Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)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.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens
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.Auto Sensitivity equivalent to ISO 200 to 3200Auto Picture Mode and Scene Modes 2.5 inch LCD monitor viewable from a wide angle16-segment multi-pattern meteringUltra-compact stainless-steel chassis and fiber reinforced polycarbonate housing Penta-mirror viewfinder with 0.85X magnification and 96 percent field of viewTop shutter speed of 1/4000, 1/180 second flash sync. and bulb setting 2.8 frames/sec capture rate 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 - 1/180sStorage Media - Internal memory - n/a; Removable memory - SD or SDHCCapture 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 AEInterfaces - Ports - USB 2.0 hi-speed, video out, DC input, cable switch; Video out - NTSC, PAL; Printer interfaces - PictBridgePower 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,
