[Nass]

Wasn't it Pentax that came out with the first pentaprism 35mm camera with lightmeter or is my history way off?

Ditto what others said. it's a right pisser not being able to turn off DFS/NR above 30 seconds.

[bobore]

To date I've purchased seven Pentax dslr bodies, most recently the Kx. Not a single build quality issue thus far. Sure, some folks have experienced problems, but many more have not. That said, the rapid pace of dslr development coupled with cutting edge technology and complexity almost ensures a few glitches now and then.

[RioRico]

Just look at the threads about problems relating to the KX and K7. Not only on this forum but others. A lot of people have a lot of problems with these two cameras. Too many to ignore. More so than current Canon DSLR's in the same price/features bracket.

Those who have problems, report them. Those who don't, don't. Most news is bad news. A year ago, we saw many complaints of K20 problems. Those of us with K20s that work fine have no reason to complain (except about features we wish for). These hardware forums are usually dominated by users looking for help.

But maybe you're right. Maybe the KX and K7 *are* problematic, more so than equivalent Canikony's. So let me suggest this: Go to the Camera Database at dpreview.com and tally the user ratings on the K's and their equivalents. That's what I did when deciding on a dSLR to buy. You need a large sample to get statistically significant numbers, more than just the few dozen complaints here.

[WillCarney]

I have read the reviews. Like I said the current Pentax DSLR's are not good enough in MY opinion for the price they go for, for me at least. The point of the thread was about Pentax doing better. Better quality, quality control and more options in their cameras is what they need to do in my opinion. For now neither the KX or K7 is good enough in quality and features for me.

William

[GoremanX]

The "quality control" thing doesn't stand up. If Pentax was actually suffering from more failure rates than Canon or Nikon, it would be talked about everywhere. The K-x and K-7 are selling very well, so there are more of them to fail, but percentage-wise, everything is still on the same track it's always been. Same as Canon, same as Nikon, same as Olympus, same as Sony.

Too many whiners on the sidelines, no enough do-ers.

[RioRico]

The "quality control" thing doesn't stand up. If Pentax was actually suffering from more failure rates than Canon or Nikon, it would be talked about everywhere. The K-x and K-7 are selling very well, so there are more of them to fail, but percentage-wise, everything is still on the same track it's always been. Same as Canon, same as Nikon, same as Olympus, same as Sony.

I just did a quick check on DpReview, Canon 50D and 1000D vs KX. KX rates higher on everything, except 1000D is marginally ahead on construction. I don't have a dog in this fight, and I have other things to do, so I won't build an analysis spreadsheet of Canikony (2008, 10-15mpx) ratings vs prices. Someone who actually gives a sh!t can do that. Bye now.

[Yugosaki]

Quality and Quality control is the biggest "it" issue. Just look at the threads about problems relating to the KX and K7. Not only on this forum but others. A lot of people have a lot of problems with these two cameras. Too many to ignore. More so than current Canon DSLR's in the same price/features bracket.

The grass is always greener on the other side.

I just switched from canon. On the canon side, people are complaining about all sorts of quality control issues. The 5d has focus issues and the AF points are all in the center. The 7d has noise issues, ghosting problems, and autofocus issues. Canon customer service is shrugging off complaints. People are accusing Canon of false advertising, some are even switching to Nikon, etc. I'm sure there are those in the Nikon pool as well with similar complaints.

I don't think there are any more (or less) issues with Pentax than there are with Canikon. I think they are just issues with the camera world in general, and it bounces back and forth between the manufacturers. I'm happy with my k-7. It's cheaper than the equivalent cameras from another brand. Sure, there are things I would like changed (the sensor for one) but I don't think I would be any more (or less) satisfied with another brand. The only major reason I see to go over to another brand is for full frame bodies, which at this time I don't really care about.