9.6 out of 10

Pentax K10D

10.2 megapixels

Information found in: from 238 sources in 32 countries.

Best Price: $908

  • User Score (181)
    9.4 9.4 from 181 reviewers
  • Expert Score (43)
    8.7 8.7 from 43 reviewers
  • Design (23)
    9.4 9.4 from 23 reviewers
  • Value for money (21)
    10 10 from 21 reviewers
  • Features (11)
    9.6 9.6 from 11 reviewers
  • Ease of use (7)
    9.3 9.3 from 7 reviewers
  • Performance (2)
    10 10 from 2 reviewers
  • Picture quality (16)
    9.8 9.8 from 16 reviewers

Freak Rank

  • Buzz Index: 5/5
  • Activity: 1/5

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Manufacturer's Specs

  • Type:
    Auto-exposure digital SLR still camera with TTL auto focus, built-in retractable P-TTL auto flash, and CCD shift shake reduction and dust reduction
  • Effective Pixels:
    10.2
  • Image Capture Device:
    Type – Interline interlace CCD with a primary color filter (23.5 x 15.7mm); Total Pixels – 10.75 megapixels; Color Depth – 8 bit (JPEG) or 12 bit (RAW) x 3 colors; Shake Reduction – CCD Image Sensor Shift; Recorded Pixels - JPEG: 10M (3872x2592 pixels), 6M (3008x2000 pixels), 2M (1824x1216 pixels); RAW: 10M (3872x2592 pixels)
  • Focus System:
    Type - TTL phase-matching 11-point autofocus system (SAFOX VIII); Autofocus Modes - AF-Single (with focus lock), AF-Continuous, Manual
  • Lens Mount:
    Type - PENTAX KAF2 mount compatible with PENTAX KAF2, KAF and KA mount lenses; Power zoom function - Available; K-mount lenses - Usable with restrictions; S-mount lenses - Usable with adapter and restrictions; 67/645 lenses - Usable with adapter and restrictions
  • Exposure Control:
    Light Metering Method - TTL open-aperture metering with choice of: 16-segment, Center-weighted & Spot meter; Metering Range – EV1 - EV21.5 (At ISO 200 with 50mm F1.4 lens); Sensitivity - ISO Auto, Manual, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600; Exposure Control Method – Green, Program AE, ISO Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter & Aperture Priority AE, Metered Manual, X-Sync, Bulb; Exposure Compensation - +/-3 EV (1/2 steps), +/- 2 EV (1/3 steps); Auto Exposure Lock - Available; Depth of Field Preview - Via viewfinder or LCD; Auto Bracketing - 3 frames +/-1.5EV (1/2 steps) or +/-1EV (1/3 steps); Shutter - Type: Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter; Shutter Speed: 1/4000 - 30 seconds and Bulb; White Balance - White balance control: TTL Auto, Pre-set, Custom white balance; Available Settings: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash, Manual; Flash - Built-in retractable P-TTL pop-up flash; Operation Modes: flash on, redeye, leading curtain sync, leading curtain + redeye, trailing curtain sync; Guide Number: 15.6 (at ISO 200/m); Angle of View Coverage: 28mm (equivalent to 35mm) Flash Exposure Compensation - +1 to -2 (1/2 steps); Flash Synchronization: With RTF and via hot shoe; Synchronization Speed: 1/180 sec, P-TTL high speed sync and wireless sync with PENTAX dedicated flash
  • Shooting Specifications:
    Digital Filter - Black & White (4 types), Sepia (3 types), Color (18 types), Soft (3 levels), Slim (+/- 8 levels), Brightness (during playback); Drive Modes - Single-shot, Continuous 3fps to card capacity (JPEG), 9 frames (RAW), Self-timer (12sec, 2sec), Auto bracketing, Extended bracketing, Remote Control (0sec, 3sec), Multi-exposure
  • Dust Reduction:
    Image sensor vibration and SP coating
  • Time:
    Modes - dd/mm/yy, mm/dd/yy, yy/mm/dd; World Time - Displays the time in 71 cities (28 time zones)
  • Image Storage:
    Storage Media - SD memory card, SDHC memory card; File Formats - Still: JPEG (Exif 2.21), RAW (PEF, DNG), DCF (Design rule for Camera File system), DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), PRINT Image Matching III

Review Summary

The Pentax K10D is a 10.2 megapixel digital SLR camera that combines great picture quality with good handling for professional photographers. The camera is powered by a long-lasting Li-ion battery, and takes SD cards for additional pictures. Neocamera rates the Pentax K10D as excellent. They note that the camera is fitted with nearly every feature possible for a digital SLR camera: stabilization, dust-reduction, weatherproofing, advanced customization, digital white-balance and depth-of-field preview, and an unlimited continuous drive. They also note the features that make this camera stand out from the competition: sensitivity priority mode, shutter-and-aperture priority mode (the camera automatically selects ISO), choice of program line for automatic mode, digital white-balance preview and in-camera RAW conversion.

Digital white-balance preview is particularly interesting because it allows pre visualizing the effect of white-balance, eliminating the need for taking test shots until the desired results are obtained. Digital Photography Review mentions twenty features of the camera, including an 11-point Auto Focus with nine points (in the center) which are sensitive to both horizontal and vertical detail. They also mention that the camera supports high-capacity SD cards (4GB or higher) and includes a remote control from the rear (IR sensor). To attest to it’s ruggedness, Digital Photography Review notes that the K10D body has 72 seals which provide dust and water resistance. The optional battery grip is also dust and weather resistant with 38 seals. They note that it’s clear that Pentax is competing with the likes of the Canon EOS 30D and Nikon D200. ePhotozine agrees that the K10D is packed with features that have been well thought out in a body that has been built to withstand hard use. Pentax Photo Laboratory, the included photo editing software, is surprisingly good for free software. So, overall, according to ePhotozine, the K10D is a serious advanced amateur or semi-pro camera.

Edit
  • Shake Reduction feature incorporating a 10.1 megapixel CCD is compatible with ANY Pentax lens produced
  • High-precision SAFOX VIII 11-point auto focus (9 cross-type sensors) system with single an…

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  1. Pentax K10D

    Reviewer: Shopzilla
    1 week ago
    Overall 10
    10
     

    The Pentax K10D is quite a surprise. It might look like a 10-megapixel version of Pentax's existing SLRs, but it's not. It has a different, much larger body that feels like it's been hewn from a solid block of granite, and its performance matches anything... Read more

  2. Reviewer: photo.net
    18 May 2008

    The Pentax K10D is a high-quality camera with some innovative features not seen on other bodies in its price range. The K10D is the lightest smallest body that has extensive weather and dust sealing. Its backwards compatibility gives a photographer access to thousands of Pentax K-mount lenses from the past four decades. Default JPEG performance could be an issue, particularly for "pixel peeper" obsessive types. However, adjusting the JPEG processing settings will help... Read more

  3. Pentax K10D dSLR Digital Camera Review

    Reviewer: PhotoAxe
    15 May 2008

    Functions: • Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, Sensitivity priority, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, Shutter speed and Aperture priority, Manual • Metering: 16 area multi-segment, centre-weighted or spot • White balance: Auto, 6 presets, Manual and a Kelvin scale • Flash (pop-up) Modes: Flash on, Flash on + red eye, Slow-speed sync, slow-sync + red eye and trailing curtain sync • Effects: image tone, saturation, contrast, sharpness Technical Data: • 2.5 inch LCD • 1... Read more

  4. The Pentax K10D; The Digital K-Mount World Expands

    Reviewer: Shutterbug
    01 August 2007

    The Pentax K100D is an awesome camera for the price and works with all the 24 million Pentax lenses made since 1964. Now Pentax Imaging is “kicking it up a notch” with the K10D, a more serious, even professional, D-SLR as evidenced by its stainless-steel chassis. The camera is weather-resistant with 72 seals, including shutter release and all switches, levers, and dials. Pentax announced the optional D-BG2 Battery Grip that, along with the camera’s lithium ion battery... Read more

  5. Reviewer: Imaging Resource
    02 May 2007

    The Pentax K10D is unique. It's easily Pentax's most capable SLR yet. But it's not for everyone. Tuned for the advanced photographer, or anyone wanting to discover Photography's basics, the K10D has no true "easy" mode. You have to understand white balance to use the K10D well, even in Green mode, especially indoors; so I don't recommend this camera to novices. The indoor white balance issue was a bugaboo that I first found in the K100D, and it persists, apparently by... Read more

  1. Reviewer: asant, Photography Review
    28 May 2008
    Overall 10
    10
    Value for money 10
    10
     

    Pentax K10D (and K20D now) is the best camera on the market! Had that camera been produced by Canon, it would cost well over $2,000. This camera is without any doubt a proffesional tool and when mounted with the top pentax lenses (especially the limited series) it delivers just perfect results. What is the best and also quite strange about this camera is the following: I used it on several photographic workshops and when we compared the same scenes taken by K10D to Ca... Read more

  2. Pentax K-10D

    Reviewer: nickdunny, Ciao
    28 April 2008

    I picked up this camera in December after looking at the Canon's and Nikon's. I was skeptical at first because I had not heard much about Pentax Digital, but after hearing all the hype I decided to give it a try. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Read more

  3. Lousy picture quality

    Reviewer: Mike McLeland, Digitaltrends
    19 March 2008
    Overall 1
    1.0
     

    After only 5 months with my new K10D, I've made the difficult decision to get rid of it (everything, lenses, etc.). All the BLOGS acknowledge this camera takes "soft image quality pictures". The fact is that the image quality is NOT just "soft"; they're fuzzy, blurry and downright lousy. Pentax told me just to Photoshop all my pictures or shoot everything in RAW. OUCH! For this much $$$, you can definitely do MUCH BETTER than a K10D! Do your homework! Read more

  4. Ideal system

    Reviewer: GJL, Digitalcamera HQ
    09 December 2007
    Overall 10
    10
     

    After entirely too many P&S from (my favorite) Nikon, Canon, and Kodak, I decided to get back to SLR photography. After five months, I'm still grinning about the K10D decision. With a Tamon 18-250 lens, 40 mm LTD prime, and older thyristor flash, it's a winner. Highlights: Optical image stabilization in camera. I see its value daily. Comprehensive suite of manual functions. Manual functions easy to access with external controls (dials, etc. This means we actually USE ... Read more

  5. Reviewer: Ion Pirvu - Romania, Let's go digital
    03 November 2007
    Overall 9
    9.0
     

    The Pentax K10D delivers the best image quality for this price. Good looking camera with a solid body. The Pentax K10 dSLR is also capable for the older K-mount Pentax lenses. I highly recommend the Pentax K10D for every amateur who wants to buy a digital SLR camera. Read more

75 in English | 368 in all languages

  1. How to make blured background / nice bo...

    I have Pentax K10D and Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 lens :-) --

    forum.dpreview.com: Read more

  2. dslrs and LENSES

    I'll second the Pentax K10D recommendation above. A superb choice.

    forum.digitalcamerareview.com: Read more

  3. Pentax K10D ?

    Did some research , here is the more info on Pentax K10D digital camera

    forum.dcresource.com: Read more

  4. Which camera and lens to start with?

    Pentax K10D. Just saw it is down to $519 at some places after rebate. Amazing.

    forum.dpreview.com: Read more

  5. What did you ever buy based on reviews,...

    Got my Pentax K10D influenced by this web site. (and a few others)

    forum.dpreview.com: Read more

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