Quick Review: Pentax K100D / Sigma EF500

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:53 am

.. I have one here, right now, because my wife stole my camera for the weekend, and I need something for the ice track tomorrow.

It's actually a K100D Super.

Quick comments:
- the menu system is very similar to the big sister - some adjustment available.
- it doesn't allow the ISO adjustment to follow the steps I'm used to - 100-160-200-250-320-400-500-640-800 etc - which is kinda strange
- for true optical preview there's a menu setting under "custom"
- to enable older lenses you MUST set it to MF AND allow the use of "non-A Aperture rings". It took me a while to figure this out, but both my SMC-M and A lenses work.
- I don't like the scene wotsits, but that's just me.
- I don't like the flash, either; it doesn't do second curtain,

and wireless DOES NOT WORK. I don't know / understand why on that, it's very strange. I have two Sigmas here, an EF500 and an EF-530 and neither work properly with wireless. I get a black pic. Bounced off the top, they're fine...
- A Sigma EF-530 does not like flat batteries. It refused to move the motor with the mirror on it properly. The NiMH akkus took well over an hour to charge - they were flatter than a very flat thing. Oops.

If you need to take a sigma apart:
- remove the rubber bits round the base of the top of the flash (where the button is to tilt the head)
- there are four screws under each side of this. Remove the two from each side corresponding to the half of the case where the two screws are visible near the lens. Undo those two too, so a total of six screws - 2 from the top, 2 the left, 2 from the right side - and ease the plastic cover off.
When you've satisfied your curiosity, it goes back the same way. End.
- I don't like the write speed, but that might be because of the card; I'll add one of my own in and see tomorrow.
- It's too small, I want a grip.

Overall: I quite like the 100D, I think I'd even like a K2000 for the wife, as that's even smaller. I am glad I went for the 10, and am looking forwards to getting some weddings so I can justify the 20

any questions, ask, as I can get access to this at a day's notice pretty much any time (it belongs to a very good friend).

Bret

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:40 pm

Next comments:
AF-C is available, but it's buried in a menu. Same thing with the different focus points. Not good. Metering is also there (Spot metering if you want it, and I do) ... buried.
- the limitation of three pics and then write is annoying until you accept it. Then it's just making you think about the pics. I missed some as a result of this, but there's not much I can do about that now.
- it did the complete session of 610 pics on one charge of a set of Sanyo 2700s. In -7 C. Very good.
- it's nice and light and the Auto White Balance is pretty good, in places better than the K10D.
I don't think I'd be disappointed if I'd got one of these as the starting point of my foray into DSLR; the main issues reflect around my increasing demands for lots of shots fast - which will also be hit with the K20D, as that's no faster. Oops.
I left it on manual today and was changing settings as I wanted to; nothing was more than 2.5 stops off

<-- very happy about that.

Bret

Post by **mr tibbs** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:16 pm

I have a k100D, I wonder what the difference between it and the super are?

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:57 pm

The super has a different coating on the sensor to try and keep dust off.

It also has support for the SDM lenses (that's DA* to you and me) and a slightly different JPG creation engine. That's it.

Bret