Pentax K-5 16.2MP Weatherproof DSLR Camera w/ 1080p Video (Body Only) $699 with V.me by Visa Checkout + Free Shipping

Apply code VMESAVES20

Link [buydig.com]

better than last front pager op - nice fine
by the way the same code is working on the alternative bundle on the page (K5 + 50-200 + pentax case and 16gb card) $829 shipped!

How does it compare to the GH2?

Is this camera good for a complete newb? My wife want to get very nice baby and family pictures and we have Canon SX20 (Superzoom) that she isn't happy with.
She has "an eye" for photographs and me and her will probably learn how to use a DSLR. But this will be our first.

So is this good for beginners?

p.s.
Do I really need 2 years extended warranty?

Close your eyes and go for it...no hesitation needed at all

Is this camera good for a complete newb? My wife want to get very nice baby and family pictures and we have Canon SX20 (Superzoom) that she isn't happy with.
She has "an eye" for photographs and me and her will probably learn how to use a DSLR. But this will be our first.

So is this good for beginners?

p.s.
Do I really need 2 years extended warranty?

You talked me into it, lol

Bought as birthday present for wife (i owed her from few weeks ago), hope she likes it.

Now, do I need that extended warranty?

I absolutely would not wait to see if the price drops. If you have something you want, and it's already dropped to a decent deal, buy it now. Otherwise, you're sitting on the sidelines as life passes you by. You're asking someone to miss out on "a year or two" of photos and also that 1-2 years of experience learning to use a DSLR and take better shots, all for a measly $150 savings. That sounds like a HORRIBLE deal to me, not slick at all. And telling him to wait for the K-3, which will likely be more expensive than the K-5? Hell no! Plus, that's a flawed argument, going for a camera just because it's never going to be around again. Who cares? The K10D for example is impossible to find in stores, but if a batch of new old stock ones popped up, the best thing to do would be to SKIP THAT DINOSAUR. There's a reason that it will never be around to find, and that's because with each passing day, it becomes more and more obsolete. As you mentioned, although it has good features, that in my opinion make it a great hiking and travel camera, with its digital level and other things like that, it lacks focus peaking, has an autofocus system that has been superseded by Pentax's lowest level DSLR, etc.

If he were considering the K-5ii, on the other hand, and he already owned a K-5 or other recent Pentax camera and wasn't missing anything in his current DSLR, then sure, play the waiting game until something good enough to entice you comes along.

You talked me into it, lol

Bought as birthday present for wife (i owed her from few weeks ago), hope she likes it.

Now, do I need that extended warranty?