[suliabryon]

With my recent purchase of a K5, my plan is to use my K10D as a backup and also a manual focus camera as I have a Katz Eye screen in it. One of my manual focus lenses is on it, a rather cheap JC Penny 28/2.8 but so far has proved to be a fine little gem. I have taken my K10D hiking, skiing, kayaking in all kinds of weather and it has held up well and I expect no less from the K5. Pentax cameras are very well built. The weather sealing does it's job. As for falls on hiking and climbing trips, my advice is be careful. Cameras are replaceable but people aren't. The padding in my Lowepro backpack is excellent and I'm sure my gear would fare much better than I would in a fall. Actually, I have fallen a few times while skiing. Me and the camera are still in one piece.

Well that's good to know! Actually, it's funny you bring up skiing, since my husband recently mentioned his intention to take the camera to the slopes as well. He is an experienced skier who skis black diamond runs and prefers moguls (maybe not spelled right; I am not a skier myself) to smooth powder. Nonetheless, I imagine falls occasionally happen, more than when hiking at least, and I was aghast at the idea. Perhaps my view of this possibility is colored by own solitary experience skiing - I spent three hours on a green run falling every few feet until I finally got to the bottom of the slope, and thankfully spent the rest of the day in the lodge, drinking hot cocoa while I waited for the rest of our group to finish their day. I went with a friend who literally took me to the top of the mountain, pointed to a green run and said "you want that one" and then left me to my own devices. I had never been on skis before. It was a horrendous experience I plan never to repeat. Anyway, I fell. A lot. So when Mark said he wanted to take the camera skiing, well...I'm sure he'll be grateful I read your post, since it may help sway me to let him. I can definitely see the possibility for some beautiful shots at the top of that mountain.