Digital Trends

Pentax K10D February 12th, 2007 | by David Elrich

Performance

Simply put: the K10D is lightning fast. Since it’s one of the newest D-SLRs on the market—witness the SDHC card capability--it has the latest electronics. You can go to the Pentax site and drown in the specs regarding the new processor and memory set-up. In the real world this translates to a camera that focuses quickly and saves large files to memory without breaking a sweat. It can save up to 3 frames per second in JPEG and blitz through the card without stopping. If you’re in RAW, you can save 9 images. I found the K10D to be much more responsive than the Canon Digital Rebel XTi and Sony alpha. In fact, I had to lighten up the pressure on the shutter since the camera was so “anxious” to fire.

I started taking shots in Auto then moved to the many manual options. Surprisingly, the K10D doesn’t offer any Program AE settings such as macro, portrait, landscape or high-speed shutter. I really think Pentax missed the boat for first-timers. That said, the camera had little problem grabbing focus (it has an 11-point AF system like the Nikon D80; the Canon XTi and Sony alpha use 9). A warning in the viewfinder lets you know when you have to pop open the flash. When in the up position, the flash acts as an AF illuminator; too bad Pentax didn’t offer this feature full-time. Since winter finally arrived in the Northeast, I took the camera out during a moderate snow storm. It was comforting to know the camera wouldn’t melt like the Wicked Witch when hit by a wintry mix.

It didn’t take long to get up to speed since the menu system is easy to read and quite straightforward (other than the issues mentioned earlier). I shot most of the images in JPEG but took many in RAW. The camera offers two types of RAW settings—PEF, a proprietary Pentax format, and DNG (Digital Negative), a more common setting most editing programs can handle. I opted for DNG. You should note the K10D has its own in-camera RAW processing but you’re better off working with the files on your computer if you want to make in-depth adjustments. After filling the card it was time to make 8.5 x 11 prints with no tweaking or use of the “vivid” settings on the Canon printer.

For the most part, I was very pleased with the prints. RAW and JPEGs shot on a crisp winter day had a blue sky that mirrored reality with zero noise. Colors of other subjects such as evergreens and cars were accurate and lifelike. Outdoors with Auto ISO there was barely a hint of digital noise. The camera has an ISO range of 100-1600 and I didn’t see much noise in the prints until 800—and even that wasn’t too bad. The camera reacted very quickly, even when shooting big RAW files. Images taken indoors with the flash were also very good, not washed out by too much light. And you’ll really appreciate the Shake Reduction shooting indoors with available light. Note: the K10D offers easy access to sharpness, saturation and contrast adjustments. It’s fun to experiment with. I liked my images with the sharpness ratcheted up a notch—but that’s my taste.

Conclusion

Any first-time D-SLR buyer should put the Pentax K10D high on the list—it’s a very good 10MP camera offering lots of room to grow as you spread your photographic wings. And its combination of good image quality, built-in Shake Reduction and sturdy build makes it a worthy contender for the competition and your credit card limit. As mentioned earlier, it’s a serious camera targeted to people serious about their photos. The price is serious too, currently selling for MSRP due to the demand. If you have a collection of lenses from Canon or Nikon, taking the Pentax path is more difficult choice since you’ll have to make a hefty investment in new glass. But it’s hard to argue with the value this camera brings to the table for first-timers.


Pros:

• Very responsive
• Good overall image quality
• Built-in Shake Reduction
• Rugged weather-resistant construction

Cons:

• No convenient Program AE settings (macro, portrait and so on)
• Supplied software is weak
• Supplied lens could be better