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10-08-2007, 03:47 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by DMH Quote
Now, there are a few negatives I have found which I think are common knowledge now. Auto white balance in not too accurate in incandescent light. I set it manually when indoors.
Just a little clarification here. Auto white balance works exactly as it is supposed to. It has a range of 4000K to 8000K. Incandescent lighting is about 3000K, which is outside the range of the auto white balance. One could argue that the AWB range is inadequate, but it is not inaccurate. You can't use AWB under incandescent lighting and expect good results. You have to either manual white balance or use tungsten WB.

QuoteOriginally posted by DMH Quote
As for the 6 mega pixel limitation I haven't really printed that much so I haven't run up against the limitation.
6 mp is not a limitation when it comes to printing. There is a widespread misconception that you have to print at 300 dpi. This is only true if your work is being published in a magazine. I have had 5 mp images printed as large as 20x30 with excellent results.

Here's an easy rule of thumb--if the image printed at 8x10 looks good handheld, it will look good at any size, when viewed at the proper distance.

10-08-2007, 03:55 AM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by FotoPete Quote
Yup! I find that Canon and Nikon but forth a much larger technical hurdle than Pentax. Alot of the stuff Canikon advertises impedes on photographic creativity. There's a D80 shooter at school that can't stop bragging about how fast his 50/1.8 focuses and shoots (3fps). I've yet to see him pull out a well focused burst. I can't totally blame him though, because its partly due to bad advertising. The majority of people that buy into the Canikon brand, do use because of popularity and headline specs like the frame burst and "ultrasonic motors" for ultra fast focusing.
I think the only thing really waiting to be developed for that sort of market is a robot to go out and take the pictures while the owner sits on his couch and enjoys television.

When I show people my photos, I prefer to brag about how little the equipment cost.

Last edited by Mike Cash; 10-08-2007 at 05:43 AM.
10-08-2007, 04:22 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by jth Quote
So guys.. what are the bad things about the k100d (k100d super) ?

I've heard all the good things, but there must be something ... bad ?
The worst thing with K100D is it's half-implemented Auto ISO. It works just perfect until you dial-in some exposure compensation... Then Auto ISO is switched off and you get ISO200. That makes Auto ISO unusable in K100D.
10-08-2007, 05:16 AM   #19
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Mprins, thanks for the clarification. I didn't realize that AWB was designed to deal with a narrow range of color temperatures. I know many DSLR's have this limitation with incandescent, or tungsten lights. I wonder why this is, whether it's an intentional design or if the technology of AWB is just not there yet?

10-08-2007, 06:35 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by jth Quote
So guys.. what are the bad things about the k100d (k100d super) ?

I've heard all the good things, but there must be something ... bad ?
Well, you can read all the goods and the bads in my old K100D review then:-

RiceHigh's Pentax K100D Full Review
10-08-2007, 07:25 AM   #21
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Firstly, thanks MPrince for the clarification on the AWB - I expect that many of us did not realise this.

I have owned my Super for about 5 weeks and I am still in the learning process, and this is my first DSLR.

There is nothing that I really hate about this camera but my dislikes are:

Changing aperture requires 2 fingers and I find it is taking a bit of time to get used to it - I often use manual settings

Changing ISO requires accessing the menu - not a big problem but I do like having manual control at my finger tips.

AWB seems to be useless in most artificial light - see MPrinces comments.

Although I have mentioned some dislikes while using this camera in the manual setting I also believe this camera gives you the best manual choices of any DSLR in this price range.

My shutter causes no more noise than my old nikon FM ..lol and while the auto focus does seem to hunt in low light and can not focus on a white wall I find it works fast in normal situations.

I am still glad that i bought it

cheers
Keith
10-08-2007, 07:41 AM   #22
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jth, let me say first that almost without exception this is a very friendly forum. There are some excellent shooters here and until the thread 2 above mine you have gotten some good advice. I own and like my K110D which is almost the same as the K100D (missing the Shake reduction) and I have used it many times to shoot weddings successfully as my second body. As for white balance, it has not been an issue as I almost always manually set the white balance for indoor lighting and it has done a very good job of that.

Everyone has a right to their opinions and posters here often disagree on many aspects of the gear and the craft. I've learned a lot from new members and long time camera owners, both. Here comes the 'but'.....

Now It is not my style to flame another poster but I will make an exception in this case. Rice High is a nit picker that has trashed everything Pentax. He tears the cameras and gear down and really has no clue about most of what he says. He NEVER posts pictures or truly verifiable proof of his issues and problems with the gear. Those that have been around this and other forums have for the most part learned to ignore his rants. I don't believe I stand alone in these comments. He has some personal agenda with Pentax and as I said, he never posts images on his blog so has no credibility in my book.

Want a much better opinion of the camera? Have a look at the threads from Tom Lusk ( I hope Tom you don't mind me using you as an example, if so I apologize in advance and will delete this response) and Tom is only one of many excellent shooters here that get great results from this camera.

See his post here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/12875-fog-frog.html

and to see others, look here:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/search.php?searchid=189819

You could also spend some time browsing the Pentax Gallery here that has photos specific to the model:

PENTAX Photo Gallery

I'm not saying it's the perfect camera for everyone. No camera ever could be. But it can stand on it's own and produce excellent results in the right hands. It's a tool, that once you learn how to use it, can do most everything you want. It's more about your skill, vision and technique than anything else.

BTW Keith, the AF system needs contrast in order to focus on something. That is true for many brands I think (I may be wrong of course). So unless there is some contrasting colour in the FOV the system can't lock. Very similar to a split screen on a film camera that you need a defined edge of something in the FOV to bring the top and bottom together to be sure that the picture is in sharpest focus. Also the AF can hunt with certain lenses when it is dark if they are slower at max aperture and so on. It may hunt a bit more on my Sigma 50-500 @500mm f6.3 but not on the 43mm ltd f1.9 etc.


Last edited by Peter Zack; 10-08-2007 at 07:51 AM.
10-08-2007, 12:57 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by jth Quote
So guys.. what are the bad things about the k100d (k100d super) ?
1) The lack of Remote Assistant. It's only a software thing, can't K100D users have it too? Since Pentax are clued up in the 'good features for a good price' ethos, surely it would get another one over Canon (who's users have to pay dearly for this)?

2) Bigger (faster?) buffer.
10-08-2007, 02:09 PM   #24
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QuoteQuote:
Mprins, thanks for the clarification. I didn't realize that AWB was designed to deal with a narrow range of color temperatures. I know many DSLR's have this limitation with incandescent, or tungsten lights. I wonder why this is, whether it's an intentional design or if the technology of AWB is just not there yet?
To my knowledge, this is common to most digital cameras, not just DSLRs. However, I don't know if it is by design or a technological limitation.
10-08-2007, 02:59 PM   #25
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I switched from a Canon setup to a Pentax setup at the beginning of this year, with the k100d. The things I've found I don't like have pretty much all already been mentioned. Overall I love the camera, don't get me wrong, but I'm just trying to stay on topic and say only what I don't like:

1) Loud shutter
2) High ISO performance, while not poor, is poorer (noisier) than current generation Canons (not sure about Nikon)
3) Slow autofocus
4) Inability to trigger an external flash with the built-in flash (the k10d has this capability)
5) Only one control wheel; some settings that I'd like to use more often are somewhat awkward to get to because of the menu structure (ISO, choosing AF point, changing metering mode, changing AF mode)
6) AA batteries are both a blessing and a curse; the NiMH's I've used haven't lasted nearly as long as the proprietary Canon Li-ion pack...however, they are cheaper and it's easy to have extras on hand
7) Lack of good, fast, modern telephoto glass -- Pentax seems to be real slow at bringing out new lenses, and third-party support is weaker than for Canon/Nikon
8) Auto ISO doesn't work well
10-08-2007, 04:02 PM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by ddhytz Quote
This is a not something bad, but I'd like to see the actual ISO value shown as one of the viewfinder indications, not just a warning indication.
Agreed. However, there is an option in the "C" menu where holding the OK button while in shooting mode will show the ISO speed in the viewfinder. The setting on my K100D Super is called "OK btn when shooting", and I have it set to the default (1) setting.
10-08-2007, 06:50 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by lunelson Quote
6) AA batteries are both a blessing and a curse; the NiMH's I've used haven't lasted nearly as long as the proprietary Canon Li-ion pack...however, they are cheaper and it's easy to have extras on hand
7) Lack of good, fast, modern telephoto glass -- Pentax seems to be real slow at bringing out new lenses, and third-party support is weaker than for Canon/Nikon
Point number 7 is very true and really bugs me. I think Pentax is a bit cursed by its own success with the K10/K100 because they're apparently putting their efforts into mass-appeal lenses like the new 18-250 instead of releasing more top-end stuff.

And just as a note about number 6, try Sanyo Eneloops or a similar low self-discharge NiMH if you haven't.

Oh, and probably the feature I most wish for on the K100D is that the top LCD panel had a backlight. I shoot concerts and can't read it worth a damn in the dim lighting.
10-09-2007, 02:55 AM   #28
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OK, at least two people have mentioned auto iso, so I'm gonna toss in my 2 cents worth on the "auto iso bug".

In my opinion, auto iso is a useless feature anyway. I don't allow my camera to determine aperture setting, I don't allow my camera to choose shutter speed, why would I let the camera decide what iso setting to use?

I realize lots of people out there disagree, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
10-09-2007, 03:22 AM   #29
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Canikon Snubs!

i had a couple of people look at me weird and one of my friends has a canon Xt and he says his canon is equal to my K10D, so we went to the beach one day and i told him yo lets go down close to the water and he was like, hell no man not with my slr water might get in it, and i replied ohh but i thought canon is the best camera?

P.S

you know what i dont get this whole b.s about the image quality on a k10d being dull! "its not an out of the box camera"

1) OF COURSE NOT! its an advance camera!
2) if you want out of the box get a P & S
3) you can always change the settings.
4) OK im a newbie, but my opinion everyone's eyes are different others dont see the same! so all this BS about dull. Dpreview and bs reviews that say this sorry but what standards are we going by over saturated pics?
10-09-2007, 05:30 AM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by maj0rglitch Quote
ISO can only go up to 200, 100 would be nice in sunny Cali
Please tell me the scenarios you need to use 100 that you can't achieve with 200, perhaps I can learn something.

My understanding is ISO-200 in K100D is virtually noiseless, therefore (with everything else being equal) anything you would do with 100 you can do with 200 by halving shutter speed. The only time of problem is when it's so bright you overexpose at 1/4000sec and cannot halve anymore, but that must be rare.
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