[LeDave]

I have several questions concerning the Pentax K20D camera when in comparison with others. Is the K20D's auto focus quicker than the K200D? If not that big of a difference, Would it be smarter to save about 250-300 USD to get the K200D instead of the K20D? Also leave aside the video capabilities of the Nikon D5000 and the Canon Rebel T1i. Which one would you prefer, the K20D, D5000, or T1i and why?

Sorry for all these questions. I am a noob and wants a DSLR. I am serious about photography as a hobby. So the amount of knowledge I will have to learn does not matter (Damn right! Throw it at me). Therefore buying a cheap noob-friendly DSLR would be a waste of money because upgrade means losing money.

I've been doing quite a bit of research and it seems like the K20D and K200D has slower AF than it's competitors but at the same time compensates this by having a better body than it's competitors. I want to take pictures of cars and tennis. The Continuous shooting doesn't really bother me much. How long do you think it will be before the K-7 drops in price after its release and by how much?

I would be happy to jump to a professional level DSLR and struggle to use it if I had the money, because in the end I'll eventually know how to use it. So there's no point in buying a lower model DSLR when I am willing to spend the cash to buy the better DSLR. So I would rather try to buy the most capable DSLR with its basic lenses kit available for my budget of just under 900 USD. So suggestions?

[Marc Sabatella]

I don't own a K20D and have no way of performing any sort of scientific test, but I can say based on some experience that they are more similar than different - which is to say say, both are far faster than msot P&S cameras, not quite as fast as some other DSLR's, but that the focus speeed also depends a lot on the lens used and the levels of light.

As for which camera to get, as I see it, you have two chocies: a camera with SR, or a camera in which you get way more blurry pictures than people with SR get. Aside from that, there are few or no technical differences between cameras worth worrying about.