Pentax K100D

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It seems as if the rain of digital cameras in the Indian market is going to be a long-lasting affair. The latest entrant in this arena is Pentax K100D digital SLR camera. With its innovative CCD-shift camera shake reduction system, the camera has already started garnering great reviews. It said that the shake reduction system has been developed by Pentax itself. The sensor resolution of six megapixels makes Pentax K100D all the more appealing to the customers.

Design
The body of Pentax K100D digital camera has been made mostly of plastic. In case you are worried about its sturdiness, don’t be. The camera comes with the perfect combination of lightweight metal chassis and special fiber-reinforced plastic for the external construction. In other words, it is the perfect fusion of sleek looks and rigid structure. Pentax has provided a soft rubber coating around the finger-grip, keeping the comfort of the user in mind. With dimensions of 129 x 93 x 70 mm and weight of 660 g (with batteries), Pentax K100D is definitely quite compact and handy.

Features
Pentax K100D digital SLR camera provides you the option of two 'tone' options - of Bright (the default) and Natural, which define color mapping, tone and sharpening baseline for image processing. Its sensor resolution, of six megapixels, accepts lenses using the Pentax KAF lens mount. As mentioned above, the "Shake Reduction" function is one of the best features of the digicam. You can control the focus manually as well as automatically, using a phase detection system with 11 points. When you click photos with Pentax K100D, you can frame them with the help of penta-mirror optical viewfinder.

The 2.5" LCD display of the digital camera, with a resolution of 210,000 pixels, allows you to review them also. It also offers a range of automatic controls, including eight scene modes and four Picture modes. Then, there is a five-mode flash strobe, with a two or twelve-second self timer. The images that you click with Pentax K100D can be stored in either Raw (uncompressed) or JPEG (compressed) formats. You can use NTSC / PAL switchable video output as well as a USB 2.0 Hi-Speed computer link for connectivity purposes. Four AA or 2 CR-V3 batteries provide power to the camera.

In case the batteries are down, you can use a DC input connection for powering the digicam. Other features of Pentax K100D include a choice of program, aperture- priority and shutter-priority or manual exposure modes; 16-segment multi, center-weighted or spot metering; shutter speeds from 30 - 1/4000 second; user-selectable ISO sensitivity from 200-3200 equivalent, eight white balance modes, including fully manual white balance. All in all, Pentax seems to have packed loads of features into the compact camera.

[sasajovanovic]

Basic Features
6.1-megapixel CCD
Pentax K AF bayonet lens mount compatible with the full range of Pentax K lenses, plus M-series lenses via an adapter
Digital SLR design with true optical viewfinder
2.5-inch color LCD monitor for image and menu review
Full Manual through Automatic exposure available, including Aperture and Shutter priority and 14 preset Scene modes
Built-in flash with five modes and an intensity adjustment
Topside external flash hot shoe
SD/MMC memory storage (no card included)
JPEG and RAW file formats
USB 2.0 computer connection
Two CR-V3 or four AA-type batteries for power, or optional AC adapter (four AA alkaline batteries included)
Software for Mac and PC


Special Features
Shake Reduction technology to minimize blurring from camera movement
Digital filter options for creative effects post-capture
Continuous shooting mode and Auto Exposure Bracketing
Self-timer for delayed shutter release
Optional remote control (wired and IR)
Shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds, plus a Bulb setting for long exposures
Image Sharpness, Saturation, and Contrast adjustments
Spot, Center-Weighted, and Multi-Metering modes
Adjustable AF area and two AF modes
Auto ISO setting or 200, 400, 800, 1,600, and 3,200 ISO equivalents
White balance (color) adjustment with 10 options, including a manual setting
Adobe RGB and sRGB color space options.
18 Custom Menu settings, including options for non-CPU Pentax lenses
DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) and PictBridge printing compatibility