I would trust that in the rain before ANY other camera. I've handled the D7k, its rock solid, and I wouldnt want it any smaller. And the D7000 is sealed well enough to shoot in rain, not a monsoon tho. And fwiw, not all pentax lens are sealed, weakest point, right? I seldom bracket, but the D7k can of course bracket. I like the CLS system, dual slots, powerful fast AF, user configurable controls, 6 fPS, (enough), 100%VF, HD video with AF (don't need except for occasional utube). And I fully believe the D7K will be a full match for Pentax IQ. Or at least close enough, seeing as they are cousins.
Not meant to be a pee match, I find the Pentax a VERY cool camera, as my posts indicate. Pentax has been doing some very cool things lately. But for the price, system included, I find the Nikon more compelling. And I trust Nikon, everything they put out the last few year just flat rocks. Nary a dog in the group. Incredibly responsive in new lens lineup, a great set of dx zooms, and now starting the F4 lineup.
FWIW, if I had to buy a different brand, it would be the Pentax K5.
