After spending many years using Canon SLR and Digital SLR cameras, I've come to review the K100D, Pentax's entry level DSLR. I was not expecting much, but to say I was surprised is an understatement.
The camera is designed for a beginner: things like not using a battery pack - instead using four AA batterys - as well as the body being completely plastic give it away (although all of the internal components are steel). That said, it's up there with some of the more expensive competition when it comes to the photos it produces.
Fit and Feel
The K100D is one of the smaller DSLR cameras on the market, and as such sits nicely in the hand. 
The case is bolted together well, and feels like a quality product, it feels like a much more expensive camera than it is. The only downside to the finish of the camera is some of the doors that things hide behind. The SD and connection doors feel a little flimsy in comparison to the rest of the body.
The layout of the controls are well thought out and placed within easy reach of your fingers. All of the standard 'shooting' controls are clustered around your right hand forefinger and thumb, with all of the menu type functions clustered around the clear 2.5" display on the rear left hand side. The inclusion of the preview shot function is a nice feature. This allows you to take a shot, and see it displayed on the LCD screen (for a longer period when compared to the standard quick preview when you actually take a shot), without it going to the SD card. This allows you to setup the shot without having to switch to the review mode all the time.
The lens mount point takes any of the KA-Mount lenses available, however as with all DLSR cameras, lenses designed for normal 35mm SLR bodies will give a little headache with focus length conversions, luckily the conversion is a 1.5X calculation giving a 35mm lens the actual focal length of 52.5mm.
Article comments
1 - Wigwam Jones
The K110D does not have the shake reduction feature, the K100D does, as I understand it.
2 - Angelo Alaimo
"Note : The K110D is identical to the K100D, the only difference is that the K110D is designed for sale via specific Pentax partners."
Incorrect.
The only difference between the K100D and the K110D is the K110D lacks the Shake Reduction Feature.
3 - Ashleigh
Fair enough, thanks for that. I was going on the information supplied to me by the Pentax PR contact.
4 - Jack Stewart
There is a lack of pixel strength here and that is something important to me. I like to be able to zoom and crop the picture while still on the camera. I don't know if this one has that capability but the pixel strength isn't sufficient to do that effectively.
5 - Ashleigh
Cropping is not supported on the device itself. And you are correct, depending on the amount of cropping you would like to do, the 6MP is probably not high enough.