Nikon vs Canon vs Pentax (Long-Term Investment)?

I'm getting started in photography this Christmas and as of now have my mind set on the Nikon D3100.

It fits just under my $650 budget and with my Sears/Kmart employee discount it will only cost $585. That leaves room for memory card (s), tripod, and other small things.

But I'm not 100% sure Nikon is going to be best for me long-term. If I like photography as much as I think I'm going to then around my birthday I'm going to upgrade to a nice mid-range dslr probably D7000 or 7D or 60D…

I've heard that Canon has the best selection of mid-range lens' but recent QC hasn't beem the best.

So which brand would you recommend?

Long term? Canon is well known for longevity and so is Nikon. There are professionals out there who
have taken a million shots with their Canons and Nikons. Pentax is not that quality.

That is a hard question to answer. Most of the DSLR's available today are all good. So a lot depends on the type of photography you want to do. If it is sports, fast action, requiring fast focus, than Canon or Nikon are you best bets. But good lenses to do that, are expensive also.
If say wedding photography and or portrait is your goal, Fuji is the leader for that.
But if you have no idea, you should see what maybe is the cheaper route to go, maybe even used, and what the used lens market has to offer and at what prices. You will find having a good selection of lenses offers way more flexibility than changing camera bodies all the time.

I personally use a Canon Rebel EOS XT (retired model) and have had it for 4 years now (which shows the long lasting quality). I love it. I never had a problem with it. As long as you have it taken care of like getting the inside and the sensors cleaned by a professional you should not have a problem with this. This should be done about once every 6 to 12 months. I would recommend a Canon to anyone, that is looking for a reliable, great, easy to use, and great quality of a camera. Finding lenses are also very easy to find, and more reasonable priced then the Nikon. I have had a couple experiences with the Nikon but did not like it so much.

The Canon is very easy to work with.

I love the Canon, I hope this helps.

Long term investment is in the lenses, quality glass will last you a long time. Bodies are obsolete fairly quickly. Not that they can't last but they don't have a very high resale value, unlike lenses.

The best way to choose a brand is to handle the cameras and see how you like how they fit in your hands, how the controls are placed, etc.

These days people act as if the only brands out there are Nikon and Canon but Pentax gives a very nice product for the price. For example they have the cheapest fully weather sealed body.

My answer: You wouldn't regret Canon or Nikon.
I had the same questions 6 months ago -- which system to invest in. I had narrowed it down to Nikon and Canon, and I was looking for a mid-range DSLR. Both are equally good and both have a good selection of lenses. I ultimately went for Nikon because I felt comfortable holding it in my hands. Mid-range models (the ones that were in market 6 months ago) from Canon felt cheap.

I would go for the Nikon.

Nikon is the best long term. Why? It all comes down to the lenses. Nikon has not once changed their lens mount so the lenses you buy today will be compatible with the camera bodies of tomorrow. The longevity of a camera body is determined by usage. Do you take a lot of pictures, do you live in rougher conditions like high humidity or low temperature. Each of these has an effect on camera life. The worst one of all is gravity so keep that strap around your neck!

I can't say anything but this about Canon, one of my photog friends has had 2 dSLR bodies just die on her under low to mid usage levels. She was no where near the tested shutter release life of the cameras so it was a build quality issue. So why does she keep with Canon? She invested too much in their lenses to make to quick switch to another brand.