Discover the Best Cheap Digital SLR - Pentax K-x vs Nikon D3000

Looking for a really good but cheap digital SLR camera?Let's take a look at Pentax K-x vs Nikon D3000, a comparison that may not have occurred to you.What do you think?One of the most popular and respected names in the digital SLR market is Nikon. They sell tons of them. And the Nikon D3000 is competitively priced as an entry level digital SLR. However, the perceived value could be due to their massive marketing campaign, don't you think?Pentax seems to depend on just giving good quality and letting the product market itself. Well, not totally, but their marketing is nothing near what Nikon puts out.So, how do these two entry-level digital SLRs really compare?Here are some areas where the pendulum swings in favor of a Pentax K-x:*Image stabilization is in the camera in the Pentax. Nikon does not have image stabilization in camera. Instead it is in the lens. That means you have to purchase a lens with that feature. Lots of Nikon lenses are being produced with VR (vibration reduction), but many do not have it. However, with the Pentax, you can attach virtually any lens (even older ones - up to 40 years old), and you will have... image stabilization.*Lenses - all Pentax lenses, as well as third party lenses made for Pentax, work on a Pentax K-x. Not so for the Nikon D3000. It seems like I just said this above, but there yet another consideration. This has nothing to do with IS or VR. There is a group of lenses that are made for Nikon cameras like the D3000 that only work on the cameras that have a "crop" sensor. Basically, this means that if you eventually upgrade to a high end Nikon, you would have to replace some, or all, of your lenses for the higher end digital SLR Nikon camera.*Video - Yes for Pentax, no for Nikon.*Next is Live View. Again, Pentax has it and Nikon does not.*Finally, the all powerful Money factor. They have a very close price point. It just depends upon the day and the sale price you happen to find.So, is there anywhere that the Nikon D3000 is better than the Pentax K-x?The one point that most agree is lacking on the Pentax K-x is an AF chart. That is, a visible focus point layout in the viewfinder that lets you see where the camera is focusing.This discussion brings us to a concept that many agree upon. The Pentax K-x, even though it compares in price, really is not a cheap digital SLR in the truest sense of definition. The Nikon D5000 and the Pentax K-x are a better match up because the D5000 has a similar feature set, including those features that are missing from the D3000. That all the features except the price. The D5000 is much more expensive.To be sure, not every cheap DSLR is made equal. So you should take a look at the Pentax K-x vs Nikon D3000 before you make you final purchase decision.