It's best in class on a number of specification fronts, but does this entry-level DSLR deserve its 'Super' moniker?...

Product Overview

Overall rating:

86%

Pentax K100D Super

Overall score:86%
Features:80%
Value:90%
Performance:85%
Image Quality:90%
Design:85%

Pros:

  • Handling, Image Quality, Low noise, Built-in IS, Price

Cons:

  • Burst shooting performance, Too menu dependent, Menu interface, No Raw+JPEG option

Product:

Pentax K100D Super Review

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:

£399.00

Performance

Performance
Pentax has created a confident performer in the K100D. Start-up is brisk if you switch off the dust buster, and focusing is sure-footed if a little noisy with the 18-55mm kit lens (Pentax’s new SDM lenses are quieter). Exposures are mostly accurate even when shooting non-average scenes, such as a large expanse of white wall, though it occasionally produces inexplicably duff exposures. Auto White Balance is accurate in daylight but slightly less so in artificial or mixed lighting, where my results were not always consistent, and it was necessary to set it manually more often than I’d have liked.

There are no such issues with the anti-shake system, however, which performs with distinction, giving a good three stops of extra usable shutter speeds compared with when it’s switched off.

Another area in which the performance excels is the battery life. The K100D Super uses 4x AAs, or 2x CR-V3 Lithium cells, rather than a dedicated Li-Ion cell. While this might put some people off, to others (such as travel photographers) it’s a benefit – you can get AA batteries anywhere. What’s more, after about 500 shots using CR-V3s my battery life icon still shows as ‘full’

  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Features: Page 1
  3. 3. Features: Page 2
  4. 4. Design
  5. 5. Performance
  6. 6. Image Quality
  7. 7. Value For Money
  8. 8. Verdict
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