K100D or K10D + Prime

Pentax Users,

Some forum wisdom would be much appreciated. I’ll be buying a DSLR when I’m back in the UK in Jan (currently resident in Ethiopia). Having done the research, and looked at pics on Flickr you’ll be pleased to hear my preference was for Pentax. As a newbie (currently have quite a good featured Canon S70 compact), I had plumped for the K100d Super. However, given the relatively small difference in price of the K10D (not to mention the Samsung version – which can be picked up for £519 with twin lens kit from fotosense), I’m beginning to wonder whether it might make sense to simply go for the more advanced camera now instead of having to possibly trade in a K100D in a few years time.

My main concern is whether, as a starter in the SLR world, the K10D might be a bit beyond me and that it would make more sense going with the more obvious starter’s camera. I’ve read in a couple of reviews that the K10D is more suitable for experienced SLR users.

The other issue is size/weight. Ideally I’d like as small a camera as possible – I travel a lot, and want to carry as little as possible onto planes etc.. If this were an absolute priority, I’d be going for an Olympus e-410 of course, however, the Super seems small enough to me. Indeed, looking at the dimensions of the K10D even this doesn’t seem excessively large either. However, I won’t be able to see for myself until January.

I’d say I was still inclining towards the K100D as the more appropriate choice (both for ‘level’ and size). It seems this offers plenty of camera for even experienced photographers (there are some stunning shots on flickr taken by 100D users). The 6mp/10mp difference seems like a bit of a non-issue (indeed, even space saving), given how the camera will be used (I don’t envisage making prints bigger than A4). But as this is a significant investment, I’d like to make the right choice.

Two other things – one reviewer was complaining about the apparent ineffectiveness of the Dust Protection on the K10D (and by inference, as I assume they are the same, the K100D). What is your experience of this and do you have suggestions for dust removal options when dust does get onto the sensor?

Second, I’d like to get a prime to go with the kit lens. The options (within my budget) would seem to be the 35mm f2, the 50 f.1.4 and at a push the 21mm pancake. I’m naturally inclined towards wider angle shots (at least from my compact experience so far). However, the 21mm is rather a lot, and also is perhaps not quite as good as the other two (?). Between the latter, my inclination would be to go for the 35 because it’s wider, but I’m wondering if 50mm is a more practical focal length. I had assumed, with the 35mm coming out at around 50mm on a digital – ie. more or less what you see naturally – that this focal length would be more useful/popular. However, there seem to be a plethora of lens’ at 50mm and just a few at ca.30-something.

Any advice much appreciated.

Andrew

Andrew welcome to the board!

I still have an Ist Ds (6MP) which I am happy with. One big advantage when travelling is that the K100D(s) takes normal batteries, not the special ones needed for the K10D.
However the K10D is a superb camera from all I have read and the photos I have seen. I shall probably buy one eventually.
I would suggest you wait until you return to the UK and can handle both models and see which feels best to you. The prices may drop even more with the announcement of the new model in January.

Sensor cleaning is not a big deal - you can get an Arctic Butterfly brush or the Pentax cleaning kit for that. Just remember to point the camera down when changing lenses to minimise the crud that gets in.

those are smart questions that get asked alot...a quick search of the forums will yeild a ton of results, but to get you started:

ask yourself what types of photos do you like to take?

which camera suits your needs best?

can your computer handle the bigger files from the k10?

you do realize the k10 has a "GREEN" mode? (auto everything).

I have a ds2 and a k10. (ds2 has same sensor as k100)

I get great images from both.

the 501.4 should be in every wedding/portrait/lowlight photographers bag.

A hip pack will hold either slr and two lenses......and since you wear it, often doesn't get treated any different than a ladies handbag......(don't know about international travel, but within Canada, I've never had anyone tell me it counts as a carry-on bag.)

Thanks for the feedback.

Seems like I'll be happy whichever I go for. The frustration is I have to wait another month being getting my hands on a camera!

Do you know if it's the K10D or the K100D which the new model is replacing?

Everything is rumour at the moment but it looks like both probably. The general concensus seems to be that there'll be a new flagship to replace the K10D and that most of the K10D's features will be found in a new body that'll be about the same size as the K100D (a K200D with the 10MP sensor). I would imagine the current K100D Super will soldier on giving entry-level consumers a choice of 6 or 10MP - a bit like the Nikon D40/D40X do.

Oh, and the reason there are so many 50mm lenses available in comparison to 30-something mm ones is that most of these lenses have been around since the film era when people didn't think in terms of a "crop factor". I don't own the Pentax FA35/2 myself but I've never heard a bad word spoken about it - from a price/performance point of view it seems to be a real gem! The FA50/1.4 is also very highly regarded but while it was a "normal" focal length on film, it's a mild telephoto on digital. If you're planning on doing lots of portrait work then this isn't necessarily a bad thing! The 21mm seems to elicit mixed reactions - some love it and some, er, don't... Have a search of these forums and you'll find plenty of conflicting opinion on that one.

Thanks for this info – it’s very helpful. If they’re both being replaced then I guess it makes more sense to go for the cheaper one now – and perhaps upgrade in a few years.

If you're waiting until January before making a purchase you may find that the price of the K10D drops significantly once its replacement is announced on the 24th. It's a fantastic camera and unbelieveable value even at it's current price, if it were to drop another £100 or so then I wouldn't hesitate recommending it.

I have owned both a *isD (one of the first ones out), and within the past year acquired a K10, along with the additional battery grip D-BG2, and that was a life saver on a recent 30 day coach tour through the maritimes, because I always had another spare battery to rely on and in fact had to make use of it several times. Compared to the *IsD however, even without the battery grip, it is a heavier piece of gear to lug around, especially if you are doing some hiking etc. I have a Sigma 18-200 lens attached most of the time, and that is also not exactly a "light" weight lens. Add the additional grip, and you have a large piece of gear to carry.

If you want to look at K10 images that I took scroll down to the maritime tour at
http://www.pbase.com/al_mierau/galleries
I tend to photograph a lot in adverse weather conditions and the K10 body specs certainly are what they claim to be in that respect. However more than once I have had moisture fog issues between the UV filter and the lens glass during rainy days. (I should be more careful in that respect).

I would suggest that the Pentax K100D with its matching set of 3 pancake primes would be the best choice for someone wanting small and light. Olympus make a lot of noise about the size of their body, but they don't have the lenses to back it up.

Hello All,

Now back from my trip to the UK. Thought I would let you know that I eventually chose the K10D. Both cameras seemed great, however, interestingly I couldn't track down (in central London) a 100d super which wasn't a display model and this coupled with the fact that the K10d exudes quality and durability made me plump for the latter. And I'm not regreting it at all - while quite heavy (and large-ish - though this is really relative), it handles superbly and as far as my fear about it being beyond me as a novice, I'm enjoying (slowly) getting to grips with its many features and have already produced some nice pics (for me at least).

Also got a 35mm f2 - which is similarly great, giving excellent indoor flexibility.

I found the lack of availability of the 100d super interesting. At Jessops they said they had had a delivery in November which they'd sold out of (apart from the display model), and that more had been on order for a month or more. Seems like Pentax aren't meeting UK demand - which is interesting given it's profile compared to Canikon.

Congratulations on your purchase!

The K10D/FA35 combo does indeed seem capable of some excellent captures, so don't forget to post some examples in the "Your Photos" sub forum here.

As for not being able to find a K100D Super, it looks like stock of both this and the K10D is being run down to make shelf space for the K200D and K20D, which will be arriving at the end of February / beginning of March.