Possible New Pentax User

There is not £500 worth of difference in image quality.

But there is a big difference in feel and handling, AF speed, AWB accuracy. K-7 has 100% VF, nicer rear LCD, much more usable live view implementation, much quieter shutter, video...

Personally, I would not go back to the K20D now, but the latter can easily compete with the K-7 on quality of results.

Coming as you are from the Oly, it will also feel much more compact than the GX20/K20D body. The K-7 is remarkably compact for what it does - and makes the higher end 4/3 bodies look ridiculously large given their sensor size.

Pentax at their best have always been masters of producing cameras one format smaller than they "should" be.

Compare the size of the MZ line to Canons short lived APS SLR for example, or the 645 to almost any Nikon 35mm.

If Pentax ever do produce a 35mm DSLR (I honestly have no idea if they will and no interest in debating it) I would expect it to be about the size of everyone elses APS-C cameras.

I just love my K20. My biggest dilemma is in event of a fire do I save the missus or the K20. The K20 never moans but there again it does not cook either. Seriously I think the k20 is just great. It is flexible in its uses, there are plenty of good Pentax and others lenses and value for money I really dont think it can be beaten. Sure Canon have great marketing and Nikon is almost exclusively for lottery winners but give me my Pentax any time.
Good luck in whatever you do and there is always this excellent forum which I do believe everyone else envies.

Isn't it funny how many RED Ferrari's and YELLOW Lamborghini' you find out there. A red MERCEDEDES BENZ is much cheaper but the engine will last much longer... figure it out yourself!!!

At the end of the day buy what your heart tells you (we all do in the end), to me it looks like you would be happier going back to Sony. Lets face it no one is going to give you a totally unbiased opinion anyway, a owner will nearly always tell you their chosen brand is best otherwise they would be admitting that they made a mistake when buying their camera.

Strange how someone always ends up comparing camera bodies to cars

I will go and handle some cams tomorrow, I do miss my Sony but there isn't currently a body with the build or features I am looking for, and for landscapes I don't feel the lens selection is at present wide enough.
I could wait for more Sony fit wide angles but it could be a long time, especially when there are already abundant lenses for my needs in a Canon / Nikon or Pentax mount.
The inbuilt IS, weatherproofing and their general reception has led me to look at Pentax, and I feel that besides a Nikon D300 a K7 or the GX20 I have reserved would best fit my needs for the time being.

One other thing that I like about Pentax is the community, everyone here and elsewhere has been nothing but helpful and its something I missed when I went to Olympus, an active community, it was there for Sony and I can certainly say its here for Pentax!

Hello Chris,

Buy Pentax. The only Sony worth having is the A850 and it's not cheap. That would be my move if my Maxum 7D ever croaks.

Every system has it's issues, Sony does not come close to Pentax for quality and pedigree.

Regards

Well I'm not going back to Sony I played with the A500 and A550 today and I was not at all impressed feels very cheap and plasticky.
However the Pentax K7 felt excellent very well
built and compact, is the K20/GX20 as well built?

K20D/GX20 are both built very well, although not a mag alloy body like the K-7.

Anything else you didn't like about the A550?
It looks a very well specified camera for the money.

Have you handled the D300s/7D?

............but a very nice polycarbonate body on a stainless steel chassis

I did like the Canon 7D but far too expensive and the D300 is lovely but VR lenses are very expensive.

The K7 seems much better value than the Nikon D300 and the D300s and while I like the handling of the Canon I've never given them much thought when looking at DSLR's, its really going to be down to what I can get once my kit is sold, if I can get Jacobs to hold onto the GX20 for me for an extra few days I imagine that will be what I get, may even keep it as a second body and upgrade to a K7 later on next year, only thing for me to do now I think is choose what lenses I want to get!

Well I'm still stuck between the GX20 and buying an A700.
I've disregarded anything else due to the cost more than anything, not convinced I would get any significant benefit spending another £500+ on either a K7 or Nikon D300.
Does anyone know if there is anywhere I can still buy a grip for the Samsung GX20?

Also I know that the 50-135 is a highly tipped lens but is there a fairly cheap zoom lens, maybe 70-300, doesn't have to be great? Its just to indulge my interest in commercial airliners to see if I can get some shots, is the Sigma 70-300 APO available in a Pentax mount?

The ideal lens for Pentax/Samsung is the SMC Pentax-DA 55-300mm, which is superb.

There is a new lighter L version as well, but I would prefer the original with metal mount and Quick Shift.

Quick Shift is the ability to tweak the focus manually after AF has operated. This is a very, very useful feature.

Thanks John, that doesn't seem that expensive either, around £220, looks good.
I'm leaning toward a Body/Kit of:

Samsung GX20
Samsung GX20 Battery Grip
Samsung 16-45mm lens
Sigma 10-20 for wide angle or Possibly a Pentax 10-17
Pentax 18-55 WR ( for those wet days)
Pentax 55-300mm
Pentax DA21mm