Pentax and Nikon offer digital SLR cameras under $600
By Jonathan Schlaffer
The Pentax K100D and Nikon D40 are both entry level digital SLR cameras. Both offer comparable features and both come in at similar price points. Anyone looking to begin shooting with a digital SLR should look to these two cameras first.
The Nikon D40 has been on the market longer than the K100D so let’s start with it. The D40 ships with an 18mm to 55mm zoom lens. Nikon overlooked the fact that some people might want optical image stabilization and automatic dust removal.
Pentax has managed to compensate for all of the D40’s shortcomings by offering both built-in optical image stabilization and automatic dust removal. But both cameras offer a 6.1 megapixel sensor, 2.5″ LCD displays for setting shooting options.
Pentax went a step further and offered up to true ISO 3200 sensitivity, the D40 tops out at ISO1600. While Nikon does offer lenses with image stabilization, those have to be purchased separately. The Pentax K100D is ready to go with just about everything you need right out of the box.
As far as retail price goes, the D40 and K100D are the same but online are in fact much different. The D40 goes upwards of $530 and some “shady” websites are selling the D40 without the lens. Nikon says the D40 is not supposed to be sold in the US without the lens.
The Pentax K100D can be had online, with the complete “kit” lens for $420 after a $50 rebate.
As far as choice, the Pentax K100D certainly wins in this case with a lower price, and the two features that the Nikon D40 doesn’t have, image stabilization and automatic dust removal. For entry level digital SLR shooting, the K100D should serve you well.
Related:
July 5th, 2007
I’m not going to lie, but i am going to be totally honest here.
This article is useless.
First off, the K100D was announced 6 months before the D40, therefore it has been on the market longer - much much longer.
This article only bases opinions on the camera through their features and not ease of use and image quality.
Both cameras are excellent in what they do, and both should serve you well. When you buy, look at images taken with both, look at lens prices, take note of how well the camera feels in your hands etc.
I’m no nikon fanboy - I shoot with a pentax K10D.
July 5th, 2007
Announced 6 months before, I don’t care when it was announced, I care when the products were actually available for purchase… and from what I can tell the D40 was available before the K100D…
If I could compare image quality of the cameras directly, I would do so, all I could do was include others’ opinions on the cameras and image quality…
Feature wise, the K100D stands out, that’s all I said, I intentionally avoided the issue of image quality, this was not supposed to be a complete review.
Pentax and Nikon were not kind enough to provided review samples.
July 7th, 2007
The d40 has ISO 3200 sensitivity they just call is HI 1 for some reason. Those dust removal systems are worthless. The kit lens on the d40 is much better than the one on the pentex and nikon offers much better other lens than pentex does.
July 8th, 2007
@ Jonathan
The K100D was on the market and available in August 2006 - the D40 was available almost immediately after it’s announcement in November 2006…..
How do I know the K100D was on the market before the D40?
Hmm, because I held it in a store ready to buy, but I decided to hold off until the K10D announcement.
Therefore the K100D was STILL 3 - 4 months on the market before the D40.
@ Dave
Have you used both kit lenses? If not, then I do not feel you are in a position to determine which lens is better! I do not agree dust systems are worthless.. i think the word you are looking for is useless. According to some, most dust systems don’t work (pentax, canon, sony) however most do mention that the olympus dust removal system - the first on the market - is effective! Dust removal systems are DEFINATELY not worthless - if they work.
It is true that nikon does offer more lenses than pentax; however, on average these lenses do cost more. Who cares about who offers more lenses than another? Which average consumer is going to purchase more lenses than the kit 18-55 and 55-200 telephoto zoom? I think the most important thing is optical quality - and this is a definate strength for pentax. Have you seen their FA and DA limited lineup? The FA limited lineup has been hailed “The best autofocus lenses ever made” by luminous landscape.
Back to the shottyness of this “review”
LCD displays for framing shots and setting shooting options
“But both cameras offer a 6.1 megapixel sensor, 2.5″ LCD displays for framing shots and setting shooting options.”
Framing shots??? These two SLR’s do not have live view like some oly’s or the Canon 1dmIII.
Ugh, I am SICK and tired of these poorly researched articles.
August 7th, 2007
by the way—the Pentax K100D does not have automatic dust removal system — this was just announced in July 2007 in the K100D Super.