Just a quick introduction....
Got my first SLR, a cheap, Praktica, about 20 years ago in my teens but creativity and experiment was forever constrained by the cost of film and production. About 5 years ago I bought a Nikon F55 for a City & Guilds course but that suffered numerous problems before expiring soon after the warranty also expired.
A few compact digital cameras later, I've splashed out on a Pentax K10D which arrived yesterday and looks/feels great.
Now looking forward to years of snap-happy photography... can't wait to get clicking at the weekend!
I know someone with a Pentax K10D and they seem very happy with it. They say they have been thrilled with the image quality. I hope you have more luck with that camera then your other cameras. I have heard of Praktica cameras but I don't think they are very common in the U.S., I think they are mainly sold in Europe.