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. This 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.
Not only does it accept all my old K series lenses from my old film camera (saving me thousands of dollars), but it's easy to use. No sooner do you pull this out of the box do you immediately begin to realize how it works. The settings are intutitive, and photos are professional-grade.
I was considering it's older brother, the K10, but I feel I've made the right choice. The learning curve on the K10 would have been too steep for me. I am halfway between a pro and an amatuer, and this camera suits my skill level perfectly.
This camera makes photography fun again!
Buy Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only) Now
If you're an avid photographer (which means you love to take photos) or you're new to digital SLRs and you're ready to make the move to a digital SLR, then the Pentax K100D Super is a top choice.For those use to operating a typical 35mm film SLR, the switch to digital is fairly easy. I've been a Pentax guy for over 20 years: the old K1000 being one of my favorite standard SLRs, along with the newer ZX50. If you're not use to using a typical SLR and have been using any of the simple point-and-shoot digital cameras out there, don't worry, trust yourself, you can adapt and it can be really exhilarating. Using an SLR, whether 35mm or digital, offers so much more when taking pictures.
You may be one of those who are debating with yourself: Pentax, Canon or Nikon? Then you find yourself reading too many publication reviews (and more, like posts here on Amazon) and you lean one way, then the next, and finally start getting crazy. Pure & simple, all three manufacturers make excellent cameras: including digital SLRs! I think anyone who is involved with photography will agree. However, I've used Canon's & Nikons, and Pentax has always ended up being my #1 choice.
When looking for a camera, I feel your #1 consideration should be: how much photography do you do? If you're like me; a traveler, a hobbyist, and find yourself shooting a lot of photos then you're more apt to invest in a good camera. The #2 consideration is cost. Without a doubt, the Pentax K100D Super results in one of the best Digital SLRs out there for the money; a fact all publication reviews, that I respect, agree on.
Many publication reviews often compare the K100D Super to the Nikon & Cannon, and one of the most consistent factors noted is while Canon & Nikon digitals are sporting 10 megapixels, the K100D Super only has 6.5 megapixel. I say, what ever. The reality is, that 10 megapixels can be a concern if you're trying to print pictures the size of posters, and quite simply most people aren't. The reality is most folks will print normal size photos, and even up to 8.5x11 or slightly larger. The Pentax shoots in RAW & JPEG, the RAW features allows for manipulation, using any descent photo software, to larger sizes photos including 15x17.5
I've used my K100D Super on a recent trip to Point Reyes State Park, here in the Bay Area. I was sure to shoot photos of sand on the beach: personal and really up close to see individual grains of sand. I took photos of the oysters we had, reflections of drift wood on still salt water ponds, a jelly fish (some 30 feet away), the crashing waves, any possible deviation of shots I could think of, and I was purely amazed at the K100D Super's performance & quality! I used both the Auto setting and then played with the other settings.
While there are many great features on the Pentax, and easy read up is available on-line, let me highlight those I would note to support my recommendation:
Cost: This camera is the best value & cost for a camera of this quality. Again, this is stated time and time again in publication & on-line reviews.
Body: The body of the K100D Super is solid! It's a great combination of polycarbonate & stainless steel housing. It's not the cheapo plastic like other cameras.
Anti-shake: This alone, is one serious note to consider. Pentax puts their anti-shake in the camera body, unlike Nikon & Canon who put it in their lenses, thus one reason why Canon & Nikon lens cost more in the long run. Now, seeing the error in their ways, I've read Nikon & Canon are racing like mad dogs to fall in line with Pentax's lead.
Pentax Lenses: Any Pentax lens ever made will work on the K100D Super. This is where Pentax has shined for years. Those of us with older lenses can just pop them right onto the K100D Super's body (in fact, most Pentax SLR cameras allow for this). If you go to a garage sale or flea market and find a great old Pentax lens, it's will fit the K100D Super. And since this is the case, all Pentax lenses benefit from the anti-shake in the camera. Better yet, digital lenses are different than film lenses. Film lenses are superior in many ways to digital lenses. Using an older Pentax film lens on the digital body enhances the quality of the photo, an added benefit to the Pentax crowd.
And, the K100D Super is already set to accept the newest generation of Pentax lenses (SDM lenses) coming out this year.
Dust Removal System: The Pentax has an internal anti-dust shake device that removes any dust that may be present.
Auto/Manual: Auto Picture Mode, Scene Modes & Manual. You can easily go between using the Auto mode of the camera or fall back on your own experience of doing things manually using the AV, TV, Manual and so on.
Memory Card: the K100D Super uses SD Cards, but typical Pentax (thinking ahead), the camera will also accept the newer SDHC cards.
Batteries: There are several batteries the camera can utilize: rechargeable, Lithium & standard AA+. This is a benefit as you're not limited to one manufacturer's battery.
I took this camera out of the box, DID NOT READ ANYTHING LITERALLY, put in the batteries, put in an SD Card, turned it on, set the date, turned it off and walked out the door to Point Reyes. Then, I turned it on and starting shooting pictures. It was that easy (and yes, I plan to read the manual). I wish Amazon let you post photos on a review.
This is a solid pick for me and others. Hope this helps.
Read Best Reviews of Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only) Here
This is my first foray into the digital SLR world. I have always had Pentax film cameras (K1000, and ME Super) and have loved their quality. I've read that the new DSLR's use the same lens mount as the 35mm camera body so it made the most sense to stick with Pentax. In retrospect, old lenses don't play well with the new auto settings of the digital camera, and new lenses are designed to work specifically with your digital camera body. If you have an assortment of Pentax compatible lenses it may still make sense to stick with the same brand in the digital world. However, in retrospect I wouldn't have given this single factor so much weight in my decision, since I won't likely use any of them unless I intend to do a lot of the manual camera work in my head. I should say that the Anti-shake feature is "in" the camera body for Pentax, as opposed to the lens for Nikon. I really like this feature and has proven to help take sharp photos in low light lighting and is a plus if you do intend to use your old lenses. Overall I am very happy with this camera, I am a casual photographer and the 6MP is more than I need for the type of shooting I like to do.Want Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only) Discount?
I searched for 3 months reading review after review, I found myself up too late in the evenings scouring the web looking for the perfect combination of features and cost (overall value). I have owned point and shoot digicams for years, in fact own a nice Canon SD800 now and am thrilled with it the last SLR I owned was a fully manual Minolta 35mm made in 1962!For me it came down first deciding upon one of the new SuperZoom (15x or higher) digicams (Panasonic FZ18, or Canon S5 IS), or going for a full DSLR (Nikon D40 or Pentax K100D Super). I eliminated the SuperZooms eventually because I didn't feel they were different enough from my Canon P&S to justify the purchase. This was a tough call because the SuperZooms were at least $200 less than the cheapest SLR. My gripes with the SuperZoom's I played with were that they felt like toys, very lightweight, and were small in my hands to hold. The other concern I had with the SuperZooms was that at their maximum zoom they weren't very 'fast' meaning that unless you were taking pictures outdoors with a lot of light the pictures would come out dark or not at all. I needed a camera that had a great zoom but could be used indoors during sporting events. The Panasonic FZ18 does seem to be the king of the hill in the SuperZoom segment, but I decided to just bite the bullet spend the extra dough and go for a DSLR.
I played with both the Nikon D40 and the Pentax K100D in a local mall Photo Store (big chain), and they were both nice to use. The Nikon had an edge over the Pentax in terms of focusing time (just barely), and it could fire off continuous shots better than the Pentax. But everywhere else I thought the Pentax was better. What clinched the deal was the rebate offered through Pentax which will save me hundreds over the Nikon. I ended up ordering the Pentax online because the Mall Photo store wouldn't price match. Oh well, their loss I would have bought it from them if they just would have matched.
Right out of the box I started taking pictures, I glanced at the instructions but mostly I just started taking photos. I popped in the 4 AA's that came with it, a recently purchased class 6 4gb SDHC flash card and away I went taking great pictures. I've since poured through the manual and absorbed much of it (but it'll need several more reviews for it all to sink in). I also purchased a 70-300mm Sigma Zoom lens which matched to it nicely.
I put the package to the test this weekend at a swim meet (indoors), previously with my P&S I could never zoom in close enough and it was always too dark to get a picture that wasn't blurry. Well with the Pentax I was able to boost the ISO all the way up to 3200 which resulted in a fast shutter speed and even at this high of an ISO the pictures didn't look grainy at all. In fact they looked fantastic! I was shocked at how well the camera performed, I had a blast taking picture after picture without any shutter lag and with each picture looking great! My only disappointment is that I didn't buy this camera sooner.
If you are on the fence like I was, take my advice and just buy this camera. If you have kids like I do the pictures you'll take will be priceless and will far outweigh the investment you'll make in this camera.
Congratulations to Pentax for building such an amazing camera, one that is solidly constructed and enables amateur photographers like me to produce pictures that look great!
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