid of all the dials of competitive cameras which suits my ASD ' lostness ' perfectly . It's also light and compact compared to the K10d .
I think that most of all , it creates a continuity from my Minoltas dating back to the SRt . I know this is an intangible element , but I never had the history of Pentax , it's just not familiar .
I also aspire to a Sony A580 body and 50mm f1.8 auto lens , which shares it's sensor with the K5 and Nikon 5100 , again 'cos it feels more ' right ' to me .
Of course so-called mild Autism affects this kind of familarity / safe-ness but I think that it is far too easy to fall for specs and reviews over the camera which fits an individual .
The Pentax system retains it's usefulness as a manual digi-box , but will be used alonside the Sony camera .