Pentax K100D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens by Pentax
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Digital camera reviews of Pentax K100D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
Digital camera Review: Bcube
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this machine just before the holidays and it is just great. I've had a Pentax MX and all my old lenses, extender and filters fit just fine. You just have to use it in manual or apperture priority mode. It got tested quite extensively during this new year's firework displays and returned stunning shots. Imagine seeing your shots right after you take them instead of hoping for the best with film slrs. The only problem is the long time it takes to load a night shot like the time exposure for the fireworks. I guess I lost roughly 30% of shots I would have taken with film. But over all it performs very well. Next on my wish list is a dedicated flash for this unit.Digital camera Review: Best 'Bang for the Buck!'
Summary: 5 Stars
Hands down, the best dSLR your going to find for the money! Anti-Shake feature is a life-saver when not using the flash indoors. Image quality is stunning and far superior than that of equal or higher priced P&S cameras.
Look no further for a starter dSLR.
Digital camera Review: Best value in entry-level DSLR market.
Summary: 5 Stars
When in the market for an entry-level DSLR, I stumbled upon the K100D and ended up getting it. I'm not sorry I did. While Pentax doesn't have the market share of Canon or Nikon, this is probably the best bang for your buck as far as entry level DSLR's go. Here are some pros and cons of this camera:
PROS:
*Excellent size--not too big, not too small. Fantastic grip and shutter-button placement.
*Very solid build. Feels much better in your hand than the Rebel XT/XTi.
*In-body IS. This, to me, is the trump card for this camera. It works, and instantly any lens you have is stabilized. Even if some people argue a lens-based IS regime is better, what good is it when you can't afford the expensive IS lenses anyway? Fact is, in-body IS works--shots taken even at 1/8 to 1/10 have a much higher hit-rate with than without it.
*Can use any Pentax lens ever made. If you're like me and are on a budget, scouring eBay for deals can be fun and educational.
*Solid kit lens. Comes with the standard 18-55 but has a metal mount and is quite good, apparently, as far as kit lenses are concerned.
*Prime lenses. I can't believe how much of a difference a fast prime lens can make, and Pentax is probably the leader with these. With an f/1.7 or so lens, you just can' believe the kind of shutter speeds you can get even in low light. 1/10 on a normal lens can easily transform into 1/50 with a fast prime. It makes a huge difference.
*AA batteries. When I was in Europe with my P&S and I fried my AA NiMH charger, the fact my camera took AA's saved my butt. You can get them anywhere in a pinch, and a small investment in some good NiMH's get excellent results with this camera.
*Comes bundled with RAW software. I'm not a huge RAW shooter, but it's nice to know it's there if I want/need it. Some cameras come with RAW capibility but no software to harness it. Not this one.
CONS:
*Weak buffer/continuous shooting mode. You only get about 4-5 continuous JPG shots. If you're like me and don't shoot sports or action much, it's not so much of a big deal. If you do, you might want to look elsewhere.
*WB a little spotty. AWB is worthless in low light, but the tungsten preset is good. But it stinks that when you pop the flash it doesn't revert to flash WB, so you have to do it manually every time. It's the little things like this where Nikon and Canon probably beat Pentax.
*Slow read/write time. It just isn't very speedy, even with a fast card.
*Exposure compensation deactivates Auto-ISO. Basically, you can select your ISO range (e.g., 200-800). But if you use +/- compensation, it turns that feature off, reverting you to 200 and forcing you to change. A little annoying.
Overall, this is a great camera. There are a few annoyances and its overall operation isn't the fastest. But the images are excellent, and the in-body IS and prime lenses are a treat. Highly recommended.
Digital camera Review: Completely satisfied
Summary: 5 Stars
This camera is performing flawlessly and provides much higher quality results than the Kodak P850 it replaced. The built-in anti-shake was a must have feature, which limits the DSLR field dramatically. I see no reason to buy expensive anti-shake lenses such as Nikon and Canon want you to get. In camera anti-shake is for 99% of users the superior solution.
I was concerned about battery life with the AA solution, but using the Sanyo eneloop rechargeables has worked out great. These batteries don't have the high self-discharge rate which is normally associated with NIMH batteries, so you can leave the camera sitting for a few weeks and still be ready to go.
Digital camera Review: Excellent Bargain on one's first DLSR
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my my first DLSR.
Pentax made the transition clean and effortless with the K100D.
It has enough auto features and modes to make things easy for one coming from P&S's plus all the Control an exerienced Photgrapher could want.
All this and it can take ANY K mount lens and work in Manual mode with any of them plus it can work fully auto with the AF ones.
The 18-55mm kit lens was a big surprise, lotta quality for very little cash!