Based on the feedback so far i think i'll be sticking with Pentax
The untimely demise of anything can shake your faith in the brand which is really whats happened here. Until that point i was happy with things. I think i just needed the reassurance to stick with the brand
The reasons i went with it in the first place are still valid, solid build and image quality at a good price.
In my mind now it i's a toss up between getting a K-70 or a K-3ii. I will most probably sell the K-r and end up trying to fix the k-50 myself (if it doesn't appear too tricky) - if successful i'll have it as my backup camera, if not i'll flog it off to recover some of the costs. Either way I've lost the confidence in it to run it as my main camera. As Alex645 said its an emotional thing and the niggling worry of another failure would always be present.
Quote: what camera body is better suited, in your opinion for wild life photography?
I still need to look at more detail into the cameras but each has its pro's and con's. I enjoy wildlife photography but the camera is and will be used for general purpose photography. The superior AF, battery life and durability on the K-3ii would be a big benefit, but then so would the articulating rear screen, the built in flash and the improved live view of the K-70. Then there are things like GPS and WiFi which are both useful neither has both.