Pentax K100D Test Shots

2007-05-22
After a month after upgrade to dSLR with Pentax K100D, I am quite satisfied with the experience. It completes my quest to next camera.

Here are some test shots hand-held at various speeds with the kit lens that I don't think I can do it without the SR feature in Pentax K100D


1/6 sec, f/4.5, 43mm, iso 800, 0 Ev

1/4 sec, f/4.0, 33mm, iso 200, +1 Ev

1/4 sec, f/4.0, 31mm, iso 200, +1/2 Ev

1/2 sec, f/4.5, 38mm, iso 200, -1/2 Ev

And some casual shot on flowers in my first day with the new toy




Impressions & Notes:

After close to two years of owning the Pentax K100D along with the 2 kit combo, I update this blog post with my impressions and thoughts about K100D along with some comparison to K10D
  • A very dependable dSLR, almost too perfect and low cost for me to get into dSLR as an upgrade from point & shoot
  • The SR works for me the first day I take the camera out at night. The pictures above were taken on my first day owning the K100D. The SR works effectively in 1/8 to 1/2 seconds
  • Metering surprises me with the default multi-segment metering. The camera is very accurate in metering. Ergonomics is outstanding in this little camera. Though it is not as good as the K10D, its small weight and compact size adds to its advantages for traveling light
  • User menu is intuitive and the hyperprogram mode works extremely well. I default mostly to Av aperture.
  • Backward compatibility to K mount and M42 lens is superb in this entry level camera. With exception on lack of support on SDM lens, this little camera does it all for almost all K mount lens ever manufactured for Pentax. Some exceptions applies to lens sharing the K mount in Ricoh and perhaps others that may not fit but those are minor and not essential the useful K mount lens
  • AWB comes as a issue for indoor under Tunsten lighting. Outdoor, it is excellent. For indoor with Tungsten lighting, the preset WB works quite well but it Tungsten WB sometime have a cold blue tone that may not work well on certain scenes. An orange and yello cast are seen often in Tungsten lighting using AWB. The problem seems corrected in K10D. Custom WB is a solution but it adds annoyance when you are in a pinch for photo opportunity
  • AF is reasonable, a bit slower than K10D. For my serious amateur, I find it more than accurate. The AF/MF switch in the body is very useful in allowing photographer to switch to MF when needed.
  • Viewfinder is bright and I find it quite manageable in MF. This is especially important for me to enjoy the K100D with manual focus lens. Others claim the need for Katz eyes, magnifier, and focusing screen replacement, I end up not needing any and I use only the default and I get by with many memorable and sharp pictures using MF lens
  • Lack of RAW button don't bother me on K100D as I love the JPG results using the default Bright image tone. I seldom find the need for Natural image tone. I use all the default settings for saturation, contrast and sharpness.
  • K10D has 2 command dials, added RAW button, and other frequnently option button such as the AE-L and green button serparate. But overall, I find the K100D good and the K10D outstanding to use with easy access to changes through provided buttons with little access to menu.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I enjoy your test shots. I have a K100D with the typical 2 lenses: 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 and 50-200mm F4-5.6. However, I cannot get the crisp, clear images that you have. I'm wondering if you are using AF & AE. In summary - are you doing anything special to get those beautiful results?

Thank you.

Hin Man said...

I only use all the default settings in the default Bright image tone. You can click on a image in my post and it will lead you to my flickr page where the 'more properties' link on right side will have all the exif.
Thanks for the kind comments.

Unknown said...

I took this camera on a trip to Europe and found it to work really, really well. The shake reduction was perfect for our visits to dimly lit museums. The flash also works well when you need it, and it doesn't overexpose your images.

r4 dsi

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Welcome to Hin's Photo Corner, this is my learning blog on photography, blogging and advertising. And I hope you enjoy your visit. For contact, please comment in blog post or email me directly hintheman at gmail.com.

 

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