Pentax K10D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens Reviews

• Top of a Star-Studded field!

  
  By A2UQK3DAZ8NO2T on 2006-11-19
  It's a great time to be buying a 10 megapixel SLR, as all the top manufacturer's have new, 5-star models. So let's examine: What do we want most? Great photos, a well made camera, and features that will let us achieve our photographic goals. The K10D delivers.
  
  All the top contenders will deliver excellent results that can be made into poster size prints with great color and detail. Although we can point so some shortcomings (like the poor performance of the Sony Alpha 100 at ISO 1600), image quality is something that is still in the eye of the beholder.
  
  However, features are features, and the K10D has loads. The first thing you'll notice is the solid feel in your hands. It feels robust, and the shutter has been tested to 100,000 shots (same as Canon's bigger brother 30D). But to this, we add something else not found in any other camera in the class: weather-proofing. The body contains 72 seals to help keep dust, dirt and moisture on the outside (the optional grip has 38 seals).
  When you put on the optional grip, it really does feel like a part of the camera, not a wiggly thing that might come off.
  
  To get those great photos, the K10D has all the standard feature set, plus a few new ones (like "sensitivity" mode), which will come in hand for some people, but of more partical use to many will be the ability to define what "Auto ISO" range the camera can use. Want the camera to be able to use 1600? Done. Pentax's metering systems have always been well thought of, but you'll get center-weighted and spot metering as options, too. Their "digital preview" can be very handy in setting up the proper white balance.
  
  The viewfinder is the largest in it's class (although the D80 is the smallest fraction behind). When viewing through it, you'll see the 11-point autofocus. What you don't see is that the nine central segments are "cross basis" points, meaning they focus on both vertical and horizontal lines. The other competitors simply have one, the center segment, that is cross-basis. This may not help it focus faster, but it should improve accuracy. Additionally, the focusing mode is easy to change. A switch up front allows you to select manual, single or continuous autofocusing, while a dial on back allows you to change from spot focus (only the center zone), wide (allows the camera to select) or free-floating (you select any of the eleven zones, and can change it quickly with the key-pad on the back of the camera).
  
  The choice of the SD/SDHC cards is great. This small cards avoid the dreaded "bent pin" issue of the compact flash cards, and the SD are compatible with a hugh number of compact cameras as well. Another nice touch is the optional remote control. It can trigger the camera from the front AND from BEHIND the camera, and can store inside the optional grip. I also love the fact they included the .dng standard for RAW images, as this is an open standard developed by Adobe.
  
  And there is one feature that Pentax now leads: Shake Reduction (or VR, or IS, or SteadyShot). First, like the Sony, the SR is built into the camera. So for a modest cost up front, ALL your lenses get some stabalization...even older manual focus lenses! And as a side benefit, you get a slight benefit in keeping the sensor clean. But what most people don't understand about Pentax SR system is that it is a THREE AXIS anti-shake system, something that no other maker offers. In-lens, or the Sony rail system, compensate for you shaking left/right & up/done. By combine these two, it compensates for diagonally, too. What they do not compentate is for "rotational" shake. Imagine a line running through the camera lens to the subject, rotating the camera around this axis. The Pentax SR system uses magnets and bearings to allow the sensor to free float compared to the body. Tremendous technology.
  
  Pentax has been a bit light on their lens selection, but keep in mind that this uses every Pentax 35mm lens ever made, and 3 exciting new lenses that they recently announced (16-50 f2.8; 50-135 f2.8; and 60-250 f4.0, all weather sealed with ultrasonic motors) make them very competitive. For a first lens, the 18-55 is hard to beat. It's well made, featuring a metal lens mount, and the internal focusing allows for easier use of filters and a more efficient, included, lens hood.
  
  Buy the Canon XTi, Nikon D80 or Sony Alpha 100, and you'll get a terrific camera. But for my money (yes, I did buy one), the Pentax K10D is the best.
  
  

• very good camera !

  
  By A314SSFZKE4FVN on 2007-02-01
  A million words have been written about this thing, and this is not an attempt at a comprehensive review, so look above or on dpreview-com for complete info.
  
  I looked at Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony DSLRs. The Sony makes sense if you already have a bag full of Minolta lenses, which I don't. Canon and Nikon put their image stabilization in the lens, which makes their 'good' lenses significantly more expensive. Canon EOS is not backward-compatible with their old FD lenses, of which I -do- have a bagful. Pentax is backward-compatible with all K-mount lenses made since the 1970s, and will even take 645 and 6x7 lenses, with adapters.
  
  Sooo, I set out to ease into DSLR ownership with a K100D, then started reading the reviews, and it was a bunch of little things that made me want the K10D. The viewfinder has an actual prism, not a mirror cage like cheaper cameras, the displays are backlit, and the low-res mode (1800 x 1200px) is exactly what I want for certain applications. With 10 Mpx, I can point & shoot if I have to, and crop (somewhat) more later. And the controls are more 'classic' camera-like than the 'scene modes' on beginner cameras. Not to say this would be worth the price difference to everyone, but I bought the K10D, and the Pentax 12-24mm / 4.0 lens, and am very happy with both.
  
  Digital cameras use less of the image projected by the lens, so your lenses are 'longer' than they would be on a film camera. Downside: for a 'journalist lens', had to buy the 12-24mm, which is equivalent of 18-36mm on a film camera. Upside: my old 50mm / 1.4 is now equivalent of that top-of-the-line portrait lens I never felt I could afford. Pentax plans to introduce in 2007 a 16-50mm / 2.8 and a 50-135mm / 2.8, which sound fantastic - but let's see what they cost before we get too excited. Meanwhile, Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron offer some very adequate alternatives.
  
  Camera and lens together are pretty heavy, just like an older SLR, and the LED screen cannot be used as a live viewfinder - no image gets to the sensor while the mirror is down - so you have to hoist the camera to your eye to compose a shot. No problem, I'm used to it, and it's common to all DSLRs.
  
  ((My personal feeling is that the SLR platform is just about done. It's hard to see the need for the mirror box in a digital camera, which can use the actual sensor to compose the shot through the lens and display it on the back. Future top-end digital cams will probably be a lot flatter, like the old rangefinder cameras. Look at the Olympus E330 or Panasonic DMC-L1 to see what direction I think we should be headed.))
  
  Having said, I am very happy with the Pentax K10D, it behaves as it's supposed to, and an affordable (barely) 12-24mm rectilinear lens was unthinkable just a few years ago. This camera has a ton and a half of features and capabilities, and I am still sorting them out. There is definitely a learning curve if you are to get the most out of the camera, but there are also two full program modes, including 'green zone', so you can start shooting right away with good results. Pictuers come out great. Colors, brightness, and contrast need almost no adjustment or photoshop-ing, which has not been true of any other digi-cam I have ever owned. Happy with this, until the next big thing comes along.
  
  

• Innovative features rocket K10D to front ranks in prosumer DSLR race

  
  By AJPH8OQSWKR7K on 2006-12-18
  The marriage of Pentax camera expertise, and Samsung's bottomless R&D war chest ("SamTax"), has spawned the great-leap-forward K10D DSLR that promises well-earned laudits for a camera maker inexorably squeezed by wealthier competitors. Pentax' first entry into the DSLR world (the oddly-named *istD), although a fine performer, failed to compete pricewise with comparable Canon or Nikon entries. The smaller and better market-positioned 6MP *istD-S (which I own) arrived too late to give the hugely successful Canon Rebel a serious run for its money; and Pentax eventually retrenched with cheaper penta-mirror products just to keep a foot in the US market (ironically, the digital Rebel series had cut costs from the start with a seldom-mentioned penta-mirror).
  
  The tradeoff for any low cost DSLR, as against the costlier pro models, was the substitution of menu-driven operations for the latter's simpler and faster buttons and dials -- a maddeningly tedious and unintuitive cost-cutter, made all the more frustrating in bright light on small LCD displays. Even selecting the focus point (grid, spot or select) meant a trip through pages of menus, not aided at all by the infamous penchant for inscrutable abbreviations. In effect, the time lost in flipping the camera to scroll through on-screen menus all too often meant either photo opportunities lost, or just reverting to a digicam's one focus mode fits all. Moreover, adequate as 6MP might be for most, the megapixel race to 8 (then 10) MP sensors left Pentax bringing up the rear of the pack.
  
  But no more! The K10D is an altogether different beast, a handsome sturdy 10MP workhorse, with enough racing blood to lead the current (Dec 2006) DSLR pack. I shan't repeat here the praise for its fine quality pictures, but instead focus on the more arcane issues that affect purchasing choice between 2 or 3 finalists such as sensor dust removal, image stabilization, solid glass pentaprism, and retrograde lens and accessory compatibility. The exposure mode dial now is all professional, with just a single intelligent automatic setting - gone are the smiley face and jogger icons - while adding a novel mode selection for ISO-sensitivity priority.
  
  Pentax has tackled the bugaboo of dust attracted by the electrostatically charged CCD sensor -- a gotcha when changing DSLR lenses -- on 3 fronts: a new dust-repellant sensor coating; sensor vibration at startup (employing the sensor stabilization mechanism) to shake off dust; and -- a laudable first in the prosumer field -- a fully dust and splash sealed body that lets you take `clean' pictures in the desert as readily as in the rain forest [just don't change lenses in the open!].
  
  Image Stabilization (IS) counteracts the problem of muscle tremors and pulsatile blood flow that destabilize the hand-held platform, by moving either a lens element or the camera sensor mount in the opposite direction -- allowing longer exposures (extra `stops') without incurring motion blur -- an impressive advantage when shooting fast action or in low light. There are two approaches to IS: In-the-lens IS (as used by Nikon and Canon) builds a gyroscopic element into the lens assembly, offering speed and specificity, but adding front-end weight, expense and complexity; the pro is that in-lens stabilization is fast and can be transferred to same-make camera bodies (with matching power contacts), the con is that you pay dearly for the IS mechanism each time you purchase a new lens. In-camera IS (as used in the K10D and Sony alpha), conversely, moves the sensor so as to counteract platform instability -- once you purchase the camera body, you'll always have IS, whatever lens is mounted. This makes for full backward compatibility so that you can attain IS with your older lenses. The con is that the sensor's counter-movement must be matched to the lens characteristics, thus is slightly slower than the in-lens system. The in-camera sensor-moving mechanism, moreover, performs double duty as a sensor-shaking dust removal feature. The K10D further refines IS by floating the sensor electromagnetically, adding rotational to linear stabilization. Oversimplifying: if you need to shoot sports, races, or wildlife for a living, go for the Canon/Nikon in-the-lens stabilization; if your requirements are less extreme, stick to in-camera stabilization for a wider choice of less-expensive lenses to expand your system.
  
  On paper at least, the K10D's 22-bit A/D converter sounds attractive, but realize that even RAW images still remain at 12-bit depth; the claim of enhanced color rendition remains to be proven by benchmark testing. Contacts are in place to accommodate forthcoming lenses with hypersonic focusing motors, speeding autofocusing towards the Canon/Nikon range. Indeed, other than for slightly slower auto-focusing, PopPhoto benchmarking rates the K10D's resolution and image quality as Excellent, and noise from Very Low to Low at ISO 800-1600.
  
  In sum: The Pentax K10D (and its GX-10 Samsung sibling) emerges as a company breakthrough, in that it offers outstanding image quality, very low digital noise, and image stabilization inside a dust & splash sealed body -- all that with some of the highest-rating metal-mount kit lenses around. The well illustrated manual too has benefited from the new regime. Unless you require ultra-fast auto-focus in low light, the slightly slower autofocusing should not deter you; better yet, new USM lenses are on the way. In-camera IS makes the K10D a windfall for Pentax lens owners; its innovative features are a challenge to the "big guys".
  
  

• I just can't put it down

  
  By A3KFLGZV2CC22X on 2006-12-24
  This is my 3rd dSLR and will probably be my last. I can't see where it can be improved. I know, all cameras have flaws and can be improved, but this one is so near perfect it is hard to believe.
  
  From the moment I handled it and played with the focus i was hooked. It locked on focus fast, very fast even in very dim light. You always (well almost always) knew exactly what was going on and how well the shot would be. Playback of just shot images is good, expecially with the ability to blow it up to 20x to check focus.
  
  So lets look at a few of the cameras important features.
  1. It has 11 point focusing, 9 of which are cross which means it easily grabs focus on difficult objects. And the viewfinder shows you what part of the scene is the focus point. With two adjustment wheels you can easily switch settings.
  2. shot to shot time is fast and in JPEG you can shoot until you are out of memory without slowing up.
  3. switch to RAW and back to JPEG without moving your eye from the viewfinder. And you can control how the button responds, i.e., just one shot or all the rest until you turn it off.
  4. weatherproofing so that you can keep shooting even when it gets misty
  5. solidy built, plastic over a stainless steel case. It will survive most hard knocks.
  6. In camera shake reduction which means that any lens becomes image stabilized when mounted on the camera
  7. the ability to set shutter and aperture and have the ISO automatically adjust for the shot
  8. easily moves from a beginners camera (when in the "green" mode) to a pro camera with almost all the features a pro needs.
  9. four channel histogram to better evaluate your shots
  10. long battery life. 300+ on a charge.
  11. very wide selection of lenses going back to the 1970s that are usable and are image stabilized when used on the camera.
  12. wireless remote both front and back.
  
  There are a lot more very nice features and a few that are not, but nothing that makes my question my purchase even the slightest. As is so typical, the manual is not the easiest to navigate. Even after a month there are some features I still haven't gotten comfortible with but am getting there. I like the backlight for the top LCD and would like the numbers in the viewfinder to be a little bigger or brighter or both.
  
  Summary
  During the 2 + years i have been teaching a digital photography course (Intro to Digital Photography at Emeritus college in Santa Monica, CA) I have owned 3 dSLR and at least 12 other digital cameras. This one is far superior to anything that I have tried, researched, or finally bought. It is hard to put it down, both figuritively and physically.
  
  DoctorJerry
  
  

• Some issues prevent this from being THE camera to beat

  
  By A15TDT8A3CH11K on 2008-01-02
  I've personally owned the following digital SLR cameras:
  Original Canon Digital Rebel, Nikon D70, Canon 20D, Pentax K10D, and now the Nikon D300
  
  Out of all the DSLR's on that list, the only one I ever returned was the Pentax K10D. Prior to purchasing it, I read every review I could find and felt that I was making a well informed decision. None of the local shops carried the Pentax K10D, so I had to order it online, sight unseen. On paper, the camera was definitely impressive with weather-sealing, sensor dust reduction, sensor anti-shake, etc. However, once I received the camera, I found myself becoming frustrated with some of the issues.
  
  First off, the JPG images from the camera were definitely softer (lacking sharpness) as compared to any other DSLR that I had ever owned. This was later confirmed in tests that are viewable on www.dpreview.com Although conversion of the RAW files into JPG corrects this issue, I have neither the time nor patience to post process every photo that I take. I prefer JPG images that are printable right out of the camera without the need for image manipulation. (I shoot both JPG + RAW and use the RAW as a digital negative)
  
  To make matters worse, the issue of JPG sharpness is not resolved with increasing the sharpness level in camera. Worsening my impression of the camera was poor white balance performance. Indoors, too many of the photos had a sickly yellow cast which required reprocessing of the RAW files or shooting with manual white balance to counteract. Lastly, the camera's metering system was all over the place. With the main subject in the center of the screen, if I took three pictures in a row without moving an inch, one photo would be overexposed and another would be underexposed. I quadruple checked to make sure that exposure bracketing was off, but this issue would pop up at random.
  
  I'll be the first to admit that the camera I received (it was definitely brand new) might have been defective. However, given all the issues I was having, I decided to return the camera and resumed using my Canon 20D. The faster speed of the Canon (5fps) as well as the better autofocus (hunts less in low light) and better high ISO performance were all factors that returned me to using the Canon. I truly wanted to like the Pentax K10D, but was ultimately unable to make it work for me.
  
  Given the number of positive raving reviews here, I'd say that just about everyone who owns one likes it. However, from my own personal experience, I'd say this camera was less than the sum of its parts. The price is indeed tempting considering how low it is compared to similar offerings from Canon/Nikon/Sony/Olympus, but I'd recommend trying this camera out in person before plunking down your hard earned cash. Also, be sure to take a SD card along with you so you can save some images onto the card to review later. If you like what you see, then by all means buy the camera and be happy.
  
  
• Glad I waited
  By ATKH27CNMP1C7 on 2006-11-29
  This is my first digital SLR, I moved up from an extremely capable Panasonic FZ20. I've actually been looking for an DSLR for a long time and checked out the D80, A100, and XTi, but in every model it seemed as though something was missing. The D80 took great pictures, but was more expensive than it's competition, lacked shake protection, and it didn't have any dust removal features. The A100 sounded great since it had everything I wanted, but it ended up taking not so great pictures and it really felt cheap in my hands. The XTi was close, but no shake reduction and it was really too small for me (very uncomfortable).
  
  I really waited a long time to get the K10D and almost bought the D80, but I'm glad I waited. The K10D is perfect for me since I don't have lots of money to spend on lenses with VR or IS. Also, although Pentax does not have as many lenses as Nikon or Canon, the Pentax lenses are cheaper for their optical quality. I personally bought the 18-55 kit lens and the 50-200 lens and both feel really solid, have metal lens mounts, and are optically pretty good compared to the competition.
  
  Another thing that was really important to me was the weather seals on the K10D. Although I wont use them that often (to my knowledge Pentax hasn't released any sealed lenses yet), but I'm glad I have it now. I remember last time I was in Hawaii it was raining during a trip through the rainforest and I was unable to use my camera since I was afraid it might get ruined. With the K10D I hopefully wont miss anymore pictures in the rain and I read that even unsealed lenses are very hard to ruin with water. It's a shame I didn't have weather seals before since I most likely wont go to the Hawaiian rainforest again.
  
  I have had some problems with the K10D though. The noise is pretty bad at high iso (800-1600), but less than pictures I've seen taken with the A100. The 18-55 lens has some vignetting at 18mm and also the aperture is not constant it's 3.5-5.6 on the 18-55 and 4-5.6 on the 50-200. The lens cap is sort of tricky to take off with the hood on. My K10D also front focuses sometimes (rarely) which can be annoying, but I read that this happens with most other DSLRs, and it also has some problems focusing in low light. I really haven't used it enough to see if the dust system really works, but so far I've had zero problems with dust.
  
  Overall I'm extremely happy with the K10D and I can't imagine using a different camera. It feels extremely solid and if I dropped it I doubt it would break. The TAv mode is priceless and I'm set to that 90% of the time. I can't believe no other companies have that feature. Anyway, I can't give the camera 5 stars since it does have some flaws and I will no doubt find more after using it longer since I've only had mine for about a week (I've taken about 500 pictures).
  
  
• A very good semi-pro digital SLR for legacy 24x36 Pentax lenses
  By A3TL9VKZR5WLH1 on 2007-02-18
  First, let me state that I just received this camera and only took a few hundred pictures to test it. Second, given how little choice one has in Pentax lenses nowadays, the only reason I can conceive for buying this camera today is to use discontinued Pentax lenses. In my particular case, I had a 28-70 f2.8, an 80-200 f2.8 and a 28-200 f3.8-5.6, all of them for 35mm SLRs. I consider the 28-70 and the 80-200 by Pentax second to none in their respective categories in terms of pure image quality, although they are heavier than their Nikon and Canon counterparts, and they are superbly built. By all means, should you come upon a perfectly kept used one, do consider seriously buying it! (just know that the power zoom function will work, but not the auto zoom).
  As for the 28-200, it is the ideal lens for an expedition, because it is extremely compact and fits all your needs in terms of focal range, although you end up paying for that in terms of sharpness.
  Of course, as for all lenses designed for 24x36 film SLRs, they exceed the requirements for APS-format digital SLRs. The only inconvenience is the you end up a little short ond the wide-angle side, on the other hand you now have a super-tele zoom at 300mm 24x36 equivalent.
  Going back to the K10D, I must stress again that it would be a waste to use it with the cheap lenses available in Pentax's current line-up. The upside on this unfortunate state of affairs is that Pentax has to price this camera very aggressively compared to Nikon or Canon (the recently launched Nikon D80 costs around 100$ more than the K10 and is inferior to it both in terms of construction and features).
  A second caveat is that if you are going to shoot in RAW format -and you should-, Adobe does not support yet the PEF format for this camera. Luckily you have the choice of using DNG, which works wonderfully. Picasa users will have to wait to view their RAW pictures, though, since Picasa doesn't support the RAW PEF or DNG files created by the 10 MP sensor on the K10. I have to make an update about this: if you shoot RAW DNG and import your files through Adobe, the imported DNG files(weighing around 21 MB as opposed to 16.5 MB before importing) are viewable on Picasa.
  Function customization is outstanding and the most used functions are accessible through dedicated buttons. Both displays are excellent and the camera really is weather-proof in that all the keys use o-rings as well as all the compartments, which close very tightly.
  I have a second update to make, and it concerns the sensor-based image stabilization: I was a little skeptical about it in the beginning, but when I took some pictures with a focal length of 105 to 135 mm(24x36) at speeds of 1/40 to 1/50 I was amazed by the results. Although I was at least 2 stops too slow, more than half the pictures were excellent and only about 10% were unacceptable. I take a lot of wildlife pictures and I look forward to trying this image stabilization system when following a moving subject: what happens to the background? (with lens-based VR systems, it is best to turn them off in this situation).
  
  
  
  
• Pentax rewrote their playbook and delivered
  By A1FMW67EEO3EIG on 2007-01-09
  I have only owned or used Pentax cameras for the past 23 years From P-3, to SF-10 to PZ-1, 645 and then the ist D and have been published with everyone of them. I know the K10D is taking my photography to a new level. This camera deserves the pro grade label vs the "advanced amateur" label of prior products by the photography elite. Having shot near 500 frames since this month, I am very impressed with the AWB accuracy and the antishake. I shoot alot of manual focus macro and recently was late day on the backside of Mt Hood and could shoot snow crystals hand held at 1/25th of a second without a tripod. Could never do that with any other camera. They claim 3 frames a second, but I clocked mine at 4 frames per which is plenty fast. One other item is the extended autobracketing to a total of 5 frames. Though I need to work with this more, I am very impressed with the ability to also bracket on white balance. Gone are the days of filters, now you can add the equivalent of the old 81B warming filter within the same sequence of shots. I still need to add the vertical grip, to give better vertical control but this camera is quickly become a value added enabler to my creativity. The amount of control I can exercise is pro level, yet if you are a first time buyer, the program function user interface will enable anyone to take great shots right out of the box. Firmware is stable and I have not had a single issue with this product. Well done Pentax!
  
  
• Best value in pro-am DSLR cameras
  By A2QC1Y8HM7RIIV on 2007-03-15
  I bought my K10D in Dec 06 after owning a number of Pentax cameras over the years and being very pleased with the engineering. The combination of features, if executed properly, make this camera the best buy in 10MP DSLRs right now. I postponed my review because I wanted to get some real field experience. I just went to Mexico, and panicked because I left the camera instruction manual behind. I can now report on that trip. I did a little fumbling at first, mainly because I didn't have the manual, but I was soon able to find the combinations I wanted, and the camera performed both flexibly and intuitively. The AF button and the exposure compensation button are very well placed. I found myself in difficult lighting situations often, and both AF and exposure metering worked quite well. I also took some hand-held shots that I normally would use a tripod with (such as at 450mm), and very few came out fuzzy because of camera movement. In a few cases, I used bracketing, and was easily able to obtain a good balance of details in one or more of the bracketed shots. Exposure metering worked so well that I stopped bracketing. I particularly liked the display modes: I could boost the brightness to see the display even in bright daylight, and deep zooming gave me a good check of whether a shot was "soft" or not right at the scene. The rechargeable Li Ion batteries, although not readily available in stores, seem to last forever (even using power zoom, and full-bright display, and some fill flash). I believe that I could have shot all week (700 shots in RAW (DNG) + JPEG) with the battery grip attached. In summary, this camera was a pleasure to hold, very easy to use and manipulate, and resulted in a high percentage of crisp photos (even if the percentage of well-composed shots was lower because of the photographer). I bought it because of its compatibility with Pentax lenses, 10MP sensor, shake-reduction technology, larger display, and especially the dust and water seals. But what makes me quite happy about it is its overall ease of use and good results. I am still discovering its features, but I already know that this camera frees me to be creative in ways that other cameras have not in the past. Some of the features on this camera are unique (new program lines) and some are available only on cameras costing several hundred dollars more, making the K10D a good choice and a best buy. Once again for Pentax, the engineering is supurb.
  
  
• Beware of dealers and battery claims!
  By A3L4XQ2WJHURMU on 2006-12-13
  Luckily, I didn't fall off the turnip truck. I ended up ordering my K10D from Broadway Photo, after having cancelled an order at Century 21 Photo. They BOTH tried to up-sell me a battery, Century 21 claiming that the camera didn't come with a battery at all, and Broadway trying to tell me that the one that comes with the camera only lasts for 20 minutes. The batteries they wanted to sell me cost $140, which is not surprising since they also charge $400 for a 2 gig SD card! Pentax rates their included 750 mAh batery at 500 shots. If that's not enough, you can get a 1700 mAh battery on eBay for $17.95.
  
  
• Shooting "out of the box..."
  By A3IJMGVOWPBCPJ on 2007-05-28
  I recently acquired a Pentax K10D DSLR with a Pentax SMCPDA 16-45mm Zoom f/4.0 ED/AL Lens and a Tamron 70-300mm Di AF Lens to cover everything from wide-angle to zoom - telephoto situations. I fitted the lenses with the standard UV filters and the camera with the Pentax BG2 Battery Grip (more about this later...)
  
  I previously owned a Canon EOS-10D 6.3MP Digital SLR with a Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens & a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens with the usual filters and accoutrements - I owned the whole kit since 2003 and used it extensively through Mexico, the States, Europe & Africa - all in all an excellent camera and lenses.
  
  After recently becoming "savvy" on the new technology available - I decided to "upgrade" myself to bigger resolutions and newer "pluses" - I did extensive research and finally decide on three candidates:
  
  1- Leica DIGILUX 3 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera (with Leica D 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 ASPH Lens) with Optical Image Stabilization.
  
  2 - Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR.
  
  3 - Pentax K10D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (with Shake Reduction.)
  
  After extensive research and reading many reviews regarding these three cameras - I came to the conclusion that the Pentax was going to be the better choice for the money over the amount of features, reliability and brand performance - in other words I definitely think that I'm getting more "bang-for-my-buck" over my other two choices. The reasons I did not choose the other two were:
  
  Leica - of course is legendary and their lenses are superb - unfortunately this camera was compared too often to the Panasonic DMC-L1 - actually it was a joint venture between the two companies - that kind of "cheapened" the Leica on my view - no offence to Panasonic Lumix owners - is not just what I was looking for / "not my cup of tea." Also, the technology / features that the kit contained were too little for the price. My other choice in Leica was the M8 - just a dream of a camera, but way out of my regular "Joe Blow" budget! - This is the camera I would have if price was no object - but reality strikes you hard!
  
  Sigma SD14 - I am still very intrigued by this camera and the technology it uses - maybe when it is a bit more proven and upgraded in a few features I will do the "jump" into the Sigma realm - the experts keep calling it the "wildcard."
  
  As for the brand I used - Canon - nothing wrong with it - it is just that the competition - Pentax and Sigma are offering a better rounded package than what they are offering at the moment - I was interested on the Canon EOS 5D - which I could've used my old lenses - but for the price and the offerings, others give more.
  
  So... I finally decided to "shoot out of the box..." and leave the market dominated by Canon and Nikon and try a different flavor this time around.
  
  Conclusion: I am extremely pleased with my choice of the Pentax K10D over the other venerable brands (especially Leica!) - the camera does have some issues: speed of auto focus (not consistent, but adequate) - speed of continuous shooting (again not consistent, but adequate) - the battery grip is useful as it can automatically switch to a 2nd battery - very handy - I just wish that they would've applied the same concept to the SD card compartment - it is just for storage - it does not switch for photo recording purposes - I just find it a bit silly to stop and remove the card from the compartment, do the "switcharoo" with the used card and replace the compartment back on the grip - I know... moans-and-complaints!
  
  Overall compared to my previous equipment - this is by far the best camera that I've owned.
  
  I've used: Minolta (film) - Olympus (film) - Leica (film) - Sony Mavica (digital) - Canon (digital.)
  
  I've already tried it using both lenses in a variety of sceneries - high daylight, dawn, lots of shadows, nature, etc - and I am nothing but extremely pleased with the results!
  
  
• Something *ist DL owners may want to know
  By A3K6YAT6PN95PI on 2007-01-21
  I owned a *ist DL for about 8 month and bought this upgrade. I don't have any experience with Cannon or Nikon. So my review is mostly based on a comparison to *ist DL. Hope this will help those in the same situation.
  
  I am not a Pro and will not be a Pro. So I only need a decent but inexpensive camera with a handful choice of lenses. I bought K10D mainly for (1) shake reduction (2) dust removal (3) RAW button (4) 10MB CCD. Of course, there are plenty other features to expect. At this pice level, I think K10D beats Cannon and Nikon and any others. Plus, I have had a DA 50-200mm and a couple of K and M42 Takumar manual lenses. Sticking to pentax is the best for me.
  
  After about 150 test shots, I can share you some of my opinions:
  
  Pros:
  -- Shake reduction is great (but it has its limit)
  -- dust removal comes handy
  -- RAW button is very useful
  -- manual choice of any one of 11 focus points, great for composition
  -- faster focus than *ist DL
  -- rich functions, e.g. SV mode, program line
  -- support ISO 100
  
  Cons:
  -- Weather-seal does not mean too much if you don't get weather-sealed lenses
  -- 10M is not much bigger than 6M (*ist DL), it is good to have but don't expect a big difference (but this is not Pentax or K10D's problem)
  -- Battery meter drop from full to empty without stopping at a half-empty status
  -- PentaPrism viewfinder is not brighter than the pentamirror of my *ist DL (at least no noticable difference)
  -- shutter release is not as crispy as *ist DL (just a personal feeling)
  
  It's bigger and heavier than ist DL. Great ergo design. I am happy with K10D. I take one star off for the cons listed.
  
  PS: the ccd/stablizer slides inside (even power off) when you flip the camera. a little scary when I first got it. But after some reading I think it is "normal".
  
  
• Great price for a great dSLR with lots of features
  By AKS80VIR3HK51 on 2006-12-24
  I spent weeks doing research into what "prosumer" dSLR I was going to purchase this year, and this one definately came out on top. It is solidly built, and takes remarkable photos. I opted to get the body without the kit lens, although I've heard that the kit lens for this camera is good. I bought the body through Amazon, along with a Tamron 17-35mm DI lens, and a 75-200mm DI lens. Even with a 28-80 Pentax lens that was from a film SLR, the photos come out great.
  
  Pros:
  - Incredible image quality, even at ISO's of 800 or more.
  - Solid body. Feels like it will last longer then the others I looked at such as the N80 and D20.
  - The shake reduction is an added plus. There is not need to spend extra $$ to get this feature in lenses.
  
  Cons:
  - Selection of lenses is limited. Tamron and Sigma have limited availability of Pentax mounts.
  - A bit bulkier then expected. None of the photo shops around me had the K10D in stock, but it was described as being about the same size and weight as the K100D's that they had to play with. The K10D is a bit heavier, and the form is a bit different from the predecessor.
  - I read in another review on a photo site that there is a thud heard when you move the camera side to side while it is off. Mine does the same thing. I now know that it's the orientation sensor.
  
  
  
• The Pentax for Professionals
  By A1HP007AUAZEWI on 2007-11-21
  I purchased this camera immediately after release. I've been shooting with Pentax cameras since the early 1990's. Admitedly, I was slow to switching to digital, primarily because Pentax took longer than most to come up with a digital SLR. I wanted to hold out because of the amount of money I had invested in the lenses, flash equipment and other accessories. So when they finally came out with one, the *IST D, I bought it. At the time, it was fine for what I needed. But as time moved on I needed a camera that had more professional features. I had to wait again. So long, that I almost sold my entire Pentax gear and was going to move to Sony. Then right before I was ready to sell, they came out with the K10D. And I can confidently say that it was worth the wait. For us professionals who don't shoot Nikon or Canon, we needed a 10 mega pix or higher camera, with faster continuous shutter, anti dust, blur reduction, a more rugged body and of course, one with a great processor. Thankfully Pentax delivered just that. For my type of shooting (swimsuit models and glamour photos) I find that coupled with the battery grip, a large memory card, and the FTZ 540 flash, I find myself completely satisfied with what the camera gives me. The shake reduction is a great feature to have and find myself using my tripod less and less. The focusing is quick and reliable, even in low light (with a high speed lens). Even though the standard flash synchronization speed is 1/180, this camera does have high speed synch with the appropriate flash. The camera does take better photos in the RAW feature. Not as sharp with JPEG, but this is under CRITICAL tests. For what virtually everyone will be shooting, the high quality JPEG, coupled with a great lens, like the DA*50-135mm F2.8, or the film FA*28-70mm lens, the results are spectacular. I find that I like my settings on "Bright" image tone and contrast on 3. It really makes the colors pop. The factory settings tend to be a little soft on the contrast and I prefer hard contrast. While shooting a bikini contest in Spain, I had to shoot in some rain. The rain didn't even bother the weatherproof body. This combined with the weatherproof lenses are pefect for humid counties such as Mexico and the occasional rain you may encounter. The battery lasts for a long time on one charge, but it's best to have the battery grip just to play it safe. The light meter is highly accurate and the custom user features are great. I find myself shooting in manual mode all the time, but knowing that a simple touch of the green button gives you instantly perfectly exposed shots is a nice. It saves me from hunting for the perfect exposure. The biggest advantage is that the Shake Reduction technology is sensor based, not lens. So you can mount any lens you want on the body and the shake reduction will function. This is not the case with Canon or Nikon. So Pentax has the edge on that one. Occasionally, when I've enlarged my images to 200x the normal size, I have found the occasional hot pixel, or dead pixel. It will be a green or red color. Since then, my camera has been serviced by Pentax (a cleaning that I needed after the swimsuit event. All that sand and dust does a number on your gear!) and they have since run a program on the camera that has eliminated this problem. If you are undecided on what brand to go with, I can only tell you to go with a brand you trust and one that you have had a good experience with. If you want the most bang for your buck, the Pentax K10D will deliver what you need and more. It is the most fully featured SLR for under $1,000. You will not get a better deal anywhere. However, if you are a sports photographer, the continuous shutter speed is slower than the Nikon and Canon. It's fast for my needs (3fps) but if you shoot a lot of fast moving subjects, this camera will not be the best choice. But if you want quality, reliability and a wide lens selection, the K10D is just what you need. The camera truly is a tool for photographic artists. In the wide array of choices for an SLR camera, every brand is great. But I can some it up in saying that if you want a tool to bring out the best in your artistic expression, Pentax is the brand to choose. Nikon is for the photojournalist, Canon is for sports photographers, but Pentax is for artists.
  
  
• Finally, a small pro machine from Pentax!
  By A1YB113MEH7IR4 on 2007-01-09
  Pentax has been knows for the finest glass in the industry, but after the 1960's or 1970's their professional gear has all been medium format.
  
  Well, the digital revolution finally woke them up. Many pros have been using Pentax 35mm cameras because of the glass, and the *st D was a good holder for the lenses.
  
  So now they finally came out with a pro-spec digital (too bad about the failed MZ-D years ago) and it's not the 645D, it's the K10D!
  
  The camera is solid, robust, uses a high-voltage power supply, and with the battery pack is one mean machine. Plus, it natively saves in DNG format so pros don't have to wait for Thomas Knoll at Adobe to profile the camera - native DNG goes right into Adobe Bridge!
  
  The shake reduction feature makes ALL your lenses IS lenses, not just the $[...] monsters. The 300/2.8 and 600/4 are still available, should you want them and have the money to spend.
  
  The most impressive part to me is the fact that it automatically senses the orientation of the photos. Portraits don't have to be rotated after the fact, which saves time in post-processing. For a working photographer, that means a lot!
  
  Over all, for image quality and features, you can't match it until you get up to the hyper-expensive Canon 5D, at which point you're better off going medium format digital. The 645D will be the one to look for.
  
  But for the regular photographer, this is one serious machine!
  
  
• It may have been a long wait, but it doesn't disappoint
  By AENCY402J6A3R on 2006-12-16
  Well, I've been holding out on making the switch from film SLR's to DSLR's mainly because I can get higher quality digital images with film and my halfway decent film scanner. I've adored Pentax since beginning with the K1000. I decided, finally, to make the switch when I heard Pentax would be coming out with their own advanced amateur DSLR, something to rival the Nikons and Canons out there.
  
  I ordered my K10D over the weekend and got it 2 days ago. I've take it out in and havve taken around 300-400 images so far, mostly testing out the various modes and settings and trying to get a feel for all of the settings. Even in the less-than-ideal conditions brought on by overcast skies and low-lighting conditions, the camera has performed outstandingly. The images come out sharp and with great color. The Shake Reduction(SR) is an amazing feature to have built into the body. It is a wonderful feature when using my new telephoto lens, particularly on these low-light days that I've been contending with.
  
  I'm impressed with the white balance modes, though I have not been particularly impressed with the Auto WB with the low-lighting conditions. I find that have to manually adjust the white balance in certain conditions, but these auto features aren't ever completely perfect.
  
  The layout of the camera is well designed and I have bee very happy with the controls. The camera feels solid and reliable in every respect.
  
  As I get more practice with using the camera, I'll happily update this review with what I've learned and any extra pros or cons I discover.
  
  
• "Awesome DSLR!"
  By ADBV76UZ98WYM on 2007-07-09
  After many years and photos taken with my point-n-shoot Canon S500 Digital ELPH, I've finally moved up to a DSLR! The digital camera market has suddenly become flooded with DSLR cameras aimed at the "prosumer" (professional consumer) with a price point of $400-$1000. Without going through the entire list of DSLR's I had considered, I'll only tell you of my top three.
  
  The Nikon D40x was No.3 on my list. The D40x gets high marks amongst many in the hands-on world, and it's price of just over $700 at Amazon.com made an attractive selling point.
  
  The Sony A100 came in at No.2 with top notched features (most of which can be found on my No.1 choice), and an impressive assortment of A-mount lenses from both Sony, and Minolta. One of the best selling points of the Sony A100 for me was that I could get away with buying the body only ($608 at Amazon.com) and use my older Minolta lenses.....what a savings! I still have my old Minolta 400si 35mm film camera with a 35mm-70mm AF zoom lens, and a way-cool 24mm wide angle lens of which I would love to still be able to use.
  
  Finishing at No.1 was the Pentax K10D (retail $1000) with an impressive array of features to excite the masses.....this camera just felt right! My first 35mm SLR camera was a Pentax K1000 bought back in the mid 70's. I learned everything about photography with the K1000. So it only makes sense to return to the point at which I started. Go check out all of the features of the K10D over at the Pentax website.....and watch the video! Amazon.com offered the best price at $835.49 (plus a $50.00 rebate brings the final price down to $785.49). I also picked up a Pentax BG2 Battery Grip for the K10D for $124.33. When you buy both the K10D along with the Pentax BG2 Battery Grip at the same time, you get an additional $75.00 rebate for a total of $125.00 in rebates from Pentax. Plus I joined Amazon PRIME which gets me free 2-day shipping.....cool! The Pentax K10D comes with a 18mm-50mm f/3.5-5.6 auto focus zoom lens with lens hood & lens cap, battery & charger, neck strap, USB 2.0 sync cable, flash shoe cover, viewfinder cover, A/V cables, and Pentax Photo Browser and Laboratory software to process/edit RAW files.
  
  The major selling points for me on the Pentax K10D:
  
  *10.2MP
  
  *Shake Reduction (SR)
  
  *Pentax Real Image Engine (PRIME)
  
  *Dust Removal System
  
  *Two RAW file format
  
  *Instant-on RAW button (no menu access needed)
  
  *BG2 Battery Grip option. (It's extra battery extends shooting time)
  
  *11 Auto-Focus Points (vs. Sony's 9 Auto Focus Points)
  
  *Universally recognized flash mount (Sony's A100K is proprietary)
  
  *Sensitivity Priority AE (Sv) Mode (eliminates the need to recall a menu screen for sensitivity changes)
  
  *Top mounted back-lit (green) LCD
  
  In all fairness.
  I must admit that the Sony A100 has almost all the same features as the Pentax K10D, but what of Sonys future? Will Sony continue to support their DSLR market and product line in the long run. Sony has been around since the beginning of time, but they jump from one area of electronics to another so fast that it worries me. Anyone can discontinue a product line or even leave an entire market like Minolta did when they got together with Konica several years ago only to then sell off the 35mm product line to Sony a few years later......bummer. I just feel better about going with Pentax right now.
  
  So what sucks?
  It's the Pentax Photo Browser and Pentax Photo Laboratory software. The Photo Browser works well when simply downloading images from the camera or card, and viewing them on your PC, but the Photo Laboratory software opens several windows with different tools all over your desktop.....yuck! Don't get me wrong, it works, but it's got some funky and sometimes janky tools.....I just didn't like it. I tried PhaseONE LE which is another RAW image editor that's offered as a FREE download with the purchase of a Sandisk Extreme III 2.0gb SD card. This application also sucks, as it's only a LE (light edition) and missing some of the better features of the PRO version.....nice try! I Went surfing and found Raw Therapee which is a FREE RAW image editor. It works, but suffers from janky tools just like the others. But at least all of the applications tools and features of Raw Therapee are conveniently located in one UI (User Interface).
  
  Best of my bunch.
  The current winner is my out dated version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0, and it's built-in photo browsing plug-in. It will grab my images directly from the camera or SD card, load them into Adobe's photo browser for viewing. If I need to edit the RAW image it offers up a separate "mini editor" for quick adjustments, then dump the image into the full version of Elements (still in it's original RAW format....cool!). From here I can continue to edit or adjust the image before saving it out as a JPEG. All of these RAW images editing apps require way more steps than I would like, but if I'm to take advantage of the true power of today's DSLR cameras, I'm just going to have deal with it...."You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit"!
  
  Current conclusion.
  I'm happy with my Pentax K10D. It's body grips, as well as it's weight & balance feels correct in my hands at all times. The viewfinder is adjustable, and appears surprisingly bright and clear to my tired and sore eyes. Being able to make shutter speed, aperture, and ISO adjustments on the fly with the front and rear e-dials is worth the price of admission. I also love being able to preview white-balance setting with an actual image from my SD card.....Awesome! When In JPEG mode the shutter just keeps snapping photos at 3fps until the SD card is full, that's something I could never do with my smaller Canon S500 Digital ELPH. I charged the battery right out of the box a few days ago, and the K10D still shows a full charge after at least 200+ test shots.....wonderful! The Pentax BG2 Battery Grip will add an additional battery which should increase the cameras up-time. It also add's another shutter release button (for when shooting portraits), e-dial, and remote control compartment. The BG2 Battery Grip is still in-route with UPS, but once here my system will be complete and I'll be good-2-go! My plan is to bring my photographic skill back to the level I once held back in the 80's. With this new Pentax K10D, I think I'm off to a good start. I'm looking to reclaim my "Photographic Jedi" status, so look for a revamp of DigitalDred.com soon!
  
  
• Love my new K10D
  By A1SHBRROCEX8B7 on 2006-12-04
  Just got mine this week, replacing my Canon Digital Rebel. I got the kit with 18-55mm lens, and also got a 360Z flash and 50-200 lens. Very happy with it, though TONS to learn on how to use it well. It's solid, works well in 21 degree (F) weather as well as inside, and gives gorgeous pics. The Shake Reduction helped me get some good dusk pictures at our local train museum. Only word of warning, is that it is NOT a point and shoot. By just doing that, I managed to get some blurry pics and some nicely focussed pics of the back of someone elses head instead of my wife, due to not figuring out the Autofocus yet. But I love the ISO sensitivity features (adjust aperture and speed, ISO changes to match) and the shake reduction really does work well. The lenses and flash unit work great too.
  
  
• What a great dSLR
  By A1CIRL4EX3DKVA on 2007-08-12
  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 (Now 1month and ~1k photos in).
  The build quality is really first class. 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 which should on every dSLR, the 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. And otherwise the RAW output is simply outstanding for a camera of this class.
  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 mood, 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 not replace a Paintshop Photo or CS3, no complaint here: it is included in the box at no extra charge. Note: USB connectivity is excellent, the camera is recognized is a snap and at 8MB/s with a Sandisk Ultra II, downloads are blazing fast.
  Links to lenses:
  Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.4 Lens
  Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras
  Note: I am looking forward to seeing review of the DA* lenses coming out... And hopefully will need to start saving.
  
  
• Pentax K10D a leap ahead....
  By A2BSSHS1HQ0IV5 on 2007-05-29
  15 years go I bought an analog Pentax P-10 along with a couple of good zoom lenses. The camera took -and still takes- outstanding pictures. Then in the late-90'S I discovered digital photography and did more and more with this medium and less with analog. I looked at the dSLR cameras coming from Pentax but was not convinced that the time to buy one had arrived...until the K10D. As soon as it showed up in the stores at the beginning of 2007 (an unfortunate delay by Pentax) I tried it out and was hooked. My old autofocus lenses (FA series) worked smoothly, the camera was the perfect size for my large hands and the ergonomy was pretty good. I received my K10D a few weeks ago and have put several hundred pictures through it on a recent vacation trip.
  
  I have found no weaknesses in the camera yet. Given, the stock DA 18-55 lens, which I did not expect to be perfect, distorts slightly at the edges but is still good for the money. It will take me more time to truly master all the functionality and a thorough reading(s) of the manual is a must. I am very excited about this camera and the creative opportunities it opens. It is a major leap ahead for my photography and for Pentax.
  
  Nothing is perfect in this world: there are two cons that I have discovered so far:
  -after the first lens change there was a piece of dust on the CCD and the shake mechanism did not dislodge it (even after multiple tries) and I had to manually remove it (a straightforward task). I hope that it was the nature of the dust and not the coating or shake mechanism that made it so "sticky".
  -The low light pictures taken with shake reduction turned on are not good. Perhaps this was a "pilot error" of a newbie.
  
  In summary this camera is more than worth its' (plummeting) price and I look forward to learning all its' fine points over the next few months. Two thumbs up...particularly for those with older Pentax analog cameras. I won't be shooting with the old P-10 anymore.
  
  
• best by far for the money
  By A6YP0LRMRZG3U on 2007-12-16
  Hi,
  
  I finally got the K10D (actually got it as an early Xmas present for my wife,but she's nice enough to be willing to share) ;) We're both novices with SLR's, but willing and eager to learn real photography. So this review will have more resonance for those who are just getting into the SLR world.
  
  In searching for a camera to buy, we looked at the K10D, Nikon D80, and Canon 3D and 5D. All of these, of course, are perfectly capable of taking fantastic photos. The main thing that wound up sealing the deal for me (no pun intended) was the price/features ratio. The weather sealing, anti-shake, dust removal, compatibility with just about any Pentax lens ever made, the dedicated RAW button, the intelligent design....all for a much lower price than its competitors.
  
  People have made a fuss over certain perceived drawbacks. Some people say the autofocus is slow in poor light. We tried taking some test photos indoors at night with just two lights on, and it seemed okay to me. I suppose it may be marginally worse than other cameras in its class, but unless you're a professional, I don't think you'll notice it at all.
  
  Also, someone commented on the sound of the shutter. It's not whisper quiet, but it's certainly not like some sort of jet plane taking off either. It's a shutter. All SLR's will have some shutter noise. If the shutter noise is really a major priority for you, maybe there's a camera with a slightly quieter shutter action, but it seems to me the noise difference is pretty negligible. I certainly have no problems with it whatsoever. And if you're really nervous about the noise, go try it out in a store.
  
  Which brings me to another point--if you're considering buying an SLR, you MUST--repeat, MUST--go try several out in a store. Do NOT buy an SLR without holding it in your hands first and playing with it. This is particularly true for the K10D. It IS a slightly heavier camera than others in its class. Not so heavy that most people would be uncomfortable, but I feel that there are a few people who would probably find it heavier than they'd be comfortable with. My wife and I both have no problems with the weight (and remember too that you'll have a lens on it). For me, the heaviness is a good indication of how solidly made the K10D is (metal frame, high-quality textured plastic casing). This thing is built like a tank.
  
  To sum up, I can't be happier with our purchase. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still buy the K10D, in a heartbeat. For those thinking of buying it, keep in mind that new Pentax cameras, the K20D and K200D, are rumoured to be announced in January...so if you can wait that long, it's possible you might be able to buy the K10D's successor, which by all accounts might be even better than this already-great camera. However, you absolutely cannot go wrong with the K10D itself. Absolutely terrific, highly recommended.
  
  EDIT: One thing I forgot to mention. Many editorial reviews you'll find online speak about how this camera is designed for the "advanced amateur", citing things like the lack of "scene modes" and other automated features. This may scare off some total SLR novices. It almost scared me off too. Now that I've tried it out, here's the deal: if you are a novice, the K10D *will take good pictures for you without any effort*. It has a "Green" mode, which is its fully automated mode. You point it at a subject, the camera calculates everything, and you press the shutter halfway down briefly to let the autofocus do its job, and then you take the picture. Couldn't be easier, and the pictures come out fine in most situations.
  
  The caveat is this. If you want to take *brilliant* photos, the kind you dream about taking when you see those travel magazines or nature shows; if you want to take photos that truly take advantage of the full capabilities of this camera, the kind that are razor crisp and vibrantly coloured or look like they were taken by Ansel Adams; if you want to take incredible night photos, or ultra-high-speed action photos..... then you *will* need to learn some basic photography. That means learning about things like focal length, aperture, ISO settings, depth of field, lenses, etc. So if you're hoping to get brilliant photos in every situation without any effort, or if you're buying this for people who permanently have their VCR's set to 12:00, this probably is not the right camera to buy.
  
  However, if you're willing to learn a little about photography, this camera will be a very rewarding instrument. In full automatic mode, it's adequate for most tasks and takes a decent picture. In manual and semi-manual modes, its performance is among the best SLR's out there (I'm still learning....but if you look through the user gallery at PentaxForums, you'll see thousands of examples of what the camera is capable of).
  
  
• Great dSLR, lots of features
  By AKS80VIR3HK51 on 2006-12-11
  I spent weeks doing research into what "prosumer" dSLR I was going to purchase this year, and this one definately came out on top. It is solidly built, and takes remarkable photos. I bought the body through Amazon, along with a Tamron 17-35mm DI lens, and a 75-200mm DI lens. Even with a 28-80 Pentax lens that was from a film SLR, the photos come out great.
  
  Pros:
  - Incredible image quality, even at ISO's of 800 or more.
  - Solid body. Feels like it will last longer then the others I looked at such as the N80 and D20.
  - The shake reduction is an added plus. There is not need to spend extra $$ to get this feature in lenses.
  
  Cons:
  - Selection of lenses is limited. Tamron and Sigma have limited availability of Pentax mounts.
  - A bit bulkier then expected. None of the photo shops around me had the K10D in stock, but it was described as being about the same size and weight as the K100D's that they had to play with. The K10D is a bit heavier, and the form is a bit different from the predecessor.
  - I read in another review on a photo site that there is a thud heard when you move the camera side to side while it is off. Mine does the same thing. I now know that it's the orientation sensor.
  
  
• I must have got a lemon
  By A27G9XEU6DT1XA on 2007-06-25
  I currently own and I am fairly happy with a Pentax Ist DS. I own several Pentax lenses. I was very dissappointed with the K10D. I got much clearer shots with my Ist DS. I tried all the tweeks I have read in several reviews. I even shot in RAW mode and post processed in Photoshop. I hope I just got a lemon. Thank god for Amazon's return policy otherwise I would have probably been stuck with it. I am afraid I am going to bite the bullet and go with the Nikon D200.
  
  
• Great rig for a serious photographer
  By A3CGSYH8MGFO4H on 2007-05-29
  I have been a Pentax user for awhile, starting with the ZX-L film body. For the most part I have mostly good results to report upgrading to the K10D:
  
  - The camera's meter works very well. In the vast majority of scenarios where the older film camera's meter would have under or over exposed, the meter is right on.
  - The exposure latitude is great. I tested it at about 11 stops in RAW mode, about 2 1/2 stops more than what you can see. You will need a good raw processor like Adobe Lightroom to take advantage of this, but it allows you to pull details from contrasty scenes like woods in daylight which would have 'blocked up' on film.
  - Higher ISO sensitivity and longer shots have a very low noise level. The noise level is the same or better than a good 35mm pro film. For long exposures (1 sec or longer) the noise filter is flawless -- my long exposures are better than film, since the digital camera has no reciprocity effect like film does. In addition, in 2 second delay mode the camera has auto mirror lock-up, which my older film body lacked, a feature I am very fond of!
  - The SR (shake reduction) is good for 2-3 stops, as advertised. With a monopod I can take 1 second exposures at 70mm with no visible camera shake with SR on. With SR off, the image is so blurry it is unusable.
  - DNG format and AdobeRGB colorspace (set in custom menu) are ideal for working in Lightroom and Photoshop, no raw converter needed.
  - My 28-70 f/2.8, 70-300 f/4-5.6, and 50mm f/1.4 FA lenses all work very well with the K10D.
  
  A few downsides I have noticed:
  
  - Battery life is dreadful with the built-in flash. If you use the flash alot, you will get only about 100 exposures before it's dead. Buy an extra battery, and/or use a hot-shoe extra flash (I use the 360FGZ and it is *great*). Without the built-in flash, I have shot 150 pictures with less than 50% battery drain though.
  - Focusing in low light doesn't work well. I have to use a supplementary light (like a pocket flashlight, which I carry in my bag, or the built-in flash) to use auto-focus when I want to shoot at f/2 or f/1.4 in low light using my 50mm lens.
  - The biggest drawback is lack of TTL metering. My 360FGZ works great in P-TTL mode, but my macro ring light has to be shot as a manual flash, and I get over-exposed shots using a (cheap, non-P-TTL) slave flash that would have been perfect on the ZX-L, requiring careful selection of flash compensation.
  
  Still, for what I do I have to give this camera 5 stars, because it exceeded my expectations. If I buy a Nikon in the future it will be to get the Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR lens, not because anything is lacking in my Pentax K10D camera!
  
  
• Pentax K10D
  By A2RRZY015RNYFB on 2006-12-15
  Excellent overall. For an experienced SLR user, the Pentax is easy to learn.
  Setup and Use of features are well explained in the Manual. Becoming familiar with available features and programs will take practice.
  I recommend buying the Body ONLY and purchase an after market lens. The standard 18-55 Pentax lens DOES NOT do the camera justice.
  
  
  
• THE BEST DSLR in its Price Range
  By A2C013AQOW25V7 on 2007-03-22
  Before I get K10D, I experienced with Olympus E-500, CANON XTI, Nikon D80.
  I used Olympus E-500 to take lots vivid color pictures that I love very much, but no water resistance and no second Display window, also only 3 focus point makes it not so enjoyable. Same thing happen to Canon XTi, no water resistance and no second Display window make it little hard to use when you need to change settings. The Nikon D80 is a great camera but also have no water resistance and shake reducer build in on camera, the color tone of D80 isn't the kind that I would love. Finally I bought Pentax K10D, the feeling of the body,the water resistance, shake reducer,auto dust remove,vivid color tone,etc...makes me feel the K10D is the way to go. Only complaint would be the Limited Edition Lens are hard to get. Get it while you can!
  
  
• More than what a DSLR photographer could hope ask for
  By A2SORPMRF96MQV on 2007-08-01
  I have owned the K10D for more than 6 mos. I am extremely pleased with its performance. I seriously looked at the D80 but decided on the K10D because of the image stabalization and the auto dust cleaning feature. However, changeing lenses is a pain, especially in the heat of the battle,if you know what I mean. I elected to put a Tamron 18-200mm on my camera and I am glad I did. (Pentax should take note of this). Changing lenses in the battle when time is of the essence, is unaccpectable. There simply is not enough time to change the lens and properly put it away. Too much fumbling, unless you have 3 hands.
  I am extremely pleased with this camera. It performance is great and I am an old SLR photo. Pentax needs to get up to speed on the lenses it will offer for this camera. They could bust the market wide open with some wise marketing and new DA lenses which offer versility and convenience, especially in the lense changing process. It is not like when we carried a camera bag with several lenses and a couple of bodies.
  That routine just does not cut it any more. All in all, I highly recommend this camera, but suggest you spend the time to "really" learn it. The further I go with this camera, the more I learn and the more satisified I am that I purchase it.
  
  
• I need another one and another one.
  By ABIVGWHJ31GUP on 2007-10-13
  Well, I'm sure to attract comments by saying this, but, I sold all my Bronica and Nikon equipment and bought the k10d after much research. There are many long, and good reviews here, but I'm going to make this short. First, the bad: the anti-dust sensor is more gimmick than necessity. There is dust and then there's sticky dust, and living where dust and dirt are a way of life, I can say the dust removal upon starting the camera is not so great for sticky dust. Although, there are many products to help with manually cleaning the sensor. The LCD screen is bright, and easy to see your work, although since it came with no cover, mine is now getting scratched. Somewhat loud shutter slap, or I am just (still) not used to it. I've noticed some color fringing when beefing up the in-camera saturation, etc. while in JPEG mode, although it is much less in RAW. Pentax software is a joke.
  
  The good: weather sealing; capable outdoors (icy, dirty climb to Round Top peak, elevation 10381 ft); capable indoors; good shooting with available light; good noise reduction; great quality pictures at high ISOs. I like having more control on the outside of a camera, rather than hunting through a slough of menus. Straightforward controls. Good grip. I like not having a bunch of amateur modes - like little symbols on the dial for macro or portrait. I mainly shoot with Aperature Priority. I took the view screen out the other day without much fanfare. I LOVE the center weighted and spot metering; growing up with a Spotmatic mated my love of spot metering. I like the handling of bracketing and dial to choose focusing.
  
  What am I shooting with it? Weddings, and people. Outdoors and black and white, as a usuall passionate pastime.
  
  I plan to get two more back up k10 cameras for my bag. Right now I'm shooting with a Tamron zoom, but that will probably change. I'm still a believer in sinking major bucks into LENSES, not cameras.
  
  
• Made the right choice...
  By AZBUCUX1QI4YF on 2007-01-09
  Wow! I just opened the box, and I'm in love with this camera already.
  
  I decided to get serious about photography about three months ago and have been shopping for a dSLR since. I've owned Sony, Nikon, Minolta and Canon Point & Shoot cameras. My heart has always been with my Canon S1 and S2, so naturally I looked at the Rebel XTi; I also looked at the Sony A100 for it's in-body shake reduction.
  
  I wanted four features: in-body Image Stabilization, 10MP, a tough and durable body, and under $1000.I looked at the Sony hard, but in the end declined because it felt cheap. I never liked my Sony or Minolta P&S camera's so I didn't trust the A100.
  
  I love Canon cameras because the are easy to use, take great photos and are solid. However, the XTi felt cheaply made and was too small for my hand. Besides that, no IS in the body and IS lenses are too pricey for my tastes.
  
  Enter the Pentax! I never considered the Pentax K10d until a week ago when I read a review in Popular Photography and did some research on Pentax. Like Canon, Pentax focuses on imaging products only. Somehow, I believe quality is compromised if you have a wide range of products, i.e. Sony.
  
  Right out of the box, you can feel the quality in the K10d. The body is solid and heavy; rubberized plastic in all the right places. The menus and buttons are thoughtfully arranged and placed and operation is smooth.
  I love this camera! I'm an amateur photographer but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know this is a great dSLR.
  
  More later after I take a few shots over the weekend.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The new KING of DSLRs!
  By A2O4YLL5HN4BTL on 2007-01-12
  Thats right folks...I've owned em all...the Canon XT, Nikon D70 and D50, the Sony, Canon S3 IS, ect.
  
  This camera has the ergonomics and features to appeal to the professional and prosumer photographer equally...plus it takes all the OLDER manual focus Pentax lenses as well!!
  
  The Shake Reduction feature is worth the price alone but the new shooting modes, the high dynamic range RAW files, the professional film look and feel give, and the great price push this camera over the edge and give it the advantage over all the competing DSLRs in it's range and even higher!....
  Welcome back Pentax!....what took yoa so long!?
  Now simply come out with a firmware upgrade/patch to fix some of the niggling issues such as the inferior Jpeg quality and the noise banding in high iso images
  
  

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• MADE Products CA-2001-BLK Seattle Sling Waterproof Bag (Black)
• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2
• Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG HSM II Macro Zoom Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras

• SanDisk 2 GB SDSDX3-2048-901 Extreme III SD Memory Card (Retail Package)
• Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax K10D
• Pentax DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras
• Pentax BG2 Battery Grip for Pentax K10D and K20D DSLR Cameras
• Lowepro Transporter Camera Strap