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72 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
Five...yes...FIVE stars. Proof follows., October 31, 2006
I did what I always said I'd do when deciding on a DSLR--buy the cheapest thing out there and never worry about new models trumping the old ones. It made sense for me to consider Pentax, since I have several K-mount as well as older screw mount lenses, the latter of which can be used on this body with a $15 adapter. It may come as a jolt to Nikon owners, but Pentax has FAR more reverse compatibility than Nikon. I can meter a 50 year old screw mount lens on my entry-level body. Try that with a D50.
As for features, I can't attest to the accuracy of the multipoint autofocus or the multizone metering, because I don't trust "multi" anything. For me it's single point AF and spot metering (knowing that my primary camera is an Olympus OM3 may help you understand). As for the RAW vs jpeg war, let somebody who cares argue that one. Everything I shoot is jpeg and it looks just fine to me--I never used the zone system, either. And noise/grain? If you've shot GAF 500 or 3M/Ferrania 640T slide film, you can talk to me about this issue. This camera does spectacularly through ISO 800, and even looks impressive at 1600. I've shot several images at 3200 and they look like TMAX 3200 to me. Pentax wisely kept the lid on noise reduction, so things may look noisy or grainy, but they do not lack for detail.
The fifth star? For the bargain price? No, that would be condescending. I discovered, after the fact, that the camera provides some image-tweaking features, such as conversion to monochrome; or to sepia (it does look just a touch too yellow for me--but still quite acceptable). But the fifth star goes to the "soft" setting, which produces a gorgeous Gaussian blur, which could not look better if I'd custom-designed it myself. I know--it's jpeg, and I lose a little info when I use these things--that's my business.
So there you are--400 bucks for a digital SLR body. I skipped the "kit" lens, because at its longest focal length, 55mm, it's only f/5.6--I rarely stop DOWN that far. Besides, I already have a pinhole camera. The body feels tightly constructed, controls are as logical as any digital is likely to be, and it won't break the bank. And if you're worried about "only" 6 Megapixels--please--with such low noise levels it provides anything you'd need short of producing murals.
12-31-06: Some added thoughts. My guess is many of you have been reading about the Leica M8 digital and how sensitive it is to infrared. Evidently this creates issues with color shots, but it opens up a whole other world of creative shooting. I tried my Hoya R72 filter--which transmits NO visible light, only IR--on my K110,
and while the optical viewfinder was like a coal mine, once I made a shot and reviewed it on the LCD, sure enough, I had a pretty decent infrared image...BUT...with a pronounced red cast to it. So I went into the digital filter mode on the camera, converted it to monochrome (B&W) and had my digital IR. Shooting infrared film was always a dicey proposition, so don't expect shooting it digitally to be any different. I found many images benefitted from exposure compensation ranging from +1 to +2. I should also add that since exposure times are rather long, maybe this is where the stabilizer on the K100 would have been worth the extra $$$. To a degree you can bump up the ISO; I know this brings on the noise, but if you ever shot Kodak's HIE infrared, you know that coarse grain is one of its characteristics.
Bottom line--my experience with my bargain-basement D-SLR has been one of complete satisfaction. The more I shoot the more I'm coming to believe that anything over 6MP on this size chip is just the horsepower race all over again--useful for bragging rights only. I hope Pentax can continue to make a go of it, because a market dominated by only one or two players is not healthy in the long run. Maybe Hoya's "merger" will keep them going a bit longer.
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
Very nice value...is stabalizer worth $100?, September 19, 2006
Looking for your first digital SLR? The K110D is a great beginning. Solid construction, good image quality, and a very fine lens makes this your leader in the bargain SLR cameras.
All your standard features are here, from automatic to complete manual controls for both focus and exposure. The solid build, and the additional weight of 4 AA batteries makes this one feel a bit tougher than the competition, and has a very comfortable grip in spite of the fact its one of the smaller bodies on the market.
The viewfinder is as good as any of it's competitor's, and the larger 2.5" LCD makes using the menu or reviewing photos simple.
The use of AA batteries is welcome by many, but the drawback is that they simply don't last as long as LithiumIon batteries on a charge. Be sure to pick up some NiMh rechargable AA batteries to keep costs down.
The 18-55 is a real winner, best in its class by far. It has internal focusing, with on demand manual focusing. Build is above average, and includes a metal lens mount. The supplied lens hood is very useful.
The only real consideration is whether or not to spend the extra $100 and get the K100D, which adds a built into body image stabalizer. This is a great value for anyone interested in shooting available light photos. With these two great value cameras, and the recently announced K10D (10 megapixels) and some serious "glass" (lenses), Pentax is truly a brand on the rise!
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
Great value for the money - feels great in my hands!, October 27, 2006
I put off buying a Digital SLR for 3 years - but couldn't resist this one now that the price is under $[...]. I handled a Pentax *ist DS at a Costco and was impressed with its handling - this one feels even better. I found the Canon Digital Rebel and even the Nikon D50 to be a little awkward - just a little large for me - and I'm over 6'2" with pretty large hands. I had good experience with an old Pentax 35 mm camera, so feel pretty confident about it's operational ease and quality. But only time will tell that. The 2.5" LCD panel is wonderful - much easier than the old 1.6" I've used in my Nikon Coolpix 775 and 5400. And of course, the operational speed is much nicer than those older cameras - but pretty typical of the other DSLRs out there.
The few flash pictures I've taken look bright and very sharp - look forward to taking many more outside tomorrow - or whenever the weather clears a little here in Cleveland...
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Good camera, January 9, 2007
Good camera, and great price. Don't pay MSRP for it. Shake reduction on the K100D isn't worth the extra price. Save your money and get a good tripod. Camera shoots great pictures and even at some larger print sizes is not grainy at all. All my Pentax lenses work, as well as my Sunpak flash. Features on the camera are excellent for beginners through advanced. If your a pro, get the K10.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Extraordinary SLR Camera at Great Price!, November 9, 2007
One of the finest Digital SLR Cameras you can buy. The camera strikes a nice balance between features and usability that both the amateur and professional photographer can appreciate.
The big difference between this camera (K110D) and the K100D is that his camera doesn't have shake-reduction.
The lens kit is very nice. Also, Pentax made this camera backward-compatible with it's old lenses, so you can take advantage of many of the high-quality lenses available on eBay at a fraction of the cost. This camera is especially good for the beginning/amateur photographer, and Pentax quality at this price is well worth it. In fact, this is the lowest-price digital SLR out there.
Note: One thing you might want to know is that with virtually every digital SLR camera, you cannot use the LCD screen as a viewfinder like you can with the point-and-shoot cameras. Many people spend weeks trying to figure-out how to use their LCD screen as a viewfinder and its simply not done on SLR cameras because the internal mirror (that makes it a single lens reflex camera) is covering the image sensor (CCD chip) so the LCD can only show the picture once it has been taken. Also, because of this, you cannot shoot movies/mpegs like you can on point-and-shoot. The real advantages of a digital SLR is both the ability to see through the actual lens and the ability to use different lenses (neither of which you can do on a point-and-shoot). There are other advantages too (like shooting while zooming to create motion effects, etc.).
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
"Entry Level" DSLR?, March 13, 2007
This camera is packed with features such as on camera photo editing, many options for the flash < to soften the light, or crank it up when needed > The lens that came with it is very good for a "kit" lens. And one of the BEST features about it is that pretty much ANY Pentax lens will work with it, I have several older lenses that work like a charm. A Kiron 80-200 MM Zoom, a Takumar 28-80 MM Zoom with macro, and even some fully manual lenses that work just fine. Try that with some of the other brands !! All in all i am VERY pleased with my purchase, and would recommend this camera to anyone looking to get a DSLR and NOT break the bank.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Pentax K110D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only), March 21, 2007
Great camera although a little complicated. This is an entry level SLR, but it has so many features it easily compets, on that basis, with more expensive cameras. So far, I am delighted with it. The Magic Lantern Guide book to this camera is a must. I havd three expensive Pentax camers, left over from film days, that work great with this model.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A user of 18 months review, August 2, 2008
Have been a Pentax user since the 1980's and own several of these fine instruments and more important a small arsenal of K mount lenses. Got the K110D as a replacement under warranty from Pentax (broke down after only two months of use and had to wait 6 months for the unrepaired IstDL to be returned to me as repaired - sent it back and demanded the camera to be replaced. By then the IstDL was discontinued and got from Pentax USA a brand new K110D body instead) - Well, it has been a GREAT camera, takes all my K lenses and other accessories - Pentax and third party, without any trouble. Lenses with an A setting perform flawlessly. I do not have stabilization but I do not need it since I shoot mostly with a tripod. I love the results from this body. The only minus I can talk about is the 18-55mm DA kit lens since it is not a match for the older Pentax primes or even some Kiron zooms. The only advantage of this lens is the convenience. You may see a sample photo here http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=7116236 -
Conclusion, great SLR Body - If you already own some good quality K lenses, this and other Pentax DSLR's are the way to go. You'll not be disappointed.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Amazing camera, stunning price, March 21, 2008
I've owned this camera for about 6 months now. I did an exhaustive search prior to buying it and I'm as happy as can be with my purchase. Digital SLR with fabulous images. Previously I owned a nice Nikon Coolpix (convenient) and a Nikon standard 35mm SLR (better picture quality).
The camera is easy to use. The settings on it are pretty straight forward. The instruction manual helps with some fine points and details, but it's not hard to learn. The batteries last a long time and are bought rather inexpensively over the net. I've not really used the software that came with it since my computer transfers images already so I can't really comment on that.
The quality of the pictures is really very impressive - even when enlarged. I photographed a friend's wedding recently and my pictures vs the "real" photographer's were hard to tell apart (except he usually had a better angle!).
Even if this camera were the same price as it's competition I think it would win. But it's less expensive and a real steal.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Pentax K110D SLR Review, October 5, 2007
I found the camera very easy to use, and it took my existing Pentax 50mm standard lens and my Vivitar 70-300mm zoom lens (although I did have to program it to receive the zoom lens--which was covered in the book that came with it).
And speaking of the book, read all the way through it because there are many references that bounce you non-sequentially through the manual. Then, you can go back to the parts that apply to you.
There are many scenery and other photo set up selections on the dials that try to emulate using film (for us new to digital). I found some more workable than others and will probably get to a point where I use only some of the selections more than others, but I did the same with film.
In short, it's a good entry in the digital arena. I like being able to take as many photos as I want (and discard some later) without worrying about film usage or wondering how the photos came out. And I was quite pleased with the price.
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