9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Very intuitive
Date of Review: Dec 27, 2006
The Bottom Line: I would (and have) recommended this camera to friends and family because it's been easy to use and gives great results.
I am much more of an amateur photographer than some of the prior reviewers, so I won't get into the level of technical detail they have. I have used a lot of point and shoot cameras (print and digital), and have an 11-year-old Nikon SLR print camera that I've used for basic photography (nothing fancier than using the timer). We wanted to move to digital SLR because we kept missing the awesome things our new son was doing (due to shutter lag).
Intuitive is generally not a word I would use to describe most electronics or cameras. Yet what has really endeared the Pentax to me is the intuitive nature of its menus and basic functions. With very little review of the manual I was able to change ISO, flash, and mode settings. I've found it quick and simple to change the display and file size settings. The timer makes sense. The delay is really useful if you're going to take timed exposures without the remote. I've been a lot less afraid of trying new things with this camera, and subsequently have learned quite a bit about taking good photos. All this without having to haul out the manual whenever I want to improve on what I'm doing.
I've had no technical problems with the body or the lens.
When we were looking at upgrading to a digital SLR, we were considering a Nikon (because it would be compatible with our existing lens and we were somewhat familiar with it) and the Canon Digital Rebel. The Nikon was considerably more complex and it was significantly heavier. Because I have chronic tendinosis in both hands, heavier is not ideal for me. Because I have long fingers, I found the Rebel uncomfortable to hold - the grip was too small. The Pentax was in between for weight, but felt the most comfortable in my hands.
I love the fact that I can use a variety of batteries rather than being restricted to just the odd camera batteries. I typically use rechargeable AAs with regular AAs as a backup (in case we forget to bring spares). The rechargeables have a decent lifespan. I typically have to switch cards before swapping batteries (I use 1 gig memory cards).
Initially, I was a little disappointed in the shutter lag, but after changing a few settings (flash and red eye in particular) this improved. On manual focus, I don't notice a shutter lag. On auto focus the lag depends on how much my target is moving.
I did play a bit with the RAW file setting, but it's just too hard for me to manage and process these photos afterward. Doing so slows my computer significantly, perhaps because I don't have any special photo editing software and currently rely on Google's Picasa.
I have found it useful to have a telephoto lens. I would like to get an external flash, as there are times when the built in flash just doesn't meet my needs (this could be more about my skill as a photographer than the functionality of the camera, however).
I've had this camera now a little more than six months, and have used it both indoors and out. I have used it in sunny, shady, and dusk conditions outside. I've also tried a few timed exposures outside at night. Indoors, the conditions have ranged from brightly lit to dimly lit with a variety of sizes in the space (small room to large ballroom). I've been really happy with the color and sharpness of the photos (both when viewed on a monitor and when printed). I've only encountered graininess when I had too little light and the flash can't reach the subject due to distance, or when I've changed the ISO to something really fast.
