Review of the Pentax K10D Digital Camera

The Pentax K10D has some speculating feature I expected of this product. It has a stabilized ten-mega pixel CCD, high quality image processing pipeline, dust and weatherproof seals, 11-point AF (with 9 cross-type points) and some unique exposure modes. A full detailed list of the top 20 features can be found below. It's clear that Pentax are targeting the likes of the Canon EOS 30D and Nikon D200, on paper it's a very strong contender.

Image Processor of The Pentax K10D
Pentax has followed Canon and Sony in giving a name to their image processor. For the K10D there is a unit called 'PRIME', that said they aren't giving much away other than to state that it is built on 90nm production process and supports DDR2 (800 MB/sec) RAM which the K10D utilizes.

Shake Reduction
Pentax has implemented the same design of CCD-shift based Shake Reduction that we saw on the K100D. It is a slightly different design than other CCD-shift systems as it utilizes permanent magnets, ball bearings and four coils on the CCD plate giving the ability to move in x and y directions but also rotationally around the lens axis.

LCD of the Pentax K10D
It wouldn't be a modern digital SLR without at least a 2.5" LCD monitor, The Pentax K10 move up expectation in this aspect. This particular unit measures 2.5" and has 210,000 pixels with a wide 140° viewing angle.
What's left? 16-segment metering, white balance fine tuning, multiple exposures, remote control from the rear (IR sensor) and SDHC (SD of 4 GB or greater) support.

Design of the Pentax K10D
The Pentax K10 follows the same rounded 'sweeping' design cues which are common across the Pentax digital SLR range, indeed it looks very similar to the K100D/K110D, just a little larger. From the front you can see the large comfortable handgrip and the rubber coating that extends to the right side of the lens mount. One notable difference compared to the competition is a slightly lower profile thanks to the less pronounced viewfinder chamber on the top of the camera.

The rear of the camera certainly appears busier and more comprehensive than previous Pentax digital SLRs, on the right side we have a rubber thumb grip and a set of controls designed to be 'under your thumb', on the left the large 2.5" LCD monitor and a column of four buttons all related to user interface tasks.

The only 'pro feature' the K10D appears to be lacking is a magnesium body (Unlike the Canon EOS 30D and Nikon D200), however the plastic used for the case feel extremely robust and the whole thing is attached to a metal chassis.

Pentax K10D Handling
The Pentax K10 digital camera has a nicely shaped grip that is comfortable to hold and thanks to a soft rubber coating remains steady. The front grip features a nice deep lip and the rear handgrip is shaped to fit into your hand and provide your thumb with good purchase.

LCD panel of the Pentax K10
On top of the camera is a large LCD panel that provides a wide range of information about the current camera settings and exposure. The panel has a very bright green backlight that stays on for approximately nine seconds after pressing the exposure compensation button on the rear of the camera.

Viewfinder status bar of the Pentax K10D
Along the bottom of the viewfinder view is the status bar that carries a range of 'essential' information such as aperture, shutter speed and the focus indicator. In Sv or TAv mode the remaining frames indicator switches roles to become the ISO indicator.

The Pentax K10D is worth your purchase.