Finally - My first DSLR

[Grant S.]

After using a Panasonic FZ30 for just over a year and a half, I sold it last month and bought a Canon Powershot A550 for it's portability and general all-round competence. The plan was then to save up for a DSLR kit, and some quality lenses, but not rushing into anything.
I didn't want to spend big bucks on a Nikon D200, for example, but also didn't want the limitations of the D40, which felt a bit too light.
So I found myself in Midvalley today, "just browsing" and walked into Trillion Photo and played with the Pentax K100D. Now I have always been a big Pentax fan, had an ME for a while, and love the way they don't slavishly follow trends, and also the fact that they produce some of the best lenses to be found on any camera..
Thinking about it, in-camera stabilisation, very solid and well built, looking at the range of Limited lenses which are superb, I could no longer resist. I was given a very healthy price so am now the extremely satisfied owner of a K100D. :partyon: :drunk:
Now I may have to mortgage a kidney or sell some other things to afford the lenses that I want, but they will come slowly. And the contrarian in me is smugly satisfied that I didn't go the "Canon or Nikon route" but instead bought a camera with a bit of character.
Today is a wonderful day! :D :cool:

[siew]

Welcome, is that the K10D or K100D?

Post pictures to convince fellow SAers :D.

Trust me. The photog behind the cam matters. :D

[Grant S.]

it's the K100D - I'm too tight with my wallet to go that bit further for the K10!
I'll start putting some shots up on my Flickr set, and my blog over the next few days, so far I'm still just practising with it.
http://shoot.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grants

[clemong888]

congrats on your purchase! if i didn't choose the big N, pentax would be the likely route i'll go. enjoy! there is a learning curve for the k100d so i wish u the best of luck :)

[asris]

Congratulations! Pls share with us what do you think of the Shake Reduction system soon.

Happy shooting. Nothing like a new gear. I know.... :D

[ND40]

Hi to you and your trusted baby.

Dare to try something different!! Salute and Cheer:drunk:

Canon?Nikon?Pentax?Sony?

all the same!! they are cameras. Agreed with siew. The man behind the camera does the matter!!

[ShaolinTiger]

Congrats man, you finally join the club.

If I didn't go Nikon I'd go for a Pentax K10D, superb cam! The K100 is also great I'm sure you'll love it.

The in-body anti-shake is useful and keeps the lens price down for the hobbyist.

The lenses as you mention aswell are top notch, don't worry about those for the start though. Just get out and shoot, the kit lens is fine until you can push it to it's limits.

Then you'll find what you seem to prefer shooting (macro, wide, tele etc) and you can plan your lenses purchases based on that.

I would recommend first purchase to be a proper flash unit though!

Looking forwards to some shots from you.

[Grant S.]

Thanks ST, and all the others who responded. BTW, I am fully aware that it's the photographer that makes the pictures that matter, not the camera, but it is nice to have a well-engineered DSLR, and I am a big Pentax fan.
I have just returned home with a Tamron AF 28-200mm, LD, IF, Aspherical, 3.8-5.6, which had been languishing on a dealers shelf for quite some time. A lowball offer, and it is on the K100D now, and I am quite pleased with it.
So I'm sorted for lenses for th time being, just need to get a decent flash - Sunpack or Pentax, what do you reckon? - and then get out there and shoot, shoot, shoot!

[noordin]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Enjoy the new toy! :D

[Grant S.]

I am going to be playing with this new "toy" for quite a while!
The shake reduction is quite good, although not as good as the Panasonic FZ30 which was the King of OIS, IMHO. You could take shots at ludicrous speeds and still get sharp images.
But the noise, ach, the noise. At ISO200 it was terrible and needed lots of PP to make it workable. 400 was simply not an option. Noise was even visible in shadow detail at ISO 80 - just not acceptable.
The included software if I want to shoot RAW is fantastic, very comprehensive, nothing else needed, which I like.
Curiously I have just pulled out an addendum sheet from the manual, which reads "The Shake Reduction system gives you approximately 2 stops slower shutter speed without the risk of camera shake."
It has been changed to read
'approximately 2 to 3.5 stops slower shutter speed."
2 stops? Yes, works well and is one of the reasons for But 3.5 stops? I think that is fairly unlikely.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/234/515775952_29f9a6de2d_o.jpg

[qqmeng]

congrats!! ...me too almost bought myself a pentax... but ended up with nikon. brand doesnt matter s the man behind it tht matters, siew is rite!

cant wait to see your photos! :D

[derickuan]

Congrats on the new acquisition......enjoy!

[clickNsnap]

Congrats!!! Grant S.

How is the noise of the K100D? Show us some samples, Thanks.

[jayhan]

I bet you should be happy with your new toy and welcome to the club! :)
Hope to see more pics from you buddy!

[qqmeng]

pentax is not a bad choice after all....

check out this http://www.imageworkshop.com.tw/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3046&forum=1&PHPSESSID=b1b03c2a23960655ab8ddbc4e36f3d6e

the photos are taken using Pentax K100D :D ...nice eh?

[iwhizz]

im also the owner of K100D super where i have found this camera on a lucky offer day..It just costed me rm1400 with a cmplete brand new KIT packages + 2gb SDHC, marumi UV filter ( +rm 36 for Marumi CPL ) + rm 150 used sigma 28-105 mm f/4-5.6 UC .. ( i bought this wonderful camera while i was in jakarta --> april 2008 ) ..

[Watchman]

Congrats on your K100D. It's a great camera. Enjoy it in good health!