Conflicted

I have the photography bug. Two months ago, all I had was a prosumer Sony DSC-H1 and a dated Pentax ME Super. Now, I have a Nikon D60 and a Pentax ist D. This creates somewhat of a conundrum. Pentax or Nikon? Which brand do I want to lead me into the world of professional photography?

It's obvious Nikon and Canon are the standards out there. Pentax only serves a niche clientele, but I love the loyalty they have to their customers. You won't see a Nikon camera today that is reverse compatible with ALL Nikon lenses. No, Nikon's in it for the cash. I'm sure Pentax is too, but they approach it differently. I'll never get over the fact I can use Pentax's first-ever line of manual lenses with any of their new DSLRs.

Another plus for Pentax is the low cost. For the quality you get from their lenses, you can't beat the price. Even accessories are cheaper. Take flashes for example. A top-of-the-line Pentax flash cost me $307. The mid-range Nikon Flash cost me $300. 'Nuff said.

On the downside, Pentax has no full-frame cameras. That poses a problem for me in far-far future. Unless the new K7 that comes out in five days is full-frame, then it's problem solved.

Decisions decisions...