[pictureprojects]

i have been looking at a new camera, and i have made my choice, i have gone for the new pentax K100D. with its new sr system, and anti dust pad. that and the wide scope in choice of lenes. but before i dash out and buy it, i would like to hear some pros and cons before i get it in case anyone knows of a reason worthy of not wasting my money.

[Dabhand16]

Is it this one?

I've been looking at the news items as i'm sure there is a limited edition of this camera available, but i can't remember if there is anything worth having from the standard model. i think it was released to mark an anniversary or event or something.

Aha! found it here. Got it wrong though - it is a K10D.

Might be worth seeing if there is a K100 equivalent.

I seem to remember the K100 getting some press recommendations lately, but again, can't remember where! It's my age, you know.......{Graham shuffles off to find his Zimmer frame....}

[pictureprojects]

yes thats the one, the K100D super. the only thing i cant find out about it is the shutter lag time, i have the kodak Z612, and went to an air show, need i say more. hence why i need to upgrade to a dslr.

[Dabhand16]

I've just Googled 'k110d shutter lag' and got some interesting results. There is talk of slight shutter lag, and one of shutter lag when in low light, but I would have thought this might have been a focussing problem in low light rather than shutter lag.

The which? report gave the shutter lag as 0.342 sec, which is about average, I guess, but perhaps more to think about if you are going to shoot air shows is they said "In terms of speed, the K100D isn't the fastest DSLR. Shot to shot time in burst mode is especially slow", and gave the shot to shot time as 1.2 sec.

[pictureprojects]

the only other bad thing about the K100D that i have read is that it only has iso of 200/400/800/1600. but then i ask myself how much would i miss using iso 50/100. i have looked into the canon 350 and the nikon d40. but i have used pentax before in 35mm as i still have my mz50. guess i have to make my mind up some how, trouble is to many good cameras to choose from now days.

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by pictureprojects

trouble is to many good cameras to choose from now days.

Ain't that the truth! I thought the k100D went from ISO 200 to 3200.

My Nikon only goes down to 200 too, and I also wondered if it would be OK, but I have to say that so far I have not had any real problems because of it.

Have you considered the Nikon D50/70s? They are getting really cheap now.

[pictureprojects]

yes it does go to 3200, but looking at the noice in some of the preveiws its not worth much using it unless all else fails. but over all it does sound like a good starting point into a dslr. and as for nikon, i dont really get on with their gear, i used a friends once and just could not get on with it, as it just felt odd in my hands. for me pentax does feel comfortable to hold. another good point for the pentax is the mirror on selftime. it flips up to stop camera shake. and dont have to worry about the battries as takes AA.

[Dabhand16]

You have hit the nail on the head when you talk about how the camera feels. I've always said that in choosing a camera, you need to get a shortlist by using the specs and a bit of research, and then you need to get your hands on them to see which ones feel right. the ease of selecting and changing settings is the most important thing because if it does not feel right you will never be 100% happy in using it.

I've still got my SV Pentax that I bought in 1964 or 65. Have not used it for a while, though!