So Confused by Various Cameras...

IF my camera is not fixable (or not cost effective) I will have to get something new.
I have looked at the;
K200
K20
K-M
I am totally confused as to which is a better camera for me.

Summarise my photography.....
I am new to this, about a year now. I take a lot of photos of children, scenery and animals. I really am learning (most of the jargon still baffles me!).
I crop and edit my photos a lot with Picasa.

Any help on the above cameras would be much appreciated, thankyou.

The K-m is aimed at the beginner to Single lens Reflex (SLR) photography, perhaps moving up from a bridge camera (where the wide zoom lens cannot be interchanged) to the Digital SLR with its interchangeable lenses. It is compact and its operation is simple.

The K200D is a very fine camera indeed that could satisfy more advanced photographers. Its 10.2MP sensor is very capable of making large, high quality prints.

The K20D increases the pixel count to 14.6MP, uses a more convenient battery pack instead of AA batteries and is suitable for high end amateur and professional photography. It is larger and heavier.

I would suggest you handle all three and select the one you like the feel of. All will produce very fine images. If you start off with the 18-55mm standard zoom, maybe adding the 50-200mm for very little extra money, you will have a very capable kit that should cover all your requirements.

Hope that helps!

Thank you John that is helpful.

I currently have a K100DSuper which sadly looks like it may not be cost effective to fix. We will see.
So meanwhile looking into the next step forward.

K20 not using AA's is a shame. At least thats something you can go and buy if caught out. So my question regardig that is, if you buy a spare battery how long do they hold their charge if kept as a spare in the camera bag?

The K20D uses the same battery as the K10D, they are Lithium Ion type and as such hold charge extremely well when not in use. I just keep mine charged and I've never yet left one long enough to notice any self discharge at all.

Good luck with your choice, it's a hard one, but ultimately you'll find you can't really go wrong.

If you are still a little confused by the more advanced settings it might be wise to go for either the K200 or K-m, as they have more comprehensive "beginner" modes. The K20D is aimed at experienced amateurs and pros, so doesn't feature things like scene modes or auto-picture.

The K200D is an upgrade from the K100Dsuper, it has many of the same functions plus one or two new ones. I moved from a K110D to the K200D and am very satisfied with it. One thing about the K200D is the availability of a battery grip, this extends the time between charging batteries and makes the camera feel more solid. The best way to decide is to find a local dealer who will let you handle the various bodies. In the end the choice is yours

i had a k100d super to start and changed to k200d with battery grip and tameron 18-200mm lens my advice is go for the best you can afford but take in to account getting a good lens.
so if money is of no matter go for the k20d and a good lens.
also the k200d and k20d are weather proof not sure about km plus the k200d and k20d have 11 autofocus points and the km 5 points.
i had a sony a350 after the k100d super and it was terrible hence why i got the k200d and its miles better.so really think about it before you buy it and if you can afford it dont bother with the 18-55mm kit lens its not that good save the 50£ and put it towards a decent lens not sure about the version 2. 18-55mm lens hope this helps