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We clicked with:
Responsive auto focus
Good ISO range
Takes Pentax KAF2 lens mount
Robust build
Shake Reduction
Self-cleaning sensor
Shots in the dark:
No rechargeable power pack
A tad heavy
Pictures a bit soft
Price Comparison:
Pentax K100D & Pentax 18-55mm lens
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Released this summer by Pentax into a burgeoning DSLR market, the entry-level 6.1Mp Pentax K100D Super has to have a few tricks up its sleeve to prove itself as a contender. Unlike its sibling, the K110D, one of its chief talents is its CCD-shifting Shake Reduction system that helps you capture shots in dimly lit conditions without the aid of a tripod. It does this by eliminating the blur associated with handheld shots at slow shutter speeds giving about a two-stop advantage over cameras without anti-shake systems.
There's also the ability to all the 'legacy' K-, KA and KAF lenses from the film shooting days. Anyone already kitted out with lenses from the brand won't have to fork out again on a new digital lens system. This aspect alone earns the camera points on sheer flexibility, but its other features - such as wide range of ISO settings (200 to 3200), a shutter speed range that starts right down in bulb mode and soars to 1/4000th sec, plus a good mix of manual and automatic settings - that recommend the Pentax K100D Super to novice and more experienced shooters alike.
Layout and Functions
The K100D's metal framed case feels reassuringly solid, but at a price; the camera weighs 0.7kg all up. The shooting mode dial is ranged left of the viewfinder (looking from the back), leaving the other side clear for operational buttons such as the Function, Shake Reduction, AV compensation, multipurpose flywheel. After that you've got a AE-L lock and the shutter itself. The Preview function ('live view' to non-Pentaxians) is tied into the power switch. This onscreen digital preview is very useful for checking focusing and general composition and whether the shot was working or not, exposure-wise. The preview can be made to appear in the digital viewfinder and the temporary view disappears immediately you commit to pressing the shutter and taking the shot.
The kit lens that is often bundled with the camera covers the 18-55mm (f/3.5-5.6) focal range favoured by most DSLR makers, giving a wide to standard portrait range coverage. The body of the Pentax K100D Super is compatible with a new SDM system (which should itself be compatible with Sigma's HSM system), so the process of auto focusing is smooth and fairly quiet, due to the unit's built-in motor. AF is the SAFOX VIII system, which uses a red sensor point to indicate it's locked in focus. Pentax claims its 11-point system has pin sharp focus even when the subject is off centre, although the images we took were often very soft.
Menus are clear and easy to read on the 2.5inch, 210,000 pixel screen, and they're concise so you never get lost wading through multi-paged submenus. Options such as saturation, sharpness and contrast will only work using manual shooting modes such as Shutter, Aperture, Priority or Programmable mode, as the six pre-sets shooting programs that novice users can dial in have already had their parameters set by the camera. Advanced shooters who want to customise the camera will also welcome Pentax K100D Super's sRGB and Adobe RGB colour spaces to choose from. Auto Bracketing from ±0.5 to ±2.0 is another tool all levels of users can choose at times when the exposure of a shot needs to be spot on and you won't have the opportunity to makes adjustments later in Photoshop.
If you want to change exposure metering mode in a hurry, you do have to wade through the recording menu to change from the default 16-multi segment setting to Spot or Centre-weighted - an externally located button would help. Playback Menu offers just a handful of options, thankfully. Pentax isn't pandering to the gimmick-freaks, and has simply provided a b/w option, some softening filters and the ever-popular sepia toning filter that can be added post shooting
The 'Scn' option on the top dial houses eight more shooting modes such as a Night Scene option and various fast snapping tools. Photographers who want to grow their knowledge slowly will want to use these, while increasing their experience with the more manual shooting options on offer.
The 'Fn' (function) button under the jog dial, gives instant access to ISO and White Balance adjustments, as well as a Drive mode comprising single or continuous shooting, self-timer, remote, or a triple grab of auto bracketed shots. The Pentax K100D Super has a consecutive shooting facility that records up to five frames at around 2.8 frames per second.
Performance
During shooting there was some colour distortion through the LCD, that seems to occur when holding the camera diagonal to the subject. It seems to effect lemon yellows, which take on a slightly pink tinge that doesn't appear on the final shot. Colourwise, skintone is faithful and realistic but reds can be a bit 'screamy' and bright.
Some of thre Pentax K100D Super's pictures are soft when examined close up and show signs of colour bleed in places, the result of using the Best JPEG mode, which at its worst creates blocky edges. Generally, images do need sharpening either using the in-camera facility or on your PC. Judging by handheld results, that shake reduction system is very much needed.
The luminousity and clarity of the dusky half light is fantastic, thanks to the Shake Reduction system.
The images also have some wavy blue line at high contrast points, but you have to look hard for it. Noise isn't too much of a problem with this DSLR, and you can safely step up the ISO to 800 before it starts to get too intrusive. Beyond that... it's couscous time!
Get the exposure balance right and you'll be rewarded by a lot of shadow detail, as the example above shows. The auto bracket feature is useful, as stopping up and down by 0.5 each time lets you decide between keeping shadow detail at the expense of a more burned out sky or vice versa.
This photo contains a burnt out sky and some loss of shadow detail as the cam has struggled to accommodate extreme contrasts. The worst part are the paving stones that have taken on a pinkish tinge.
We'd recommend using the RAW mode; the best JPEG mode jpegs quite heavily, but be prepared to edit the final RAW files using the bundled Pentax Photo Laboratory 3 RAW data and image processing software, supplied on CD.
Conclusion
A good-all round, entry-level contender with enough advanced features to keep enthusiasts happy too - especially if they have brand loyalty to Pentax and can make use of their existing stock of lenses. The K100D Super represents value for money par excellence!
