Thinking of buying a K100D and need some opinions of the nice folks here :)

[BKKC]

I am looking at the K100D, I looked at the K10D but it comes out a fair bit pricier. This will be my first DSLR, I will be upgrading from the Canon S2 IS. Basically I take pictures because I love it not because I am necessarily good at it :)

The two main things that sets the K100D apart for me
-In body Image Stablaization (so I dont have to buy all the lenses with IS)
-uses AA batteries with existing hardware

Low light proformance is something that is important to me but as far as I can determine the K100D can be slow in that situation but still locks on.

My main targets of photography are scenery and wildlife. My wife's and my baby is due end of October so that will become a target probably a non-flash one. With my S2 I seem to use 400mm+ zoom a lot. I dont like to use flash for most things, and I tend to end up under tree cover a fair bit. Image quality is important to me (one reason I am looking at DSLRs)

I am looking at the
K100D with DA 18-55 F3.5 - F5.6 AL Kit Lens and the Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO Macro added on.

I am looking at the K100D as a good way to break into the DSLR and still do what I like without totally killing my bank account. Unfortunatly I live in a small town with pretty much only a walmart to shop in for camera stuff, so most stuff I have to order online.

Now for my main questions
Will this camera likely satisfy me or am I better off with something else? (this will likely mean postponing buying and save for a while yet)
Is my lens choice good? and is the gap in the lenses (55 to 70) going to be a problem?

Thanks if you make it through all that :)

[rhermans]

Just to give my 5c,

First off there are no bad dslr's at this point so that can't be a reason for not getting it.

The in body SR is more than worth it, but I think you've got the experience coming from the canon S2, the only thing that changes is that it's SR on the sensor and not the lens, this means that you don't see the difference through the viewfinder with SR on or off.

Keeping in mind that SR is wanted, then you've got 2 alternatives, the sony and the olympus. For me the sony doesn't preform good above iso400. The oly I don't know, I haven't seen enough reviews of it yet.

Going on to the lenses, both are good lens, the difference between the 50 - 70 won't make any problems.

Ronny

[BKKC]

Thank you. So I am thinking I am on the right track then. I think I will narrow down a couple of stores and get good pricing :) Unless someone else chimes in of course

[seo]

Did you see this-

Pentax K100D Super:

http://www.dcresource.com/news/newsitem.php?id=3546

[BKKC]

Looking at that the main difference is the dust removal on the sensor, the normal K100D with the firmware update can use the high density SD cards. Unless there have been improvements on performance in which case that would be great and worth waiting for.

[pas49ras]

I am looking at the K100D as a good way to break into the DSLR and still do what I like without totally killing my bank account.

Thats why I bought one...is a great camera and I have NO regrets.:)

[CFord_Shooter]

i dont mean to steal the post, but i have quick question. what is the difference in lens when it comes to crop. i mean, the Nikon D70 is 1.5X, so a 50mm lens turns into a 75mm. what is it for the K100D. i am also looking into the K100D.

[BKKC]

It is 1.5, well I think I read it was 1.532 or something like that. I have read so much it is hard to remember what and where right now :)

[C-Digital]

I have moved to Pentax K100 and sold 3 other P&S digitals. Kept the Canon S2 though.

We each have our own photo goals so no precise answer can be given. Also I have not been fortunate to try out other DSLRs our in the field where pros and cons really show if past experience with several brands of digital cameras is any indication.

So here are some thoughts which seem relevant to your current equipment and photo goals.

Went to a nature center with 6 grandkids and 3 daughters yesterday afternoon. All photos were taken with the K100 (S2 was not in camera bag as was thought, so was not available while on that outing).

The wide angle Pentax kit lens let me take family group photos at 27mm that the S2 would not have permitted. While on a barge tour of the lake the 82.5mm permitted deer along the shore some 100 to 200 feet away to be taken and due to the post thunderstorm cloud cover clearly see deer's reflections in the water.

K100 speed and accuracy of focus was not a problem while taking images inside a historic site with no internal lighting and window shutters closed. Once or twice I used a small white LED flashlight to aid in framing as I could not see what was at the edge of the viewfinder without some help due to the dark conditions. Photos from the group will go in a DVD show of the site's features.

In regards to the S2 I kept it for several reasons which suit nature shots and children. One is the movie mode which has proven to be a real bonus. 20 seconds will record a waterfall with rich sound. It took less than 15 seconds of video to record one Happy Birthday song complete with candle blowout.

At other times the S2 has been taken to musical presentations by local groups and the CD like stereo quality recordings have made CDs which the presenters and my family enjoy afterward. No photos so S2 was very discreet.

At some of the historic sites the tour guides have placed my S2 around their neck via strap to record their presentations while I use another camera for photos or in some cases a camcorder. Quick, quality sound and presenters have so far said yes to recording requests.

S2 is also a good photo unit which has that nice rotating LCD panel for a number of shots.

Pentax K100 clearly has the edge on photo depth in terms of image clarity and responds to post processing better in my experience.

In this reply the mental focus has been placed on using the cameras relative to your potential use and less on trying to chose only on the basis of spec differences here or there when that may or may not have any real meaning in capturing those moments where either may be the right tool.

With one good P&S camera on hand and considering a DSLR, my advice would be to choose DSLR which seems best budget and feature wise, while gaining both capabilities. I know I have been happy with that choice both for family photos and while out hiking and taking 48x S2 telephotos.

Hope you take many photos to save memories of life lived and enjoyed.

[BKKC]

Thank you for your reply C-Digital, it was quite helpful :)

I found a good deal at a store called Adorama I can get everything for $200 less then I can here in Canada even with exchange and all that so I am going to pull the pin and order it. Adorama seems to get good feedback around here so I feel pretty secure ordering from them.

Too bad I didnt order so I could have it in time for Canada Day fireworks tomorrow but my trusty S2 can take those pictures. Hopefully the store is sending out orders with it being 4th of July holidays because once I hit submit I want it yesterday

[evilpentaxuser]

I was thinking of buying the k110d kit, but when I seen the price beach camera had versus their sister site buydig.com, I went witht he K100d for $469, minus the $50 rebate, will be $419. checked resellerratings.com to verify that they had a good reptation of sales, has 9.44 out of 10. my camera is to arrive on 7-19, yes they do international shipping. just a thought if anyone wants to save a bit.

[goodyear]

So, what's your experience of the S2 v the 100D?

I've just bought a 100D for its low light ability, and am amazed by its SR and low light performance. I have a Canon s3is which I'll keep for its zoom capability, but I can see I'll use the Pentax more often.

It looks like the Canon has a much more active user group though - are there any forums I should be looking at to get some tips on how to take advantage of my 100D's capabilties?

[frenchski]

Try These:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1036
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/forums/view_forum.php?id=80

[SpecialK]

I was thinking of buying the k110d kit, but when I seen the price beach camera had versus their sister site buydig.com, I went witht he K100d for $469, minus the $50 rebate, will be $419. checked resellerratings.com to verify that they had a good reptation of sales, has 9.44 out of 10. my camera is to arrive on 7-19, yes they do international shipping. just a thought if anyone wants to save a bit.

Rebates are only good for US, FPO and APO addresses. Still a good camera for the regular money.

[BKKC]

So, what's your experience of the S2 v the 100D?

About what I would expect. The 100D is much better autofocusing in different light conditions. My pictures are not as sharp so far with the 100D but so far I am chalking that up to inexperience because I do get some really good pictures every so often.

There are things for me to get used to like having to switch lenses every so often but that was expected as well.

For instance I had a hell of a time taking pictures of my dog with the s2 he was very hard to get a focus on, I would try move a bit try again zoom a bit more or less and finally get a focus (not good for quick shots) The 100D locks on right away.

This is a picture of my dog, I think it is due to him not being very contrasty:
http://www.bigpointyteeth.com/jokers/tasprofile.jpg
He is a little fuzzy but that is more do to my skill level