Not enjoying this K100D

I'm finding the K100D really cumbersome. It's like dragging a Praktica around. I was really looking forward to going fully digital, but I'm really missing the ME Super and it's diminutive proportions.

To be fair on the camera, it's performed more than adequately (though the matrix metering is dreadful) and although far from the images I want to produce, it's technically perfectly good.

Anyway, this isn't a moan, but request for advice really: do I have any options at all for a small dSLR that will take my accumulated KA and M42 lenses, or am I in a "get used to it" situation?

Graham

The Pentax K-M (K2000 in the USA) is possibly the smallest Pentax DSLR body that can use your lenses.

If you go for it, and get any of the DAL lenses, be aware that lens hoods are optional accessories at extra cost on this range of optics.

You have that camera already. Just buy a Pentax Mount adapter K here, convert your K100D to superiority, mount those M42 Taks, lose the dreadful matrix metering (spot and average only) and stop moaning.

PS, or buy the smaller K-M and do the same.

Martin.

edit: post scriptum added.

A Km plus 40mm Limited lens might convince you to leave everything else behind. Can't get smaller than that!

Thanks for the input I've done some more research and have concluded that what I'm after doesn't exist - yet (well, not with Pentax written on it anyway) According to the specs on paper, the K-m is barely any smaller (the odd millimeter here and there).

My perfect camera would be the size of a Panasonic G1, but with a larger sensor (at least APS-C) and a KAF lens mount. Would put up with a EVF provided it was very high resolution if needs be.

In the meantime I'll just find a better way to carry the K100D (maybe an R-strap) so I can have it with me as well as keep three dogs under control

Thanks again for the input, I'll shut up now and get on with producing some pics that come close to being postable on the gallery (it may be some wait )

Graham,...I have to agree with you about the very poor ergonomics of the k100/k200. I found that the camera is actually easier and less tiresome to hold for long periods when a tripod quick-release plate is attached as it give purchase for the lefthand lower fingers to actually hold onto something while leaving thumb and forefinger free for focussing manual lenses. When using auto lenses the left hand is redundant apart from holding and there NOTHING for it to grip!

Unfortunately, all DSLR's suffer the same problem to greater or lesser degree as the overall design of the 'black plastic blob' is poor for ergonomics being over 30 years old. Camera makers are very conservative about any new design thinking although things will hopefully now change with second generation digital systems.

The 'KM' appearsand feels even worse,..a badly designed and conceived item at the wrong time, over priced by about £200 whe compared to the competition. My nearest pentax dealer is curretnly trying to get the SAME over the top price for BOTH km AND k200...!!?! a Staggering £350 when Jessops down the road can offer Sony a200 for effectively £230....and km is suposed to attract beginners to DSLR's...??????

It's about 20% smaller I believe.

That is not physically possible, because of the registration distance.

Everyone's hands are different I suppose. My left hand finds a nice purchase around the lens as though I was going to adjust the ring or manually focus (which I often do anyway). This provides a nice solid grip. I am not sure where you would suggest a hand should go? Keep it clean, though.

New models always cost more initially. This is the way the market always works for tech items; why are people still surprised by this? I am buying a K20D now, at one-third the price it was released at not so many months ago.

The 'KM' is not discernibly smaller than the k200,...it's just an inferior slightly slimmer version without the anti-shake.

If Graham wants a G1 size camera with APS sensor and KA mount it would be quite feasible to design one,..the registration distance would not be insurmountable,..it simply means that there would have to be a removeable adaptor for the KA lenses allowing a different mount on the camera body,..quite a nice idea actually.

If the KM had been availble this Christmas for a more realistic price of just under £200, thus slightly undercutting the competition, it might have brought the pentax brand to a lot of people........There were Nikon and Sony 10mil models at substantially cheaper prices so few people were likely to choose and 'outsider' brand costing more than one third extra.

Let's see what the facts say, shall we?

According to the Pentax UK site the K200D is 95 x 133 x 74mm, which is 934 cm3 and weighs 630g without battery and memory card. Likewise the K-m is 91.5 x 122.5 x 67.5mm or 757 cm3. It weighs 525g.

This equates to a 18% decrease in volume and 16% decrease in weight. I had guessed 20% which is not too inaccurate.

Also, the K-m does indeed have Shake Reduction. Improvements include the AF system, shadow compensation, frame rate and the help button. You may not like the camera, but others certainly do. In any case, please do not spread false information.

As for "undercutting the competition", Pentax offers significantly better value for the price, with a stabilised metal chassis camera that captures exemplary images. If you prefer a different brand for some reason, fair enough. I'd say you are getting ripped off, but I won't stop you from going elsewhere to post your comments.

OK,...it's was not my intention to "spread false information" and my posts have been largely accurate in spirit.

I was wrong it seems about the anti-shake,..I was repeating what was told to me by my local 'pentax-pro' dealership who made it clear that there was NO anti-shake on this camera.

As regards size and appearance, this is a completely plain vanilla item being the usual black plastic blob. It has absolutely NOTHING to separate it from it's peers other, apparently, than the built in anti-shake for which we are invited to pay aprox 40% extra over nikon and sony. If a length reduction of three eighths of an inch is a lot to you then presumably you have become preoccupied with length in your life......to me it means little,..actually nothing.

The km is a dissapointing 'run of the mill' product at a very bad time for pentax. however, perhaps you can throw some light on what makes this particular black plastic blob so different to you...(??)

I think many people, including the guy from Pentax who appeared in an AP video at a show, miss the point of the Km.

The market it addresses is the market that potentially would have bought a bridge camera such as the Fuji S9600 and similar products. It's as light, as small (I know there are smaller ones than my example) and adds the advantage of interchangeable lenses of higher quality.

It then gives a platform to grow and expand into other lenses, and maybe to then upgrade to a better body. And of course once having Pentax lenses then the choice of that upgrade is probably Pentax again.

All this without sacfificing the quality advantage of the APS-C sized sensor.

The advantage over other marques include the SR, the quality of the lenses, the excellent ergonomics and the quality of pentax construction. In other words, all the things that attract us to the elegance of Pentax products.

Well, the one I saw at Cameraworld was white.

I tried one in there the other week, just to see what it felt like. Compared to my K10D, it did feel small, but it obviously is compared to that. The thing I thought was odd about it was that the focus point didn't illuminate to tell you which one the camera had picked, so if you were using the auto-selection mode, you wouldn't know for sure if the camera had chosen the best focus point for your subject.

I know many people would select the point themselves, but even so...

I expect Sony are selling their entry level DSLRs at a loss, just to get on their way to global domination. We've already seen that they're prepared to 'buy' cabinets in Jessops (the store in Basildon to me they should only be displaying Canon and Sony, but have chosen to put Nikon in there too becasue they'd be daft not to), and running at a loss on the bodies to get people into their system may well be a risk they're prepared to take.

I really don't think Pentax is in that situation.

Dan

When out of facts you resort to cheap personal insults. How juvenile.

Just had a look at the Cameraworld website (I'm assuming this is the Pentax dealer you're refering to) and they have the K-m at £329.98, which means it's under £300 after cashback. SRS have it at £299.00 before cashback.

Jessops have the A200 at £274.03 before £30 cashback (SRS have it at £273.06), so £244.03 at Jessops after cashback.

So the difference between the K-m and the A200, with just a little shopping around, is £25.94.

I realise the prices may well have changed since your post.

I get the very distinct impression, from many of your posts, that you are deeply dissatisfied by Pentax and their cameras. Have you tried any other brands? Are they not more suited to you? I'm not being funny, but don't stick with something that's not right for you. Go back to Cameraworld and play with them all. You might actually like one of them!

Dan