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: Here today, gone tomorrow
Summary: 2 Stars
This camera has an awesome image stabilization feature, and I have been very impressed by most of the features; good color fidelity, great in low light etc. And it's cheap. However, recently the camera stopped recognizing the battery. Sent it to Pentax who can repair it (new circuit board) for $250, which in my view is not worth it. Things happen to technology, but I'm wondering if this is a weakness with the brand as I have never experienced such a glitch.Digital camera Review: Highly recommended
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this camera for 3 weeks now and I've grown to love it.
Things I really like:
1. Beautiful pics in daylight or when using flash.
2. Excellent grip. Even though the body is quite compact, the grip is excellent - way better than the canon rebels and comparable to the Nikon D50.
3. Large, crisp LCD screen
4. Nice shutter sound.
Things I don't like
1. Poor AWB in Tungsten light. (more to come)
2. Using menus to change WB, ISO settings (instead of dedicated buttons)
3. Popup flash construction is rather flimsy.
More about AWB issues in Incandescent light..
AWB in Incandescent light (2700K) is a problem for most DSLRs. Unfortunately the K100D is really weak in this area. The reason is that the K100D AWB is designed to handle color temperature above 4000K.
The good thing is its easily fixable.
1. Use a flash.
2. Don't use Auto mode. Use P mode and use the dedicated 'Tungsten' WB mode.
3. Don't use incandescent bulbs! Use CFL lights instead. They are good for the environment and give much better light!
Conclusion
I really like this camera. It offers the best VFM compared to the Nikons and the Canons. Go Pentax!
Digital camera Review: I've had this camera for about 9 months and I am truly in love with it.
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, it doesn't have that flimsy digitial-camera feel, like others in it's price range. It is solid and sturdy (survived a bit of a drop!) and it feels amazing in your hands. The grip is really deep, the buttons are firm, and all the doors have a nice spring shut. It's very satisfying to handle (making it hard to stop taking pictures)
It's a great travel camera.
I've brought this camera to England and Japan and I was impressed with the results. The auto modes are quick and easy with a great outcome, when time is of the essence. But I was also able to get some great long-exposure pictures of city lights with my bare hands. The image stabilization really shown when I could read the time on the shot of Big Ben when the cars below were a blur.
It also switches very quickly and easily between auto and manual, if you just want to adjust the focus or the exposure a bit.
I like the fact that you can switch out the old lenses, becuase my dad has a few of them, but I haven't had the need to. the 18-55 gives as much range as I need and then some.
The WB indoors is a bit of in issue, but it is easily fixed by adjusting the setting (or by using flash, which is good for what it is, but flash is gross). And the sharpness of the picture rarely decreases in low light, so sometimes I embrace the orange hues. Orange can be nice.
I also love that it runs on AA. The rechargable ones were cheap and they keep it running forever! (and, when you're desperate, there's another option)
If you're doing what I was doing and looking to upgrade from point and shoot, this camera is really worth your time and money. I have very little photography experience and I've become fairly good with this simply through trial and error. Also, the quality of SLR pictures is worth the added expense. Exact focus, vivid color, and no delay. It's a glorious thing.
And as a final word, from what I've experienced so far, I'm convinced this camera will last a good long time, still turning out top-notch pictures. It's an investment (yet still one of the cheapest out there...)
Digital camera Review: It is a decent camera
Summary: 3 Stars
I wanted a digital SLR because the marginal cost of "film" is zero. An SLR has the advantage of WYSIWYG, in other words, you can see that the best focus is on the subject of your picture and not something else. I also have an old Pentax 35mm camera and a complement of lenses and polarizing filters and so forth, and I liked the compatibility with those items.
It takes good pictures, the colors are accurate and it has a sensitivity up to ISO 3200. I am not anyway an expert or even competent photographer, but it's a good choice if you want to reuse Pentax lenses and not spend a fortune.
Digital camera Review: K100D won me over
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this camera for a little over 2 weeks. It's simply amazing!
This camera beat out the Rebel XT and Nikon D50 for me in terms of features, size/weight, and feel. I paired the Pentax with the Sony BCG-34HE4 and i've taken a ton of the highest quality JPEGS and some RAW (300+ in total) without even reaching half battery yet! Even when the camera is sitting for a week the batteries hold well. The regular AA batteries wear out quickly so rechargeables are a must. I bought the Sony package here at amazon.
Out of the box im taking pictures i was never able to in my Point&Shoot. Im a complete newbie to DSLRs, never had the chance to play with film SLRs either. The most amazing thing is that i can take pictures at night with a much better control over fuzziness/shaking with this camera than with any P&S, no tripod to lug around. This camera is worth the upgrade for anyone taking their first steps into DSLRs from P&Ss, even if you'll be sticking to the kit lens for a while until you can invest in more lenses. The kit lens is good.
One possible disadvantage may be that the new DA* lenses scheduled for March 07 release may not work with full features on the K100D. The DA* lenses will use a new mount for supporting the focusing motors in the lens or something along those lines. Im willing to bet that those DA* lenses will cost more than the K100D itself so i probably wouldn't be interested in buying them anyway. The K10D is said to be fully compatible with the DA* lenses if you are interested.