Latest – Review and Sample Test Photos at TrustedReviews (added 14 December ‘07)
Pentax K10D features:
- 10.2 megapixels
- 2.5 inch LCD
- ISO range of 100 to 1600
- Shake reduction
- Vibrating CCD sensor provides built-in dust reduction
- 16-segment multi-pattern metering
Check Current PriceRead More Reviews – (updated 14 December ‘07)
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| DigitalCameraInfo |
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| Good Gear Guide |
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| Digital Camera SLR Guide Mag |
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| Shutterbug |
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| PhotographyBlog |
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| Camera Labs |
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| Imaging Resource |
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| Neocamera |
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| DigitalCameraReview |
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| DigitalCameraReview |
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| Steve’s Digicam |
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| LetsGoDigital |
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| Zone-Numerique |
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| DCRP |
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| CNET |
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| DigitalTrends |
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| Neocamera |
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| Pocket-lint |
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| Efotografija |
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| Megapixel |
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| DPReview |
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| Luminous-Landscape |
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| PopPhoto |
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| Ephotozine |
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| Ephotozine |
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| DPReview |
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TrustedReviews – 14 December07 – reviews the Pentax K10D and thought the shgooting speed was exceptional. Here’s an excerpt from their review -
“Despite being over a year old, the Pentax K10D still compares well with other current mid-range enthusiast’s DSLRs. It is one of the few digital SLRs on the market with a weatherproof body, and combines this with outstanding build quality and design, superb performance and excellent image quality. Add moving-sensor image stabilization and an effective anti-dust mechanism and you have what is unquestionably one of the best mid-range DSLRs on the market.”
DigitalCameraInfo – 12 December07 – reviews the Pentax K10D and feels the camera is not a top performing DSLR. Here’s an excerpt from their review -
“The K10D supplies a prosumer feature set at an entry-level price point. The feature-laden K10D introduces Sensitivity Priority, adds a dedicated RAW button near the lens mount, captures direct DNG files, and allows users to process RAW files in the camera. Dust reduction and sensor-shift image stabilization are also constructed into the camera body. Images produced by the K10D, however, indicate some of the camera’s limitations; uncorrected photos display errant colors, inaccurate white balance, and soft edges. Image quality and performance speeds are on par with other similarly-priced DSLRs, but do not approach prosumer models from Canon or Nikon.”
Good Gear Guide reviews the Pentax K10D and writes;
“One of the really cool things about the design of this model is that basically everything has its own control. It is a little difficult to puzzle out at first, but once you know where everything is it makes it much quicker and more intuitive to flick between various settings. The exposure metering for example is controlled by a small switch located under the function wheel; practically invisible if you don’t know it’s there, but in the perfect place once you do.”
Digital Camera SLR Guide Mag reviews the Pentax K10D and gives full marks to Pentax for producing a robust and innovative SLR that really delivers firs-class images, including files with the new DNG format. The K10D won’t disappoint but the lack of choice when it comes to lenses will deter a lot of enthusiasts.
Bottom Line: Superb build quality, lustrous color, innovative exposure modes and a RAW button make this camera a top consideration..
Read the Full Review in the June 2007 issue of Digital Camera SLR Guide Mag »
Shutterbug – 7/26/2007 – reviews the Pentax K10D and thinks the camera looks, feels and performs like much more expensive cameras. One of the highlights is the camera has an exposure bracket button that gives you 3 settings, including off, a 3-shot bracket, and a 5-shot bracket. Image quality is nothing less than impressive whether shot in DNG, RAW, or JPEG.
Bottom Line: Impressive image quality, speedy operation and good looks to boot this camera comes with a high recommendation.
Read the Full Review »
PhotographyBlog – 4/24/2007 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “The Pentax K10D is an excellent mid-range digital SLR camera that manages to achieve the difficult task of being intuitive to use whilst offering a lot of complex functionality. Pentax have included a number of genuinely useful innovations that help to make the K10D stand out from the crowd. The various new shooting modes, dust and water-resistance, anti-shake and dust-removal systems are all extremely welcome at this price-point, and there are many more nice touches too numerous to mention. 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. You should also seriously consider this camera if you don’t currently have any vested interest in the likes of Canon or Nikon, as it offers more bang for your buck than similarly priced models. Indeed, the Pentax K10D offers a wealth of features, ease of use, speedy operation and excellent image quality at a very competitive price.”
Camera Labs – 4/6/2007 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “Ultimately if you’re a beginner or want the easy life, look elsewhere. But if you’re willing to learn how to get the best from the K10D, it undoubtedly represents great value for money and a compelling option. Just don’t expect miracles from the Shake Reduction and be prepared to tweak the settings.”
Imaging Resource – 4/5/2007 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “The Pentax K10D is a solid offering from one of the major names in photography. They’ve taken a different approach to how the camera makes images. Think what you like about it, difference is good. All the world is not perfectly white balanced, and no camera can be made to see how our eyes do. The most exciting part about the resurgence of the SLR in the last few years is how it’s reconnecting the photographer to the camera. People who’ve grown accustomed to Program mode are switching back to Aperture priority, and remembering with a twinkle how wonderfully a prime lens can render the world. Shoot close to wide open with a prime, or even a zoom, and you can make it see a special person the way your mind does: isolated, with everything else a soft blur.”
Neocamera – 4/1/2007 – compares the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D in a side-by-side shoot out with the 
10 megapixel Sony Alpha A100 and writes, “Both these DSLRs have an easily accessible front control-wheel. Once again, the Sony’s is easier to use with gloves because it has bigger notches. This may not be an issue for most people, but if you do take pictures where gloves are required, it is something to keep in mind. Another point with regards to gloves is that the K10D’s memory and battery door compartments are more difficult to open. This is a reasonable compromise considering that DSLR’s weather-sealing.”
DigitalCameraReview – 3/25/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “Canon and Nikon currently dominate the semi-pro dSLR market, but all any camera maker has to do to unseat the sales leaders is to offer a better product at a lower price. The introduction of the Pentax K10D is a big step in that direction. The K10D offers several unique benefits the majors can’t match including image stabilization with every lens, pro quality dust/weather/moisture seals, two RAW formats, and an automatic dust reduction/removal system – all at a very competitive price. Serious shooters may have a few issues (like Pentax’s lack of long glass), but for many photographers – including those with a closet full of old FA, KA, or K-mount lenses, the K10D may be just the camera they’ve been looking for. I really liked the Pentax K10D – it was clearly designed by photographers – for photographers. Amateur photographers looking a camera that can keep pace as their photographic skills develope should seriously consider the Pentax K10D – this dSLR is a contender.”
DigitalCameraReview – 3/19/2007 – has a hands-on preview of the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “Default image quality is a bit soft and colors are a little flat, but that’s due to Pentax’s minimal sharpening and image interpolation. Users can customize images by selecting the Bright Image Tone option and tweaking color saturation, contrast, and sharpening to precisely match personal taste. Tweaked JPEG images are impressive, almost equal to the K10D’s RAW images. The Pentax K10D retails for less than nine hundred bucks and purchasers can add the Pentax SMC DA f3.5-f5.6/18mm-55mm kit zoom for a hundred dollars more.”
Steve’s Digicam – 3/16/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “The K10D offers a lot of camera for under $1000.00 USD – with 10.2 megapixels of resolution, body-integral Shake Reduction (SR), automatic dust removal, a weather-proof body, 3fps continuous shooting performance, dual battery grip option and great image quality – it’s an easy choice over the K100D for those seeking a more advanced dSLR camera system. Users of Pentax film SLRs will be able to use their existing inventory of K-mount lenses and benefit from its Shake Reduction feature.”
LetsGoDigital – 3/15/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “There is not much to say about the Pentax K10D’s body. It is compact, lies well in your hand and of excellent quality. It can cope with dust and light rain, which is nice if you photograph outside a lot. All in all, I was really charmed by the Pentax K10D. The clever discoveries made it a really pleasant camera to work with and thanks to the ultra-compact pancake lenses the Pentax K10D is almost the ultimate camera for street photographers. All this for such a low price! The Pentax K10D will give its owner real value for money while retaining great picture quality.”
Zone-Numerique, – 3/12/2007 – a French site (Google Translated) reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “As you can notice it, our test of the K10D emphasizes many interesting assets. This K10D proved to be an excellent case, offering all that a fastidious amateur can wish and who carries out really good images. We recommend it highly to you. The first reflex camera Pentax semi-pro is a pure success.”
DCRP – 3/9/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “Although I’m not thrilled with its straight-out-of-the-box photo quality, Pentax K10D is an exceptional digital SLR, and one that I can recommend easily. It offers superb build quality, great performance, tons of features (many of them unique to the K10D) — and it’s not too hard on the wallet, either. As for the photo quality, there are easy workarounds that let you get much better results than what the camera gives you at its default settings.”
CNET – 3/1/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “If you’re looking for a first dSLR or a no-brainer kit, the Pentax K10D may be too much for you, as in too much power and too expensive. But if you want to buy into an inexpensive system with a really good amateur dSLR at its hub, the K10D hits the mark.”
DigitalTrends – 2/12/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “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.”
Neocamera – 2/5/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and writes. “The bottom line is that the K10D cannot be beaten feature-wise. It brings some unique features and exposure modes into a very thoughtful and ergonomic design. In terms of image quality, the Canon Digital Rebel XTi and the 8 megapixels Canon EOS 30D still have the advantage, specially at high-ISO. Neither of these cameras have built-in stabilization or weatherproofing though. The XTi has an useful eye-start sensor but its ergonomics and capabilities are limited compared to the K10D. The 30D has the advantage of having a consistent 5 FPS continuous drive which is better suited for action photography.”
Pocket-lint – 2/5/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and notes it has slightly soft JPEG images. They continue to write – “The Pentax K10D is the company’s new flagship and as such, it comes to the market replete with an excellent feature set at a great price.
I used the standard 18-55mm kit zoom for this test and performance is very good, but because the camera has the KAF2 lens mount, it can accept almost any Pentax lens so it has a huge potential audience.
Pentax has pulled out all the stops with the K10D and provides scope to grow with your photography. It’s robust, utilises anti-shake and offers good value for money.
Simply put, I can highly recommend this camera, particularly if you have stash of old Pentax optics lurking in a cupboard somewhere.”
Efotografija – 1/17/2007 – reviews the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and notes if you are buying a digitalSLR put the K10D on the top of your list. They continue to write, “The more time I spent with the camera, the more I came to appreciate all of its features. This, of course, is only true if the user needs these features and is prepared to invest some time into getting familiar with the camera. I’m quite sure that the two major players, Canon and Nikon, will copy a lot of these solutions eventually. Another thing you need to know – the K10D is not a point and shoot camera. In other words, it will take time before you are thoroughly familiar with it. There are a lot custom settings, and you will have to find the ones that are the most important to your style. However, once you’re past the learning stage, there are very few ways in which the camera will limit your creativity. For me personally, the K10D is, technically speaking, a notch above other hobbyist cameras.”
Megapixel – 1/11/2007 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and notes that there is lens shadow when using the kit lens at the wide angle end with the built-in flash. They continue to write – “The Pentax KD10D offers an excellent ergonomic design. The sculpted shape of the body and the generous rubber coated areas provide a solid, secure grip, and excellent stability. Unlike many of the current crop of entry-level digital SLRs, the K10D is a bit bigger, and feels heftier, imparting more of a “professional equipment” feel than the others.”
DPReview – 12/15/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and they write – “With the criticism out of the way we return to the K10D as a ‘photographic tool’, something it does very well. It’s a camera you get used to very quickly and never really leaves you searching for the correct setting or control. It’s also a camera you can grow into, the unique exposure modes are both creatively interesting and useful, a range of options such as this encourage you to experiment. At just under $900 it’s a very strong proposition, so despite our reservations about the slightly soft image processing the K10D just achieves a Highly Recommended.”
Luminous-Landscape – 12/13/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and they write – “One can’t really get the measure of a complex camera like the Pentax 10D after just a week of use and a few hundred frames. But, it didn’t take me long to discover that this is a camera that the sophisticated user will find to be a pleasure to work with. Image quality is on a par with virtually anything else on the market, the camera is very feature rich, the price is right, and it therefore isn’t a stretch to say that the K10D is probably the best value in a 10 Megapixel DSLR at this time.”
PopPhoto – 12/11/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and they write – “We’ve taken the K10D and a slew of lenses out around Manhattan and New Jersey to produce a gallery of image quality shots for your review, explaining how each shot was made and how it relates to the K10D’s performance. The K10D not only proves that Pentax belongs in the big leagues, it’s an all-star player.”
Ephotozine – 12/6/2006 – has reviewed the 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and they write – “Pentax are back! With the possible exception of frame rate, made up for in part with the Shake-reduction and dual RAW capability, this camera is up there with Nikon’s D200 and Canon’s 30D. Packed with features that have been well thought out and are easily accessible in a body that has been built to withstand the pressures of hard use in typically English climates it has a lot going for it. If their lens line-up takes a similar leap in the next twelve months, Pentax will be back toe-to-toe with the big boys. This is a serious advanced amateur or semi-pro camera.”
Ephotozine – 9/13/2006 – has a hands-on preview of the new 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and they write – “Pentax have certainly kept their loyal customers waiting for their new flagship model, but with all the extra features included in the K10D it seems it may have been worth that wait.”
DPReview – 9/13/2006 – has the first exclusive hands-on preview of the new 10.2 megapixel Pentax K10D and they write – “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. Headline features include a stabilized ten megapixel CCD, high quality image processing pipeline, dust and weather proof seals, 11-point AF (with 9 cross-type points) and some unique exposure modes.”
Sample Test Photos
[Sample Test Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Test Photos at DigitalCameraInfo]
[Sample Photos Shutterbug]
[Sample Photos at PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos at Camera Labs]
[Sample Photos at ImagingResource]
[Sample Photos at Neocamera]
[Sample Photos at Steve's Digicams]
[Sample Photos at DCRP]
[Sample Photos at Neocamera]
[Sample Photos at Pocket-lint]
[Sample Photos at Efotografija]
[Sample Photos at Megapixel]
[Sample Photos at DPReview]
[Sample Photos at Flickr]
[Sample Test Photos at Pentax Japan Site]
[Sample Photos at Pentax UK Site]
Pentax K10D Videos
Specifications
Owners Manual
Firmware Updates
[Firmware Update Software Version 1.30]
This release adds support for SDM (Supersonic Drive Motor) lenses with built-in motors – Pentax’s equivalent to Canon’s USM and Nikon’s AF-S technology and offering smoother quieter focusing. This update also incorporates previous fixes from releases 1.10 through 1.20.
[Firmware Update Software Version 1.20]
News
[Limited Edition Pentax K10 Announced]
Press Release
September 13, 2006 — PENTAX Imaging Company announced today the PENTAX K10D digital SLR camera with 10.2 effective megapixels and a host of advanced technologies including a PENTAX-developed Shake Reduction (SR) system and a weather- resistant body.
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