Speedygo - companies acquire each other all the time. Pentax will be around for the foreseeable future.
If you need a brand new weatherproof camera below $1000, the
$777 K-50 and the
$540 K-30 are your only choices.
That said, weathersealing and the 100% coverage viewfinder are pretty much the only reasons to buy Pentax - they have not invested in the R&D needed to put any of the latest features in their cameras - e.g., no swivel screens, wi-fi, mic input jacks, touch screens, or lenses with fast/quiet autofocus motors.
Instead of spending
$777 on a K-50, you might be better off spending
$789 on a manufacturer refurbished Nikon D7000 with the 18-55 kit lens and a one year warranty from Cameta via eBay.
Although introduced 3 years ago, the
D7000's sensor
still edges the brand new
K-50's.
The
D7000 also has 100% viewfinder coverage and a
weather-resistant magnesium alloy body - you don't want to dunk it, but you shouldn't be afraid to take it out in a little rain:
Hope this is helpful,
Bill
Hybrid Camera Revolution