Not enjoying this K100D

Find an istDS or DL. Great camera, much smaller and lighter than the latest (Have both a K20D and a DS which I don't plan on selling. The DS is the go when travelling very light).
bb2

Viewfinder is one of the world's unhappy people. He comes here periodically to post stuff that may or may not have anything to do with reality, but is always negative.

In particular, he is unhappy with the fact that SLRs have evolved a certain shape over time (which he calls a "blob"). He appears to believe that a really good camera would have a totally different shape, but he has never given any indication of what that super-shape might be.

He is best ignored.

G

Spent the most part of today out with the camera (nothing worth reporting where results are concerned!) but the extended period of time roaming Thetford Forest had me warming to the K100D a lot. I'm starting to like it. I suspect my initial dislike of the size of the thing is down to carrying an ME Super around for many years and had become used to a very small camera and only ever one or two fixed focal length lenses (usually a 50 and 35mm). I rather like the grip, makes it easy to hold.

I've kind of come to the conclusion that as in the past, I need two cameras. One when I'm out deliberately taking pictures, and something small for the rest of the time. In the old days that would have been a Ricoh 500G (still have it, still adore it!) So I suppose I have to wait until small digis start to come equipped with a larger sensor. I do have a digi compact, but I detest the almost totally out of control depth of field due to tiny sensor and relatively miniscule focal lengths, and the usually hideous amounts of in-camera over-processing.

But at least with the K100D, I'm halfway to my ideal setup

Thanks for the comments/suggestions etc

I've seen a positive review of the Sigma DP-1, although it costs more than your K100D will have done.

Glad you're getting accustomed to your SLR.

Dan

Dan, thank you for your thoughtful message.

My local pentax 'pro' dealers are in Waltham Cross shopping precinct,...I can't remember their name as they turned out to be much more 'am' than 'pro' and I won't be going back.

I was there last weekend and km was sat there beside k200 with exactly the same price tag,...£369 apparently with cash back they are about £10 apart. They confirmed that they have not sold very many km and were unable to explain why the price is the same for both models.

The price quoted to my neighbour for Sony a200 at Jessops is £230 after cashback (with 18-70mm) She eventually bought a Nikon D40x (I assume that's what it is as I am yet to see it and only know that it's a 10 milpix model) for £220 including lens.

The irritating thing about pentax is that they seem to offer promise and have had put their head above the parapet with k10, but their lens choices have been poorly conceived (still no decent moderate wide in f2)and their marketing is flaky. lesser models like the k100/k200 are poorly designed, apparently just out of bloody mindedness or to make one change up to k20.

Added to this the SLR is my most disliked camera. k100 is my first '35mm' SLR since 1983 and I have a love/hate relationship with it! I quite like the digital aspect of it's images but dislike it's poor design, crude conception and poinmtless complexity more than any camera that I have owned before.

Pentax chooses not to throw away millions on ad campaigns. Since this does not affect their superior products, I don't care.

I have little idea what you are talking about when you say "their lens choices have been poorly conceived" since Pentax has been consistently replicating their old film lenses with new digital designs for the APS-C format. We have the choice of an excellent ultra-wide zoom, several great lenses in the walkaround zoom category, several weather-sealed lenses and better primes than any other manufacturer. These include a cheap fast 50, unbeatable 200mm and 300mm teles and the incredible Limited line-up... that no-one else can touch on build quality.

Yes, we are missing a 24mm or 28mm f/2, but that is one of the few gaps. Nikon and Canon are missing much more, like stabilised primes (or even modern primes designed for digital) over much of the range.

I filled this gap with two inexpensive Vivitar manual focus primes. That's something easy to do in the k-mount world. Canon and Nikon users who have seen what I can do with my K100DS have had their jaws drop open in awe. And that's before I have told them what a bargain it is.

Maybe you don't know how to use it. If you want, you can set the camera on manual and use an older lens, say the FA43. Now it's exactly like a K1000 from film days, except it has about 50 bonus features you can use or not as you see fit. If that's too complex, you just haven't learned photography.

Or you can buy a system that works better for you. Spend three times as much and get a plastic camera with crappy viewfinder, no shake reduction, a poor range of primes, over-priced zooms and the comfort of knowing you are one with the herd.

Maybe that's what you are looking for?

So, what are you then?...a pentax dealer of just a 'fanboy'?

If you don't like SLR designs maybe a Leica rangefinder digital camera would be more suitable?

These have the fast wide primes you desire and a different design philosophy. They are also very compact and very quiet, no flipping mirror to make noise or vibration.

I think Robin's just someone who's more than happy with his camera.

Anyway, I thought you were nearer Chelmsford, so that's why I assumed you'd been to Cameraworld. It's Bywaters in Waltham Cross (Digital Camera Exchange on the net), and I've not been there. Just looked them up on their website, and you're quite right, £349 for the K200D, and £379 for the K-m - obviously overpriced, but that's down to the retailer (and the margin they want) rather than Pentax, to a certain extent at least.

So what's your favourite type? There's digital versions of just about everything, albeit at varying cost.

Come on John, it's not that bad!

Dan

The Km was released only a short while ago. All new models are overpriced to start with and take a few months to settle.

Well yes, but they've seemed to have settled quicker at some shops than at others.

Dan

I used Rollieflex cameras for about 35 years and also an MPP 4x5.

The trouble is that I have been taking photos since I was 11 years old so getting close to 50 years now. I thought that the k100 might earn my respect but, in truth, I hate most things about it, only use it when I have to and have never really taken a shot with it that pleases me. even the proportion of the image feels wrong to me. It's not a piece of equipement that i can identify with at all, it's just another item of consumer goods with a 'here today gone tomorrow' feel to it. Each time I use it I come closer to chucking the whole nonsense. maybe after 50 years it's time to find some other passion.

Why do you ask? Do only Pentax dealers and fanboys know how to use manual mode?

If you knew how to use the web you could find out lots about me, enough to sate your curiosity I am sure.

"....If you knew how to use the web you could find out lots about me, enough to sate your curiosity I am sure..."

Yes, I gathered you were very full of youself from your earlier posts.

Unfortuntately, my "curiosity" such as it is, does not extend to smug self-satisfaction in the internet.

I state facts and into them you read your own dissatisfaction with life. A shame that you choose to parade your ignorance here. Really I should stop feeding trolls like yourself, next to whom we must all feel self-satisfied.