Pentax K10d

[JongTong]

i am thinking about getting this camera can you guys give me some feedback from the people that have actually used the camera as to what you think

 

[xfloggingkylex]

I love it. Great bang for the buck. The dust removal system is crap (as it is for all cameras but Olympus) but the shake reduction works wonders with all lenses. Not so great on noise in JPEG but nothing too ridiculous.

Anything in particular you are wondering about? Or any sample images I can take for you? Just let me know.

 

[Don Simon]

As xfloggingkylex said... excellent value for the money. IMO excellent design and control features, well built, seals helps protect the body from the elements, takes a battery grip, the shake reduction doesn't work miracles but does work pretty well with all lenses.

As for image quality...
ISO only goes up to 1600, and at 1600 is noisier than some of the alternatives. Nothing terrible if you expose properly, but could be better (which is why I still use the 6mp k100d which has better noise control at 1600, and has ISO 3200).
But, otherwise excellent, with potential for very high resolution (apparently slightly higher than the competition using the same sensor).

Now for the Pentax system overall...
There's a flash system, which works well. The lenses available are all very good. There are definitely less to choose from than Nikon or Canon. However I would say most needs are now covered in wide and normal focal lengths, with some unique offerings like the "Limited" pancake lenses. But the current range is lacking telephotos longer than 200mm, so for now you would have to look to third parties or use the older compatible ones. This IMO is a temporary situation, and one which should be resolved soon as Pentax are due to release new teles (zooms and primes) before long. In other words the system is not perfect, but it should cover most needs, and what it does it does well.

In other words I'd be happy to recommend the K10d. Especially now as the price is continuing to drop, and it represents very good value indeed. But I don't know whether I'd recommend it to you, as opposed to any Canon, Nikon, Olympus or anything else... because obviously that has to be down to you and your own priorities.

 

[simonkit]

I have the Samsung GX10 version of the K10D & it's excellent - built like a rock !!

Functionality is excellent - dual control wheels are a great idea

Image quality is excellent - I always shoot RAW but the supposed JPG "issue" is blown out of all proportion, easily correctly with a few changes to menu settings.

Shake Reduction works very well

Kit lenses are pretty good, 50-200 moreso than the 18-55 in my opinion, although the 18-55 is regarded as just about the best kit lens available on any DSLR

All in all a great camera, the Samsung is even better value than the Pentax in the uk

simon