New Pentax K-x
 

New entry level DSLR from Pentax, apparently it's a cracker! On sale for £550 at Dixons with 18-55 kit lens and 75-300.

http://www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-x_Black/

Anyone know more? Anyone have experience with Pentax in general? Weighing it up against a used EOS 30D.

Try dpreview - they give it a good write-up.

Yes, about 30 years. If you're serious about fast action sports or wildlife photography then I'd say Pentax isn't for you - the choice of high quality (a.k.a. very expensive, regardless of brand/fit) lenses over 300mm is limited and the continuous AF isn't as good as Nikon/Canon. If these factors are not important to you, then go ahead and get a Pentax. They are very good for general purpose photography, the backwards compatibility of the legacy lenses is unrivalled, and don't confuse the user with a whole bunch of features that you'll never use.

Thanks for all the feedback, it is much appreciated. It appears to be a competent enough piece of kit and no major flaws stand out. Since I'm not really interested in sports or super tele photography. £550 for a body and two lenses seems like a great deal to me! I'll be ordering it soon.

Alex, a point to note is the use of batteries. If you get a K-x, then either use Sanyo Eneloop or Panasonic Infinium rechargeables, or if you want single shot, then use the CR-V3 type instead of the AA type.

The Eneloop/Infinium rechargeables don't self discharge like standard NiMH batteries. The CR-V3 can deliver a higher current than AA and this used to give me better AF performance with my old *istDS.

Which 75-300 are they offering as part of the kit at that price? I've only just noticed this detail. Most 2 lens K-x kits are the Pentax 18-55 (surprisingly good lens) and the 50-200 (not a shabby performer and conveniently small).

It's the 18-55 and the 50-200 they're giving away. My mistake up there. Looks like a great bargain to me.