Pentax K10D
2006’s popular K10D continues to provide competitive value as a mid-range digital SLR. Camera shake reduction, weather-resistant seals, and a bright viewfinder make the camera an attractive choice for the advanced amateur.
The K10D’s 10 megapixel sensor and PRIME imaging engine generally work well, but its JPG files have been criticized for mediocre sharpness. (This can be avoided by shooting RAW files instead.) Other minor problems with ISO settings, long time exposures, and wireless control were fixed by a firmware upgrade after the camera’s initial release.
The K10D will more than satisfy all those people who are keen to upgrade from a film-based Pentax system, providing more features and capability than the entry-level models that the company has previously released.
The new K10D is Pentax’s first foray into the serious-amateur digital SLR market. It’s bigger, tougher and more feature rich than any Pentax digital SLR before it and it certainly carries a wide enough range of features to worry the ‘big name’ brands.
Pentax were probably the leading supplier of advanced amateur and semi-professional cameras in the UK but the intervening years have seen them drop down the pecking order.
As is the case with all D-SLRs, Pentax does not include a memory card with the K10D. So, unless you already have some SD cards laying around, you’ll need to buy one.
Pentax could have been one of the first camera companies to launch a purpose-built digital SLR. It announced the development of an impressive-looking 6-megapixel full-frame DLSR, codenamed the MR-52.
Starting with image stabilisation, the K10D follows the Sony (and now Olympus) strategy of physically shifting its CCD sensor to counteract wobbles.
the K10D can offer image stabilization with every Pentax-branded lens that can be fitted to the camera. Some older lenses that don’t transmit focal length information to the camera body require the user to manually enter the focal length through the menu system.
The 10.2 megapixel sensor makes this the highest resolution Pentax digital SLR currently available. 22bit colour data is collected and processed by Pentax’s specially developed PRIME (Pentax Real Image Engine) image engine.
This camera was never seen as a strong competitor, and its follow-ups, the DS, DL, DS2, and DL2 never really distinguished themselves, either in terms of features or market penetration.
As part of a system, the K10D remains reasonably cost-effective, as well. Pentax offers an inexpensive, well designed battery grip and a decent, not-too-painfully priced array of amateur and pro KAF2-mount lenses and flashes.