Originally posted by pres589 I think I would go for a Super Program over the cameras like the P3 or P3N.
The Super Program works the same way for Av and Manual. In all fairness, while the P3n lacks exposure comp, it does feature AE lock, a first, I believe, for Pentax cameras. FWIW, my XR7 has both exposure comp and AE lock and I don't believe I have used EC in the 38 years I have been shooting with that camera. The AE lock provides much better control and is much more useful for many tasks, e.g. metering off a gray card. I also strongly recommend the XR7.
I totally agree regarding DX being a strong reason to not go with the P3N. That said, the matter of the aperture ring weakness on the A series lenses is limited to the 50/1.7 and 50/2.0 and was not a problem until the plastic parts grew brittle with age.
Steve