Pentax K100D Super Digital SLR Camera Digital Camera with smc P-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 Lens - 6.1 Megapixels - 3.05x O...

The Pentax K100D is (or was) marketed as an entry level DSLR, but don't be fooled by this, it is a truly capable camera with lots of pro features.

The entry level/semi-pro tag seems to have been applied simply because of the amount of plastic used. More than other expensive Pentax models which are aimed at the (often) physically tougher life of a pro-camera.

In fact it is only the external casings that are plastic, the camera internals are built onto a metal chassis. So perhaps they are tougher than first impressions suggest! It is still a light camera though, I have several lenses which weigh more.

The 6.1 Mpx is more than enough resolution for 99% of photograpy. Few pictures are going to be printed three times the size of your PC monitor, and those that are (on billboards!) are not viewed closely enough for it to matter. Also, the physical limitations of lens resolution make much more almost pointless for most digital cameras with their comparatively small sensors.

There are plenty of options for setting up colour balance etc, and speed settings go to 3200, which is faster than the later K110D.

It also has an option for allowing the use of earlier manual focus and manual aperture lenses. In practice all you need to do to use your older manual lenses is to switch off auto-focusing, and tell the camera that you want to use an aperture ring.

Backwards compatibility with older equipment is in fact excellent. You can use screw-mount lenses with an adapter, and no trouble. I have used the adapter that I got for my old manual Pentax's and it works fine. The lenses are used stopped down, with manual metering in 'preview mode' conveniently operated by an extra position on the on-off swithch. The AF indicator also works with manual focus lenses and is a handy check!

A very useful feature, and the one that clinched it for me, is the Shake Reduction feature. Shake reduction technology moves the picture sensor, so everything is built into the camera body. Almost any lens can benefit from shake reduction, just tell the camera the focal length. (Tip... Add any extension if using tubes.) I have used 400mm lenses on mine handheld at 1/15th without noticable shake! So if you do a lot of low-light photography.... The menu is easily acessed, so zoom lenses can be used with little trouble too.

As well as CR-V3 lithiums, it can use AA size batteries which are easily available. The only downside is that it considers a battery dead at a voltage at which NiMH rechargeables still have plenty of life left in them. So when using them you don't get quite as many pictures as you might expect before recharging. Big deal, buy two sets and a rapid charger!

(The manual warns against using lithium rechargeables as these can provide too many volts. Although 'regulated' lithium batteries can be obtained which limit the maximum votage to 3V, it is difficult to be sure untill after you have bought them, which may be too late. Most battery sellers are not battery experts. Do not rely on their word!)

With a 1G SD card it will store around 94 pictures in RAW format, lot's more in JPEG. The software provided works best on RAW files, even pulling respectable images out of some very hazy shots taken at an airshow which unprocessed looked blank. So use RAW if you can!

There is not enough space for all the good stuff, but I am a dyed-in-the-wool film camera user, I don't like digital on principle. But I like this camera. Nuff said!