If looking for a sub £500 here are my two recommendations which in my opinion best their competitors. They both have image stabilisation internally. Therefore if you do not require this feature, they might not be the best buy for you. Pentax k10dmetal body (710grams), aps-c sensor 23. The pentax has excellent build quality and is dustproofed. It has a better viewfinder and slightly better image quality than the e-510. However, it has poor performance when recording in jpeg, therefore images need to be captured in raw and edited at home. Olympus e-510plastic body (410grams), 4/3 sensor 17.
The olympus is the best all round semi-pro dslr. It takes better pictures than offerings from canon (400d) and nikon (d40x). It is light weight, yet sturdy.
Amature photographer digital slr star buy. One of the best digital slr's i have used. Granted i have not used many, but i did a lot research before making a purchase. The only down side is the lack of 300-500mm telephoto zooms lens available , but sigma have a few good ones that work well on the k10d.
Everything you need from quick access raw button, focal point selector and all the available modes. A flick of a switch or turn of a knob and you have it set up to how you want it. For me, just starting out on the world of photography, i need something simple as i get used to all the different settings. Which is a science in its own right.
Pros
- The best DSLR in its price category
- Best Advanced Amature DSLR
- Digital photography at its best
- Why spend more on a Canon or Nikon?
- Amature Photographer Digital SLR Star Buy
- Pentax are Back!
Features of Pentax K10D Digital SLR Camera (18-55mm Lens Kit)
- Autofocus: Yes
- Battery Model: Camera Specific Powerpacks
- Bluetooth: No
- Built-in Flash: Yes
- CD-R / CD-RW: No
- Camera Resolution Heigth in Pixel: 2592
- Camera Resolution Width in Pixel: 3872
- Changeable Lens: Yes
- Chip Type: CCD
- Compact Flash Card: No
- Depth in mm: 70
- Digital Zoom (Ratio): 1
- Effective Pixel (in Megapixel): 10.2
- Height (mm): 101
- Image Stabiliser: Yes
- LCD Monitor Resolution in Pixel: 210000
- LCD Monitor Size in Inch: 2.5
- Longest Shutter Speed: 30s
- MP3 Playback: No
- Maximum Pixel (in Megapixel): 10.75
- Memory Stick / Memory Stick Pro: No
- Memory Stick Duo / Duo Pro: No
- Memory Type: External
- Micro Drive: No
- Mini Secure Digital Card: No
- Movie / Voice Recording: No
- Multimedia Card: No
- PC Card: No
- Photo Resolution Heigth in Pixel: 2592
- Photo Resolution Width in Pixel: 3872
- PictBridge: Yes
- RAW Format: Yes
- Range Finder Type: Optical / Electronic Viewfinder + LCD
- Reduced Size Multimedia Card: No
- SLR / Compact: SLR
- Secure Digital Card: Yes
- Secure Digital High Capacity Card (SDHC): Yes
- Sensor Size: 23,5 x 15,7 mm
- Serial Shot Mode: Yes
- Shortest Shutter Speed: 1/4000s
- Smart Media Card: No
- Weight in Grams: 710
- WiFi Connectivity: No
- Width (mm): 141.5
- XD Card: No
- Zoom Type: Not Applicable
- microSD/ TransFlash Card: No
The Pentax K10D digital SLR features an array of Pentax innovations including 10.2 effective megapixels and a Pentax-developed Shake Reduction (SR) system that effectively offers a 2.5 to 4 stop advantage for sharp, blur-free images even under difficult shooting conditions, such as macro and telephoto photography or low light settings without a flash. Also featured is a newly-developed Pentax Real IMage Engine (PRIME) designed exclusively for Pentax digital SLR cameras to produce well-balanced, true-to-life images. Pentax also incorporated a new high performance 22 bit A/D converter to quickly transfer images with accurate color tones and richer gradation from the CCD to the imaging engine. The new Dust Removal (DR) system incorporating Pentax-original Special Protect (SP) coating helps keep the CCD surface dust-free, and adds a shift mechanism to shake dust off the CCD. All this is housed in a dependable dust-proof, weather-resistant body construction featuring 72 seals throughout the camera to allow you to continue shooting even in dusty or rainy environments.
Digital Photography At Its Best. As a long-standing slr user, this was my first dabble into the digital market. What a great camera, the quality of the images is as good as film. The price for what you get is great. I took mine on a tour of new zealand, just after purchase, and took about 1600 photos in 4 weeks. The camera behaved itself and produced images that very rarely did i need to alter the selected speed/aperture. The lcd display was easy to see and made reviewing the images very easy. The battery lasted really well, only needing charging about 4-6 times. It was easy to operate and all the function buttons are well positioned. Connectivity is easy with any computer as the camera is just recognised as a storage device so transferring images does not require the correct software to be preloaded. If using the supplied software it was easy to alter raw images. Only down point was finding that one of my older pentax fit lenses didn't work with the camera. All of my other pentax lenses worked fine, so if you have a fine old lens that you would like to keep using, check about compatibility. I have no problem recommending this camera to a beginner or a more seasoned user as it handles so well and produces lovely images. .
Why Spend More On a Canon Or Nikon?. I have had this camera for a month or so after having used a samsung gx10, and have been very impressed with it. Build quality:the first thing i noticed was how solid it felt in my hands, given the price point of this camera i was quite amazed. To my mind it feels as good as the nikon d80. The grip is comfortable and the buttons in sensible positions. Key specs:1. With weather and dust seals the pentax k10d is uniquely placed in the dslr market to combat adverse weather conditions. Add to this the anti-dust system and you have a very effective system. Anyone with a dslr who has suffered from particles on the sensor will tell you this is very very useful. I've taken thousands of images and not had to re-touch any due to particles on the sensor. It is slightly off-putting when you start the camera up and feel a bit of a shake though i quickly got used to this2. Anti-shake seems to work pretty well, certainly noticeable without it, although i don't know how this compares with other cameras systems. 3. 10mp sensor, most people will not need bigger - i've printed off some a3 prints that i've been very happy with. Handling:it feels great in the hand, very solidly built and has an array of buttons close to hand. Focus zones and metering zones can all be changed with external buttons. You do however have to go into the menu system to change the iso, but you quickly get used to doing this. The white balance settings give you a preview of the impact different selections will have on the image, which is very useful, particularly when you deliberately choose an incorrect setting. I don't think the metering system works quite as well as my friends nikon, but on the whole was pretty impressive and to be honest metering adjustments are very easy. Image quality:on the whole very impressive, although just like the samsung, the jpegs do seem to be very slightly lacking some of the sharpness you would get from a canon or nikon. However, you really need to be looking at full size images to notice, and as most of the time you're not going for more than a4 it really doesn't matter. I tweaked the sharpness and colour up a little and the difference pleasing. The raw images are amazing, 22bit means lots of flexibility when you come to do some post processing. One thing that i love is the processing that you can do in the camera, changing all sorts of aspects without needing to open up photoshop. On the whole, especially for the money, i could not believe how good the camera is. There is such a huge array of past and present pentax stuff that you can use with this camera making it not only stupidly cheap to buy but cheap to kit out. Whilst the samsung gx10 is as good (same camera) i don't think that there is much price difference between them so choice is yours. Why buy a canon 30d or nikon d80 when you get a camera that is as good or better for much less?.
Amature Photographer Digital Slr Star Buy. One of the best digital slr's i have used. Granted i have not used many, but i did a lot research before making a purchase. And, i'm greatly impressed. The only down side is the lack of 300-500mm telephoto zooms lens available , but sigma have a few good ones that work well on the k10d. Ease of use is 5 out of 5. Everything you need from quick access raw button, focal point selector and all the available modes. A flick of a switch or turn of a knob and you have it set up to how you want it. For me, just starting out on the world of photography, i need something simple as i get used to all the different settings. Which is a science in its own right. Image quality is just great. The 18-55 pentax lens that it is shipped with gives great colour , clarity and delivers a cracking sharp image , even if you zoom right into the picture in photoshop. Build quality is 5 star again. Its robust, nothing rattles, nothing feels loose. Its solid. And has a degree of weather proofing as well. Also, it is very light , so its easy to manipulate and use in pretty much any situation. I have a friend who bought a canon that was a similar price, i think it was the 400d but don't quote me on that. He was green eyed when he used the pentax. Mainly the image quality and ease of use was a surprise to him. The canon layout of buttons and functions was a little tricky to use. And the build was not up to the pentax standard. Also, the pentax has the built in is which means the lenses are a little cheaper. The only downside of entering the digital slr world is that lack of teachers and decent books on the subject. All pentax need to do is write a book on photography and it would be a match made in heaven. .
Product Info
- Product Dimensions: 7 x 14.1 x 10.1 cm ; 712 g
- Boxed-product Weight: 2.2 Kg
- Batteries 1 Nonstandard Battery batteries required. (included)
- Item model number: K10D + 18-55mm DA
- ASIN: B000JG1WFW
Conclusion of Pentax K10D Digital SLR Camera
This camera is revelation because it has the solid build and features of a �1000+ 'prosumer' rival for under £500; in fact it has decidedly more features. I can adjust the image colour on the fly, so i go home with naturally lit images needing little computer correction. I bought the battery grip with the camera. These are arranged for use when the camera is held sideways for portrait shots. My camera came with an 18-55mm lens which looks well built.
The first is that the lens can be manually focused without having to first fiddle about switching off the autofocus at the camera; there appears to be a disengagement 'clutch'. I suppose i should take a star away from the rating for this but this type of lens is just a cheap afterthought with cameras like this. The shake reduction feature of the camera is truly excellent. Because the shake reduction is in the camera body, every lens you fit has the benefit. Having mentioned that old pentax k bayonet lenses can be retrofitted i should add that my old 1980's pentax flashgun works with the camera too, thus saving even more cash.
) selection dial on the camera stops working. There is general agreement that the k10d takes excellent raw images but there are mixed feelings about its jpeg images. The truth is that, like all sophisticated instruments, the camera simply needs calibrating, using the on-screen menu, before starting. Like earlier pentax dslr's this one is best adjusted away from the default values to slightly brighter, sharper and more saturated settings. I also own an older pentax *istd dslr and can see the best of its features brought forward into this model while the worst have disappeared (e.
The new camera is inevitably bigger and heavier but it is also better spec'd, faster and more versatile. Because i had a pentax lens set, this camera was a no-brainer, but others should look at it too. It is not a beginner's camera but experienced users should seriously consider it (provided they don't need truly exotic types of lenses to fit to it) instead of being carried along by the nikon/canon bandwagon. Anyone who has used slr cameras for sometime, and is familiar with the basics of photography, this probably is the best dslr under £1200. If you are prepared to spend some time with this camera, you will realise how much can be done with this kit.
The build quality is superb, i can not think of any other dslr camera with a better build quality under £ 1200. As per lenses are concerned, this camera is more backward compatible than any dslr. This is a camera for someone who takes his / her photography seriously, is looking to experiment and is familiar with the basics. I would recommend this camera to the serious enthusiast without a doubt. What a great camera, the quality of the images is as good as film.
The camera behaved itself and produced images that very rarely did i need to alter the selected speed/aperture. Connectivity is easy with any computer as the camera is just recognised as a storage device so transferring images does not require the correct software to be preloaded. Only down point was finding that one of my older pentax fit lenses didn't work with the camera. All of my other pentax lenses worked fine, so if you have a fine old lens that you would like to keep using, check about compatibility. I have no problem recommending this camera to a beginner or a more seasoned user as it handles so well and produces lovely images.
I have had this camera for a month or so after having used a samsung gx10, and have been very impressed with it. Build quality:the first thing i noticed was how solid it felt in my hands, given the price point of this camera i was quite amazed. It is slightly off-putting when you start the camera up and feel a bit of a shake though i quickly got used to this2. Anti-shake seems to work pretty well, certainly noticeable without it, although i don't know how this compares with other cameras systems. The white balance settings give you a preview of the impact different selections will have on the image, which is very useful, particularly when you deliberately choose an incorrect setting.
One thing that i love is the processing that you can do in the camera, changing all sorts of aspects without needing to open up photoshop. On the whole, especially for the money, i could not believe how good the camera is. There is such a huge array of past and present pentax stuff that you can use with this camera making it not only stupidly cheap to buy but cheap to kit out. Whilst the samsung gx10 is as good (same camera) i don't think that there is much price difference between them so choice is yours. Why buy a canon 30d or nikon d80 when you get a camera that is as good or better for much less?. One of the best digital slr's i have used.
Image quality is just great. The 18-55 pentax lens that it is shipped with gives great colour , clarity and delivers a cracking sharp image , even if you zoom right into the picture in photoshop. If you want a quality dslr this is a good one to consider, i think for the price it is a bargin and is better than my nikon d80. It's so good that i'm not even tempted to buy the new k20d, this is more than enough camera for me.
At the end of it i was deciding on price between the canon 400d, nikon d60, samsung gx-10, or pentax k10d. D60 seemed good but does not have in camera shake reduction so you have to by vr lenses. The samsung and pentax are the same camera, and available at the time for same price as the d60. So for the same price you get a much heavier duty build, much the same features, the extra lcd on the top (very handy), in camera shake reduction (which is not as good as the makers claim but still worth having). And well i have had two pentax cameras before and maybe i have a little bit of brand loyalty.
Now Even Better As the K20d Knocks the Price Down. This is an excellent camera for the money, 10meg with shake reduction on any pentax k mount lens. Fantastic buy it whilst you still can.
Great First Time D-Slr. Well i looked around for quite a while comparing features, price, reviews, end-user experience, magazines etc etc. At the end of it i was deciding on price between the canon 400d, nikon d60, samsung gx-10, or pentax k10d. A family member has the 400d, and it is great but a little on the plasticky side, did not feel like it would hold up to a drop very well. D60 seemed good but does not have in camera shake reduction so you have to by vr lenses. The samsung and pentax are the same camera, and available at the time for same price as the d60. So for the same price you get a much heavier duty build, much the same features, the extra lcd on the top (very handy), in camera shake reduction (which is not as good as the makers claim but still worth having). In the end there was negligible difference in price between the samsung and the pentax even with the samsung cashback taken off. So i went for the pentax as it is more established as a brand, so i had less concern over any compatibility issues (i have since foudnmy old espio 200 remote control works with it, very happy about that). Also the support from forums is better. And well i have had two pentax cameras before and maybe i have a little bit of brand loyalty. I have not had the camera long, but so far are impressed by the results. Experts have said the jpg images are not so good, and raw is better but i must say i can't really see it, especially once you adjust the in camera sharpness etc options, plenty of places on the internet where people have recommended settings to give your images more punch. I am still working through the features but find them easy enough to master, and for most situations the green auto button will be fine. I also bought the lovely little 50mm f1. 4 lens and have been taking indoor low light shots with no flash. With very mobile children i have found if you up the iso to 800 you can get sharp enough images as the shutter speed and aperture you need can be achieved. But, don't use awb on any indoor electric light shots, they will not look right. Use the custom white balance to shoot a picture of an a4 white sheet of paper (see manual for more details). Then well what can i say the result is fantastic. It takes a minute to set the custom white balance, and i can tell you its worth it, the colour rendition is so good, and now i have pictures to keep for a lifetime of the children. Battery life is ok, but no warning when it runs out. Buy a spare, i got one from a certain auction web site for £8. Flash is alright but i find flash photos a little harsh. I cut out a rectangle of plastic from an opaque milk bottle and held it in front of the flash. Try that and see the difference, colours less washed out and more natural looking. Kit lens fares fine, and is supposed to be one of the better ones around. Pentax are bringing out more and more lenses all the time, and the old lenses fit too, i am being given an old manual 28-210 tamron which as it has a k fit will be fine with it. .
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