I will buy no other

<p>Just wanted to give props to Pentax for the build quality of their cameras. I was shooting the picture which I posted in the POTW and after I was finished I turned around to put my camera back in the vehicle and forgot there was a 6" curb to step over. Needless to say I went straight down on mt face and chest and camera in hand crashing to the black top. Now I got up cussing and looking at my camera, the only thing it did was crack the plastic on the bottom corner adjacent to the battery door. So I get up turn it off and back on the camera focused and started snapping pics again like nothing ever happened. and this is the 2nd time that this lens has had a crash and didn't phase it that I can see, just wanted to say thanks pentax.</p><div></div>

<p>here is another one that was taken</p><div></div>

<p>no need to say thanks, is what you paid for...<br>

But it's true, my K10 has fallen twice and survived with barely a scratch<br>

(very nice trunks, by the way)</p>

<p>I could not agree more. Pentax cams are built to last. <br>

Take a look at this thread.<br>

<a href="00Smxs">http://www.photo.net/pentax-camera-forum/00Smxs</a></p>

<p>Despite the fact that my first Pentax K10D body started to produce non recoverable write error messages on all sd cards soon after the warranty expired I'm pretty happy with the build quality as well, my second K10D survived a bike accident with some minor scratches and worked very well in the tropical climate of Costa Rica in 2008 and is still in daily use.</p>

<p>I've dropped my K-x once right after I got (about gave me a heart attack) and I have crashed with it in my pack a few times cycling and skiing with no problems.<br>

But I've also done those things with other camera brands and haven't killed one yet.<br>

The camera I was most impressed with for surviving abuse so far was my beloved ME Super. That thing took a licking and kept on ticking!</p>

<p>Although I've shot maybe 50% of the time with other DSLRs when using Pentax mount glass (ist D, K20D, K-7), my Dec 2006 K10D is still going strong. My 2005 ist D was given away in May, and it's still going strong, my K-7 had a factory defect and is still fairly new so I won't comment. I had an ist 35mm that the motor failed 10 minutes after removing it from the box, I returned it and the second one was flawless. It would seem if you don't get a factory defect, your camera should last longer than most of us want it to.</p>

<p>I have few complaints with build, I think for the price the cameras could be the best built of any manufacturer (and yeah, I'm including leica because I can buy 10-15 pentax before even sniffing leica cost territory, and no one has yet to convince me that a single Leica will outlast 15 Pentax...or even 5 Pentax cameras).</p>

<p>Glad your camera is ok. I never dropped my K10D, but it has a chip in the lower corner by the battery door. My only concern is it could alter the weather proofing in some way, though I've never bothered to epoxy over it.</p>

<p>540 very strong for flash unit when attached....</p>

<p>I finally dropped my k10d the other day, too. I was at a baseball park, and they had those aluminum bleachers where the part you sit on and the part you walk on are the same thing. I was on the third seat up, and when I got up the camera tumbled off the edge, hit the ground and rolled back to near the back of the bleachers. Still works great, and just double-checked and really don't see a single scratch anywhere on it. After it hit the ground it probably traveled about 4 feet, all told, bouncing more than rolling. And these bleachers were on concrete, too. And I think the drop was about 3 to 3 1/2 feet, maybe even higher. Must have landed just right, on the rubbery parts. The strap will not be leaving my neck in the future, tho.</p>

<p>You're stealing my shtick, Jordan--that's one of my trademark moves ;~) </p>

<p>Actually, I've done pretty well by my camera gear (so far) but my one camera crash with the K20D did result in damage that required Pentax repair. </p>

<p>Uhm, no, I don't don't foresee the ad. dept. coming up with a campaign "Pentax, the choice of clumsy photographers".</p>

<p>My wife's K-m fell out of an unzipped camera bag, about 4 feet to the pavement. Right on the lens. Dented the filter threads, but otherwise camera and lens continue to work fine.</p>

<p>Glad to hear camera and photographer were OK. Jordan, I like the aspens image.</p>

<p>I recently dropped my K-7--first SLR drop, strap slid down my arm while I was futzing with a backpack. Fortunately hit carpeted floor, not a scratch. Has motivated me to consider a Black Rapid strap, not that it would helped in Jordan's case.</p>

<p>My Mz 3 has a pop up flash which doesn't pop due to a faulty spring and the MZ 5n was known to strip gears in the shutter mechanism. <br>

Haven't had a problem with any of the other cameras I have owned from Canon (5), Sigma (1) and Praticka (1).<br>

My Pentax MX and K1000 will last forever though with an occaisional replacement of the foam seals.</p>

<p>I have to agree about the toughness. I dropped my K10D once and also went down hard on a boulder on my Mt Colden loop. After traversing many a slippery spot all along the hike, I was skirting Avalanche Lake and slipped on a <strong>dry</strong> rock going down hard on my left forearm, K10D, and 16-45mm lens. I normally don't walk with the camera and only take it out of my bag when I see a shot, but I was trying to capture different perspectives of the lake and surrounding cliffs as i went along. Another lesson learned. Anyways, I scraped my forearm pretty badly (yes, some blood dripping) but was more concerned with the photography equipment.<br>

My K10D seems to be fine, although not 100% sure it is always auto-focusing 100% clearly now.</p>

<p>But all in all, Pentax does have very tough cameras.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Anyways, I scraped my forearm pretty badly (yes, some blood dripping) but was more concerned with the photography equipment.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Boy, is this not the sad truth. That we will sacrifice our bodies to save our equipment. I am pretty clumsy and have experience at saving my cam at the expense of a few cuts, bumps and bruises. lol.</p>

<p>I fell with my 100+kg body over a K10D and my ribs suffered more than the camera. I just had to clean the mud that made me trip out of the spaces around the battery door and other openings </p>