| |
 |
|
| Click photo for more images of the Pentax K100D Super. |
Here's the Pentax K100D Super ($520, street, body only; $600 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Pentax DA lens), which represents a major upgrade for the Pentax line.
Notice we didn't say it was a major upgrade to the previous camera, the 6.1MP K100D. The new model adds three things: a self-cleaning sensor (nice, but hardly earth-shattering), a slot for high-capacity SDHC cards (ditto), and the ability to exploit the new SDM lenses -- the real news. These lenses have built-in ultrasonic motors for faster and dramatically quieter autofocusing, plus manual focusing that can be touched up at any time. So Pentax finally joins other manufacturers (notably Nikon) in going to motorized lenses.
But first, the camera: The K100D Super is the latest in a slowly evolving line that goes back to the *ist DS of 2004, and as such feels like an old friend. The ergonomics are excellent, the body is pleasantly light but very solid-feeling, and the pentamirror viewfinder is bright, with both Excellent tested accuracy and Excellent (though just barely) tested magnification.
We ran the full battery of Pop Photo Lab tests on the camera, this time using RAW capture, and got results nearly the same as those of its predecessor. Resolution went up a notch, to 1590 average lines from 1520, maintaining an Extremely High rating. Color accuracy improved just enough to get an Excellent rating. And noise numbers were virtually unchanged -- and they were good numbers to start. At ISO 1600, for example, the camera produced Moderately Low noise, but still managed to maintain Extremely High resolution.
Back when all consumer DSLRs were 6MP, imaging performance like this would have garnered raves. But consumer DSLRs have gone beyond 6MP, even in this price range (consider the 8MP Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT). The K100D Super does have sensor-shift image stabilization, which will work with any lens that mounts on the camera. This gives it something of a price advantage over equivalent models from Canon (the Rebel XT) and Nikon (the D40), which use lens-based image stabilization. But 6.1MP is still pretty skimpy.
In tests using our DxO Analyzer 2.0 software, the Pentax Shake Reduction system produced an advantage of up to 2 stops, with the shakiest shooters gaining the most advantage. A good result, to be sure, but we have found that quite a few stabilized lenses can beat that.
The SR system also serves to self-clean the sensor: The camera's low-pass filter is coated with a fluorine compound that helps keep dust from sticking to its surface. When the camera is turned on, or on demand, the sensor vibrates at high speed to knock loose any dust, which is collected on an adhesive strip below.
The K100D Super's firmware allows the body to electronically signal focusing information to an SDM lens, which uses its own internal motor to focus rather than the camera's AF drive shaft. To its credit, Pentax also equipped SDM lenses with a drive-shaft coupling, so they can be used on any older Pentax AF body, albeit with the noisy, old-style AF. (The firmware on another recent Pentax model, the 10MP K10D, can be upgraded to use the SDM focusing.)
We had a chance to use this camera with the new 16-50mm f/2.8 SMPC-DA* ED AL IF SDM zoom ($900, street), and what a difference the built-in motor makes! We were particularly impressed with the manual focusing, which is nearly as well damped as on a classic manual lens. Pentax has also introduced a 50-135mm f/2.8 SMPC-DA* ED IF SDM zoom ($1,000, street). More are sure to follow.
While we've criticized the K100D in the past for relegating most controls to the menus, we've accepted that such cameras aren't meant for control freaks like us. With the K100D Super set to Program, it's a simple pleasure to use -- a point-and-shoot with great viewing. The basic controls are accessed easily enough using the function button, and the autofocus finds the subject readily, with little fuss.
Still, the economics here are questionable. The Canon Rebel XT is similarly priced, and 10MP DSLRs like the Sony Alpha 100 aren't that far up the price scale.
And if you have a bagful of Pentax lenses? Well, there's a sensational 10MP model that can use them all, and it's only a couple hundred dollars more than the K100D Super. It's called the Pentax K10D.
|
