Detailed report Alex!!! On the DA40, store that nice screw cap with your socks and replace it with the cap from a Fuji filmbox, it pops right in and you won't lose any more shots ;-)
On 5/3/07, AlexG <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well, > > Got the K100d, FA50mm and DA40mm last week. So far, I've taken about > 300 pictures. Here are some comments... > > FA50 is great. So much better than the old M50... Truly great to have > autofocus capability in low-light situations. The old M50 was > IMPOSSIBLE to focus on the DL. Lens lookes cheaply made judging by the > pics I'd seen. While the aperture ring feels AWFUL (cheap and fragile) > in use, it's a non-issue as the lens sits on the A setting all the > time. The rest of the lens looks and feels good. MF is nice and > smooth, not at all the crappy feel of the kit lens focusing ring. > Image quality if of course excellent. Focus speed is very good. > > DA40mm is very impressive to see. It really is tiny. F/2.8 is far too > slow to use indoors. Lens cap is as annoying as everyone says it is. > I've missed a few good shots because I had to sit there and unscrew > the cap. Construction is good. MF feels OK. Focal length is... > strange. A bit too wide for my tastes. I dunno. Using this lens makes > it a challenge to get nice composition. I haven't taken many shots in > my life but I have a nagging thought that I prefer telephoto. I don't > know. Maybe it's a good thing... no need spend money on the FA28mm. > But then, I've never been out and about with my DSLRs so I haven't had > the chance to do landscape or architectural shots of any kind. Image > quality has been pretty nice. So far. I don't know what I was worried > about. Verdict? We'll see. AF speed is VERY QUICK (obviously) > > K100d.... Excellent camera. > -Redesigned casing makes for a better grip. Not as good as a larger > camera (right hand pinky still has nowhere to go) but the grip is > slightly thicker and the redesigned profile makes it easier to hold. > > -Some nice usability upgrades! OK button when shooting will show ISO > in the VF, slightly more customizable options in the Custom menu... I > like it so far. > > -JPEG quality compared to the DL == No contest. I don't like to > post-process. The camera's JPEGs are sharper and have very nice, > punchy colors, which is what I like. No complaints! The result is that > I can shoot JPEG in any situation now, whereas the DL would only give > good results in certain conditions in JPEG. > > -Shake reduction... AWESOME. Shots as low as 1/15 of a second (with > 50mm lens) and pretty much a sure bet. I've gotten sharp pics to as > low as 0.3 seconds, but at that speed it's hit or miss and depends on > your own hands' stability more than anything else > > -Battery life - about 400 shots on low-quality 2300mah NIMHs. No > complaints. Batteries cost a dollar a piece. > > -Focus speed: Much improved. Still not that quick in low-light > situations but much better than the DL. Where the DL would hunt > interminably at low-light, (hunt, overshoot, hunt, overshoot, hunt, > lock) the k100d will lock in more quickly (hunt, lock). Good lighting > AF is much quicker than DL. Maybe the motor has been beefed up, or is > simply being spun faster because the camera can keep up with it now. > Multi-point AF is still as useless as ever. I think i'll set it to > center-point. > > -Burst mode doesn't seem to be any faster than the DL. But I don't care. > > -Shutter (mirror slap) sounds nicer than the DL. A much more damped, > high-quality sound. AF sounds nicer too. Sounds like there's less > slack between gear teeth. (i don't know if the AF shaft is > gear-driven, but that's what it sounds like). > > -Camera interface: Pretty much the same, but I've noticed images are > quicker to load (playback mode). There is also a very quick fade > effect when loading a new pic. Very subtle but does a lot to improve > the 'feel' of the camera. Makes it appear more responsive. > > -LCD: Much improved. Better/deeper colors and much better viewing angle. > > -Pop-up flash is slightly taller. Maybe this helps with redeye. > > Verdict: If you have a low-end *ist-Dx series cam (basically, any > pentamirror *istDx) do not hesitate... Sell it immediately while you > can get some good money and upgrade to the k100d. I sold my DL > body-only for $300 bucks (USD). For $435, and 50$ rebate, the K100d is > a NO BRAINER. > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferand/ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
