Pentax K100D Operation

Pentax K100D Operation

Operation of the Pentax K100D digital SLR is fairly straightforward, with actually only a handful of control buttons on the camera body to fiddle with. The large Mode dial on top of the camera controls the main operating modes, with options for Auto Picture, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Night Portrait, No Flash, Bulb, Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and Scene modes. Several of the Pentax K100D's control buttons perform multiple functions, which saves space and time. The E-Dial for example, controls a variety of settings when turned in combination with a press of a button, and the arrow keys of the Four-Way Arrow pad access shortcuts to common camera settings as well. The Pentax K100D's LCD menu system is straightforward as well, with four main menus accessible via a tabbed interface at the top of the screen. (All menus are available in all modes.) Considering the multi-functional controls and variety of menu options, it will probably take most users a little time with the operating manual to really get the gist of things, but operation becomes intuitive after that.

Viewfinder
Like most digital SLRs, the Pentax K100D has no live preview on the LCD. Instead, the camera has an optical viewfinder, where you get something better: a true live view of what you're about to shoot, with no electronic delay. 11 autofocus points are arrayed across the screen. You can pick which one you want to have the K100D use (in certain program and manual modes), or you can let the camera analyze the scene and pick what it deems best. Across the bottom of the screen, the K100D keeps you posted about its settings, including flash charge status, AF mode, Scene modes, ISO setting, Focus indicator, Shutter Speed, Aperture, EV compensation, Available images, and the AE AE Lock indicator.

Status Display
The Pentax K100D's monochrome LCD status display appears on the camera's top deck just behind the shutter button. It displays the Shutter Speed, Aperture, Flash mode, Drive mode, AF point info, AE metering mode, Auto bracketing, White balance, Battery level, EV compensation, and the estimated number of images available.

LCD Display
The Pentax K100D's LCD monitor is mainly for image review, though a Digital Preview option does let you verify your exposure settings before snapping a picture. Accessed by turning the Power dial to the aperture symbol, Digital Preview displays the framed image in the LCD monitor, allowing you to quickly check depth of field and approximate exposure based on the set variables. Otherwise, the K110D's LCD monitor serves as an information display in most record modes, when the Info button has been pressed (or when the Mode dial is turned). The information display reports AF mode, Mode dial setting, AE metering, flash mode, drive mode, auto bracketing, ISO, tone, quality, resolution, color space, white balance, date & time, AF point, saturation, sharpness, contrast, focal length, scene mode, and Shake Reduction status. Once in this display, pressing the right arrow key pulls up an explanation of the current exposure mode. (Pressing the left arrow returns to the information display.)

Playback Mode Display
In Playback mode, the default image display shows the most recently captured image, with a modest information overlay present. Pressing the Info button once pulls up the Pentax K100D's detailed information display, which decreases the image to a thumbnail on the screen. All of the same information is reported here as in the detailed display in record mode, listed above. A second press of the Info button brings the image back fullscreen, with a small histogram at the bottom of the frame. Any overexposed areas in the frame also blink, if indicated in the Playback menu. You can press the up and down arrows in this mode to move the histogram up and down in the frame. Turning the E-Dial in this mode controls the index display and image enlargement options. The index display shows nine thumbnail images at a time on-screen, while the enlargement feature magnifies images as much as 12x.

Pentax K100D Modes and Menus

Scene Modes: Marked on the Mode dial as "SCN," this mode offers a range of preset exposure modes for capturing images in specific situations. Eight Scene modes are available on the Pentax K100D, including Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Text, Sunset, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, and Museum. Night Scene uses longer shutter times to capture more available light in dark settings, and a tripod is recommended. Surf & Snow mode optimizes the camera for bright backgrounds, while maintaining color elsewhere. Text mode increases contrast for better capture of signs and documents. In Sunset mode, the camera employs a longer shutter speed while boosting color. The Kids and Pet modes both use faster shutter speeds for moving children and animals, while the Kids mode also boosts saturation for better skin tones. In Candlelight mode, the camera again uses a slightly slower shutter speed, and Museum mode is best for taking pictures in bright settings where flash photography is prohibited.

Program Mode: This mode is marked on the Mode dial with a "P." In this mode, the Pentax K100D selects shutter speed and aperture, while you control all other exposure variables.

Shutter Priority Mode: Marked with a "Tv," this mode allows the user to control the shutter speed, from 30 seconds to 1/4,000 second.

Aperture Priority Mode: Marked with an "Av," this mode gives user control of aperture, while the camera selects the shutter speed.

Manual Mode: This mode provides complete control over the exposure, with independent settings for aperture and shutter speed. Shutter speeds range from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds.

Bulb Mode: Marked with a "B" on the Mode dial, this mode offers unlimited exposure times, holding the shutter open for as long as the Shutter button is held down (and the batteries last).

No Flash Mode: Symbolized on the Mode dial with the lightning flash symbol and a slash, this mode operates similarly to Auto Picture (explained below), and disables the flash entirely.

Night Scene Portrait Mode: The symbol of a person with a crescent moon marks this mode on the Mode dial. Here, the camera employs a slower shutter speed and a synchronized flash to capture bright portraits in dark settings.

Sports (Moving Object) Mode: An icon of a person running marks this mode on the Mode dial. The camera uses faster shutter speeds to "freeze" action on fast-paced subjects.

Macro Mode: The traditional flower macro symbol indicates this mode on the Mode dial. Though actual macro focusing distances will depend on the lens in use, this mode optimizes the camera for capturing bright color in small subjects at close range.

Landscape Mode: The familiar mountain icon marks Landscape mode, which increases the focus range for sharp pictures of sweeping vistas. Saturation is boosted for bright skies and foliage.

Portrait Mode: An icon of a person's head and shoulders symbolizes this mode, which uses a larger aperture to decrease the depth of field, thereby producing sharply focused portraits in front of slightly blurred backgrounds.

Auto Picture Mode: Indicated on the Mode dial by "AUTO PICT," this mode puts the camera in control over the exposure, automatically selecting between Portrait, Landscape, Macro, and Moving Object preset modes depending on the subject. It also controls Flash, ISO, and other settings.

Playback Mode: Playback mode is entered by pressing the Playback button on the camera's rear panel. In this mode, you can scroll through captured images, delete them, write-protect them, and set them up for printing on PictBridge-compatible printers. You can also apply digital filters for creative effects.

Record Menu

Playback Menu

Setup Menu

Custom Menu