[ismaelg]

Welcome from sunny Puerto Rico!
This is great place to learn and share!

Thanks,

[Flubber]

Well, I suppose I have to edit my earlier statement. I have now officially joined the Pentaxian fellowship.

My first foray into photography in general was through small plastic film camera from Lomography (The Lomography LC-A+, a "toy" or "pocket" camera), with zero bells and whistles. Basically all you can adjust is the ISO setting and the zone focusing. They are quirky little things, but they appealed to me, got me hooked on photography, and I enjoy shooting them even to this day. As mentioned before I will buy the K-new when it comes out. But in the meantime I stumbled upon the 6 megapixel club thread, and it gave me the itch to get myself one of these quirky little cameras while I wait for the K-new to be released. So I found myself a nice little K100D Super with a SMC Pentax DA 18-55 lens, an original Pentax strap, an SD card, 4 batteries and some kind of battery grip and charger for around 48 bucks in total. So I decided to take the plunge, since it's a small investment and it will please my Pentax craving while I wait for the K-new to be released.

Next project: Trying to mount the Voigtländer lens on this little camera, just for fun, and see what I can get out of it. If it doesn't give me any pleasing results, I'll still have the kit lens. But coming from very simple film cameras (like the Lomography LC-A+), this whole adapting thing is a bit intimidating for a newbie.

---------- Post added 08-29-20 at 08:15 AM ----------

Photos of my new baby.

[robgski]

Welcome! Though I've only been there once, I think Denmark is a lovely country.

This is a very friendly forum.

One of the great values of using Pentax DSLRs is the ability to use many older lenses and get great results. Since you have a dep understanding of the fundamental relationship of Aperture, Time, and ISO, you will find all those things apply to a DSLR, and a Pentax DSLR allows for fully manual control of each of those factors.

I look forward to seeing your pictures.

[Flubber]

Thank you, robgski. My experience in here has been thoroughly pleasant so far, which is more than I can say about many other forums. You all seem like very nice people.

I'm glad you've enjoyed your stay here in Denmark. I have never been to the US, unfortunately, but it is definitely at the very top of my list of places to visit if I ever win the lottery.

I look forward to getting some Pentax shots myself and posting them here.

[BigMackCam]

Well, I suppose I have to edit my earlier statement. I have now officially joined the Pentaxian fellowship.

My first foray into photography in general was through small plastic film camera from Lomography (The Lomography LC-A+, a "toy" or "pocket" camera), with zero bells and whistles. Basically all you can adjust is the ISO setting and the zone focusing. They are quirky little things, but they appealed to me, got me hooked on photography, and I enjoy shooting them even to this day. As mentioned before I will buy the K-new when it comes out. But in the meantime I stumbled upon the 6 megapixel club thread, and it gave me the itch to get myself one of these quirky little cameras while I wait for the K-new to be released. So I found myself a nice little K100D Super with a SMC Pentax DA 18-55 lens, an original Pentax strap, an SD card, 4 batteries and some kind of battery grip and charger for around 48 bucks in total. So I decided to take the plunge, since it's a small investment and it will please my Pentax craving while I wait for the K-new to be released.

Next project: Trying to mount the Voigtländer lens on this little camera, just for fun, and see what I can get out of it. If it doesn't give me any pleasing results, I'll still have the kit lens. But coming from very simple film cameras (like the Lomography LC-A+), this whole adapting thing is a bit intimidating for a newbie.

Photos of my new baby.

Welcome to the forums!

I'm a big fan of the Lomo LC-A... I have three in my cupboard upstairs, actually - one Soviet era, one post-Soviet Russian with Lomography markings, and a China-manufactured LC-A+ I can understand how it got you hooked on photography...

Congratulations on your K100D Super! Although old by DSLR standards, it's a fine camera. Aside from lack of Live View, the lower resolution and higher ISO constraints, it has mostly the same fundamental capabilities as any good DSLR, and will serve as an excellent introduction to digital. Indeed, you might find yourself spoiled by the CCD sensor; a not-inconsiderable number of us here love shooting these older cameras precisely because of the colour rendition from the CCD sensors

When you have a little time to kill, you might drop by the "Six Megapixel Club" thread. It's a small but active group I think you'd enjoy

[Flubber]

Hello BigMackCam

Totally agree with you on the original Lomo LC-A's and the Lomography LC-A+. I have a couple of the original USSR Lomo's as well, though I haven't shot with them, because I need to replace the sealings. But I've shot extensively with the LC-A+, and I love that little thing. As long as you don't expect too much from such a simple camera, it will please you. It's a lot of fun. I've found that the lack of adjustable settings actually helps me focus more on the subjects I am photographing rather than on handling the camera.

I know the K100D Super is an old machine, but I think it will do fine for learning the basics of digital photography. After all, many of you in here started out on cameras like this (or older), and got the hang of it that way. At least this way, I'll have a somewhat basic understanding of operating a DSLR, and I'll try my hand at some RAW editing, just to get started, so I can prepare myself for the step-up that the K-new will be. I find that there is something very pleasing about getting a good image out of an inexpensive piece of gear. Plus, I'm not as worried about accidentally ruining my camera due to beginner mistakes when we're talking about such a small investment. I am indeed attracted to saturated and nice colors - that's one of the things that got me into film photography, after seeing some of the photos shot on Lomography's alternative film stocks. I've only shot black and white film myself, however, so I am looking forward to trying my hand with color photos.

It was indeed my intention to post in the Six Megapixel Club thread once the camera is delivered to me, and I've taken some shots. I look forward to going on this Pentax journey.

Would you say that the standard kit lens I listed is good enough to get decent photos - or should I be looking for some other bargain lenses for the K100D Super?

[Serkevan]

Welcome to the forums (although I do think we have already "chatted" a bit ago ) from a bit further South in Germany!

The 18-55mm kit lens is definitely "good enough" to make lovely photos. Of course, it's a tad slower than a prime lens but the optical quality is solid - I've taken a fair bunch of photos I like with the latter 18-55 WR version.

If you want an experience closer to the Heliar you own without needing an adapter, the inexpensive Pentax DA 35mm f/2.4 would give you a "normal" angle of view when mounted on the K100D - and as it is quite faster than the kit lens it would give you a similar depth of field as the Heliar.

[Flubber]

Hello Serkevan

Yes, I do believe we had a prior conversation in a different thread. Nice to see you here as well, and nice to meet another German.

Thank you for the lens recommendation - I will definitely look into that. I may find that I am perfectly happy with the kit lens that comes with the camera, but just in case, it's always nice to have other options open. At the price I paid for the whole set I'm not going to complain, as it looks like a camera in good condition.

[BigMackCam]

Totally agree with you on the original Lomo LC-A's and the Lomography LC-A+. I have a couple of the original USSR Lomo's as well, though I haven't shot with them, because I need to replace the sealings. But I've shot extensively with the LC-A+, and I love that little thing. As long as you don't expect too much from such a simple camera, it will please you. It's a lot of fun. I've found that the lack of adjustable settings actually helps me focus more on the subjects I am photographing rather than on handling the camera.

I agree wholeheartedly. With the camera handling most of the exposure-related work, you're free to concentrate on subject, composition and lighting. It can be very liberating, and a lot of fun. For the same reasons, I still enjoy shooting with a compact digital camera occasionally... but there's something very appealing about the LC-A experience I may have to load one of mine up with a fresh roll of Agfa Vista Plus 200 from my freezer and take her out for a spin next week

I know the K100D Super is an old machine, but I think it will do fine for learning the basics of digital photography. After all, many of you in here started out on cameras like this (or older), and got the hang of it that way. At least this way, I'll have a somewhat basic understanding of operating a DSLR, and I'll try my hand at some RAW editing, just to get started, so I can prepare myself for the step-up that the K-new will be. I find that there is something very pleasing about getting a good image out of an inexpensive piece of gear.

Personally, I think you're better off starting out with an older, simpler camera like the K100D Super. If the K-New were your first foray into digital photography, it's just possible you might be somewhat overwhelmed by its functionality. With the K100D, there are fewer controls, modes and menu options to worry about - but all the fundamental capabilities you need for shooting in fully manual or semi-auto are present, and everything you learn with the K100D will be 100% relevant and transferable if and when you buy the K-New

I also get a lot of satisfaction from making images with inexpensive equipment. I'm just as likely to shoot my K10D or *ist DL2 with an inexpensive lens as I am my K-3 / K-3II and a DA Limited prime. There's quite a few of us here that enjoy older gear, so you'll fit right in

Would you say that the standard kit lens I listed is good enough to get decent photos - or should I be looking for some other bargain lenses for the K100D Super?

The original version of the 18-55mm kit lens (as fitted to your incoming K100D Super) is showing its age optically, but on a 6MP body the limitations are much less obvious and it's definitely capable of taking fine images - though you'll need to stop the aperture down a little to sharpen it up in general, and especially in the borders and corners. It's extremely useful to have that 18-55mm range to play with, as it covers a lot of use cases. Plus, as time passes, you can review your photos to assess which focal lengths you use most, and that can help you decide which prime lenses you might want to buy at a later date.

As such, it might be a good idea to spend some time with the kit lens before you buy anything else. However ()... if you're eager to try others, I'd also recommend the DA 35mm f/2.4, as it's inexpensive, optically very good (even on high resolution bodies), and on an APS-C DSLR it provides a field of view similar to a classic 50mm workhorse lens on a 35mm film camera. It's an extremely versatile field of view to work with. Or, if you're prepared to spend more and you're fond of the field of view from your LC-A (which has a 32mm lens coupled with 35mm film format), the outstanding DA 21mm f/3.2 Limited fits the bill perfectly. One of my favourite lenses, period. You could also do a lot worse than picking up a decent, inexpensive, film-era 28mm manual focus lens - perhaps a Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8 or similar. Manual focusing takes some patience and practice on DSLRs - especially older models without Live View - but it's an extremely useful skill (even with AF lenses) and can be very rewarding

[paulh]

Congrats on your "new" old gear! That combo is capable of very nice images for sure. It looks like you don't have the hood for your 18-55. It would be worthwhile to find a replacement. They are readily available, either oem or knockoff versions. The hood is useful for reducing flare and offers some protection as well. Have fun, and see you soon in the Six Megapixel Club!

[Flubber]

Thanks for all the great suggestions, BigMackCam! And don't worry, I certainly will try out the kit lens before I buy anything else. I was just thinking that it was nice to have other options down the line if I wanted to expand my selection of lenses, and the suggestions you made were very good, and sound similar to what I'm already used to from my film cameras. So I'll definitely check out the lenses you suggested, but I promise I won't buy anything until I'm familiar with what I already have. ;-)

With regards to your desire to go out and shoot your Lomo camera, I definitely think you should do it. It's definitely a lot of fun and you won't regret it. If you do it, I hope you'll share the photos with us.

Hello paulh, and thank you very much for the warm welcome. You make a good point about the lens hood - I will definitely see if I can find a lens hood at a reasonable price. That sounds like a great idea indeed. I bought the camera from an older gentleman on a Danish equivalent of Craigslist - and I don't think he owned a lens hood for it. But regardless, it looks like he's taken well care of the camera, as I can't really see any signs of use judging from the photos, except some surface dust on the camera (which is to be expected from long-term storage).

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome aboard, enjoy the new camera once you get hands on.

[aslyfox]

. . . Would you say that the standard kit lens I listed is good enough to get decent photos - or should I be looking for some other bargain lenses for the K100D Super?

when you get the time to review the photos posted in the forums you will discover that members get great results with all types of Pentax gear

for more info on lenses check out the owners' reviews and " in depth reviews " which you can access via this section of the forums:

Welcome to the Pentax Lens Review Database | Pentax Lens Series Overview
If you are looking for Pentax lens reviews or technical specifications, you've come to the right place! This is a comprehensive database of user reviews of Pentax interchangeable SLR lenses, complete with information on every Pentax lens ever produced from K-mount (digital and film) to mirrorless to medium format. See also our in-depth lens reviews.

Read more at: Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

____________

Welcome to the Third-Party Pentax Lens Review Database!
This database contains reviews and technical data on third-party lenses (made by Sigma, Tamron, etc.) designed for use with Pentax K-Mount DSLRs and film SLRs. In addition to being able to post lens reviews, users can also add new lenses to this database.

If you have photos of a lens that is currently missing a thumbnail, please contact us. We hope you enjoy the database!

Read more at: Pentax Lenses by Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss, and more - Reviews and Specification Database - Pentax Lens Review Database

______________________________

I found this chart to be great to show the differences between different series of Pentax lenses:

Pentax K-Mount Lens Series Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series


In a nutshell
There are several series of Pentax K-mount lenses; the ones currently being produced include the DA (digital), DA L (cheap digital kit), D FA (full-frame, digital optimized), and FA (full-frame) series. While all Pentax K-mount lenses ever produced are compatible with all current Pentax DSLRs (in some cases with restrictions in that not all exposure modes of the camera are supported by old lenses), there are significant differences between each lens series and each has different features. Furthermore some of the newer lenses do not work with older cameras. We'll be exploring the differences between the various K-mount series lenses in this article. Read more about specific K-mount lens/camera compatibility here.
The DLSR designation below encompasses the mirror-less K-01.

Pentax K-Mount Lenses Explained: The differences between various Pentax lens series

[Flubber]

Thank you, both of you. :-)

I received my camera with the mail today, and it is in surprisingly great condition. Apart from one tiny smudge on the camera handle, the camera almost looks like it was never used. So I couldn't have been happier - this was a bargain. I took a quick test shot and it seems to be working great. I won't really have time to take any proper photos until the weekend, however, but I will be back when I have some photos to post. I'm very excited!

Not only that, but I was offered another great deal on another Pentax camera, at a great price as well, so maybe a second baby will be on the way soon.. We will see. ;-)

[Flubber]

I just added this badboy to the collection. It's the bigger brother to the K100D Super - a K200D with two lenses, a flash, a strap, two memory cards and the bags included, for a cheap bundle price.

Now I can join both the 6 megapixel club and the CCD club in general. Very excited!