Hey there -- name is Eric. Like a couple of other intro posts, most of my Google searches brought me to your forum, so I didn't think it would hurt to join, instead of just lurk about.
I love taking pictures of just about everything (especially flowers, leaves, stuff like that), and was getting tired of all the blurry shots my phone and Sony P&S were giving me, so I decided it was time to make the transition to a better camera. Read a ton of reviews on all of the newer entry-level DSLR models, super zooms, etc -- ton of information to take in, for sure. My best friend has been a Pentax shooter for decades, and he was kind enough to loan me his backup K10D (with a few lenses) -- and told me that all the reading is fine, but you need to get out and shoot. Whether it's relevant or not, I appreciate things that are "sturdy" and feel well-made, and after getting my hands on a few of the other brands entry-level models, I found myself liking the build quality of his K10D (and his K5) a LOT.
I discovered pretty quickly that brick and mortar camera shops are all but non-existent in my area, but there was one that I found, and fortunately for me, they had a nice Pentax lineup. I went with a white/black K50 -- and am really enjoying it so far. I don't know enough about what I'm doing yet to make any kind of call on whether or not the two kit lenses are any good (WR 18/55 and a 50/200), but they seem decent to me + I picked up a smc PENTAX DA 35mm F2.4AL -- and I'm liking that one a bunch. Like a lot of new folks, I find myself resisting the urge to snatch up another lens or two...but we'll see how long that lasts.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read. Looking forward to learning a lot here