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04-21-2016, 08:45 AM   #1
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K100D - a good back up camera?

Hi,


I have gotten great information and advice from past threads and experts on this forum...Here I go again...Please offer more advice!


I have been wanting a back up camera for some time. Maybe I should call it a second camera instead, one that will have a "short" lens (eg. 50mm f1.8) for when the players get up close and personal during games. Otherwise, I have my K3 and tamron 70-200 f2.8 to shoot my kids' sporting events.


I have not been able to justify (or make work) the price of a K5iis (the one I really want) but I have found a refurbished K100D at the thrift shop. It looks like it is brand new and it is in the box. No lens with it


What would be a good price for a K100D?
Is this (6MP and 10 year old) camera a viable option to use in this capacity?


Thanks!!!

04-21-2016, 08:52 AM - 1 Like   #2
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I had a K100D for years and now my daughter has been using it for years. It has served us both well. $80-$100 would be a fair price.
04-21-2016, 08:59 AM - 2 Likes   #3
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It's a good camera if you can live with it's limitations. The CCD sensor produces beautiful colors, and the camera itself is durable and solidly built. But for me, it excels in an outdoors daylight setting. Great for flowers, scenery, landscape, or as a general walkaround. It's not one I would consider as an action shooter, especially in a poorly lit gym or similar. It's not a fast camera, and the WB (in jpeg mode) struggles under artificial lighting. I think the going price these days is around $100 or so. I would not pay more than that.

My wife took her K100D to Alaska on a short business trip a couple years ago - the album is here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYCvBG4
04-21-2016, 09:04 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rimfiredude Quote
I had a K100D for years and now my daughter has been using it for years. It has served us both well. $80-$100 would be a fair price.




Hi Rimfiredude,


Thanks for the quick response!


So your daughter has one still in service...thanks for the information.
I am glad to hear it is still serving her well.


I should have mentioned, I ONLY have experience with the K3...I have never used another DSLR.
I appreciate all this info I am getting on the K100D.


Regards,

---------- Post added 04-21-16 at 12:08 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by paulh Quote
It's a good camera if you can live with it's limitations. The CCD sensor produces beautiful colors, and the camera itself is durable and solidly built. But for me, it excels in an outdoors daylight setting. Great for flowers, scenery, landscape, or as a general walkaround. It's not one I would consider as an action shooter, especially in a poorly lit gym or similar. It's not a fast camera, and the WB (in jpeg mode) struggles under artificial lighting. I think the going price these days is around $100 or so. I would not pay more than that.

My wife took her K100D to Alaska on a short business trip a couple years ago - the album is here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjYCvBG4


Hi PaulH,


Thanks for the information:


The shop has the refurb for $75, so around 80 after tax.


I would place a fast "short" lens on it for when 70mm is too "long"
Maybe this combo (old camera and fast lens) will only work outside in the daylight though.
But for under $100 maybe worth a try.


The album is great! Probably a combo of great subject (scenery) and your wife's excellent technique...even with an older camera!


Best,


radman

04-21-2016, 09:12 AM - 1 Like   #5
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I had a K100D for backup for years. That 6mp sensor is truly special. I came across one, in a "junk" camera bin at a store that was closing down. Even for "parts" it was worth the $1 price tag, so I bought it. Took it home, popped in some AA batteries, and it sprung to life. Worked absolutely fine. I sold it a few months later when I upgraded my backup camera to the K20D and then K-S1, which I love so much it became my primary Pentax.

It *is* a good camera and if you're strapped for cash, you can get one for well under a hundred USD. BUT, and it's a big but, the K20D (and K10D) are much better cameras for only a little more. A K20D is around a hundred on eBay.
04-21-2016, 09:14 AM - 1 Like   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by radman Quote
Hi,


I have gotten great information and advice from past threads and experts on this forum...Here I go again...Please offer more advice!


I have been wanting a back up camera for some time. Maybe I should call it a second camera instead, one that will have a "short" lens (eg. 50mm f1.8) for when the players get up close and personal during games. Otherwise, I have my K3 and tamron 70-200 f2.8 to shoot my kids' sporting events.


I have not been able to justify (or make work) the price of a K5iis (the one I really want) but I have found a refurbished K100D at the thrift shop. It looks like it is brand new and it is in the box. No lens with it


What would be a good price for a K100D?
Is this (6MP and 10 year old) camera a viable option to use in this capacity?


Thanks!!!
you're in a bit of a pickle, honestly. the abilities of the K3 for action and AF are a league better than the K5iis. Maybe with a 50mm lens on it, it won't be so bad, but the iso performance is also not nearly as good as the K3. I have owned a K10/K20/K5iis and a K3. I would honestly never go backward. There's just been too much improvement.

As an anecdote, my GF got my hand me down K5iis when I first purchased a K3. Within 2 months, the AF frustrated her beyond tolerance and the difference in IQ for the same subjects forced me into getting her a K3 to save the relationship...ok slight exaggeration, but not much.

from a post processing perspective, from a shooting style perspective, from a results perspective, if you can't pick up another K3, I wouldn't worry about a back up body. Just practice getting faster at swapping lenses? Or maybe pick up a Sigma 50-150 and crop a little on the long end if necessary. I think you'd be better off doing that.
04-21-2016, 09:18 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wolfeye Quote
I had a K100D for backup for years. That 6mp sensor is truly special. I came across one, in a "junk" camera bin at a store that was closing down. Even for "parts" it was worth the $1 price tag, so I bought it. Took it home, popped in some AA batteries, and it sprung to life. Worked absolutely fine. I sold it a few months later when I upgraded my backup camera to the K20D and then K-S1, which I love so much it became my primary Pentax.

It *is* a good camera and if you're strapped for cash, you can get one for well under a hundred USD. BUT, and it's a big but, the K20D (and K10D) are much better cameras for only a little more. A K20D is around a hundred on eBay.




Hi Wolfeye,


Thanks for your perspective. Instead of $80 for a K100D, put in the price of a movie ticket and popcorn and get the K20D which is (as you have said) a better camera. I will read a bit more about the older cameras and check ebay.


Regards,

04-21-2016, 09:19 AM - 2 Likes   #8
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I have a K100D and a K100D Super along with my K3. My K100D's struggle with higher ISO but for years it was my only option and I made it work. What is the intended use of the images. If they are web only - you can get away with more. If you plan to print not as much leeway depending on your requirements.

The K100D is a great SDM conversion platform. Debug is easy - no files required, just button pushing; there's an in-camera editor if you are brave, etc. This is the camera I use for converting lenses most of the time.

Please note:

K100D has 1 control wheel which can be confusing when you switch bodies. It also has a top LCD which is nice.
K100D lacks SDM. It will not work with any DC or SDM (only) lens. It will use screwdrive for SDM/Screwdrive lenses like the DA* series zooms and the DA* 200 and DA* 300.
04-21-2016, 09:35 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by nomadkng Quote
you're in a bit of a pickle, honestly. the abilities of the K3 for action and AF are a league better than the K5iis. Maybe with a 50mm lens on it, it won't be so bad, but the iso performance is also not nearly as good as the K3. I have owned a K10/K20/K5iis and a K3. I would honestly never go backward. There's just been too much improvement.

As an anecdote, my GF got my hand me down K5iis when I first purchased a K3. Within 2 months, the AF frustrated her beyond tolerance and the difference in IQ for the same subjects forced me into getting her a K3 to save the relationship...ok slight exaggeration, but not much.

from a post processing perspective, from a shooting style perspective, from a results perspective, if you can't pick up another K3, I wouldn't worry about a back up body. Just practice getting faster at swapping lenses? Or maybe pick up a Sigma 50-150 and crop a little on the long end if necessary. I think you'd be better off doing that.




Hi nomadkng,


Great story to drive home your point...If the k-5iis is such a step down in AF,,,maybe I should just forget about the k100D or even k20D for sports (most of what I do) shooting.


In regards to swapping lenses, I have not been able to convince these highschoolers to stop (or even slow down) for me when I am photographing them at soccer, field hockey, etc


WRT using the 50-150,,,well I have been trying to figure out how to get longer than 200 (maybe the pentax HD 1.4x) because the fields are so large (over 100 yards).


Thanks
04-21-2016, 09:40 AM - 1 Like   #10
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I can not be objective when it comes to K100D because I love it so much.
Mine is a K100D Super (SDM capable). It has about 25,000 actuations and still going strong. It produces beautiful images. The only limitations are Hi ISO performance (I try to keep it at 800 or less) and fps speed. But it is still used as my regular studio camera for product photography. I've had very good results with older manual lenses, especially the A50 f1.7
Many of the images in my PPG Gallery are with the K100DS.

PENTAX : PENTAX Photo Gallery artist page

Make sure the battery contacts are clean and not corroded.
Bottom line, for the price it is a good solid second camera.

Thanks,
04-21-2016, 09:56 AM - 1 Like   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by radman Quote
Hi nomadkng,
Great story to drive home your point...If the k-5iis is such a step down in AF,,,maybe I should just forget about the k100D or even k20D for sports (most of what I do) shooting.
In regards to swapping lenses, I have not been able to convince these highschoolers to stop (or even slow down) for me when I am photographing them at soccer, field hockey, etc
WRT using the 50-150,,,well I have been trying to figure out how to get longer than 200 (maybe the pentax HD 1.4x) because the fields are so large (over 100 yards).
Thanks
And this is where it get's even more dangerous for your pocket book...

The quest for a long lens suitable for action will take you deep into the realm of car prices lenses. See the 300mm+ plus lens thread.

A 1.4x TC will turn your lens into a 98-280 f4. But will that really make that much of a difference? well one stop is iso 1600-3200 or 1/1000 to 1/2000th. That one stop makes a big difference sometimes.

At 350 a TC is probably cheaper alternative to the Sigma 100-300 at around 800-1000, if you can find one, but even that may not be enough for full field length shots and your focus lock will suffer just a bit. Not a lot, but it might be a 10% increase in missed focus. Can you live with that increase in failure rates?

Most sports pros have 300 f2.8 lenses (or 400 f4 but not available in k-mount). They start at 3500. A 500 f4.5 is a 5k lens. Long and fast is the antithesis of cheap.

It might be a case, until you truly have the funds to invest in the right equipment, stick with what you have and target specific improvements in gear, rather than settling. I had the 100-300 f4 for years and loved the lens. I tried various TC's and was ok with the combo with the Pentax 1.4. However I knew I was "settling" and wasn't thrilled. This year I managed to pick up a 500 f4.5 and the difference in results is night and day.
04-21-2016, 01:02 PM   #12
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If you're shooting with the K-3 right now you probably won't be too thrilled with the K100D. It certainly still capable of taking good pics, but like lots of other technology, things get obsolete rather quickly these days. I picked up my K10D the other day and was shocked at how antiquated it felt compared to the K-3.

I'd recommend something like a used K-5, K-30, or K-50. Those feel similar enough to the K-3 that you'll enjoy using them, and they have far better ergonomics and image quality than older bodies.

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04-21-2016, 01:38 PM   #13
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As an ultra budget starter dslr I'd say it's terrific value, as a backup paired with a recent body it's a tougher sell.

I have a k5iis and I have a hard time using my (now backup) k100d. It took me several months of retraining my fingers to handle the k5iis and now that I have it's kinda painful trying to go back. If I used them both side by side and constantly went back and forth, maybe I'd have a different view.

Apart from the controls, relatively sloth-like AF and tiny viewfinder (which was great at the time for it's class), the k100d is still pretty great. It's only by comparison to the latest stuff that makes mine a little sad. I've no complaints about the image quality though, but I've never been one to push into high iso land. That 6mp sensor is still pretty capable (ymmv depending on end use).
04-21-2016, 02:01 PM   #14
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The K50, KS-2, the KS-1 etc all are better for AF performance and may fit the need you have more. However if your intent is to spend very little and have SOMETHING or spend nothing and have NOTHING then buy it. It is a fun camera that can be worked around. You can prefocus and you can get pictures worth using (mostly in good light).
04-22-2016, 02:37 AM   #15
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I leave my K100d in the car, paired to an older Sigma 28-200 lens.

Always at the ready, with no worries if it gets dropped or forgotten on the beach. Years ago, my daughter took it to the Galapagos Islands with a Tamron 70-300 lens, and came back with hundreds of beautiful shots.
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