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- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 13 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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5 out of 5 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Has some great features that sets it apart from the rest of the entry level pack."
Pros: Shake reduction works great with any lens. Uses AA batteries which can be found anywhere.
Cons: Smallish buffer, doesn't support new USM lenses.
Summary: For people moving up from point and shoots, you really can't go wrong with this camera or Pentax in general. All of the standard SLR features are there. Features like the large SLR sensor, the great manual controls, and the ability to add an external flash and use different lenses. The shake reduction feature really sets it apart from other entry level dSLR's. To get this feature with Canon or Nikon, you need to buy expensive lenses with the feature built in. On the other hand, Canon and Nikon offer more accessory choices like flashes and grips. They also support USM lenses which are quieter.
The fact that this camera uses AA is a huge advantage in my opinion. No more worrying if your rechargables have gone flat while the camera hasn't been used. Just drop in some lithium AA's and your good to go for about 1000 shots no matter how long the camera sits between shoots. If you shoot alot, you can use rechargable AA's and get around 400 shots on a fresh charge. Or if your really in a pinch, throw some cheap AA alkalines in there which will barely get you 100 shots, but you can find them anywhere. It still beats bumming a charge when your proprietary lithium battery goes flat on any other camera.
Some notes about the review: The review states that the camera doesn't have a focus assist light. The camera uses the flash for focus assist, so you have to raise it if you are shooting in low light to get it to work. Not as convenient as a seperate lamp on the front of the camera, but it's there if you need it. A single control dial is pretty much standard in this price range and works very well for most adjustments. Six megapixels is kind of a sweet spot for balancing noise at high ISO vs. having enough pixels for cropping or enlargements. 10 megapixels is becoming the standard but the high ISO noise performance of this camera is better than any of the current 10 megapixel cameras, so it's a trade off. I've blown pictures up to 11x14 with plenty of detail available. More megapixels would be nice but I'm not sure I'd be willing to trade the high ISO performance for it. Keep that in mind if you plan to shoot indoors without a flash.
Overall, for entry through intermediate level users this is a great camera. It has enough features to satisfy most entry level SLR photographers and the price is unbeatable. You'd have to know quite a bit about photography before the features it doesn't have vs. more advanced camera start to limit what you can do with it.
Where to buy
Pentax K100D (body with 18mm-55mm lens kit):
$799.95
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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