Pentax K100D Super Digital camera

rating: 3.00

Pentax K100D Super Digital camera

Pentax takes entry-level SLR users to the next level with the K100D Super Digital SLR. Adding a Dust Removal system to help keep the CCD surface dust-free and full compatibility with SDM lenses, Pentax has upgraded an already fully featured set to bring you a technologically advanced SLR at a very affordable price.

Pentax K100D Description:

User-friendly DSLR – full-featured, yet affordable!

Now PENTAX brings the advanced innovation of higher-end digital SLRs to the affordable K100D Super. Building on PENTAX developed Shake Reduction, PENTAX adds an original Dust Removal system to help keep the CCD surface dust-free and full compatibility with SDM lenses. With the arrival of the K100D Super, PENTAX raises the bar and delivers a full-featured and technologically advanced SLR at a very reasonable price!

Pentax K100D Features:

Shake Reduction
6.1 megapixel APS-C size CCD
11-point auto focus (9 cross-type sensors)
Dust Removal system to help keep the CCD surface dust-free
Compatibility with SDM lenses
Auto Sensitivity equivalent to ISO 200 to 3200
Auto Picture Mode and Scene Modes
2.5 inch LCD monitor viewable from a wide angle
16-segment multi-pattern metering
Ultra-compact stainless-steel chassis and fiber reinforced polycarbonate housing
Penta-mirror viewfinder with 0.85X magnification and 96 percent field of view
Top shutter speed of 1/4000, 1/180 second flash sync. and bulb setting
2.8 frames/sec capture rate

Pentax K100D Specifications:

Type Digital SLR
Sensor Type - Interline interlace CCD with primary color filter and integrated shake reduction sensor movement system; Size - 23.5x15.7mm; Color depth - 8 bit/channel (JPG), 12 bit/channel (RAW); Effective pixels - 6.31MP; Total pixels - 6.1MP; Recorded resolutions - 3008x2000 (6M), 2400x1600, 1536x1024
Lens Mount Type/construction - Pentax KAF2 bayonet stainless steel mount; Usable lenses - KAF2, KAF, KA (K mount, 35mm screwmount, 645/67 med format usable w/ adapter and/or restrictions); SDM function - YES
Focus System Type - TTL phase-matching 11 point wide autofocus system (SAFOX VIII); Focus modes - AF single w/ focus lock and manual (AF continuous available in various camera modes); Focus point adjustment - auto, user-selectable, center; AF assist - YES, via built-in flash
Viewfinder Type - Penta-mirror; Coverage (field of view) - 96%; Magnification - 0.85x (w/ 50mm f/1.4 at infinity); Standard focusing screen - Natural-Bright-Matte II; Diopter adjustment - -2.5 to 1.5; Depth-of-field preview - Optical diaphragm stop-down (digital preview available via custom function)
LCD Monitor Type - 2.5” TFT color LCD monitor; Resolution - 210,000 pixels; Wide angle viewable - YES, approx 140° horizontal and vertical
Built-in Flash Type - Retractable P-TTL auto-popup flash; Guide number - 15.6 (200/m); Coverage - 28mm (35mm equiv); Flash modes - Auto, Manual, Auto w/ Redeye, Manual w/ Redeye; Flash exposure compensation - +/- 2 EV (in 1/2 steps)
External Flash Type - P-TTL (high speed sync, wireless P-TTL available w/ Pentax dedicated flash units); Synchronization speed - 1/180s
Storage Media Removable memory - SD, SDHC
Interfaces Ports - USB 2.0 hi-speed, video out, DC input, cable switch; Video out - NTSC, PAL; Printer interfaces - PictBridge
Power Supply Power source - CR-V3 (2x), AA (4x lithium, alkaline, NiMH rechargeable); Recordable images - Approx 730 (630 with 50% flash use); Playback time - Approx 700 minutes; AC adapter available - YES, optional
Body dimensions (W x H x D) 5.1 x 3.6 x 2.8”
Body weight Without battery or removable memory - 20.1 oz, Loaded and ready - 22.8 oz (CR-V3), 23.5 (AA); Construction material(s) - Plastic polymer shell wrapped around a rugged stainless steel chassis
Language Support English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish, Netherlands, Italian, Russian, Korean, Chinese (traditional & simplified), Japanese
Image Stabilization Type - Body-based, magnetic, free-floating CCD-shift shake reduction
Metering System Type - TTL open-aperture 16 segment metering; Sensitivity range - EV 1-21.5 (ISO 200, 50mm f/1.4); Multi-segment - YES; Center weighted - YES; Spot - YES; Exposure compensation - +/- 2 EV (in 1/3 or 1/2 steps); Exposure lock - YES; Exposure bracketing - YES
ISO Sensitivity Auto - 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (auto range selectable); Manual - 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
White Balance Auto preset modes - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent (W, D, N), Flash; Manual mode(s) - YES
Shutter Type Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter; Shutter speed - 1/4000 to 30s with bulb
Capture Modes Mode selection - Auto Picture Mode, Picture Mode (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night Scene Portrait, Flash Off), Scene Mode (Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Text, Sunset, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, Museum), Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Metered Manual, Bulb; Green simplified mode available - YES; P/A/S/M/B - P, A, S, M, B
Drive Modes Mode selection - Single frame, continuous advance, self-timer auto bracket, remote; Continuous FPS - 2.8 FPS (5 JPG, 3 RAW); Self-timer - YES, 2s or 12s; Remote control - YES, infrared and cable switch supported
Playback Modes Mode selection - One shot, index (9 thumbnails), magnification, image rotation, slideshow, histogram, bright/dark indicators; Magnification - 12x, scrollable; Digital filters (playback) - B&W, sepia, color (18 filters), soft (3 levels), slim (+/- 8 levels), brightness
File Formats Still - RAW, JPG (EXIF 2.21), DCF (design rule for camera file system), DPOF, Print Image Matching III
Custom Functions Functions available - 19
Computer Requirements For device connectivity. Bundled software requirements may vary. Windows - Windows Vista/XP/2000, USB port; Mac - MacOS 10.2 or later, USB port

Pentax K100D Super Digital camera user reviews

"The PENTAX K100D combines 6.1 effective megapixels of resolution with a host of advanced technologies including a Shake Reduction (SR) system to deliver high-quality digital SLR photography and user-friendly operation to all levels of photographers"

--- Steve's Digicam rated: 3

"First off I'm an amateur photographer and just started getting back into photography. I started with a digital camera with manual controls, other lenes, etc... and then moved off to a simple point and shoot camera. Pentax K100D Super Digital camera is the first SLR type camera that I have owned and the difference is huge between quality of photos and being able to take certain shots ( Arguable, but manual controls and different lenses on SLR do help )

Physical:

The body feels very solid and has a good weight. It doesn't feel like a plastic toy and feels like a very sold build quality. Even the flaps for batteries and SD Memory Card are very well made.

Button placement at first feels odd but once you've learned the menu system and how to use them it works well.

The kit lenses works very well in most situations. The only time you may want to use a different lens is in indoors with poor/dim lighting. It also feels as solid as the camera body and the manual focus/zoom wheels all turn smoothly and stay put when set.

Using the Camera:

At first like most things there is a learning curve but you can be up and taking photos as soon as the batteries are in and putting it on AUTO PICT mode. Before I purchased the camera I had read complaints on how the menu's wording of items was a bit strange, but honestly they are not hard to figure out and it is spelled out in the manual as to what they are. In fact it's easer just to go ahead and click it and see what it does. There are few of these in the menu but everything else is very clear.

Taking photos is easy and similar to any other digital camera. Depending on the mode you are in you can adjust Exposure/Shutter Speed/Aper/ISO/etc...

Another large complaint against the camera is the burst mode only allows you to take no more than 5 JPEGS ( Highest Quality ) or 3 RAW images before slowing down significantly. This is true, however, depending on your needs this may not matter. If you need to be able to take more than 5 shots at a time then you may want to look at another camera. I took a risk and found that it more than meets my needs.l I was able to take multiple shots of pets/bees/etc just fine with 5 high quality photos or 3 RAW images without any problems.

The viewfinder contains information that is listed on the top LCD and can also be viewed on the LCD on the back of the camera. All very easy to read and see once you understand where each item is placed.

Quality of Photos

Excellent. That's it. One exception though is in the AUTO PICT mode. It works well but I found that you get better photos in either the P ( Program Mode ) or by going to SCENE mode and picking out a scene type like pets, sunset, etc...

Other issues

Everything about the camera has far exceeded my expectations and all my photos have very crisp, sharp detail and color. To help shoot indoors I purchased the Pentax 50mm f1.4 lenses which is around $200 at the time of this writing. Excellent lens which makes indoor/low light photography/fast action shots a breeze. It will allow you to take more light in which will allow you to shoot at a faster shutter speed ( The faster the shutter speed -> less light into camera -> darker photo ). I highly recommend purchasing this lens if you plan on doing portraits or indoor photos with low lighting.

Summary:

Pros:

Excellent photos, build quality, easy to use controls, can be used by beginner to advanced. Remember, no matter how great the camera, the person still should know some photography basics like how to set exposure, this will help anyone get great shots from any camera.

Cons:

Burst mode only allows 5 Jpegs or 3 RAW, but may depend on person if this matters.
"

--- kdkns rated: 3

"I spent 10 years as a photographer for some small town newspapers, using strictly film slr's. I bought my first digital two years ago- a point & shoot Canon A60. I was impressed with the image quality coming out of that little 2 megapixel camera, but hated the lack of manual flexibility and the terrible shutter lag. The shutter lag became more of an issue as I started doing equine photography for my wife's horses, and then the occasional paid shoot. I finally decided to move up to a digital slr, and after two weeks of painstaking review, decided on the Pentax K100d. I couldn't be happier with my choice. I looked closely at the Nikon d50, and even though it got good reviews on shooting speed and image quality, I was turned off by the lack of RAW support, mediocre viewfinder, and lack of image stabilization and/or dust reduction. I liked the Olympus E500's value for the money, and it's dust reduction, along with its 8 megapixel sensor, but it had a pretty poor viewfinder, along with only reasonably good image quality. The Pentax k100d has a very solid feel, large, bright viewfinder that makes manual focusing easy, and the images I've gotten out of it so far have been crystal clear, sharp, and full of vibrant color. I've just scratched the surface with it as far as its controls, but it only took me 10 minutes to figure out how to utilize it's manual settings, including using the built in flash for fill. I opted for the body only, with a 28-200 Tamron zoom lense from Beach Camera. They were a pleasure to order from. They just took my order and sent the camera out immediately. No pushy salespeople calling me later with a "conformation call" trying to get me to buy the extended warranty or a camera bag. I honestly believe anyone looking for a high quality digital slr will do well with this model from Pentax. "

--- stuartclan rated: 3

"I'm a 30-year Pentax enthusiast/user/pro, so I have a bias FOR this beautiful piece of machinery. Image quality "out of the box" blows away anything else I've used in the price range. Professionally, I have shot Canon EOS digitals, and none was more accurate or nearly so well built.

On the flipside, the menuing system on this thing is a cruel joke played by someone at Pentax -- or else they've never looked at the competition (particularly Canon) menuing systems. Not nearly so intuitive, and Pentax uses some really strange abbreviations and nomenclatures.

Other niggly points:

1) The thru-the-lens flash system is not backward-compatible with earlier Pentax flash systems. I have a top-of-line AF-500-FTZ Pentax flash that is compatible with the *ist-series DSLRs but will not work with this generation.

2) Using earlier manual-focus lenses is possible but it's anything but fast. You have to go through a several-step setup process, and then only a few automatic functions work on the K100D. If you're a serious shooter, you'll need to budget for new, compatible glass -- or resign yourself to missing a lot of shots.

3) Batteries are a pain in the keister. My K100D has rejected three sets of NiMh rechargeables that work just fine in Canon and Fuji bodies. Somewhere I read that this model is really finicky that way.

4) The manual needs another level of English translation. Too often, it reads like a literal word-for-word from the original Japanese. Pentax could do much better -- again, see Canon! And the manual is very disorganized -- lots of 30- and 70-page "jumps" to learn a bit more about the topic you're reading on.

I'm glad I got this camera, and I'd recommend the refurbed unit from OneCall to a friend ... but I'm glad I didn't pay full-new-price for it. Thanks for that, OneCall! Although it's a refurb, I'd never have known it if there had been no sticker on the box!"
"

--- shootjohn rated: 3

"Pentax K100D Super Digital camera has been the best camera I've owned yet. Clear, crisp shots of fast running soccer kids and nice wide angle settings. white Balance is pretty bad. Beautiful sunsets looked a mustard yellow. Have to shoot these in RAW mode and fix with photoshop. "

--- Lana rated: 3

$589.95@amazon

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