The Pentax K100D is a nice upgrade, replacing the well thought of *ist DL camera. The K100D builds on that camera, and boast improvements in focusing and stabalization.

The improvement to multi-point, cross sensors is very welcome. This should dramatically improve the general focus operation of the camera, while at the same time, the new sytem allows the user more control than the older *ist DL. [Cross type autofocus means that at that particular point, the camera can focus on both horizontal and vertical lines. Many cameras, like the Canon Rebel XT, only have one cross sensors. This K100D has 9.]

The stabalizer is the real gem here. The stabalizer will be a big benefit to anyone who does a high percentage of the shots indoors, WITH or without flash. For candid, non-flash photos, the stabalizer allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds. That's also great for things like museums, that don't allow flash photos.

What people sometimes miss is how the stabalizer helps with flash. The flash fires fast, up to 1/10,000th of a second. But it only lights up our subject. If no other light get through, then we have cardboard cut-out subjects standing in front of a black background. At normal flash shutter speeds, we often have a background, but much is too dark. The stabalizer allows you to shoot at a slower speed without shaking the camera. This brings out more background. Additionally, more available light strikes the subject, requiring a bit less light from the flash. This makes the subject appear more "real", our goal with flash photos.

The 18-55 zoom is not of professional grade construction, but it is well made, and has a metal mount. It has a very nice "instant" manual focus override feature, and is packaged with the better petal style lens hood. Mechanically, it is the nicest standard kit lens from any manufacturer that adds under $200.

The camera construction is solid, and a bit heavier than you might think because of its metal interior. For good or bad, the camera uses 4 AA batteries. Their easy to get, NiMH rechargables are cheap, but they weigh a bit more and don't last as long as the Lithium Ion type batteries.

Pentax has a good selection of lenses, but not up there with the likes of Canon and Nikon.

The K100D stacks up very nicely due to the built-in stabalizer, multi-zone AF, construction, and large LCD. If you have a bit more money to spend, consider the Sony A100, which upgrades to 10 megapixel and Lithium Ion battery.

[Update early August: Pentax has released firmware update 1.01, which now allows the camera to use the new SDHC cards which should be available soon. These cards allow you to exceed the 2GB limit of SD, with 4GB cards to be the first available.]

The Pentax K100D is a nice upgrade, replacing the well thought of *ist DL camera. The K100D builds on that camera, and boast improvements in focusing and stabalization.

The improvement to multi-point, cross sensors is very welcome. This should dramatically improve the general focus operation of the camera, while at the same time, the new sytem allows the user more control than the older *ist DL. [Cross type autofocus means that at that particular point, the camera can focus on both horizontal and vertical lines. Many cameras, like the Canon Rebel XT, only have one cross sensors. This K100D has 9.]

The stabalizer is the real gem here. The stabalizer will be a big benefit to anyone who does a high percentage of the shots indoors, WITH or without flash. For candid, non-flash photos, the stabalizer allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds. That's also great for things like museums, that don't allow flash photos.

What people sometimes miss is how the stabalizer helps with flash. The flash fires fast, up to 1/10,000th of a second. But it only lights up our subject. If no other light get through, then we have cardboard cut-out subjects standing in front of a black background. At normal flash shutter speeds, we often have a background, but much is too dark. The stabalizer allows you to shoot at a slower speed without shaking the camera. This brings out more background. Additionally, more available light strikes the subject, requiring a bit less light from the flash. This makes the subject appear more "real", our goal with flash photos.

The camera construction is solid, and a bit heavier than you might think because of its metal interior. For good or bad, the camera uses 4 AA batteries. Their easy to get, NiMH rechargables are cheap, but they weigh a bit more and don't last as long as the Lithium Ion type batteries.

Pentax has a good selection of lenses, but not up there with the likes of Canon and Nikon.

The K100D stacks up very nicely due to the built-in stabalizer, multi-zone AF, construction, and large LCD. If you have a bit more money to spend, consider the Sony A100, which upgrades to 10 megapixel and Lithium Ion battery.

Pentax has released firmware update 1.01, which now allows the camera to use the new SDHC cards which should be available soon. These cards allow you to exceed the 2GB limit of SD, with 4GB cards to be the first available.

Other reviewers have covered some of the technical details of the K100D, but I would like to focus on the ease-of-use perspectives. I have owned a Pentax ZX-5n film SLR for a number of years so I have been waiting for the right time to add a digital body.

It was logical for me to stick with Pentax, but it really gets back to the reason I went with Pentax in the first place. Compared to the other major manufacturers, I think Pentx does a much better job designing a camera that does NOT require you to carry a camera manual with you at all times. One of the problems with modern technology is that it offers almost endless choices which can intimidate and bewilder the average user. The imbedded functions on some of the modern digital SLRs are often only accessible through a complex set of menus or user-defined codes.

I trusted Pentax would not design a camera that way, and the K100D is quite usable right out of the box. The default settings are quite robust, and this camera can be used readily as a high-quality point-and-shoot. Most SLR users want more than that from a camera: aperature and shutter priority, ISO settings and a few other things. On the K100D, moving from auto to manual adjustment is straightforward and simple.

Pentax optics are excellent and the picture quality from the K100D is perfect for anyone short of a professional photographer. Overall, this camera has delivered everything I expected and more.

I purchased this camera and I am very pleased with it. Pentax quality speaks for itself and IMHO Nikon and Canon do not have significantly better quality lenses to justify the much higher price. (I have owned Nikon equipment and used Canon, so I am not speaking out of ignorance.) The 6.1 MP cameras from each company actually use the same SONY CCD, so the only difference in the body is the software and feature set. Again they are not worth the extra money.

Now to answer the question on everyones mind, YES the shake reduction really does work. It works VERY well in fact. I can verify that, for me anyway, it adds a 3.5 stop advantage. I have been able to shoot at 300MM in fairly low light with no blur HANDHELD!!!! This is something I would never do without a tripod before, but now I can take shots when I don't have my tripod that I would otherwise have to pass up. Don't get me wrong on this point though, because it won't make up for poor technique or make the impossible happen, but it will give you an added advantage that can make the difference between getting a shot or missing one.

Also the ease of use is a great bonus, especially for the beginner or if you are experienced and just working under fast moving conditions where you don't have the time to think out every detail. This camera is equally impressive whether in full auto or full manual mode. If you are a Pentax owner, this camera is worth looking at to upgrade to. If you are new to DSLR's, this camera is worth your time and money as a first camera....the next real stop up is $2000 away.

My advice is get this camera! It is worth it!

I took this camera on a trip to Europe and found it to work really, really well. The shake reduction was perfect for our visits to dimly lit museums. The flash also works well when you need it, and it doesn't overexpose your images.

The 18-55mm lense is really good for a kit lense. At 18mm, I found that I could usually get a decent picture of a building or room. It worked great for scenery too.

Since I didn't want to spend most of our trip adjusting my camera for each photograph, I usually just used Aperture Priority mode and auto focus. I feel that my photographs turned out great.

My only gripe is that I couldn't always get the camera to autofocus on what I wanted, but manually focusing is as simple as on any other SLR camera.

I would definitely recommend this camera for enthusiasts and even novices willing to learn a bit about photography.

I've come to learn that camera selection is a preference and that is absolute. The K100D came highly recommended by (biased) Pentax owners. Every Canon and Nikon (also biased) owners sworn by their own brands. My roommate and his brother own Canons, a Rebel XT and a 30D. Compared to either one, the Pentax loses hands down to many aspects. However, I wouldn't trade it for the Rebel (30D is another story). I love this camera for its personality (this isn't something I can explain or put on paper, it just has that "I don't give a crap" attitude to me). It can take pictures with mouth watering colors out of the box, it can take photos with natural colors for editing later and it does it with a familiar and pleasing SLR shutter sound. Out of all the DSLR's I've tried, the K100D snaps with the most confident sound. The K100D also feels the most film like DSLR I've held. Even though other cameras can take sharper pictures with less noise, have bigger buffers and faster AF, the K100D felt more natural to me. Because of this, I feel more comfortable in progressing my photography skills and feel more confident about taking more shots of my subjects. Mega pixels and ISO noise responses don't help in that department. And so even though the Rebel can beat the K100D on paper, my photos tell a different story.

My 2 biggest complaints regarding this camera is its small buffer for continuous shots and the useful but poorly implemented post processing filters. Well, actually, it is because the auto white balance for indoor lighting is either yellow or blue, I sometimes need to use post processing to correct the pictures. The filters must be applied one setting at a time and cannot be applied to multiple photos. Even though I can do the same on a PC, it really renders the filters option a lot less useful. Aside from these negatives, the ergonomics and shake reduction make this camera a winner in my book.

But to serious camera shoppers, don't pay so much attention to specs and actually try several cameras out before buying. It will make the decision making process a lot less confusing and painful.

I'd worked with the *ist for some time before upgrading to this camera. While the shake reduction is not so effective for telephoto work, it's still helpful. For wide angle shots, it's outstanding. What it boils down to, for me, is that it works a little better than my old *ist did, and there are a wide range of compatable lenses.

My only complaints are that:

(1) It can't handle rechargable CRV batteries, and it drains power heavily from the rechargable AA's I use.

(2) Pentax still hasn't bothered to release a camera with a resolution higher than 6.1mp. I'd gladly pay a bit more than I did for the K100D if they were to release one with an 8-10mp sensor.

Overall, it's easy to use and works well.

Great camera... good quality pictures... easy to use... all of these are true of the K100D.

However, one thing that hasn't been pointed out here is that you need to be careful, make that very careful, with older lenses especially if they are not Pentax brand. My dad left me a number of "K-mount compatible" lenses that were sears branded. Not only would none of them work on this camera one of them actually got stuck on the body of the camera and will not come off. Apparently they must have violated the letter of the k-mount spec in such a way that something is hitting. The lens went on easily, just like any other lens... but now is going to cost me as much as half the cost of the camera to remove.

I own a pentax zx 30 35 mm camera with a 28mm-210mm lens on it. I was shopping a while for a digital camera, bought the canon powershot a620.But sold it after 4 weeks, I feel more natural with a SLR style than the point and shoot camera.Finally after much research, landed on this one, knowing very well that there are superior cameras out there in the market.And I never needed a camera in 8MP - 10MP range. 4 MP - 6MP is all (my opinion) one needs for prints of 4 x 6 sizes.
For me, this camera is worth every penny spent, I truly admire the simplicity of this camera. Picture quality was very good ( I ususally do outdoor photography) and most importantly I was able to use my 28mm- 210 mm lenses on this one with absolutely no hassel.
Just one minor botheration, the battery cover was little flimsy, but no big deal. I found similar issues with very popular brands out there too.
If you want a camera for outdoor photography and you are just starting out with a limited budget into DSLR's, I would recommend to take a look at this one. You won't be disappointed.

The camera itself makes me quite happy. Unfortunately the Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5 - 5.6 lens described above (1 inch / 4.9 ounces) does not (as far as I can see) exist. Instead Amazon ships the standard Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5 - 5.6 kit lens... not bad but it can hardly be described as "hardly protrud[ing] from the camera.

The k100d is a really good camera with great image quality. The pictures have good color and are sharp. the shake reduction actually does work and has been really helpful in many situations. The viewfinder is bright and larger than on other cameras. I find the k100d very comfortable to hold in my hands, not too small but not too large. It also feels very solid and like it will last a long time. The autofocus is not the fastest, but it should be sufficient for most people. Some people have also said that the buffer is a little small, but this depends on how you shoot and it does not bother me. My main complaint with this camera is that the auto white balance goes a little weird under tungston lights, but if you change the WB to tungston lights, this fixes it. I also recommend changeing the camera from the default bright color setting to the natural color setting for more normal looking images.This camera should satisfy all but the professional, perhaps, who needs some really advanced features. I have had no difficulty finding lenses for this camera since they are easily availible online and there are many great choices. This camera is also one of the least expensive DSLRs so you get a lot for your money. This camera makes a great upgrade from a point and shoot digital or a film slr camera.

I am surprised more people are not dealing with battery issues. I bought the camera and contacted customer service at Pentax because it would only take one or two pictures before killing standard AA batteries, and NiMh rechargables that I had didn't work at all. I was told NiMh rechargables have to be at least 2300 mAh or higher to work. I purchased some and a charger (less than $20) and the camera now works fine. It's a good camera, but be sure you have the right batteries from the start.

Having much experience with DSLR's over the past three years, I was initially reluctant in plunking down my money for the K100D having used Nikon almost exclusively. To my surprise, it is a great entry level DSLR and affords the serious amateur great IQ, shake reduction (about two stops), low noise at high ISO's, and superb handling along with great build quality. The kit lens is a few notches above many other kit offerings and the camera really shines when using one of the Pentax prime lenses and their better quality zooms. The Pentax line up is very satisfactory and the lenses are extremely good and rather inexpensive when compared to the Canon and Nikon selection. Has to be the best deal in current DSLR offerings!

Although I like my Canon A620 (replacing an A95) it is a bit limited on focal length, and even Canon's conversion lenses degrade the image and make the zoom into a fixed focal length lens. So, after much deliberation, I began shopping for a DLSR.

The Olympus E-500 with 2 lenses and dust-cleaning is a low-priced option, but the 2X multiplier on the focal length makes really wide angle lenses a bit rare. And, ergonomically it was not quite right for my hands.

The Canon Digital Rebel XTi (my original first choice) and the Nikon D80 are very nice, with more resolution, but they are too pricey for me. The Nikon D50 is about the same price as the K100D, but has no shake reduction in the body, though that is available in some more-expensive lenses. The Nikons were a bit large for my hands as well.

So, I went with the K100D. Its medium size feels solid, the buttons and general layout are good, and it has all the basic features most people will need.

The viewfinder is nice and bright, but very shiney and a bit reflective in bright light. However, the camera displays the basic settings on the top panel, so you may not need to use the LCD much unless you review all your pictures or make frequent menu/setup changes.

As with all manufacturers, the kit lens is OK but not great for one reason or another, so I got the body only. Pentax makes a decent selection of basic lenses, and Sigma or Tamron, among others, should fill any other needs. I opted for the Pentax 10-17 fisheye (reasonably priced with [...]), a Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX (kind of pricey but supposedly a great lens) for the mid-range stuff, and a Sigma 70-300 APO DG 4.5/5.6 (also reasonably priced) for the long end.

I've only had the camera and the fisheye for 2 days (other lenses should arrive tomorrow :-), but I'm confident I made good choices. I've posted 2 photos in the Amazon collection.

I love this camera. It was a no brainer for me because I currently own 9 vintage Pentax Takumar lenses (and I'm still always looking to collect more). It has excellent build quality, reflecting on Pentax's history of solid cameras (I also own a Pentax Spotmatic film slr from the 1960's). The camera is very user friendly (although in the menu's, some of the abbreviations that Pentax uses for some of the functions are REALLY, REALLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT!!!!! ARGGGGGGG!!!!!). That is my only gripe though. The camera has manual focus indicator for my old screwmount Takumars and plenty of dipotre adjustments to help with proper focusing, which helps someone with glasses like me (the manual focus indicator seems to be a little nitpicky sometimes, so you have to have patience, especially in certain lighting situations; that is what I have observed). The camera is solid, with a steel chasis and polycarbonite plastic body and super awesome grip. It uses 4AA batteries which I LOVE and SD memory. You will need to download the latest firmware upgrade to it so it will accept SDHC cards (high capacity SD memory basically) which was really easy to do. I could go on and on and on about this camera.... Buy it! Especially if you have vintage Takumar lenses and are unsure about stepping into the digital realm. You won't regret it!

I have only had mine for a couple of days, so here are my impressions. . . Others have noted auto white balance is not reliable, and I agree. However, it is easy to set white balance manually. Most of the time autofocus works well and is fast, however on a couple of occasions I've found the AF would not lock or got confused, then I had to focus manually. The use of AA batteries may be a plus or a minus depending on your viewpoint -- I consider it an advantage, especially since it can also use CR-V3 lithiums (not rechargeable). I have successfully used both alkalines and rechargeable NiMHs in mine so far, and battery life is quite acceptable to me.

The camera has a lot of automated shooting modes of questionable value, and the default images with "bright" setting are over-processed and too saturated. Serious photographers will ignore the automatic modes and switch processing to the "natural" setting. The 18-55mm kit lens is versatile and I'm sure many beginners will be happy with it. If you outgrow it there is a huge catalog of Pentax lenses, old and new, which will work on this camera. However, it is best to stick with Pentax brand, as I have been warned that K-mount lenses from some other makers (notably Ricoh, some of which were Sears branded) will get stuck on the camera and are extremely difficult to remove.

Do not be scared off by the 6.1MP sensor! It's easily able to compete with 35mm film, while higher pixel counts produce only minor improvements that most people will never see -- but they consume more storage space. I chose this camera over the Pentax K10D because I liked the use of AA batteries and felt that 6.1MP is plenty of resolution.

I have been told this viewfinder compares favorably against competing brands, however coming from a 35mm SLR it seems underwhelming to me -- and I wish Pentax had used a prism-based finder in this camera. Compared to my old (early 1980s) SLR, manual adjustments of focus, aperture and shutter speed feel slow and awkward, but this seems to be a common trait of most DSLRs. I decided it's best to rely on the automated features for most snapshots and save manual adjustments for posed or staged photos when there is time to fiddle with them. The remarkable thing is, after stepping forward about 25 years of photographic technology in one day, that I was able to figure out the K100D so easily. With all this taken into account, I have to give it a very positive rating.

I bought the camera with the kit lens l8-55mm and I love it!
I really feel I have "arrived" with a real DSLR camera.
I've been thru a number of point and shoot digital cameras including kodak (2), Nikon(2), Canon A95,Canon S2is. And also used a canon DSLR D60 ($1200. camera) at work. I absolutely loved the S2iS which took great pictures, especially in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop with really remarkable results. The Canon D60 was not a good camera in low light, even considering that I did not have great lights. It was also extremely heavy to hold and around the neck. Even the Nikon 4300 (4MP) worked better than D60 with average studio lights, and took great quality pics.
Back to the k100d. Easy and fun to use. Perfect weight and balance.
Amazing sensor stabilization (every bit as good as S2is,and probably better stabilization). I plan to buy one or two used Pentax lenses although the l8-55 mm is excellent all around. Picture quality: I couldn't believe the great low-light performance! I took shots at 1/10th of a second at iso 800, in my living room, with no flash, that are better than any indoor shots I ever took even with a flash. The noise is practically non-existent up to iso 800. When the family is around and I'm taking snapshots I use the onboard flash along with a handheld slave (Phoenix) flash that helps keep the lighting absolutely natural looking and works great under different conditions (like with no lamps on). My outdoor shots were easy and wonderful. If over-saturated I can easily tone down the colors in Photoshop. I wish there was a way to adjust color saturation in automatic but it doesn't seem doable. Maybe I'll try in Program mode. If anyone is shopping for a dslr I highly recommend this one, an absolute bargain, with built-in image stabilization. Anyone can use this camera and get professional results.

I am disappointed with this camera, but most of it is my fault for not adequately researching it. First, the 18-55 lens is not a good choice. One should have some wide angle (the 18) for indoor close shots. However, having no telephoto (the 55) borders on stupid. I understood that I could use my older Pentax lens, a 35-70 and a 50-200, but I did not understand that they would not work with the auto focus feature. I most likely will have to buy a 18-200 auto focus Tamron lens to be satisfied with my needs, because Pentax does not have an equivalent. I think the camera, itself, is o.k. llb

I read many reviews and it came down to 3 choices. Canon XT, Sony D50, and the Pentax K100D. All had their pros and cons, (i.e. battery types, style and look of body, continuous shooting buffer, etc.) The Pentax is the heaviest due to 4 AA's, but battery life is fine with rechargeables and the weight makes it feel like a quality product. Controls could not be better placed and 2.5" LCD is bright.
Manual is one of the easiest to read and the menus are pretty self-explanatory. 6.1 MP is fine for most amateur photographers and there are many lense options. The lense provided is all purpose and I added a 50-300 zoom for sports and nature shots.
Great buy and would recommend to people who want some manual settings and desire to upgrade.

Excelent option, great photos, easy to use, the shake reduction really help.
I used it with my old Pentax lenses and they work fine.

When in the market for an entry-level DSLR, I stumbled upon the K100D and ended up getting it. I'm not sorry I did. While Pentax doesn't have the market share of Canon or Nikon, this is probably the best bang for your buck as far as entry level DSLR's go. Here are some pros and cons of this camera:

PROS:
*Excellent size--not too big, not too small. Fantastic grip and shutter-button placement.
*Very solid build. Feels much better in your hand than the Rebel XT/XTi.
*In-body IS. This, to me, is the trump card for this camera. It works, and instantly any lens you have is stabilized. Even if some people argue a lens-based IS regime is better, what good is it when you can't afford the expensive IS lenses anyway? Fact is, in-body IS works--shots taken even at 1/8 to 1/10 have a much higher hit-rate with than without it.
*Can use any Pentax lens ever made. If you're like me and are on a budget, scouring eBay for deals can be fun and educational.
*Solid kit lens. Comes with the standard 18-55 but has a metal mount and is quite good, apparently, as far as kit lenses are concerned.
*Prime lenses. I can't believe how much of a difference a fast prime lens can make, and Pentax is probably the leader with these. With an f/1.7 or so lens, you just can' believe the kind of shutter speeds you can get even in low light. 1/10 on a normal lens can easily transform into 1/50 with a fast prime. It makes a huge difference.
*AA batteries. When I was in Europe with my P&S and I fried my AA NiMH charger, the fact my camera took AA's saved my butt. You can get them anywhere in a pinch, and a small investment in some good NiMH's get excellent results with this camera.
*Comes bundled with RAW software. I'm not a huge RAW shooter, but it's nice to know it's there if I want/need it. Some cameras come with RAW capibility but no software to harness it. Not this one.

CONS:
*Weak buffer/continuous shooting mode. You only get about 4-5 continuous JPG shots. If you're like me and don't shoot sports or action much, it's not so much of a big deal. If you do, you might want to look elsewhere.
*WB a little spotty. AWB is worthless in low light, but the tungsten preset is good. But it stinks that when you pop the flash it doesn't revert to flash WB, so you have to do it manually every time. It's the little things like this where Nikon and Canon probably beat Pentax.
*Slow read/write time. It just isn't very speedy, even with a fast card.
*Exposure compensation deactivates Auto-ISO. Basically, you can select your ISO range (e.g., 200-800). But if you use +/- compensation, it turns that feature off, reverting you to 200 and forcing you to change. A little annoying.

Overall, this is a great camera. There are a few annoyances and its overall operation isn't the fastest. But the images are excellent, and the in-body IS and prime lenses are a treat. Highly recommended.

Finally a semi-affordable digital slr. One that I can use all of my Lenses and filters which have been sitting in storage. I find it easy to use, easy to change between auto and manual focus, the photos look great (I am picky about this) and so far have had no problems. My main complaint was that it did not come with a memory card. (nothing is more frustrating than having a new toy you can't try out because one of the main pieces is not included) The description and packaging should mention this so that an appropriate card can be ordered with the product. Fortunately I had one that would fit from my pda.

For the price and what you get this is a good deal. It feels good in the hands ( that makes a big difference on an SLR), has a big LCD screen, has a good MP (10 Megapixels doesn't necessarily get you better images and the humbug of dealing with those large files may end up being a disadvantage). It still has issues with low light but has compensation features to deal with it. Get the hi-power NiMeHyd batteries and a charger and 1 GB card. The batteries last a long time and if you set your pictures to an acceptable 4MP you can shoot all day. It's light so you can shoot one-handed if needed.I haven tused many of the features but the ones I have worked well. I'm glad I chose this over the Cannon and Nikon, for all of those reasons mentioned above.

Did a lot of research and I feel this camera is the best value for an entry level DSLR. Keep in mind that you most likely will have to spent an additional $[...] for a memory card and rechargable batteries. My only complaint is that the shutter seems to be very loud. As well, I have a problem when using the menu and Fn features that the LCD screen displays will just go dark before I'm finished with changing the features. I've emailed Pentax to see if this is a common problem. Overall, very happy with this camera.

I've had this camera for a little over 2 weeks. It's simply amazing!

This camera beat out the Rebel XT and Nikon D50 for me in terms of features, size/weight, and feel. I paired the Pentax with the Sony BCG-34HE4 and i've taken a ton of the highest quality JPEGS and some RAW (300+ in total) without even reaching half battery yet! Even when the camera is sitting for a week the batteries hold well. The regular AA batteries wear out quickly so rechargeables are a must. I bought the Sony package here at amazon.

Out of the box im taking pictures i was never able to in my Point&Shoot. Im a complete newbie to DSLRs, never had the chance to play with film SLRs either. The most amazing thing is that i can take pictures at night with a much better control over fuzziness/shaking with this camera than with any P&S, no tripod to lug around. This camera is worth the upgrade for anyone taking their first steps into DSLRs from P&Ss, even if you'll be sticking to the kit lens for a while until you can invest in more lenses. The kit lens is good.

One possible disadvantage may be that the new DA* lenses scheduled for March 07 release may not work with full features on the K100D. The DA* lenses will use a new mount for supporting the focusing motors in the lens or something along those lines. Im willing to bet that those DA* lenses will cost more than the K100D itself so i probably wouldn't be interested in buying them anyway. The K10D is said to be fully compatible with the DA* lenses if you are interested.

I got this machine just before the holidays and it is just great. I've had a Pentax MX and all my old lenses, extender and filters fit just fine. You just have to use it in manual or apperture priority mode. It got tested quite extensively during this new year's firework displays and returned stunning shots. Imagine seeing your shots right after you take them instead of hoping for the best with film slrs. The only problem is the long time it takes to load a night shot like the time exposure for the fireworks. I guess I lost roughly 30% of shots I would have taken with film. But over all it performs very well. Next on my wish list is a dedicated flash for this unit.

The Pentax K100D is compatible with all Pentax lenses. That is huge! If you are a previous Pentax owner, you can keep what you have. But even if you aren't, why purchase a camera from someone you know will probably be changing camera mounts in the future. I got the Pentax K100D for Christmas and I love it. This camera feels like a real camera should. It is responsive and fast. I recently shot photos at my niece's Quinceanera. I shot over 300 shots and 99.9% were first-rate. I had no out of focus or blurry shots and no shots that were delayed due to shutter lag. I used 2 CRV3 batteries and had no problems with battery life. Shots with flash and without flash came out great! Thanks Pentax for this gem of a camera.

I purchased this camera about two months ago. Since then I have taken about 500 shots, mostly indoors. I was scared by most reviews stating less then adequate battery life but I have had no problem and just now changed to a freshly charged set of NiMh (2500mah) batteries. True, few utilized the flash but I am very happy with the quantity. The pictures have been great. Very sharp images with very high resolution. Color has been true. I have taken a lot of indoor volleyball shots and the point that the ball is hit by the player has been sharp as well. A lot better after switching off anti-shake (which I'm sure works but I haven't gotten that far yet).

Quickly reviewing shots is a snap as the feature has it's own button on the rear. This way no movement of the main selector is necessary. Also the function (fn) button has some pre-set functions that are easy to find. One being the shutter release functions. Just pressing this button and the menu "up" bring you to the 2-second, 12-second, continuous and other settings. 2-second is great for shooting a steady subject with a long lens, shake free. Just tripod mount the camera, set up the shot and go to the 2-second mode. Press and release the shutter button and two seconds later you have the shot, and no vibration from pressing the shutter button.

There are so many more features I love about this camera but I am still learning and maybe I'll review more later. At this point I am very happy with my choice and I think any DSLR novice will be as well.

One last thing about the batteries. Even if the battery life became a problem some day (and I don't think it ever will), at least I can go to most local stores and purchase a pack of double A's to get me through. If I bought a Nikon D-40 for example, I would be stuck as it takes a special battery not sold in a typical store. Keep that in mind.

Good shooting and Good luck.
Steve

My first camera was a Pentax K 1000- manual and unbreakable. Pentax tried to recreate that camera with this one and the did wonders. Superb camera, with great speed and utilizes all pentax lences. They could have done a bit better of a job with the sound insulation- it sounds a bit plastic wheen you take a picture (if you compare it to a Nikon 200) but the price is very attractive and all in all a great package that it earns a five star rating

Worth every penny. Outdoor results are outstanding. Indoor results are very good. Use the rebate and purchase the 50-200MM lens at the same time, making the extra lens basically free.
You will not be disappointed with this camera. It is extremely user friendly.

I am in love with this camera. The shutterspeed is awesome, the quality of pictures is awesome, and the shake reduction feature is awesome!! I would recommend this camera to anyone looking for a great camera!!

Have had the camera a short time and have grown to love its features and capabilities. Do purchase the 50 mm-200mm telephoto zoom lens; for the price it is a nice lens. I tried the image stabilizer by shooting a picture of the air conditioner on my neighbor's roof using 200 mm telephoto. When you enlarge the image you can read the label for the brand name! Without the image stabilizer, it is a blur. I did the same for a book about 100 ft away and using 200 mm setting. Without image stabilizer the title is blurred; with the image stabilizer it is sharp. A very nice feature is you can take an image and then enlarge a portion of it and save, or use filters to make them BW, soft, more bright, or with different color tones.

People report that under tungsten light the auto setting gives a yellow tone without flash. This is true. However, you can use the P mode, which is like an auto mode, reset white balance easily to tungsten light and the picture comes out nice!. Great low light capabilities with image stabilizer.

If you are into action photography, this may not be the camera for you. It has limited ability to store a sequence of photos without a delay. Other camers react faster and have larger capacity.

Do reset default from bright to natural tone. You can do this in some modes, but not all. Read the manual, it really will empower you with many nice capabilities. Newer lenses are light and small and interface with image stabilization system automatically.

This camera is performing flawlessly and provides much higher quality results than the Kodak P850 it replaced. The built-in anti-shake was a must have feature, which limits the DSLR field dramatically. I see no reason to buy expensive anti-shake lenses such as Nikon and Canon want you to get. In camera anti-shake is for 99% of users the superior solution.

I was concerned about battery life with the AA solution, but using the Sanyo eneloop rechargeables has worked out great. These batteries don't have the high self-discharge rate which is normally associated with NIMH batteries, so you can leave the camera sitting for a few weeks and still be ready to go.

I got the camera via Fedex within five working days after ordering. The camera and lens were factory fresh with a US warranty. I'm still trying to learn all of the features since this is my first digital SLR, but so far, it's taken good pictures. I would order from this company again.

Bombproof construction, takes rechargeable AA's, compatible with a bazillion K-mount and M42 screw mount lenses made over the years. The optical quality of Pentax's lenses is legendary, and they are plentiful and inexpensive on the used market. I mostly use my K100D with a 40-year-old Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 screw mount lens, and the lens' optical quality and build quality blow away just about any modern lens...best of all they run about $[...]. I'd like to see you do that with a Canon or Nikon DSLR.

I've had this product for over a month and have used it extensively during my vacation and business trips. As a DSLR novice, I enlisted the advice of two of my very experienced friends. Although Canon and Nikon lines are a bit of the standard, I think that the Pentax K100d is where the money is at. It stacks up with both the Nikon D40/50 and Canon D3 quite nicely in terms of picture quality. it has a nicer grip and feel, in my opinion, to the Nikon D40 and the image shake reduction has been a godsend during those critical low-light, no-flash picture taking opportunities!

I would highly recommend this camera for any novice who does not already own a set of lenses from either of the other two manufacturers. Great camera with great features for a killer price.

This was my my first DLSR.
Pentax made the transition clean and effortless with the K100D.
It has enough auto features and modes to make things easy for one coming from P&S's plus all the Control an exerienced Photgrapher could want.
All this and it can take ANY K mount lens and work in Manual mode with any of them plus it can work fully auto with the AF ones.
The 18-55mm kit lens was a big surprise, lotta quality for very little cash!

I finally added the K100D to my Pentax collection. I started with Pentax SLRs over 30 years ago. Spotmatic, then ME Super, then ZX-7, a IR focus Point and Shoot along with many lenses and accessories.
A few years ago I tried switching to digital and have not been really satisfied with the lack of the feel of a 35mm SLR. But liked the convenience of immediate download of pictures and ability to select, fix and manipulate the images prior to processing.
Along comes the K100D and I couldn't resist. It has the feel and sound of the 35mm. It's been fun dusting off my old equipment and putting it to use again. Best of all it's been great to look at photography as a creative hobby again versus just point and shoot pictures that I got myself into with the other small digitals. Got a few great shots during that time but not many. I know that is all in the mind but having a great set of tools tends to get the mind going better.
Anyway, the camera works absolutely wonderful. My old lenses, Sigma Auto Focus zooms from the ZX-7 work flawlessly with the K100. Have not tried the manual lenses yet. Image stabilizer feature is well worth it. Test shots handheld in low light conditions with slow shutter, over 400mm and macro are very stable.
Guess I'll need to seal my 35mm bodies in a bag and wait until they are antiques to sell them.
I do a lot of internet shopping, buying and investigations. Amazon had the best buy on the K100 with lense, shipping and Amazon VISA promo. It was delivered in 2 days. I was impressed with the product and service through Amazon.

Having grown up using Pentax SLR Cameras and Lenses I was very intrigued by the K100D and the ability to reuse some of my K mount lenses. I am extremely impressed so far with image quality, the built-in flash (no red eye problems so far) and the almost instantaneous shutter of the camera. Having been oppressed for so long by the compact digital cameras I have reinvigorated my love of photography and can't wait to explore the many features of the K100D. The auto-focus has been very good so far with just one occasion where it didn't seem to adjust properly, but that also could have been operator error.

If you are looking for a DSLR for under 700 bucks this is the camera to get. This camera improves on the *ist DL in almost every way. The shake reduction is awesome, battery life is great, pictures clear, the 11-point AF is a godsend for these cameras, the kit lens is the best compared to Nikon and Canons kit lenses-it produces sharp and clear images, and the fact that it uses AA batteries and SD cards is also great. My only gripes are the slow buffer speed when it comes to continuous shooting (3fps then 1fps). Once again this camera is not ideal for the sport enthusiast who needs conitinous shots constantly but it still holds it's own. I also think they could of have improved the Auto-Focus a tad more (although the 11-Point AF helps greatly in lowlight and low contrast situations). This camera is easy to hold for long periods of time especially compared to the Canon Rebel XTI model (which caused my hand to cramp up within 5 minutes of holding it). Also, the lenses available for this camera and the prices/quality of them is unmatched. If you want to get into serious photography but don't want to sell a first born, start with this!

I bought this camera after much research. I looked at everyone's reviews including the "professional ones". I am happy with this camera. It takes great pictures. Now, having said that I will tell you about the little bugs, or things that I don't like about the camera.. things others didn't talk about...

First, there are a LOT of automatic settings on this camera. They cover just about any situation that you could want. The problem with this is that there is no control over some of the menu items in these. I would like to take a macro shot of a orange/pink tulip, but it comes out RED because I can't adjust the Saturation, Sharpness, Contrast, or even the Natural/ Vivid color.. So I have to do it manually which is a bit tiresome. So the menus that are NOT avaliable during scene & automatic modes affects the outcome of the photo.
Secondly.. If you shoot in any quality other than RAW, you might as well just throw the included software in the garbage. It only touches up & manipulates RAW images. There is nothing on the disc to help out with jPeg files. That is a waste.
Third... & this is just a minor thing. I usually take landscape photos, & the ISO only goes down to 200. My olympus point & shoot C-765 goes down to an ISO of 64. Who needs ISO of 3200 when the shutter speed gives a range of 30 seconds to 1/4000 of a second. Just seems as though they went too high with the ISO.

Overall I am really happy with my purchase. I just wish that Pentax would have written the software to manipulate the photo while I am taking it so I don't have to sit at my computer all day dinking with it.. & yes, I said DINKING!! It is called digital photography, not computer photography!!! The anti shake seems to work well, & the lens takes good pictures. Good camera, just with a few problems.. or rather bugs..

James

Easy to use. Very sharp pictures. Nice feel to the camera. Quality construction, nothing cheap in the way it is made. Excellent quality for a great price!

I'm fortunate enough to work in a college A-V department, which means that I have access to some top-notch toys. We've been partial to Canon dSLRs; for the past four years I've used a 10D and a 20D. Image quality, solid build and features from those two legendary cameras put them far ahead of most competitors.

Why, then, did I turn to the Pentax K100D when I decided to buy my own dSLR earlier this year? Despite the nearly second to none image quality from Canon, I truly detest the cheap, tacky plastic feel of the Rebel line, with the Rebels' painfully shallow grip making extended use uncomfortable for my long-fingered right mitt. Rebel pricing continues to be hundreds of dollars higher than other entry level dSLRs; I didn't have a spare grand to spend on a full Rebel system, despite already owning a few EOS compatible lenses from my retired 35mm EOS SLR. After doing a lot of online research - winnowing out Nikons, the Sony Alpha (am I the only one who found the build to be appallingly cheesy?), various Olympuses - only Pentax models remained. Nostalgically recalling my beloved Pentax ME Super 35mm SLR from 25 years ago, I figured I'd give the K100D a go. The reviews were solid; sample images looked quie good; the feature set - including RAW and built-in image stabilizing - quite impressive for such a remarkable price. (The K10D, while 4MP higher in resolution, didn't justify its $500 price difference based on the test images I viewed online.) I ordered the body only and paired the K100D with a Tokina 24-200 autofocus lens (which turned out to be heavier than the K100D itself but provides extra range at the wide angle end, due to the cameras 1.5 magnification factor)

The first extended test of my K100D came on vacation to southern CA in March this year. Over the course of nearly two weeks, the camera and lens performed very well. I enjoyed the rugged feel of the K100D - the deep grip allowed me to shoot without finger cramp - and the large LCD made reviewing my images a breeze. What wasn't to like?

Namely, no 100 ISO setting; slow focusing (perhaps the Tokina lens should take the blame, but I'm not so certain); a clanky/clacky shutter which sounds cheap; unimpressive RAW images; often jaggy JPEGs at 100% viewing; the low light performance which means very noisy photos at 800 and 1600 IS0s - an area where Canon dSLR products trample Pentax like Godzilla over Tokyo - and the K100D's irritating reliance on AA batteries for power. Actually, the battery issue is a classic "mixed bag"; rechargable AAs are available almost everywhere and cost much less than dedicated batteries. Their performance in actual use - based on my experience of shooting over a few thousand images to date and editing on the run via the LCD - comes up far short when compared to the BP-511A battery packs for the 20D. Carrying a pocketful of a dozen charged AAs is a burden, too. I hope that Pentax will ditch the AAs and move on to a more powerful single battery for the K100D's eventual successor.

The last question, then, is the age old one of "Would I buy this camera again?" The answer: a solid "Maybe". There certainly is a lot to love about the K100D - it feels good in the hand; it takes a wide range of Pentax and Pentax-friendly lenses; images at 200 & 400 ISOs when taken in good light can be wonderful in color and saturation, and it's not another tacky Canon Rebel or dumbed-down Nikon. For what it is and at its price point, this little Pentax offers an attactive camera for undemanding dSLR users. More experienced shooters who are unwilling to overlook the K100D's many limitations may want to keep looking or wait for Pentax to evolve its dSLR line even further before hopping on the Pentax bus.

LIKES,,,Great camera, it takes great pictures even in low light without the flash, the auto focus takes a bit of getting us too,,if you move after viewing a subject a little bit it wants to refocus.DISLIKES,,The only thing that I found that I didn't like was the camera had a hard time focusing on things skyward,,I think because of clouds being in view along with the subject, the camera has a hard time trying to figure out what you are taking a picture of,,,maual focus took care of that.

I just received the K100D, an I love it! It is easy enough to use for beginners, just set it to auto, let the auto focus do its work, and click away! For more experienced users, this camera has a slew of manual modes to appease anyone. IT is simple to switch from auto to manual focus, with a switch within reach while holding the camera to your eye. It also has outstanding battery life. I have the sandisk extreme III 2 GB card for this baby (no write-time issues whatsoever), and it gives me 689 pictures to the card. As an experiment, I filled the card full, taking over 50 of those shots with the flash on (all with autofocus and shake-reduction on), and then formatted the card again, and it still showed FULL BATTERY! I use 4 Sony 2500mAH AA batteries. I also got approximately 200 shots from the alkaline batteries that came with the camera. From my experience with my old digicam, this is astounding! I was getting MAYBE 40 pictures @ 4MP from 2 AA batteries. Certainly no flash, shake reduction or focusing!

There are some drawbacks, however. I feel as though there is no perfect place to put my left hand on the camera, which feels odd to me, considering I am left-handed. The pictures become very grainy using auto mode in bright sunlight, even with the tulip shade on the lens, because of the camera trying to use a very high ISO. This can be rectified easily, though, by adjusting the ISO to a lower level manually (I use 800) in the Function button menu.

Overall, this camera is great and thus receives 5 stars from me. The fit and finish is wonderful, the pictures are crisp and clean when taken correctly, and the ease of use means that almost any computer- or electronics- illiterate person can use it perfectly well. Look no further for an entry level DSLR - this is as near perfect as I could imagine.

I have had this camera for 6 months now and love it! It takes great shots and is easy to use. I love the compatibility with old lenses and the shake reduction built into the body. Ultimately, that gives you the chance to upgrade lenses - the most important part in a camera! The two limitations I've found with it are: 1) indoors, the white balance does require some adjustment and 2) the buffer size is limited -- you can't take a huge succession of shots. The former was pretty easy to get used to (you use the custom white balance adjustments.) The latter isn't important to me.

I received my Pentax today, and so far it's been very easy to use. The shake reduction feature works great. The camera doesn't come with a SD memory card though, so be sure to order one! That was fine with me since the small storage on the SD cards that come with most new cameras is not enough. Luckily I ordered a 2 GB SD card with the camera. It's built very well; very high quality. The K100D should be at the top of your list if you're looking to get into the DSLR world.

much better depth and detail than my canon a80 which I thought was very good. took some pictures of my nephew who's less than a year old but didn't want to use a flash that would scare her, and the pics were amazing. great color, her blue eyes just sparkled and the detail of her fine hair was great... and this was just with light coming through the window. also, lots of detail in dark areas. I've tried some long exposures at night and it's fantastic with very little noise, even with high iso's. I also like the fact that it uses AA's...I already had lots of rechargeables so I'll never be without power.

one other thing, after a couple weeks I bought paint shop pro 11 to convert the PEF raw files into jpeg instead of taking just jpegs in the camera... if you care about your pictures, shoot raw! changing exposure, white balance and the amount of sharpness and detail makes shooting in this setting MUCH better.

I wanted a digital SLR because the marginal cost of "film" is zero. An SLR has the advantage of WYSIWYG, in other words, you can see that the best focus is on the subject of your picture and not something else. I also have an old Pentax 35mm camera and a complement of lenses and polarizing filters and so forth, and I liked the compatibility with those items.

It takes good pictures, the colors are accurate and it has a sensitivity up to ISO 3200. I am not anyway an expert or even competent photographer, but it's a good choice if you want to reuse Pentax lenses and not spend a fortune.

I've had this camera for 3 weeks now and I've grown to love it.

Things I really like:
1. Beautiful pics in daylight or when using flash.
2. Excellent grip. Even though the body is quite compact, the grip is excellent - way better than the canon rebels and comparable to the Nikon D50.
3. Large, crisp LCD screen
4. Nice shutter sound.

Things I don't like
1. Poor AWB in Tungsten light. (more to come)
2. Using menus to change WB, ISO settings (instead of dedicated buttons)
3. Popup flash construction is rather flimsy.

More about AWB issues in Incandescent light..
AWB in Incandescent light (2700K) is a problem for most DSLRs. Unfortunately the K100D is really weak in this area. The reason is that the K100D AWB is designed to handle color temperature above 4000K.

The good thing is its easily fixable.
1. Use a flash.
2. Don't use Auto mode. Use P mode and use the dedicated 'Tungsten' WB mode.
3. Don't use incandescent bulbs! Use CFL lights instead. They are good for the environment and give much better light!

Conclusion
I really like this camera. It offers the best VFM compared to the Nikons and the Canons. Go Pentax!

I was on a very tight budget and needed a new camera ASAP, since my old fixed lens camera had a lens that became "unfixed". I had a 35mm Pentax SLR years ago and loved it. After looking around, specifically at the Nikon D40 and the Canon Rebel, I decided to go with another Pentax this time due to it's affordablity and the online reviews that I had read. I have been very pleased, but there are limitations to this camera.

First things I like:
I really love the Shake Reduction feature. Neither Nikon or Canon had this. I was skeptical that it would make much of difference, but I have found that it does help the blur when you are pushing the shutter speed to a setting a little slower than you could normally get away with without a tripod. The Shake Reduction does add weight to the camera, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like the extra weight, I think it feels more substantial in my hand and when mounted on a tripod, it feels more steady.

I also like that it takes AA batteries. It is nice to be able to stop into any gas station and pick up new batteries if I get into a bind, plus rechargable AAs are cheap and widely available for purchase. Other things that I like, the menus in the camera are easy to maneuver once you get oriented and the screen on the back is nice and big.

I REALLY love that the camera can be turned on instantly and there is no delay when a take a photo. On my fixed lens camera, it took a couple seconds to power up and due to a delay between when I pushed the shutter and when the camera actually would get around to capturing the image, I had to try and anticipate how early to push the shutter button to get the photo I was going for. This was a source of endless frustration when photographing objects in motion, especially my children. However, I realize that this is a benefit of pretty much any DSLR and is not an advantage that is unique to the Pentax K100D.

Another nice feature is the 2 second delay. I've never had a camera with this setting before. When using this, the mirror drops out of the way as soon as you push the shutter button, but it doesn't actually take the photo until 2 seconds later. This lets any vibrations inside the camera due to moving parts settle down before the photo is actually taken. This has come in handy when taking shots that are especially vibration sensitive, for example photos we take through our telescope.

It can be as easy or as complicated to use as you want it to be. I have fun playing with all the the manual settings, but in the automatic modes, it is easy enough that my 9 and 10 year old kids can use it too. Admittedly, I had to give them a quick training session so they could understand how the autofocus works, but they got the hang of it really fast with minimal practice. The "Kids" setting is where I leave it when I turn it off, making it ready and waiting for the quick grab and click photos of my kids doing their everyday stuff.

Things I don't like:
I wish it had an ISO setting below 200. A lower setting would help reduce noise when making bigger enlargements.

I don't usually like the color I get from the auto white balance mode, particularly when I am shooting inside. I have noticed this problem to be worse when I am in a large auditorium under those big square industrial lights that give a yellowish hue. This color problem can be fixed by using the manual white balance, an easy procedure, but sometimes I forget to do this until it's too late. This is a little quirk that I am still getting used to. This is my first DSLR, and I am a very amateur photographer in training, so maybe this is to be expected with any camera -- I really have no idea.

A few words on megapixels:
6.1 is fairly low on the scale of available megapixels on new cameras today, but after doing some reading on the subject, I couldn't see spending a lot of money chasing megapixels. 6.1 is big enough for me to do a 16 x 20 enlargement, the largest size I have ever needed, and that is only needed on rare occasions. It is also big enough to let me do a fairly tight crop and print a nice 5x7 or 8x10 if I feel the need.

Summary:
OK, so yes there are better cameras out there, but you can spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on photographic equipment and still recognize that there is something better out there than what you have. I gave this camera 5 stars because for the price, I just don't think it gets any better than this. I love it.

Hands down, the best dSLR your going to find for the money! Anti-Shake feature is a life-saver when not using the flash indoors. Image quality is stunning and far superior than that of equal or higher priced POS cameras.

Look no further for a starter dSLR.

I was looking for my first digital SLR and chose this camera over the other brands (Canon Rebel/Nikon D40/80 /Sony/Olympus..) as well as Pentax's own K10D. I compared prices/features and reviews on other web-sites and the reasons for selecting the K100D were the quality and features offered for the price.

Price - The current price of around usd five hundred with the 18-55mm lens is extremely competitive compared to other cameras that are now available in this range.

Features - (a) In camera shake reduction was a big plus - helps avoid having to purchase expensive image stabilized lens of Nikon / Canon. The live view feature of the Olympus line was attractive, but the image quality reviews I read were more favorable for the Pentax than for the Olympus or the Sony.

(b) Pentax advertises the fact that the cameras are backward compatible with numerous older manual / older auto focus lenses - to a far greater degree than other competing brands. This was not a deciding factor for me as I did not anticipate wanting to buy such lenses.

(c) I searched the internet and read reviews comparing numerous cameras / lens systems and Pentax does seem to have a strong reputation for very high quality lenses at reasonable prices.

(d) as against the K10D - this camera is at least two to three hundred dollars cheaper. It has numerous shooting "modes" similar to a point and shoot camera such as portrait/action/night shorts etc.. that should help a newcomer to these type of cameras. The K10D is a higher specification camera with a lot of control options that provide experienced photographers with better control - however I, as a beginner, preferred the simpler K100d. The K100D has an ISO capability of upto ISO 3200 and is said to be a better low-light performer.

For a person like me (limited budget, new to digital photography wanting to move up from point and shoot) this camera has been a very good fit and I am happy with the purchase. Buying the 18-55mm lens together with the camera helped me learn how to use the camera. It also gave me an idea of what other lenses I would need. Subsequently, I bought a zoom lens for range greater than 55mm.

ps: a new "super" k100d is expected to be released that has the ability to use the soon to be released Pentax DA* SDM lenses. The 'super' model also has in camera dust reduction. However, I am told that in case you want to use the new lenses, the current K100D model is compatible and operates at the regular auto focus speed, without the fast focusing SDM feature. The current model is fast enough for my current skill level and I am not too concerned.

I have enjoyed my past few months with the K100D + lens and have nothing negative to report. This camera (+ lens) has been a great starting point for learning digital photography.

This is a wonderful camera. I have the 35mm ME Super with a selection of additional lenses. The best feature for me is the backwards compatibility for all of my lenses. They work perfectly except for the fact they are not auot-focus. Not what I wanted anyway. I moved up from a Kodak point and shoot. The end result ...an excellent level of picture quality the Kodak will never attain. The features are comparable to that of Nikon and Canon at a fraction of the cost. I don't see the need to pay for those names. I use the diffence in cost to help me justify buying another lense.

After whats seems months and months of research into a DSLR, I had my sights on this camera and a D40 from Nikon(The Canon lower end cameras were such chinsy little plastic pieces I took them out of consideration). Side by side, the Nikon's images looked really great and sharp directly from the camera's auto function, and because this camera would also be used by my wife, I thought that would be nice, since she is not as much of an enthusiast as I am. I enjoy manually adjusting settings.
I did online comparisons on every single review website out there. I liked the Pentax's natural looking color tones. Some people say they are too warm. I like this as opposed to the colder images of the other camera. The D40 seems like a very reliable brand family to enter and since they are so popular it would be good to fit in with everyone else on the streets shooting away. I still wasn't sure until going into a store to look at each one side by side. I started with the D40. It felt good, the menu looks good, the manual focus part of the lens felt like a toy. And it was very lightweight.
I picked up the K100D and the feeling was a lot different. The camera has a nice bit of weight to it. The finish and the exterior is really nice. It feels and looks like more of a professional camera than a consumer/entry/beginner level DSLR unlike the D40 (even worse--the XT/XTI) I looked through the viewfinder and felt right at home, starting to take pictures and lost my focus on trying to inspect the camera for purchasing. Some people complain about autofocus noise, shutter noise, or the autofocus hunting in the dark. I feel that there are some who's hearing is extremly sensitive or they are shooting primarily in libraries and churches. After working with this camera, the auto focus is fast. If it misses focus (maybe 1 out of 10 times)you press the button again and it always finds it right away. You wasted maybe 1 second. All point and shoot cameras I had before were MUCH worse in this category. If you are into manual focusing I do not think it is actually possible to be physically fast than if you went with auto focus.
Images look really balanced right out of the camera. Not as sharp as the D40, but this is ONLY because of a difference in processing style. I have read about Pentax's imaging philosophy and for me it really makes sense. The in camera processing is not heavy-handed. They are going for a more film-like appearance. This means lighting which casts a warm hue takes a warm hue in the image rather than always looking like cool white fluorescent lighting. The images just looks more natural. The same for the ISO settings which are not over laden with noise reduction. Yes you get grain at 1600 ISO (as with every camera) but the grain is actually more film like. Detail is not missing like the other's happy processing engines. For these reasons, I would say the K100D seems more like an photo enthusiast's camera, the D40 seems more like its designed as point and shoot DSLR.
I think that this camera is good for the whole range of people who want to shoot. I'm happy with this purchase for sure.

First off, it doesn't have that flimsy digitial-camera feel, like others in it's price range. It is solid and sturdy (survived a bit of a drop!) and it feels amazing in your hands. The grip is really deep, the buttons are firm, and all the doors have a nice spring shut. It's very satisfying to handle (making it hard to stop taking pictures)

It's a great travel camera.
I've brought this camera to England and Japan and I was impressed with the results. The auto modes are quick and easy with a great outcome, when time is of the essence. But I was also able to get some great long-exposure pictures of city lights with my bare hands. The image stabilization really shown when I could read the time on the shot of Big Ben when the cars below were a blur.

It also switches very quickly and easily between auto and manual, if you just want to adjust the focus or the exposure a bit.

I like the fact that you can switch out the old lenses, becuase my dad has a few of them, but I haven't had the need to. the 18-55 gives as much range as I need and then some.

The WB indoors is a bit of in issue, but it is easily fixed by adjusting the setting (or by using flash, which is good for what it is, but flash is gross). And the sharpness of the picture rarely decreases in low light, so sometimes I embrace the orange hues. Orange can be nice.

I also love that it runs on AA. The rechargable ones were cheap and they keep it running forever! (and, when you're desperate, there's another option)

If you're doing what I was doing and looking to upgrade from point and shoot, this camera is really worth your time and money. I have very little photography experience and I've become fairly good with this simply through trial and error. Also, the quality of SLR pictures is worth the added expense. Exact focus, vivid color, and no delay. It's a glorious thing.

And as a final word, from what I've experienced so far, I'm convinced this camera will last a good long time, still turning out top-notch pictures. It's an investment (yet still one of the cheapest out there...)

Bought the body-only (no 18-55mm kit lens) from Amazon via Beach Camera in late August 2007.

Pros:

~Very inexpensive for the list of features it offers. Best deal on the market in my opinion.
~Great image quality! Coming from three different compact digicams (Olympus 740, Panasonic LZ3, and my still-good Fuji F30) this is a big step up.
~Six megapixels is plenty for all regular print sizes; don't fall for the marketing hype pushing consumers towards more and more megapixels unless you intend to print big.
~Shake reduction works! I've taken handheld shots in crappy indoor lighting with a manual 200mm telephoto at shutter speeds as low as 1/50th second (the rule of thumb suggests shutter speeds faster than 1/focal length, in this case 1/200th second). Not crystal clear, but definitely usable for small prints and web posting.
~Extensive compatibility with a long history of Pentax K-mount lenses. I've got a 3rd-party M42 screwmount adapter to use some old fully manual Spotmatic lenses I bought cheap.
~Not too heavy for me, not too light.
~Feels good in my right hand, though my fingernails will bump against the body if not kept trimmed.
~Customizable auto-ISO.
~Good viewfinder and LCD screen.
~Uses AA batteries.
~Love that solid mirror/shutter release sound!

Cons:
~Continuous shooting is relatively limited, but for single frame shot-to-shot speed the camera is perfectly usable.
~Menus are just laggy enough in my opinion to be slightly annoying.
~Speaking of speed, the only need you'll have for the super-fast flash memory cards is for directly transferring files to your computer...the ~K100D won't save or display pictures any faster with the top-end memory cards.
~Speaking of memory cards, RAW files are not compressed...so you can't fit more than 90 shots on a 1 gig SD card (I've got 2 SanDisk Ultra II 1GB cards and have ordered a 2GB PQI 60x SD card for the extra space).
~Operating the camera would be a bit faster if the 4-way controller directly adjusted ISO, white balance, drive mode, and flash rather than going through the Function menu first.
~The left handgrip strip is grippy but too small...better if Pentax had just covered that side in the same material as the right grip.
~The included software works fine but feels lethargic at times.
~Auto-ISO is reset back to ISO 200 whenever you use exposure compensation.
~That reassuringly solid mirror/shutter sound unfortunately means this camera won't win any awards for stealth.

This is my first DSLR and I've taken more pictures in the 3 weeks I've owned it than in almost any other month of picture-taking in the last 2 years.

If you're wondering about the K100D Super, the only advantages it has that are worth noting are a mildly effective dust-prevention and dust-removal system and the ability to use the new Pentax SDM lenses and their silent and marginally faster autofocus. These lenses are expensive now and should be for some time. Since the speed, menus, buffer, external controls, and other important features were left unchanged, I had no reason to buy the Super.

I'm using Sanyon Eneloop AA rechargeable batteries and highly recommend them. They hold a charge for a long time, offer plenty of power, and don't confuse the K100D's electrical system like some AAs do.

Bottom Line...

DSLRs can be tweaked to match the colors, sharpness, and contrast of just about any other DSLR. Your abilities as a photographer and your lens will have a greater impact on image quality than how strong a scene's reds are saturated in the default settings that come with your camera. Unless you need extensive control over your camera, high frame rates, or big resolution to crop extensively or print larger than poster size...there's nothing wrong in buying a DSLR body like this one and spending the money saved on photography classes or a nice lens.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1QSK1XJCCTAUS

I got this body mainly to be able to use my old K-mount Pentax lenses, especially my telephotos. These old lenses don't allow for the auto focus so some adjustments need to be made with the functions menus before the camera will take pictures. Once that's done, they work great. The Shake Reduction is a real asset with a telephoto. One consideration is that the digital format effectively increases the focal length by a factor of 1.5 so a 600mm lens becomes in effect a 900mm lens. Fine for telephoto but it's not so good for wide angle when a 28 mm lens becomes a 42 mm lens. If you're into wide angle, it's probably better to buy the camera-lens package.

Wow - picked this up about a month ago, and have nothing but good things to say:

Pictures - As advertised, takes great pictures off the shelf with the lens supplied with this kit. Plenty of control if you want it, but a great "automatic" mode, too, when you just want to shoot.

Lens - I'm no pro, but this lens works fine. There's next to no distortion at the corners like i'm used to with my point-and-shoot.

Durability - Surprisingly tough. Mine took a dive onto pavement while I was shooting at the Hartford Marathon, and kept working like a champ.

Got this camera for myself for my birthday... sad I know... but what a great camera it is. It shipped with a 18mm-55mm lens which is ample for taking great photos out of the box. I recommend rechargable batteries. I bought 8 so I always have a set - takes 4 AAs. It has a very good image stablization feature you can turn on and off easily. The Auto Focus is fast and the variety of shooting modes means you can get just about any photo, quickly, once you learn how to work with them.

This camera is a great value and provides all the functionality needed to take excellent photographs.

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 - I suppose b/c one of the reasons you buy an SLR camera is so you can look through the lens itself (although in some situations it would be useful to use the LCD screen as a viewfinder - but I digress).

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 getti