[soalle]

I have had a K100D for a year and a half and I just got a K2000. These are my initial thoughts:

- IQ wise I liked better the K100D output: better high ISO for K100D (I don't know if I'm a pixel peeper, but sometimes I like to look at pictures in my monitor at 1:1)
- however in low light the high ISO are useless if you miss the shot because of very poor AF. A substantial difference in AF, better in K2000
- ergonomics: I liked them better in the k100d, but I guess after a while I'll get use to the K2000
- flash: little but important detail: better in the K100D (it's sensibly higher). I got some shots with the shadow of the lens due to very low K2000 flash
- UI: way better in K2000, easier to use, more intuitive. I don't miss the top lcd that much at the end of the day
- customization: better in K2000. It offers things that K100D does not and some of them are really useful.
- viewfinder: better the K100D, simply because it has AF point indicator

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Last edited by soalle; 07-06-2009 at 05:22 PM.

[Marc Sabatella]

- IQ wise I liked better the K100D output: better high ISO for K100D (I don't know if I'm a pixel peeper, but sometimes I like to look at pictures in my monitor at 1:1)

That's fine, but 1:1 isn't the same for both cameras. 1:1 on the K2000 is a lot bigger than it is on the K100D. View the images at the same size and the story changes. Any difference in the default appearances largely vanishes, and since the K2000 has more resolution to start with, that means you can be more aggressive with NR if you like to end up with an image that has the same detail but less noise (or the same noise but more detail).

[Steve Beswick]

After getting rid of the VPN from the early K10's, the 10mp sensor used by Pentax is a superb imager, IMO.

sorry to threadjack, but what is VPN?

[GaryM]

sorry to threadjack, but what is VPN?

Vertical Pattern Noise - a distinctive striped noise pattern that appears in dark image areas at high ISOs. It seemed to be an early problem with the 10mp Sony sensor, as the Nikon D200 had that issue too. I don't have a K10D so I don't know if it was completely fixed, but it does not seem to exist in either the K200D or the K2000, which I do own.

[soalle]

That's fine, but 1:1 isn't the same for both cameras. 1:1 on the K2000 is a lot bigger than it is on the K100D. View the images at the same size and the story changes. Any difference in the default appearances largely vanishes, and since the K2000 has more resolution to start with, that means you can be more aggressive with NR if you like to end up with an image that has the same detail but less noise (or the same noise but more detail).

That is the point... you can get same detail but less noise (I bet more on "equal noise") or more detail and MORE noise...

If I go up to a camera with 10MP, I hope to get the same quality of a same 6MP but with more details, that it is not the case with the KM. Unfortunately, things are not like that so if you go up in MP you'll probably get more noise.

I do hope on a K200D or KM replacement later this year with K7 Prime II and a newly developed 10MP sensor with noise comparable to what was the K100D.

[Steve Beswick]

Vertical Pattern Noise - a distinctive striped noise pattern that appears in dark image areas at high ISOs. It seemed to be an early problem with the 10mp Sony sensor, as the Nikon D200 had that issue too. I don't have a K10D so I don't know if it was completely fixed, but it does not seem to exist in either the K200D or the K2000, which I do own.

Thank you!

[Marc Sabatella]

That is the point... you can get same detail but less noise (I bet more on "equal noise") or more detail and MORE noise...

Again, are you comparing at the same sizes? What RAW processing program? I've done the comparison a hundred times with my K200D (same 10MP sensor), using both ACDSee Pro and PPL, and I can always get more detail without more noise as compared to the DS or K100D.

[Marignac]

I owned both cameras, the K-m went to my wife. The K100dS has become my low-light camera because it handles jpgs at high ISO a lot better than the K2000. Up to ISO 800 they are on pair but at 1600 K2000 produces almost ugly images whereas K100dS produces very nice results. My FA35/2; Tamron 28-75/2.8 and Cosina 100/3.5 at the K100dS are excellent tools to shoot concerts, very good results. Plus AF location and optical preview are features I would not like to miss. Exposure meter of the K100dS is extremely good natured, I have never fallout in terms of exposure. Only real downside for me is AWB, could be better. I don't need AFC often so that's no problem.

The K2000 has the better menue, saves better energy, saves images quicker. But those are not the key points for me.

I do also have a K200d that will soon go away and I've just got a GX20. From all these cameras the K100dS is my favourite camera - I would even go so far and say it is the best camera I've ever owned (and thus outdoes my good old K1000).

[soalle]

Plus AF location and optical preview are features I would not like to miss.

Good point... AF indicator in low light is essential otherwise it is hard to see where the camera caught the focus.

On the other side, in my experience the k100D with low light rarely catches the focus in reasonable time so your stuck to use MF very often.

[Marignac]

The AF usually hits very well even in poor light conditions. Here some low lights examples with K100dS, no processing whatsoever applied.

K100dS, ISO 1600, Tamron 28-75 at f2.8

K100dS, ISO 1600, FA35/2 at f2.2

K100dS, ISO 1600, Cosina 100/3.5 at f5.6

[rams]

Exceptional Marignac!!!
I switched from Olympus e-30 and I absolutely love the k100ds!

[GerryL]

I love my K100D super too and I won't probably upgrade with nothing less than the K7. Woohoooo!!!