[old4570]

Hmmm , Do you have a collection of old lenses ? ( K mount )

If you have no attachment to any particular brand ,,

Canon 50D and up ... ( Canon is top shelf stuff )
I own the Nikon D3200 , its small , very small .. What ever you decide to buy , go into the store and hold it in your hands = ( You Must )
I had to buy a battery grip for my D3200 or sell it , the batteries are small , very small and after maybe 200 shots needs recharging ( body + kit lens ) . The grip allows for two batteries , and makes the body larger so fits my hands better , just be aware you might need to run hacked firmware for the grip to work , I run hacked firmware in my D3200 ... ( KMA Nikon )
Now aside from the small body , small battery , needing to hack the firmware to make it usable , the 24mp sensor is very nice ...
Pentax , look at a used K5 K5ii K5iis , for a first Digital look at a mint K20D ..
Or simply buy a K50 , the K50 is also a little small , the battery is a little small , but it does work well ... The battery has lasted well , but then Im not using autofocus as this is my dedicated Macro camera ..
I really really really wish Ricoh had gone with a larger battery for the K50 , or made it to take a grip .... ( Larger Battery )

If I were to start from scratch , the very beginning , Canon would sorely tempt me .

But for a very first Digital , I would recommend a low mileage MINT Pentax K20D

[ramseybuckeye]

Outdoors mostly. Nature. Limited landscape pics. Hoping to get into more macro. Of course general photos to practice and keep the family happy.

The weather sealed body of the K-50 make it a natural for nature. I have the K-30 which is very similar feature wise, a couple of often overlooked functions are the electronic level and the focus peaking. The level is great for keeping things straight. And when using a tripod the focus peaking is perfect, I find it especially useful at night when focus and recompose are a bit more difficult, and for manual focus lenses. The 6 fps is very nice for shooting small jumpy birds too.

[ChristianRock]

Then take the K-50 and see if you can squeze in the plastic fantastic 50mm/f1.8 or 35mm/f2.4 with it.

This. You might be able to find the K-30 (previous model to the K-50, and by all accounts, the exact same camera with a slightly different body) for about 100 dollars less than the K-50, and apply that money towards a DA 35 2.4 lens. I have that lens and it's invaluable to me, a great step up in image quality compared to the kit lens (which isn't bad, but indoors especially it is a bit lacking - as all kit lenses are).

[grispie]

for a first Digital look at a mint K20D ..

now this is a great camera! still love it

[aleonx3]

IMHO, aside from IQ, the advantages of owning a Pentax dslr is about the features such as getting two wheels (even with the entry level k-50 model) and the ergonomics such as hyper P and TAv shooting modes. It is so convenient to change settings via the viewfinder without having to go through the menu settings on the top or back LCD (unlike many of the Canon models).

[ScooterMaxi Jim]

A few more thoughts and clarifications.

1) As noted above, lens selection of the chosen mount is a key consideration. Over time you tend to keep good lenses, but bodies get replaced more often than in the film era due to technology advances. While there is nothing wrong with considering mirrorless options, if you are looking for inexpensive legacy lenses to get you started - they really don't exist because those types of lenses haven't been around long. Adapting older lenses is a compromise, and isn't all that cheap.

2) If you are considering Nikon, keep in mind that the 3xxx and 5xxx series do not have in-body motors and that limits your choices in lenses - especially the older AFs. Others are politely saying to check how the bodies feel in hand; pretty much the implication is that you'll notice that the 3xxx series feels really cheap, and isn't comparable to Pentax in build. It just isn't true to say that the K-50 is entry level given the features and build; not saying it compares with the K-3 or K-5 series in build - it doesn't - but clearly not Costco / Wal-mart entry level either.

3) AF isn't at all necessary for macro shooting on a digital camera, especially with the improved live view now available. So, a used MF macro lens is a real good idea. Now, you probably realize that Pentax will give more options to shoot MF without the adapter compromise - assuming that you are interested in picking up some lenses from the '70s and '80s. This doesn't really work with your old MF Minolta/Rokkor lenses as they are an entirely different mount than the Minolta/Konica/Sony AF lenses that followed starting with the Maxxum in the 1980s.

Certainly you need to be comfortable with your brand choice - especially looking forward. Some of us are worried about the future of Pentax (for many years now), but if you willing to look to legacy lenses - both AF and especially MF - it is hard to argue that there's a better alternative than Pentax. Many of the older lenses perform as good or better than current offerings. For instance, the kit telephoto (50-200) is not in the same build or optical class as the old F70-210s from Pentax or Takumar. Of course, some old lenses are pretty terrible on digital, so you have to do a lot research. Most of us enjoy our treasure hunts.

[CarlJF]

Both the K50 and D3200 are great to begin with. That said, if your on a tight budget, the Pentax system will give you much more for money. The Nikon system really become interesting if you do mind spending a lot of money to get their best lenses. in addition to backward compatibility of the Pentax mount system, don't forget that you also get image stabilization with any lenses you put on your K-50. It's a great advantage when your on a budget. It means you can just buy any older used lenses and they will be IS on the K-50. Good luck with that with Nikon, IS comes at a cost.

Another thing that I've noted, although I haven't specifically checked on the D3200, is that in the budget DSLR range, the viewfinder on a Pentax is usually better than the one on a budget Nikon (or a Canon for that matter). Again, unless you plan to go toward a higher end model one day, the Pentax will probably give you better satisfaction on this point. And since you have shot a lot in 35mm, you certainly know the importance of a good viewfinder.

And, as others mentioned, if you do a lot of landscape photography, a weather sealed body is certainly an advantage.

So, for me, I've always seen the budget Nikon as a first step toward the much higer end models and lenses, where there's really great Nikon stuff. On the other end, if you plan to stick on the budget/midrange/used equipments, Pentax will give you more for your money.

[ChristianRock]

Oh yeah the viewfinder in that D3200 is tiny. The Pentax viewfinders are better - even the older pentamirrors like my K-r are better than the D3x00 pentamirrors. And the K-30, K-50 and K-500 have pentaprisms, so they are excellent to use.

[Kozlok]

And you get dual control wheels in a K-50. That's a big deal to me. I have a Nikon 5xxx at work...The controls are stupidly horrible. Change ISO? many menu button presses later, maybe. Turn off autofocus? more buttons.

[kentishrev]

When I was choosing my first DSLR last year I narrowed the options to the D3200 and the K-30. In my list of pros and cons, the Pentax came out top and, even on the mechanical webiste comparisons, it was far ahead of the D3200. I went into a shop and held both. I preferred the Pentax.

Nevertheless, as a newbie I went with the D3200 since I saw Nikons everywhere, and it was a tiny bit cheaper - surely it is the better option. How wrong I was. For me, the D3200 was just too small (and I have small hands anyway), and the viewing area was poor. Since most of the controls require menu changes, it seemed to take a ling time to set up the camera between different shots. There was also a yellowish tint to all my pictures (which I think relates to a wayward WB system). The lack of WR also worried me - I live in the UK and it rains. A lot.

I eventually went back and bought a K-30 on a heavy discount. I thought I would run two systems, but the Nikon got left behind very quickly. Whilst I've bought lenses since (mostly old MF lenses on e-bay for peanuts), I have no need or desire to upgrade to K5 or K3 yet - I am still learning, and the K-30 gives me a great opportunity to do that.

Pentax has TAv on the mode dial. The D3200 has scene options. That tells me the Pentax is for those who are looking to learn and experiment.

All personal opinions, but I hope they help.

[clackers]

The K-50 might cost more than the 3200 and have less pixels but you get weather sealing, wireless flash control, in-body image stabilization, in-body lens motor, nice stainless steel frame, pentaprism viewfinder ... some pretty good features.

[nmay95]

I love my Cannon EOS Rebel T5i. Costco had great price. Did try Nikon 1st, shopped around, touched & felt many cameras. Best quality, shutter spead, lenses, options & price.
Best wishes

[AquaDome]

When I decided to embrace digital about a year ago, I bought a Canon 70D, a Nikon D7000, and a Pentax K-50. I liked the K-50 so much that I bought a K-3 and sold the Canon and the Nikon. Despite its light weight and smaller stature,the K-50 is a workhorse. The 18-135 zoom makes a perfect compliment to it.

[Schick]

I decided on the K-50. woohoo.

Thanks to everyone that provided info. I got a sweet deal on a white one, and couldn't resist.
So far so happy. The camera is a good size for me. The d3200 feels really small for my hands. I like the weight of the K-50 as well, as the Nikon seems to way as much as a toy. (No offense please Nikon owners, just my silly opinion). The K-50 grip is big and perfect.

Now to go over this huge manual a few times. It is the longest camera manual I have ever encountered. Then again, it is my first DSLR.

Thanks again to all.

[abuhani_muhamed]

هلا والله كباركم