When I was a kid, I would borrow my older brother's Konica T3 from time to time. When I was a bit older, I was gifted a Pentax ( film ) P&S. I used that extensively and enjoyed it, but I always wanted more manual control. When I finally decided to get a film SLR, I was drawn to the older, metal, manual cameras - probably because of my early experiences with the Konica.
I ended up getting a used Pentax MX, and started collecting old M series lenses off eBay. Being a cheap bastard, it was a no-brainer to stick with Pentax when it came time to switch to digital, partly related to the type of shooting I do. In-body SR, weather sealing, and general ruggedness were strong selling points. That these features were available in a mid-range DSLR - the K200D - was a bonus. In hindsight, I wish that the K200D had a better viewfinder, and 2 control wheels, but I've got those features now with the K30. I've never thought of it before, but I think I may have paid less for my K30 with WR kit lens than I did for my K200D with a non-WR kit lens.
Though I've sometimes wondered if I should "jump ship", there's never been a compelling reason to do so.
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