Pentax K10D 10.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body with Lens Kit - 0.71"-2.17"

Best of Class mid-level dSLR

Strengths: - Great Build quality - Good buttons and screens layout - Unique modes e.g. TAv - Speed and Picture quality - Value

Weaknesses: - AWB could be better

Summary: After long hesitations vs. the EOS 30D and the Nikon D80 which I tested over a WE, I could not be happier with my K10D.

The build quality is really first class - for instance opening the door to the PC connection and interfaces gives you confidence, this feel of the seal poping.

Functions are clearly laid out and while the K10D does not have any 'beginner' options other than the green mode (focusing more on advanced options - TAv mode is just what the doctor ordered, RAW button is very convenient), menus are very logical, buttons are well positioned and proof being in the pudding, I could get going without much reading of the documentation.

The picture quality is on par with the build. While there have been reports of JPEG processor issues, this is a bit unfair as those can be addressed in 3 clicks - for my taste, set the sharpness to +2 and contrast a tad higher, and I would challenge anyone to distinguish any (useful) difference with the RAW output.

Shake Reduction and Dust Removal (already put to use succesfully) are pretty handy.

The lens kit is good and better than most of the competition. Since I was in a spending, I also added the 50mm f/1.4 (FA mount) which is an outstanding value, the best price/quality ratio I know of. Do yourself a favor, don't think twice and grab it, you won't regret it, it is a stunning mix with the K10D.

I could go on with the K10D qualities so let's jump to only drawback IMHO: it does an average job with AWB indoors e.g. compared with my experience with the 30D. Luckily, there are several semi-auto ones which work very well, 3 custom presets and select and the fine tuning is fast and easy.

Finally, the Pentax digital lab software is adequate, works under Vista but as expected, it will never replace a Paintshop or CS3, no complaint here: it is included in the box at no extra charge.

Note: USB connectivity is excellent, the camera is recognized 8MB/s with a Sandisk Ultra II, downloads are blazing fast

The Pentax K10D has raised the bar in the DSLR arena!!!

Strengths: Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Image Quality, Color Accuracy, Battery Life, Shake Reduction, Sealed Weather Resistant Body, Solid Build, just to name a few!

Weaknesses: JPEG compression is a bit soft, the autofocus can be a bit slow if your trying to capture a fast subject, especially if your trying to capture multiple frames.

Summary: First of all I think this camera is outstanding and probably the best value currently on the market. Many of its features aren't even found on its immediate competitors. I was not committed to any one brand and compared all of the competitors prior to making my selection. If anything I tried to select a Canon since that's what I shoot in 35mm but couldn't afford the 30D and the XTi was just too small for me.

Now on to what I like about the camera. One of the most important things when looking for a camera, especially a digital, is how easy it is to use. The more you like it, the more you'll use it, and that's the whole point. The controls on the K10D all seemed to be in the right places. The shutter speed and aperture dials were easy to access without having to look for them. I especially like the quick access to many of the adjustments that I like to make, such as the metering mode (a lever right under the mode dial), and the auto focus point (a ring around the 4-way controller), and the EV compensation adjustment (again a dedicated button). The list goes on and on. These "dedicated" controls are especially nice if you like to shoot in manual mode a lot. Too many DSLR manufacturers bury their controls within layers and layers of menu options. By the way, the menus are easy to navigate and not too deep to where you get lost in them. Another really handy option is the dedicated button to switch from JPEG capture to RAW + JPEG. One touch does it. You can select to either have it capture just one frame, or continue in RAW+ until you press it again. If you like to do a lot of night time shooting you'll love the backlit LCD display on top (press the EV +/- button). It's a very nice green which make the black letters easy to see. The 2.5 inch LCD monitor in the back is bright with crisp colors and sharp letters for the menus. However, just like all LCD's it can be difficult to see in bright sunlight. One last note on the controls is that I really like the spring loaded memory card release lever. The way both the memory card and battery release levers work it would be pretty hard for them to accidentally open at an inopportune time!

The Shake Reduction (SR) system works well especially if your shooting in low light or with a telephoto lens. I'm not going to say too much about it since others have already done a good job describing it, however, remember it helps steady the camera not your subject! The kit lens isn't bad, but it doesn't show the type of image quality this camera is capable of. Pentax makes some very good lenses, so if you get the chance to try one I think you'll be amazed. I had a chance to try the 50mm F2.8 macro and it was awesome.

I mentioned that the JPEG compression was a bit soft which is obviously subjective but I think its a comment you'll probably hear from other users. One thought I heard is that it tends to make the pictures look more like those shot on film, which might be OK, unless your really looking for that super sharp contrasty shot. If so, just take the shot in RAW for now. Maybe Pentax will release a firmware upgrade to produce sharper JPEGs and allow people to change it if they wish. The new lenses are due out in March and will have ultrasonic motors built in as well as being weather sealed to match the K10D body. This should help address any concerns about auto focus speed for those who really need a fast lens. For most everyday shots (landscape, portrait, product photography, etc.) the current system is fine.

In conclusion, I feel that all of the cameras in this price range will produce excellent pictures, and they all have different pros and cons. But if your in the market, and not tied to another brand because of existing equipment or lens collections etc. I would recommend giving the K10D (under $1000) a good look before making your final decision.

Great K10D

Strengths: Outstanding I love it, easy to use, love the shake reduction feature.

Weaknesses: Included software is OK, but not great (as usual).Slight AF hunting in very low light levels.

Summary: The flash release button could be used for flash mode selection and flash compensation holding down and rotating the front and rear dials like Nikon cameras. And so is for White Balance selection: the Trash button holding down and selecting WB by rotating the rear dial. WB selection is much better even on *ist D and it was not perfect either. Apart from these two things.

The image quality is excellent - the Pentax metering system is very reliable and the camera produces beautifully rendered images with great detail, contrast and tone. The High ISO performance is in-line with the other 10MP contenders such as the D80 and the Xti with the camera offering low-noise levels but also superb tones and sharpness even at high ISO's. The same cannot be said for some other 10MP dSLR's which shall remain unnamed. The camera also offers two RAW formats including the Adobe DNG format. Add in the built-in CCD shift stabilization system entitled Shake Reduction (SR) by Pentax and you have a serious low-light machine. The CCD shift mechanism also provides the feature of Dust Removal to shake off those pesky dust spots that may get stuck on the camera when changing lenses. It also accepts the new SDHC format SD cards and can do continous shooting at 3 fps up to 9 RAW images or until the memory card is full when shooting Jpeg's so long as you have a fast enough SD card.

This camera promised a lot when it was introduced by Pentax in September and I can confidently say that it has indeed met and exceeded all my expectations. There are so many nice touches that they cannot all be mentioned in a review but I am finding smart and useful touches even still. Some other superb usability features are two new modes such as the Sensitivity priority (Sv) and Shutter & Aperture Priority mode (TAv). Another great feature is the digital preview image. This lets you take an image and displays it on the big and bright 2.5" LCD monitor and make adjustments. For example, you can turn the blinking highlight/shadow indicators on/off to see if any highlights are blown or if exposure needs to be corrected or you can go into the WB settings and change the WB settings and see the changing results in effect on the preview image that is stored in the cameras buffer (but not saved - so it doesnt take up space in your memory card). The camera is literally filled with smart touches such as this.

Perfect DSLR kit!

Strengths: It seems quite extraordinary that this camera retails for around half the price of the original *istD. With that in mind to criticise it seems a little churlish.

Weaknesses: Pushed to its extremes (ISO1600 in poor light) shadow areas do show some pattern noise. ISO display in VF requires push of OK button.

Summary: In my opinion, this is THEE bang-for-buck camera right now. The Shake Reduction feature is worth it's wait in gold...literally. I see myself saving hundreds of dollars on lenses in the future as a result of it. The camera takes excellent pictures. However, I would not necessarily recommend it to someone who shoots a lot of low light, high ISO pictures. While the noise grain has a fine even apearance to it, one will have to use some PP noise reduction to get the most out of the low light pictures. Outside of that this is a wonderful camera worthy of any serious amateur or professional who's looking to get good shots w/o carrying some anvil weight camera.

Wow!

Strengths: Focusing, color, speed, handling, ergonomics, everything!

Weaknesses: None.

Summary: I have looked at many cameras over the years and have been shooting cameras for about the past 12 years. I've even taken college courses on photography. Frankly, I was astonished by the abilities that this camera displayed, especially at its price point. After looking at cameras from Nikkon and Cannon, this camera beats them all. The only point that Nikkon and Cannon have over this camera is frames per second, but this camera beats all other offerings in every way. The color is astonishing, the dust removal system is great, the CCD is flouride coated. The ability to edit photos right on the camera is unsurpassed, and I've never seen this on any other camera. The image stabilization is amazing. The waterproof/dustproof feature is great. Quite frankly, the joining of Pentax and Samsung in the creation of this camera was a stellar success.

Excellent DSLR for all level

Strengths: battery grip shake reduction excellent RAW quality button layout rainproof Good battery life

Weaknesses: Mediocre AF speed No AF assistant JPEG image quality need improvement AWB noise P-TTL only

Summary: I've been Pentax user over 10 years since film SLR camera. K10d is truly a mid-ship DSLR at the price of entry-level DSLR. It outperforms most other DSLR at the similar level. Shake reduction is remarkable since it benefits thousands of pentax lens (even manual focus lenses) by allowing you to use them in low light condition. Now K10d brought back KAF2 lens mount, which allow you to use power zoom and ultrasonic motor equipped lenses. Use of power zoom is skeptical, but it's fun to show it off.

Use of high capacity SD card is recommended (4GB). I don't like the JPEG processing of this camera, since it lacks some sharpness on the edges. Well it is probably beneficial for those who work on the image later in the computer, but if you don't sharpen and just resize, you might be quite disappointed. I can see that this camera is designed for someone who is serious photographer. I don't think it is for occasional photographer with minimum use of digital darkroom processing. However, the RAW quality is excellent. You will get crispy clear picture with RAW format. You can take both format in the same time too.

I wish it supports beloved TTL. K10d only support P-TTL. There are not many good flash that support P-TTL. I think k10d has the most perfect battery grip in the market. It is well designed to synchronize with body and comfort to hold. Rainproof design is something that you will really appreciate when the body is paired with rainproof lens (new lens line-up). You will have dramatic picture in the rain without worrying about the camera.

I think k10d is the most satisfying DSLR in the market. If you don't mind lack of lens line-up, it is perfect choice. Since I love pentax limited lenses (quite expensive, but worthy), k10 was the must.

Great features and performance for the price

Strengths: Tons of options and possibilities, excellent image quality once you get hang of system. Super LCD and viewfinder.

Weaknesses: Default settings for JPEG images need tweaking. Takes a while to focus in certain situations. User manual details somewhat lacking

Summary: I have been reading reviews of dSLRs for months now, and eventually decided on the K10D. I am new to DSLR, plan to shoot in RAW at some point, but have started out with JPEGs my first two weeks of use, as a jump off point from what I was used to with Canon 4MP P&S image quality (S400 is still a classic!) Handle of K10D is good. I have small hands, but the extra weight (compared to Canon XTi, for example is not issue. After shooting for 2 weeks, I agree with other reviews about good ergonomics, grip and buttons being in good locations The JPEG image quality is excellent... once you know what image settings (EV, saturation, sharpness) to tweak. Default color and sharpness is a bit bland (underexposure and a tad soft, as other reviews may have mentioned). I am still trying to get into comfort zone about what compensation settings work best in what situations, but it is not bad after you have experimented a bit and are familiar with the options. (No more than +1/2 EV, and one step up on saturation and sharpness scale seems to do the trick). I don't doubt that RAW data will offer fine images. But I have not gotten into that yet. The menus are pretty intuitive. The main LCD display is great for displaying menus (bright, sharp; it is a bit dark for viewing pictures, by default, but that can be adjusted. The LCD panel for viewing current settings is a fine option, too (which some competitors do not offer). The optical viewfinder also offers current settings (e.g., aperture, shutter speed, EV) and under/over exposure warnings when setting up shot. Focusing is pretty good in most cases, but a bit slow in some cases. I get maybe more unfocused pictures than I would have expected. But, as a DSLR newbie, I am still not ready to blame the camera. Bottom line, the majority of shots come out well. I agree with those who say that camera should offer as much as possible out of box, with little tweaking, to promote more use and less sitting around post-processing. Canon is still the default image king for the price (i.e., if you consider XTi a entry-level DSLR, then you can't really beat it out of the box in my biased opinion I haven't touched other DSLRs besides my friend's XTi). As far as price, I definitely agree that if you are able to take advantage of all the options, K10D is a FANTASTIC price for serious amateur, compared to competition (e.g., Canon E30, Nikon D80). Canon XTi is a great camera, especially for getting the most out of the basics, and being lighter, too. But, I want to learn more and potentially do more; Pentax K10D pushes you toward using advanced options and working more with the images. If you want to get more advanced, and are not afraid to work with the images in post-processing (I can see that RAW processing will be a must to get bang for buck), then you will have a camera to last you for years to come. If you want something simpler, then K10D may not be worth the return on investment.

Awesome!

Strengths: Camera body is weathersealed, shake reduction, backward compatibility to almost every lens Pentax has ever made.

Weaknesses: None that I have found

Summary: The Pentax K10D is just awesome! When I decided I wanted a DSLR I did a lot of research on which brand had features that best suited my needs. I almost ended up buying a Nikon D80 but the K10D was my final choice for the following reasons:

1. Shake reduction built in to the camera body. This means the feature applies to any

lens used.

2. The camera body has 72 seals making it dust-proof and weather-resistant.

3. Camera size and weight.

4. Pentaprism viewfinder, Diopter is easy to adjust.

5. 10.2 MP quality, especially in RAW format is awesome.

I couldn't be happier with my purchase. The K10D is a totally great camera.

The best SLR I have ever had

Strengths: Shake reduction, great picture quality, super wide angle, sensor cleaning

Weaknesses: None up to now

Summary: I had planned to buy a Nikon 80D but then read a review in a German Digital Photo Magazine where it had been ranked as the NO. 1 in its class. I am glad I bought it.

I have been using it now for 2 weeks and have yet to find anything I don't like. High resolution combined with RAW offers unbelievable quality. You can even use older K-mount Pentax lenses. For continuous mode buy a memory card with speed of at least 130. Great deal!

K10d

Strengths: easy to use, great picture quality, good value in slr

Weaknesses: soft jpeg compression

Summary: 2007-03-21 18:49:09 i reviewed multiple slr cameras before purchasing the k10d. it is the only camera in this price range to offer a sealed body, sensor cleaning, and image stabilization. The picture quality is astounding, although some reviewers complain of "soft" jpeg compression. this can be dealt with on two ways. 1-change the settings of the camera to "bright" and 2. shoot in raw mode. this camera is also backwards compatible with all k-mount pentax lenses and m42 screw lenses with an adapter that costs less than 20.00 online. i believe this to be the best new slr on the market now, and an extraordinary value at this price point.

The most versatile of digital SLRs

Strengths: Layout of buttons on camera body Battery life Weather resistant

Weaknesses: Auto-focus on telephoto lenses

Summary: This is my first digital SLR purchase, and I did a ton of research before jumping into the Pentax lineup. I had been thinking about going the Canon or Nikon way. I didn't have any previous lenses to keep me locked into a brand, thus the research.

I have nothing but good things to say about this camera. I have never run out of batteries - which I thought would be a problem. I absolutely love the fact that there is a raw button on the camera without having to run through a menu, etc. The kit lens is of decent quality (with the rebate it comes out to be I think about $40 -well worth it).

I've heard that the jpg is soft in some reviews, and others disputing this. I personally haven't found it to be poor - but I've finally resolved to simply shoot everything in RAW as I don't lose any performance in the camera (in continuous mode I've been able to shoot 10 burst-mode raws before having buffering issues).

Another sweet thing about it, is that it takes SD card - no bent pins!! (Canon and Nikon use the CompactFlash formats, and the pins are on the camera - imagine the ordeal if that gets bent). It supports the latest high density SDs, so you can use the 8Gb+ cards.

For the money, the K10d is surely the way to go. Offers so many more features than any other camera at it's pricepoint. You won't be disappointed.

Best value of Mid-range DSLRs

Strengths: Low price, solid built, body Antishake, extensive controls, bright viewfinder

Weaknesses: AWB, less lenses available

Summary: This is definitely the best of its class - mid-end DSLRs. Comparing to similar Nikon or Canon products, it has following advantages:

1. Very reasonably priced, approaches to the price of the entry level DSLR of other brands.

2. On the function side, it has every feature that I need, nothing less than other mid-end DSLRs: extensive controls, solid build, weather resist, bright view finder, fast response.

3. In addition, it has build-in body anti-shake function, which makes every of your lenses become stabilized lens, even 3rd party brands and old manual lenses. A feature that neither Nikon or Canon has.

4. The only drawback is that currently Pentax has less available lenses on market, and even prices of the old lenses are increasing dramatically (another evidence to show the success of this camera body.) Hopefully, pentax will expedite the development of new lenses.

Overall, it is a very good camera!

Highly recommended for serious photographer.

Most Powerful Digital SLR

Strengths: well-built body, shake reduction, easy to operate, beginner to pro features

Weaknesses: no EV control for manual lens

Summary: K10D is my first DSLR. I have been shooting with my P&S for many years, I was first shocked by the nicely built body of K10D when I first open the box. It is a bit heavy to a first-time-owner of DSLR. The camera is a piece of art itself. The stylish design, comfortable grip and convenient control layout. I am lucky that I decided to go Pentax after I struggled couple of days between Sony A100 and K10D. Although the camera provides complicated and precise control of every single feature in shooting, it is surprisingly easy for a beginner to get started. I managed to take my first picture within 2 min after I inserted the battery.

The shake reduction worked like magic! I can see huge difference with and without it. With 1/4 second shutter speed, I can get clear image hand-held in low light which is not possible without turning SR on.

After playing with my K10D for a week, I found out that it has full spectrum of control settings all the way from beginner to pro features. You can use full-automatic on BW, EV, ISO, focus, file format settings, filtering etc, you can also use semi-automatic features or even completely manual control. It gives me the largest freedom for enjoying every feature of this camera.

Talking about drawbacks, the ISO1600 is a bit noisy, while, this is true for most cameras. I bought 6 Pentax lens from ebay with really low price (another benefit using Pentax), the manual lens can also be used for this camera, however, the EV adjustment seems not working under this situation. For manual zoom lens, the shake reduction requires to supply a focal length, which I am not sure which one to use.

In general, I am super happy with my K10D, it is a great camera, powerful and stylish. I will use it to start my journey to photography enthusiasm.

excellent camera

Strengths: very well built / this is the camera to buy and use for anyone from the amateur up to the pro. it has it all and give you all

Weaknesses: none at this point

Summary: I started in photography when aged 14

with my parents woigtlander non removable lens

got a student job and safed my money to buy a minolta slr

did alot of learning with it then after 2 years sold it to go to a nikon F1

had 2 bodies 6 lenses and did in those days tons of slides

in those days the nikon F1 was in my opinion ""THe Camera"

well the K10 is that today

fantastic system and enormous possibilities

great job and congratulation Pentax.

JPG.

This camera rocks

Strengths: IS is functional and helps, built beefy, low price.

Weaknesses: Not a many accessories as other similar models from other companies.

Summary: After thinking about buying the Canon XTI for quite a while, I jumped on this camera due to a low price available at Dell and using the manuf rebate. Camera with 18-55 ended up being less than $600, couldn't pass that up. The IS is quite good, happy with the purchase.