Compatible with any PENTAX lens ever produced* and featuring Shake Reduction, the affordable PENTAX K100D is the kind of camera that makes history. Picture a large 2.5 inch LCD monitor with 210,000 pixel resolution and a friendly Mode Dial offering Auto Picture and Picture modes as well as new Scene modes for even simpler photography. The 6.1 megapixel APS-C size CCD and sophisticated 16-segment multi-pattern metering delivers outstanding image reproduction, while the bright, high-precision PENTAX mirror viewfinder features with 0.85X magnification. All these features combine in a compact design with high-rigidity stainless-steel chassis that is built to last.
Price Range: $0
Amazon Rating: 
(70 Reviews)
Epinions Rating: 
(4 Reviews)
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Compatible with any PENTAX lens ever produced (screw mount adapter required) and featuring Shake Reduction, the K100D is the kind of camera that makes history. Picture a large 2.5 inch LCD monitor with 210,000 pixel resolution and a friendly Mode Dial offering Auto Picture and Picture modes as well as new Scene modes for even simpler photography. The 6.1 megapixel APS-C size CCD and sophisticated 16-segment multi-pattern metering delivers outstanding image reproduction, while the bright, high-precision PENTAX mirror viewfinder features with 0.85X magnification.
Large 2.5-inch LCD monitor with 210,000 pixel resolution, wide viewing angle Sophisticated 16-segment multi-pattern metering determines the optimal exposure settings 6.1 Megapixel 3008 x 2008 pixels JPEG External memory - SD Card - J&R Recommends a 512MB SD Card or greater for more practical usage Shutter Type - Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter Shutter Speed - 1/4000 - 30 seconds and Bulb Picture Modes - Auto Picture, Scene, Standard, Portrait, Night-scene Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Flash Off, Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Metered Manual, Bulb Scene Modes - Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Text, Sunset, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, Museum Power Source - Four AA (Lithium, Alkaline, and rechargeable NiMH) batteries, or Two CR-V3 lithium batteries Battery Life - Approximately 730 recordable images or 700 playback minutes with CR-V3 batteries System Requirements - Mac OS 10.2 or later, Windows 2000, XP Home edition, Professional, standard equipped USB port Dimensions - Width 5.1 x Height 3.6 x Depth 2.8 Inches (129.5 x 92.5 x 70mm) Weight - 22.4 ounces (635 grams).
MPN: K100D
Weight: 1.24 lb.
Image Sensor Type: CCD
Resolution: 6.31 Megapixel
Camera Type: SLR/Professional
Interchangeable Lens: Interchangeable Lenses
Focus Type: Autofocus&Manual Focus
Camera Resolution: 6.31 Megapixel
Image Resolutions: 3008 x 2008, 2400 x 1600, 1536 x 1024
Shutter Speed: 30 - 1/4000 sec
White Balance: Auto, Manual, Daylight / Sunny (Preset), Cloudy (Preset), Fluorescent (Preset), Tungsten (Preset), Shade (Preset), Flash (Preset)
Frames Per Second: 2.8 Frames
Memory Type: SD Card
Compression Modes: Fine, SuperFine, Normal, Uncompressed
Compression Type: JPEG, Raw Image, EXIF 2.2, DCF, DPOF
File Size (High Res.): 6 MB (21 images on 128MB card)
ISO Speeds: Auto, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Flash Type: Built-In&External
Flash Functions: Flash Off, Auto Flash, Red-eye Reduction Flash, Forced On
Viewfinder: Optical (Through-the-lens)
LCD Panel: With LCD Panel
LCD Panel Size: 2.5 in.
LCD Screen Resolution: 210,000 pixels
LCD Protected Position: Without LCD Protected Position
Interface Type: USB 2.0
Video Interface: Video Out
Self Timer: 2 Sec., 12 Sec.
Built-in Microphone: Without Built-in Microphone
Built-in Speaker: Without Built-in Speaker
Tripod Mount: With Tripod Mount
Operating System: Apple Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Width: 5.1 in.
Depth: 2.8 in.
Height: 3.6 in.
Weight: 1.24 lb.
Warranty: 1 Year
Included Accessories: Software, USB Cable, Video Cable, 4 x AA Rechargeable Batteries, Strap
Release Date: July, 2006
Product ID: 35415519
Great digital SLR, very easy to use, feels good in your hand
Author's Rating:
I have an old Pentax KX (film camera) SLR that I refuse to sell. I bought it used over 20 years ago and it still works perfectly, but mostly sits in a drawer now that I have the K100D. I got the K100D because I can use my old lenses from the KX with it. That's very cool. If that doesn't prove to you that Pentax is a great company that loves it's loyal customers, I don't know what will. Many people are stuck in Canon/Nikon land. They make great cameras too, but I'll stick with my Pentax. It does everything I want, and I know Pentax makes sturdy, reliable equipment that lasts a long time. I've had my K100D now for well over a year and I've gotten a ton of use out of it. It's easy to use and feels good in your hand. You can go totally automatic or totally manual, with many choices in between. If this is your first Digital SLR, you'll be very happy with the features and options on this camera. I would also look at the newer Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens which costs more, but adds some features. Either way, you're getting a great camera. Good luck and happy shooting!
Jul 26, 2008
Great digital SLR, very easy to use, feels good in your hand
Author's Rating:
I have an old Pentax KX (film camera) SLR that I refuse to sell. I bought it used over 20 years ago and it still works perfectly, but mostly sits in a drawer now that I have the K100D. I got the K100D because I can use my old lenses from the KX with it. That's very cool. If that doesn't prove to you that Pentax is a great company that loves it's loyal customers, I don't know what will. Many people are stuck in Canon/Nikon land. They make great cameras too, but I'll stick with my Pentax. It does everything I want, and I know Pentax makes sturdy, reliable equipment that lasts a long time. I've had my K100D now for well over a year and I've gotten a ton of use out of it. It's easy to use and feels good in your hand. You can go totally automatic or totally manual, with many choices in between. If this is your first Digital SLR, you'll be very happy with the features and options on this camera. I would also look at the newer Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens which costs more, but adds some features. Either way, you're getting a great camera. Good luck and happy shooting! More …
Great beginner SLR Camera
Author's Rating:
This is the second Pentax SLR that I've had. My first was an *istDL, and I upgraded to this for the image stabilization. The resolution is great, with really low noise levels at all but the highest iso settings. You can use it in completely automatic mode, like a point and shoot camera, and as your ability grows you can opt to use the camera manually as well. The camera is sturdy and well built. It doesn't feel like a cheap toy like some of the other entry level cameras in it's class. I've taken almost 10K pictures with this camera without any trouble at all. I also purchased two sets of the Sanyo Eneloop batteries, which I highly reccomend. I just purchased the K200D for the weather sealing and 10MP sensor, but I will also keep this camera for a backup since I've become so fond of it.
May 18, 2008
my first dslr
Author's Rating:
i really love this camera, had it for over a year now and it's still going. AA batteries are great for convenience. if i were to buy it again i'd probably opt for the slightly cheaper (at the time) k110 without the "stabilization" feature. i keep the "stabilization" on when i'm shooting but i wouldn't say it makes much of a difference. also i recommend not buying the default lens with the camera, i went with a sigma 28-300 and it was a great compromise for wide angle and telephoto.
Mar 22, 2008
6 beautiful megapixels
Author's Rating:
No wonder reviewers have had so much good to say about this camera's image quality, it really is that good. Obviously, I'm really impressed with this camera, but for good reason. It's moderately priced, includes in-body shake reduction, and even better, really produces fantastics images. I haven't tried to enlarge more than 8x10, but I suspect that with a little work on my part, this camera could do much larger sized prints.
Despite the megapixel race in the DSLR market, leading to high end and higher end cameras that start at 10MP or up, I think there's a place for nice, light, sturdy, compact and capable camera. I personally can't tell the difference between 10MP and 6MP at 8x10 sizes, and I remember when the high end pro-level dslrs were running at 6MP(it wasn't that long ago). Nikon and Pentax are the last of the companies offering nice 6MP entry level models, and it's kind of a shame. When 6MP looks as good as it does when coming out of this camera, you don't worry about how many pixels, you just look at the prints and mutter "WOW!".
Feb 16, 2008
6 beautiful megapixels
Author's Rating:
No wonder reviewers have had so much good to say about this camera's image quality, it really is that good. Obviously, I'm really impressed with this camera, but for good reason. It's moderately priced, includes in-body shake reduction, and even better, really produces fantastics images. I haven't tried to enlarge more than 8x10, but I suspect that with a little work on my part, this camera could do much larger sized prints.
Despite the megapixel race in the DSLR market, leading to high end and higher end cameras that start at 10MP or up, I think there's a place for nice, light, sturdy, compact and capable camera. I personally can't tell the difference between 10MP and 6MP at 8x10 sizes, and I remember when the high end pro-level dslrs were running at 6MP(it wasn't that long ago). Nikon and Pentax are the last of the companies offering nice 6MP entry level models, and it's kind of a shame. When 6MP looks as good as it does when coming out of this camera, you don't worry about how many pixels, you just look at the prints and mutter "WOW!".
More …
Great dSLR!
Author's Rating:
This camera is still the best bang for your buck dSLR on the market unless you go with the upgraded 'Super' K100D which they released recently. Bought the [Body Only] model because I have a whole bunch of lenses from my Pentax SF1 SLR that I used before. All of the lenses and filters that I have for the old camera fit directly on this one with no adapter required! I've always been partial to Pentax and this camera works great and meets all of my expectations as usual. I can fit over 550 pics on a 2GB SD card in the highest .jpg resolution. If you prefer RAW format, this camera does it too, but with much more space required per picture. You can take professional pictures quickly and easily with this camera. The only complaint that I have about this camera is the relatively slow Buffer/Memory Writer that disallows you from taking really rapid continuous shots. Otherwise, pair this camera with some NiMH batteries from Sony w/ charger (19.99 on amazon) and I've taken over 3000 pictures with flash before the Low Battery indicator started flashing! Would recommend this camera to everyone unless you plan on taking rapid fire pictures, in which case I'd say to go with the Nikon D40 or the Canon Digital Rebel XT (both of which cost more).
Jan 16, 2008
Great dSLR!
Author's Rating:
This camera is still the best bang for your buck dSLR on the market unless you go with the upgraded 'Super' K100D which they released recently. Bought the [Body Only] model because I have a whole bunch of lenses from my Pentax SF1 SLR that I used before. All of the lenses and filters that I have for the old camera fit directly on this one with no adapter required! I've always been partial to Pentax and this camera works great and meets all of my expectations as usual. I can fit over 550 pics on a 2GB SD card in the highest .jpg resolution. If you prefer RAW format, this camera does it too, but with much more space required per picture. You can take professional pictures quickly and easily with this camera. The only complaint that I have about this camera is the relatively slow Buffer/Memory Writer that disallows you from taking really rapid continuous shots. Otherwise, pair this camera with some NiMH batteries from Sony w/ charger (19.99 on amazon) and I've taken over 3000 pictures with flash before the Low Battery indicator started flashing! Would recommend this camera to everyone unless you plan on taking rapid fire pictures, in which case I'd say to go with the Nikon D40 or the Canon Digital Rebel XT (both of which cost more). More …
Opt for the "super" version if you regularly changes lenses and have the extra $
Author's Rating:
My background with photography includes a 35mm Canon Rebel with a small collection of lenses and a Canon digital Elph point-and-shoot. I enjoyed both, the 35mm for more artistic shots and the Elph for capturing candid moment shots. This Pentax, for me, is the best of both of these worlds.
Bottom line, I absolutely love this camera. After half a day I was taking great photos in point-and-shoot mode. Two days later I was taking stunning photos in point-and-shoot, and a week later I was manually controlling the settings and using the various situation-specific modes to take better photos than I've ever taken before. I often take 500-600 photos of any occasion now and end up with a dozen killer shots. Friends think I'm a great amateur photographer, I really just keep the volume high enough that the percentages are in my favor, and this camera is perfect for this kind of volume.
My friend has a Nikon D40 that is equivalent to this camera in picture quality, and another friend has the digital Rebel. I'd say all of these cameras are on par with each other, the only major advantage of the Pentax is found in the "Super" version, which is capable of automatically removing dust from the sensor every time the camera is powered on, essential if you change lenses often in less-than-ideal environments. The Canon seems to have a better AF, the Nikon seems to be, overall, the easiest to use. Pentax is somewhere in between.
If the price of this camera is right for you and you enjoy a slight learning curve to capture those special shots, do not hesitate to purchase.
Jan 12, 2008
Opt for the "super" version if you regularly changes lenses and have the extra $
Author's Rating:
My background with photography includes a 35mm Canon Rebel with a small collection of lenses and a Canon digital Elph point-and-shoot. I enjoyed both, the 35mm for more artistic shots and the Elph for capturing candid moment shots. This Pentax, for me, is the best of both of these worlds.
Bottom line, I absolutely love this camera. After half a day I was taking great photos in point-and-shoot mode. Two days later I was taking stunning photos in point-and-shoot, and a week later I was manually controlling the settings and using the various situation-specific modes to take better photos than I've ever taken before. I often take 500-600 photos of any occasion now and end up with a dozen killer shots. Friends think I'm a great amateur photographer, I really just keep the volume high enough that the percentages are in my favor, and this camera is perfect for this kind of volume.
My friend has a Nikon D40 that is equivalent to this camera in picture quality, and another friend has the digital Rebel. I'd say all of these cameras are on par with each other, the only major advantage of the Pentax is found in the "Super" version, which is capable of automatically removing dust from the sensor every time the camera is powered on, essential if you change lenses often in less-than-ideal environments. The Canon seems to have a better AF, the Nikon seems to be, overall, the easiest to use. Pentax is somewhere in between.
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Pentax
Author's Rating:
I've had it a few weeks and it is doing well. I bought 2 inexpensive Tamron lenses that provide great pictures. I wanted a low cost dSLR that would be a step up from my P&S Cannon SD1000. The Pentax works as I expected for this purpose.
Dec 22, 2007
Good Value, Good pictures, Good Lenses
Author's Rating:
I bought this camera as an introduction to SLR photography and to help record my first child growing up. It's been fantastic. Not only is it easy to take a picture with, because it's a pentax, there's a TON of old lenses out there that work great. My favorite lens is older than I am, cost $75 and takes absolutely amazing photos (it's a manual 50mm f/1.4 pentax). If you want a highly functional introduction to the hobby, this is the camera for you. I've learned aperture/depth of field, shutter speed, iso settings (film speed), how to frame shots, lighting techniques and now I'm getting hooked on portraiture. I have zero complaints about the camera, and while some don't like using AA's, I think it's fantastic. They're easy to find, the rechargeable batteries I already own work awesome and there's no overheating risk like Lipo's present. And since virtually everything pentax has ever made for SLR's works... well you can advance into the hobby on a shoe-string budget or go full bore spending thousands on lenses. It's up to you.
Dec 05, 2007
Good Value, Good pictures, Good Lenses
Author's Rating:
I bought this camera as an introduction to SLR photography and to help record my first child growing up. It's been fantastic. Not only is it easy to take a picture with, because it's a pentax, there's a TON of old lenses out there that work great. My favorite lens is older than I am, cost $75 and takes absolutely amazing photos (it's a manual 50mm f/1.4 pentax). If you want a highly functional introduction to the hobby, this is the camera for you. I've learned aperture/depth of field, shutter speed, iso settings (film speed), how to frame shots, lighting techniques and now I'm getting hooked on portraiture. I have zero complaints about the camera, and while some don't like using AA's, I think it's fantastic. They're easy to find, the rechargeable batteries I already own work awesome and there's no overheating risk like Lipo's present. And since virtually everything pentax has ever made for SLR's works... well you can advance into the hobby on a shoe-string budget or go full bore spending thousands on lenses. It's up to you. More …
Great camera, cheap lens
Author's Rating:
I got this camera to replace an old fully manual Minolta film SLR. I use to take photo's for a school yearbook, but now photography is just a hobby and I take a lot of quick point and shoot type photo's for work. I got this almost a year ago and love the camera and the Sigma 70-300mm lens I got along with it, but I get a much better quality picture with the sigma lens, the kit lens will only take ok pictures, I would suggest buying the body and getting a better lens to start rather getting a kit lens just to replace it later. I was very impressed with the anti shake feature, free handedly taking picture in low light with .5 to 1 second shutter speed and still getting a decent photo. In my opinion, this camera has a great battery life, with the energizer rechargeable 2500 mah batteries I can typically get around 800 photo's as long as I do not use the screen to view picture that much and don't let the batteries sit since they seem to loose a lot of there charge from sitting. The auto focus is good when you have enough light, but when there is very little light you mines as well just turn it off, I am not sure how this compares to other DSLR's because this is my first camera with auto focus. The auto mode for the aperture and shutter speed work to get a decent photo, that is what my camera is set to most of the time, but sometimes the picture is just a little underexposed. Overall the color is pretty good, but you sometimes may have to photoshop to help with the contrast and brightness. I have never had to take the contrast down with this camera, but have often had to add more to it, but that is an easy fix on the computer. When you go to buy memory cards, there is a noticeable difference from the standard to the extreme III cards, I have all extreme cards, but my grandpa uses ultra 2, I would recommend getting at least an ultra 2 card and not bother with the standard cards. The speed of the camera is pretty decent for consecutive pictures, you can take 5 consecutive pictures with no waiting between pictures on the highest quality, unlike the point and shoot camera's that take several seconds to take the next photo.
Overall I would recommend this camera to anyone looking into getting into photography for fun or hobby as it is a great camera for the price, if you are looking for professional quality, then you of course will want to look towards a higher end camera that has more to offer, but if your not working for a big magazine company, then why bother with the hundreds of bucks more for a slightly better photo.
Great camera, just needs a better lens.
Dec 04, 2007
Great camera, cheap lens
Author's Rating:
I got this camera to replace an old fully manual Minolta film SLR. I use to take photo's for a school yearbook, but now photography is just a hobby and I take a lot of quick point and shoot type photo's for work. I got this almost a year ago and love the camera and the Sigma 70-300mm lens I got along with it, but I get a much better quality picture with the sigma lens, the kit lens will only take ok pictures, I would suggest buying the body and getting a better lens to start rather getting a kit lens just to replace it later. I was very impressed with the anti shake feature, free handedly taking picture in low light with .5 to 1 second shutter speed and still getting a decent photo. In my opinion, this camera has a great battery life, with the energizer rechargeable 2500 mah batteries I can typically get around 800 photo's as long as I do not use the screen to view picture that much and don't let the batteries sit since they seem to loose a lot of there charge from sitting. The auto More …
Extraordinary SLR Camera at Great Price!
Author's Rating:
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 change 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.).
Nov 10, 2007
Extraordinary SLR Camera at Great Price!
Author's Rating:
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 change 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.).
More …
Pretty Cool...I love with it, actually.
Author's Rating:
Pros: The bayonet (K) mount.
Cons: Only 6 megapixels
The Bottom Line: null
Review: Achieving excellent results out of the box. Specifically bought Pentax because I knew that I could use all my other lenses from previously owned pre-historic cameras, like the K1000 for example. I have been able to pick up auto-focus lenses for dirt... Read Full Review by indoors408, Jun 12, 2008
Great for the beginner or more advanced photographer
Author's Rating:
Pros: Shake reduction, Price, doesn't need special batteries, Photo Quality.
Cons: Demand increased delivery wait time, No rear curtain sync on flash
The Bottom Line: For the price, you can't beat this camera. first time SLR, or veteran to the Lens swapping routine, this camera is solid!
Review: When I walked into the camera store, I went with the intention of walking out with a Nikon dSLR. Pentax? Bahh... that's what they give grade school students in photography class. I want something decent! Boy was I wrong. First... Read Full Review by ttheobal, Jan 26, 2008
Author's Rating:
Pros: light weight, shake reduction, legacy, ease of use
Cons: Some menu digging
The Bottom Line: null
Review: I gave my Nikon D40 to my wife and upgraded to this beauty. It features shake reduction built into the body and access to millions of legacy Pentax lenses. I am very impressed with this camera so... Read Full Review by tdmsu, Dec 4, 2007
