20 Most Recent Pentax K100D Digital Camera - Page 2 Questions & Answers

You can look at it but you won't see anything. If you want to see what you're shooting, you have to use the viewfinder.

The K100D works with SD cards. Your 4GB card is actually an SDHC card. While it fits into the slot is is electronically incompatible.

Consider NOT connecting your camera to your computer.The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster than connecting the camera to the computer, and won't run down your camera's batteries.Once the card is plugged in, it will appear to your computer as a removable drive. You can use the operating system's drag&drop facility to copy pictures from the card to the computer's hard drive, the same way you copy any other files. Or you can use any photo cataloging program such as Picasa.

Don't know what exactly the issue is, but digital cameras these days all have a setting to adjust the aperture. If a picture is dark, you can change the setting to have the aperture open for longer (this lets more light in). It wouldn't be an automatic setting, unfortunately, but this is something you have to do anyways when its dark outside and you are taking pictures at night. Just make sure you steady the camera (if the aperture is open for very long, then you may need a tripod) when taking the picture or else it will be blurry.

First make sure you are using fresh lithium batteries. These cameras indicate low batteries quite early on. Rechargeables even when freshly charged are marginal.

If the problem persists remove the batteries. Set the camera switch to the off position. Set the focus switch to manual. Wait at least a minute. Then replace the batteries and switch on again.

Operating with low batteries can confuse the firmware and it may be stuck in a low-battery loop. If this is the case this should reset the camera by allowing the electronics to power-down completely.

If this does not work you wiil have to contact pentax support.

It seems you need to open the camera and check the SD card slot.
this tip may help you How to fix a ‘card locked’ problem

Make sure your new memory card is an SD card. If it's larger than 2GB then it's actually an SDHC card. While it fits into the slot, an SDHC card will not work in devices designed only for SD cards.

I believe if its an hd camera it needs an eight or the card is bad and wont formatte

Obviously, the camera is defective. You need to return it.

You are looking for a feature called "live view" which the K100D does not have.

Either the mirror is not flipping out of the way or the shutter is not opening all the way. Remove the lens and fire off a few shots while you look inside.

Got the same problem here in Paris - methinks probably circuit board ko !?

This is seriously easy. Do not connect the camera to the computer.
Buy yourself a card reader from maplin, plug thaqt into the computer and then take the SD ard from the camera and put it into the card reader. The card will then be seen by the computer as a mass storage device and you can do what you wish with the images after that.
I haven't connected any of my digital cameras to any of my computers for about 5 years now.

You don't. Dots per inch (DPI) is irrelevant to the camera, and it sets it to 72 only because it needs to set it to something. DPI is only relevant when printing. You can set it indirectly by choosing the size of the print, or you can set it directly and let that control the size of the print. Either way, it's up to whatever program you use for printing, not the camera that shoots the picture.

Sounds like you want to do a lot of things with your camera but don't have the manual. You can download one at the support section of the Pentax website.

Try to use the default settings in the instructions or reset the settings in the camera.

Your circuit board is likely fried. If it is under an extended warranty, send it in and try to get it repaired. I had the same issue following a loud pop when using the flash on my K100D. You can try using a friend's flash but there is no guarantee that it will work, won't damage the flash, or do anything. If the friend's flash works, then you are better off buying an external flash than repairing the pop-up one because it will be roughly the same cost, and an external flash will yield better results than the pop-up ever could.
If the other flash doesn't work, then you need to send it in for repair because the circuits are definitely fried.
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Your best bet is to try a local camera shop and have them fix it. Cameras are dangerous to disassemble yourself because of extremely high voltage electronics that can kill you if you touch the wrong parts. I had a K100D and it's circuits were also fried at one point, so I can sympathize with you. Try taking it to a local shop and seeing if they can beat Pentax's price. Odds are good they will try, but do not attempt this yourself. Even if you could find the parts (which you likely can't) then you will end up better off having it professionally fixed.