The K100D is the latest in a very long line of 6-megapixel Pentax DSLRs. What's more, the latest doesn't seem physically that different from the first, the *ist D. Not that there's much wrong with the design. The surprisingly compact body (considering it runs on four AAs) is built around a metal chassis and finished off with tough, matt-black plastics. This is a weighty, solid camera that feels a cut above its rivals.

However, is any maker wise to launch a new 6-megapixel SLR into a market already populated by a new generation of 10-megapixel models? The K100D's new anti- shake system is a bonus, but the Sony Alpha 100 has it too and comes with a higher-resolution sensor.

It's not all bad news, though. Although the Pentax seems dated in many ways, it produces very nice pictures. They don't have outstanding definition, unusually low noise levels or especially high dynamic range, but they do have a very subtle 'film-like' quality, with good contrast and rich colours. The K100D seems especially good at reproducing texture, details and tonal changes in difficult colours like strong reds.

If you're not too concerned about outright definition and have an eye for these subtler qualities, you might be able to overlook the K100D's 6-megapixel sensor. But that's not the only thing you'll have to overlook.

The good and the bad

Surely Pentax's designers could have done something better with the menu system? The blocky typefaces and kindergarten colours really undermine this camera's quality feel. That's a disappointment - the control layout is well thought out, and you can imagine that real photographers might have designed it.

It hinges on a single 'Fn' button on the back of the camera. Pressing this displays a facsimile of the four-way controller on the LCD, showing you which directional button to press in order to change the white balance setting, the drive mode, the ISO and the flash mode. This helps keep the camera exterior comparatively unfussy.

Elsewhere, though, the Pentax demonstrates again what a mixed bag it is. The main mode dial has a selection of picture modes: Portrait, Landscape, Macro and so on. But there's also a 'SCN' position for a selection of scene modes: Night, Sunset, Kids, Museum.