Pentax K10D

Reviewed January 2007

Characteristics

The Pentax K10D is equipped with a 10.75 million pixel interline/interlace scan CCD with a primary colour filter that measures 23.5 x 15.7 mm. The camera is equipped with a CCD dust removal system that vibrates the CCD to loosen any dust particles that may have adhered to it. The system can be operated at will, controlled by an option of the Setup menu or set to operate automatically every time the camera is powered on (see the Interface and Software section of the review for more information about the Setup menu).

Of the 10.75 million pixels that make up the K10D's CCD, 10.2 million pixels are effective, and produce a maximum image size of 3872 x 2592 pixels. A total of 3 different image sizes are available with the K10D:

Images can be recorded using any one of three levels of JPEG compression, represented as stars:

	Least compression and highest JPEG image quality.
	An average compression setting that balances file size and quality.
	The strongest compression, giving greater emphasis to the number of images that can be saved.

The K10D can also record RAW images, either using Pentax's own file format (PEF) or the new RAW Standard file format, DNG, a format designed by Adobe Systems. RAW images are saved at the maximum image size of 3872 x 2592 pixels, and have to be interpreted through software. As always, RAW images, be it PEF or DNG, save all the information captured by the CCD, along with the camera settings for a variety of parameters, but the camera does not process the image, leaving that task to the software Pentax includes with the camera, or to software such as Adobe Photoshop CS II.

The K10D's lens mount is able to accept Pentax KAF2 mount lenses, KAF mount lenses, and KA mount lenses with power contacts. And, as the K10's CCD is smaller than a full 35 mm frame, all lenses used on the camera have their focal lengths multiplied by 1.5.

In some countries, the Pentax K10D is sold in a kit with an DA Zoom 18mm-55mm F3.5-F5.6 AL Lens. However, for this review, we were supplied with an SMC Pentax DA f4 16 to 45mm zoom lens, and an SMC Pentax-DA f2.4 70mm, equivalent to a 105mm.

The SMC Pentax DA f4 16 to 45mm zoom lens, used the most for this review, has a focal length range of 16 to 45 mm, equivalent to 24 to 67.5 mm (wide angle to normal). The lens is composed of 13 elements in 10 groups, incorporating a high-refraction, extra low dispersion (ED) glass element to improve contrast and colour rendition, as well as aspherical lens elements to minimize distortions. The zoom offers a starting aperture of f4, closing down at f22, and includes a flower-shaped lens hood.

Worth noting, this zoom is at 16 mm when extended, and 45 mm when retracted, and at the wide end extends out considerably more than many other 3X zoom lenses.

• Exposure Mode (only shown when the camera's Mode dial is set to USER): allows selecting the shooting mode: P, Sv, Tv, Av, TAv, M, B, X).
• JPEG Recorded Pixels: decides the JPEG image size — RAW images are always captured at full size — as per the image size choices listed above.
• JPEG Quality: selects the compression level applied to images (see above).
• Image Tone: serves to set the colour tone. Natural, which allows the image to be retouched later, or Bright, which enhances contrast and sharpness.

• Saturation: provides a range with minus (-) on the left and plus (+) on the right of ± 2 increments.
• Sharpness: as above.
• Contrast: as above.
• File Format: serves to choose the image format. The choices are JPEG, RAW, or RAW+ which records the RAW image in addition to a JPEG image at the resolution and quality settings set in the options explained above.
• RAW File Format: decides whether the RAW format is Pentax's own PEF format, or the multipurpose DNG format designed by Adobe Systems.

• Extended Bracket: makes it possible to save three variations of the same shot. The Extended Bracket can be used to vary contrast, saturation, white balance, and sharpness. (Note that if Extended Bracketing is performed while the camera is set to capture a RAW image, the Image Format is automatically reset to JPEG)
• Multi-exposure: the K10D is able to capture multi-exposures creating a single image based on 2 to 9 separate shots. The exposure of each shot can automatically managed by the camera, or manually by the user, making it possible to control the degree to which each separate shot is visible in the final multi-exposure.

• Memory determines which camera settings will be recalled after the camera has been turned off: flash mode, drive mode, white balance, sensitivity, EV compensation, auto bracket, payback display and file number (the default setting is ON for all these settings).
• Shake reduction: serves to let the camera know the focal length of a lens mounted on the camera that does not support automatic acquisition of lens information. Focal lengths from 8 mm through 800 mm can be set. Note that when newer lenses are mounted on the K10D, the option is not accessible.

The second part of the menu is for Playback:

• Playback Display: On or Off, decides whether Bright/Dark areas, areas that are potentially overexposed, and those that are potentially underexposed are shown as flashing red and blue respectively when an image is shown in playback.

• Instant Review decides if and for how long an image is displayed on the monitor immediately after its capture. In addition, a histogram can be shown or not, and overexposed/underexposed areas can be shown as flashing (see option above).
• Digital Preview: decides whether or not Bright/Dark areas are indicated, or the histogram shown when the camera is set to capture a digital preview instead of showing the depth of field in the viewfinder when the On/Off switch around the shutter release is pulled to the position.

• Digital Filter allows changing a captured image with an effect and re-saving it as a new image (note that these are the same Digital Effects as are offered in the Fn menu. See the Ergonomics section of the review for more info.):
  • Black and White: transforms the image to a black and white image.
  • Sepia: transforms the image to sepia tone. The intensity of the effect can be controlled with the Rear e-dial.
  • Colour makes it possible to vary the colour hue of an image using the Front e-dial to select the colour and the Rear e-dial to vary the intensity.
  • Soft: adds a softening effect to the periphery of the frame, leaving the centre sharp.
  • Slim: allows modifying the aspect ratio of the image by squeezing or stretching it horizontally or vertically using the Rear e-dial.
  • Brightness: serves to brighten or darken an image.
• Slide Show: starts a slide show of the photos on the memory card with a selectable interval (3, 5, 10, or 30 seconds), and decide whether the show loops back to the beginning when the last photo is reached.

The third part of the menu is the Set-up options and an overview of its contents can be found in the Interface and Software section of this review.

The fourth and last section is called Custom Settings. This section is extensive and provides a lot of controls over the way the K10D operates. Moreover, a short text description of each of the settings available for each Custom setting is shown at the bottom of the screen as the option is highlighted:

• Setting: On or Off. When On, the option allows using the Custom settings. When Off, all other options but this one disappear.
• Program Line sets the type of program line for the and the Program modes: Normal, Hi-speed, Depth, MTF, the latter being designed for use with DA, D FA, FA, or FA J lenses, as it prioritizes the best aperture for specific lenses in these series.
• EV Steps: decides whether exposures will be adjusted in 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps.

• Sensitivity Steps sets the adjustment steps for ISO sensitivity: in steps of 1 EV, or the same as the EV steps (preceding option: 1/2 or 1/3 EV). Note that this setting changes the ISO settings available. A setting of 1 EV yields ISO steps of 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600. A setting of 1/3 EV yields steps of 100, 125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, 1600 ISO. And setting of 1/2 EV yields steps of 100, 140, 200, 280, 400, 560, 800, 1100, 1600 ISO.

• ISO Warning: sets the maximum ISO level for the Auto ISO setting, causing a warning to appear when it is exceeded. Possible settings are: Off, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600.
• Meter Operating Time decides how long the exposure meter remains active: 3 seconds, 10 seconds (default), or 30 seconds.
• AE-L with AF Locked decides whether the exposure is locked along with the focus: On or Off.
• Link AF Point and AE decides whether the AE follows the AF point during Multi-segment metering. On or Off.

• Auto Bracketing Order sets the bracketing order when shooting: 0, —, +; —, 0, +; or +, 0, —.
• Auto EV Compensation sets whether or not the camera will automatically compensate when the proper exposure cannot be determined.

• WB when using flash On or Off. Controls whether the white balance is automatically set to Flash when the flash is used, or left unchanged from its current setting.
• Fine Tune when AWB On or Off. Determines whether or not the Auto White Balance (AWB) can be fine-tuned.
• AF Button Function: determines how the AF button operates. Enable AF allows the AF button to start the autofocus when it is pressed. Cancel AF disables the shutter release AF when the AF button is pressed.

• AF by Press Halfway On or Off. On allows the shutter release to start the autofocus when pressed halfway. Off does not start the autofocus when the shutter release is pressed halfway.
• Superimpose AF Area On or Off. Decides whether or not the AF point lights up in red in the viewfinder.

• AF in Remote Control On or Off. Set to Off, the AF does not operate when the remote control is used. Set to On, the AF operates before the shutter is released when the remote control is used.
• Noise Reduction: On or Off. Decides whether or not noise reduction will operate during long exposures.
• Colour Space sets the colour space of the K10D: either sRGB, or Adobe RGB. Note that the camera names image files differently according to the colour space used.

• Colour Temp Steps decides whether the colour temperature is shown in °K or Mireds.
• e-dial in Program sets the e-dials function when the camera is in Program mode.
• e-dial in Sv Mode: sets the e-dials function when the camera is in Sensitivity Priority mode.
• e-dial in Tv Mode sets the e-dials function when the camera is in Shutter Priority mode.
• e-dial in Av Mode sets the e-dials function when the camera is in Aperture Priority mode.

• Green Button in Manual selects the exposure adjustment method when the camera is set to the Manual mode and the Green button is pressed: Program line, or shutter speed according to the current aperture, or aperture according to the current shutter speed.
• One-Touch RAW+JPEG: decides if a RAW + JPEG image is capture after the button has been pressed, returning to the previous settings after, or if the setting remains until the button is pressed again.
• Illuminate LCD Panel: On or Off. Decides whether or not the LCD panel can be lit up.

• Release when Charging: On or Off. Decides whether or not the shutter release will operate when the flash has not finished charging.
• Preview Method: offers the choice of Optical Preview (Depth Of Field Preview through the lens in the viewfinder), or Digital Preview, which captures an image without saving it and shows it on the monitor, making possible to ascertain the quality of the exposure, the white balance, etc.

• Recordable Image No.: allows showing the total number of images that can be captured with the current memory card, or the total number of images that can be captured in the Continuous mode.
• Initial Zoom Display: Decides the magnification applied to the image when it is shown in playback (1.2X, 2X, 4X, 8X, 16X).
• Auto Image Rotation: automatically rotates vertical images when the camera is in playback.
• Saving Rotation Info: saves the camera orientation info along with the image.

• Using Aperture Ring: allows the use of the aperture ring for lenses that have them.
• Reset Custom Functions: Serves to return all Custom Functions to their defaults.

The Pentax K10D is compatible with SD (Secure Digital) cards and the new SD HC (High Capacity) SD cards. The card slot is located on the right side of the body, and its cover is released by a small locking system on the lower back of the camera.

A memory card is not included with the camera, even with the kit version as it is sold in North America, but the camera is compatible with SD cards up to 4 GB.

The table below shows how many photos can be captured with a 2 GB card using either the JPEG image quality or the RAW format:

At the top is a jack to connect the optional 50 cm wired remote shutter release cord (Cable Switch CD-205).

In the middle is the USB connection (USB 2.0 High Speed compatible), which can be set to PC, PictBridge, or PC-F in the Setup menu.

The last connection is a jack for the optional AC adapter (D-AC50) to power the camera from household current.

Another connection is located underneath the camera and covered by a thick rubber plug. The contacts are designed to attach the optional Battery Grip D-BG2. The Battery Grip, in addition to providing an additional power source, adds features such as a secondary shutter release for vertical shooting, and duplicates of the Front and Rear e-dials.