Which Entry Level DSLR Camera To Choose

There are only two things holding me back from buying the Sony DSLR-A200K camera. One is that all the ones for sale are used (discontinued model), so it comes with no warranty and you never know how long it will last. And two, it's made by Sony. My track record with Sony has been terrible. Every single Sony item I have ever bought or owned has developed faults. This has made me very cautious of buying anything that's made by Sony.

I have had Televisions, Amps, Car stereos, Tape Decks, Mobile Phones, everything ended up with a fault after a while. And I'm very careful with my stuff. Is the Sony DSLR-A200K an exception. It does seem so with such a huge amount of positive reviews. I know that Sony products used to be very reliable back in the 70's and 80's, and I'm sure some of their products still are today. However, it can't just be a coincidence with how many of my items have developed faults. I think Sony's quality has dropped over the years. But I'm tempted to give them one more try with the A200K..

Sony A58 DSLR Camera - Picture Credit: Köllner

Then there is the Nikon D3100 entry level DSLR Camera. It certainly looks the part. I'd look like a professional photographer! Most of the reviews are positive. The not so positive reviews complain about poor battery life, poor build quality, bad auto focus, and a slowish shutter speed for a DSLR. This camera would be at the top, the very top, of my budget. I'd hate to spend so much money on a camera and end up not being blown away by how good it is. Maybe I'm focusing too much on the negative reviews. But for this particular model they are hard to ignore when some of them are written by people who seem to have a lot of experience with different cameras and photography in general. One negative reviewer claims to have been a photographer for over 50 years. I get the feeling that they know what they are talking about!. Or perhaps they expect too much from an entry level DSLR. Although I doubt that to be honest.

I've never heard much about Pentax cameras as the market seems to be jam packed with Canon and Nikon cameras. From what I have read Pentax cameras are right up there with the mighty Canon's and Nikon's of the world. The Pentax DSLR's seem to be very under rated. I'm not a badge snob so a Pentax K-x DSLR is a possibility. There is even a white version of the Pentax model I've been interested in and it looks very cool. I don't mind what brand it is as long as it takes excellent pictures and is very reliable. One good feature that Pentax DSLR's have is that they can use a lot of the older lenses. Pentax lenses dating back as far as the 1970's (with the right adaptor) can be used on an up to date Pentax DSLR body. How cool is that! 

Some of the older Pentax lenses are superb and can be found cheap as well if you know where to look. Car boot sales, eBay, Classifieds, Swap websites, even second hand shops, all are really good locations for buying old photography equipment cheaply. Definitely a tick in the box for buying a Pentax DSLR camera. I'm also tempted by the Olympus E-400 DSLR due to it's small size and good quality sample images.. Any suggestions?