Pentax's new K100D DSLR is compatible with any lens that Pentax has ever produced. This is intriguing news for fans of the traditional Pentax K1000, which was the outrageously popular camera for beginning photographers during the 1980s.
In your closet right now you might have the components to build a formidable digital system. The Pentax K100D is an affordable ($699 with 18-55mm lens) 6.1 megapixel DSLR featuring shake reduction technology, 11-point auto focus, 2.5" LCD, and a stainless-steel chassis that is built to last (much in the same way its predecessor the K-1000 stood the test of time).
If you have Pentax lenses stashed away, you might want to further investigate this camera. It's a handsome body with plenty of modern bells and whistles that enables you to use some of your favorite glass from the past. Nice move Pentax!
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Wow, I have a K1000 and a few lenses gathering dust in my closet. If I hadn't already bought the Nikon D70 a couple years ago, this would be something I'd look at very seriously.
I assume it has a few more automatic options than the K1000. ;-) With the exception of a through-the-lens lightmeter (which was great), the K1000 was totally manual. It was a great tool for learning the technical elements of photography though.
Yes, the new K100D is a fully functional DSLR with every feature that most photographers would want. But the lens compatibility issue is really interesting.
"... is compatible with any lens that Pentax has ever produced."
Wow! You mean I can use my spotmatic lenses, too?
I never quite understood the marketing of something called *ist, but the announcement of this new K100D series on the 30th year anniversary of the beloved Asahi-Pentax K1000 is a nice coincidence...or not!
I had to sell my K1000 to get my watch back from the pawn shop...which I am now regretting. True, it was gathering dust, but in a good way; the K1000 looks better on the mantle as a bit of photographic history than these new cameras do. I've decided I hate choosing, so I think I'll get both the K100D and Sony Alpha (went with Sony after deciding to go digital). Hey, a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II costs more than both of them combined, so why not...? I may look for a gently used K1000 while I'm at it.
It seems everybody is too young to see the sarcasm in my comment. :-)
For what it's worth, the K1000 was the first in a series of bayonet-mount lenses. Before that, they (Spotmatic, SP2, et al.) where all thread-mounted. In other words this camera is not compatible with my old Pentax lenses.
Not that it matters. They are heavy as rocks and not very good by today's standards.