Without quite the marketing bite of Canon or Nikon, Pentax has been relying on keen pricing to push its dSLRs to the forefront of consumer consciousness and at £370 for body and 18-55mm lens, the Pentax K100D Super is significantly cheaper than its predecessor.
Not only that, it now sports a CCD-shift based dust prevention system that gives it an immediate advantage over its closest competitor in the Nikon D40, which lacks both anti-dust and anti-shake features.
Strengths
Given that enticing price, which is almost £100 less than the plain old K100D's kit on launch, it doesn't really matter that not a great deal has otherwise changed on this Pentax. Nothing about the build feels compromised and those AA batteries add a reassuring weight that suggests the camera wouldn't fall apart if you dropped it.
By keeping matters beginner friendly, controls are large and functions obvious. There's even a separate display window on top of the camera displaying key shooting options in addition to the main LCD -- a rarity on cheaper dSLRs. A simplistic mode wheel allows you to point and shoot from the off and move onto more creative functions as confidence builds, with the usual subject and scene modes.
Turn the camera on and it immediately goes to work. An 11-point autofocus system ensures that your subject is sharply in focus no matter where it is in the frame -- locking onto the target with a beep of confirmation -- backed up by built-in Shake Reduction activated via a slider at the back that proves handy when shooting at extreme telephoto settings.
Also impressive is the wide light sensitivity range, starting higher than most at ISO 200, but going all the way to ISO 3,200. Inevitably, there is image noise visible, but even at ISO 1,600 results are acceptable. For the most part, pictures are colourful and crisp -- with the portrait setting delivering just the right degree of warmth to be flattering to your subject.
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User reviews3
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Terry Good 14 May 2011
Good: build quality images excellent
Bad: nothing
Comment: great camera dont bother about pixel count i have kr about double pixel count but you will not be able to tell the difference
Chris Ness 22 June 2008
Good: Picture quality, easy to use, comfortable to hold, great price
Bad: Slightly heavy to hold for long periods
Comment: I wanted to replace my excellent Pentax KM film based camera, which is still working well after 35 years, with a digital SLR. I waited until the prices came down and for £250, June 2008, (main high street store) the K100D Super is fantastic value.
I have still to put it through all its functions but the ones I have used so far have exceeded expecations. I was a little worried about the low megapixel figure of 6.1 but this camera goes to show that the mp rating has to be combined with build quality, lens and sensor quality. The pictures are superb and the built in flash is so good I don't think I'll reinvest in a hot-shoe flash.
Regarding the weight the K100D weighs in at 954 grammes compared to my old KM at 1115 grammes so its actually lighter but somehow seems heavier maybe because of the different shape.
It is also very easy to use and is much quieter than the shutter on the old KM. The viewing screen is very clear and the menus are logical and easy to follow.
I still cannot believe that this camera was available at £250 and I consider that I got a true bargain.
scott benson 16 May 2008
Good: Picture quality, ease of use, build quality, just everything
Bad: Nothing of the top of my head
Comment: All I can say is you won't be dissapointed, its easy to use, gives great pics, its well made and its feature packed. Alright some dslrs on the market pack 10 mega pixels and cost more but the picture quality of the pentax will keep up easy + it has image stablisation built in and a self cleaning system and lcd display on top, which some dearer dslrs on the market dont have. The pentax k100d super has the right name because it truely is a super dslr.
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