Just a little background. When I was looking for a camera I didn't look at the low end Nikon DSLRs. As a matter of fact the only Nikon I handled before I bought my K10D was a Nikon D200 with a ??mm-200mm zoom (I think) attached. This brings be to the reason I was so shocked just recently.
Now, before anyone thinks I'm attacking Nikons photo quality, I am not.
A friend of mine approached me a few weeks ago and said he wanted to buy a DSLR camera and wanted a Nikon (I didn't ask why). He said he wanted a rather basic one and I said he may as well look at the 40 model. He picked the 40X and he told me he just wanted to go with a package rather than build a kit starting with just the body. No problem I said. We looked, we found, we ordered, and he received it with 2 lenses.
Cut to the chase...
He brought it to work for me to see and I might add he was very excited. Once again, I am not questioning Nikons ability to take great photo's but....., and here is what shocked me.
The thing felt like a toy compared to my K10D. I can understand them making a super light weight body, but even the lenses were skimpy and plastic!
I congratulated him all the while wondering to myself "How the hell is this camera a big seller?" Then it came to me.
Because very few stores have Nikon & Pentax side by side. If they did, I can't see how Pentax would lose!!
Anyway, I sure am glad I was one of the lucky ones to have been able to handle a Pentax before I purchased a camera. Too bad with Pentax's lack of promotion and
hands on availability, many people will continue to go with "the other guys".