K10D - UK Reviews Update

The expected avalanche of reviews just getting underway, although AP (which is weekly) have now slipped their review date into February (don't know why - they've had a camera since late Nov). Their stablemate What Digital Camera have failed to review in their Feb issue, out now - but they're very likely using the same body as AP for their review.

Which Digital Camera - not to be confused with the above, and not in my opinion one of the better mags, HAVE reviewed the K10D in their new issue. It gets 91%, which sounds a lot, but in the inflated world of these marks, ranks roughly as 'Highly Recommended - Just'. The two page review is generally complimentary, describes the camera as excellent value for money, and outlines the features quite adequately. The main negative for them is noise - real noise, not digital - from both the shutter mechanism and the lens focusing. Other lesser negatives include a tendency to overexpose(??) and the AWB with artificial light. They're pretty positive about IQ. Overall, a decent review but probably not positive enough to worry Pentax's competitors unduly.
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Paul Graber

Any links to these reviews (if they are online)? Thanks.

Don't think they are, I'm afraid.
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Paul Graber

Hi

Chasseur d'Images also have reviewed the K10 in the last number and classed it 4* (in 5) overall. They even liked the Jpeg’s. They don’t liked (and I agree with them) that Pentax had drop some features from the pre series model, like the ISO 3200 (sometimes even a lousy picture is better than none) and the cordless flash controlled from the built-in flash as master. In the same edition they tested the noise (only shutter noise, not AF) of the major DSLR’s.
Some results:

K10D/K100D: 59db – 290ms
400D: 54db – 290ms
5D: 59db – 280
1D/1DS: 60db – 270ms
D80: 57db – 285ms
D200: 58,5db – 280ms
D2X/D2XS/D2H/D2HS: 58db – 280ms
Alpha100: 59db – 295ms

So not that much to choose between them on noise!
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Paul Graber

Lacerta said:

Hi
Chasseur d'Images also have reviewed the K10 in the last number and
classed it 4* (in 5) overall. They even liked the Jpeg’s. They
don’t liked (and I agree with them) that Pentax had drop some
features from the pre series model, like the ISO 3200 (sometimes
even a lousy picture is better than none) and the cordless flash
controlled from the built-in flash as master. In the same edition
they tested the noise (only shutter noise, not AF) of the major
DSLR’s.
Some results:

Click to expand...

I just don't get the all "3200 is necessary for getting those impossible shots in low ligh otherwise you just have to put your camera down"

Never heard of RAW -1 EV @1600 ISO??

CI doesn't seem to be what it used to...

Paul Graber said:

The expected avalanche of reviews just getting underway, although
AP (which is weekly) have now slipped their review date into
February (don't know why - they've had a camera since late Nov).
Their stablemate What Digital Camera have failed to review in their
Feb issue, out now - but they're very likely using the same body as
AP for their review.

Click to expand...

As an aside ... Before Christmas I e-mailed Nigel (WDC editor) to vent my frustration with the never-ending CaNik reviews/comparisons/shoot outs. I also asked why they were including the poorly rated FAJ 75-300 as the only Pentax tele zoom in the directory/ review at the back of each issue of the magazine when they really ought to have the DA 50-200mm in its place*. The answer to both questions is that they appear to have a long standing problem with Pentax not sending them products for review.

• I was asking why they included a not very good "film" lens in a magazine devoted to Digital cameras. WDC's directory rates the FAJ 75-300 badly, saying it's "a prime example of why digital lenses should be used; very poor performance on digital cameras".

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Kate, world authority on wibble

Just remember that dB is not a linear scale.

... and as i own both K10D and K100D I must say that K100D mirror slap is vastly louder and sharper- wonder as the dB where the same... But anyway they both sound nice to me as both take superb images

Best and happy shooting, JR

barneycg said:

Just remember that dB is not a linear scale.

Click to expand...

Yes, as an audio buff I know it's a log scale, and the numbers can be misleading. But even so, there's not much in this, is there?
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Paul Graber

True.

RustyHinges said:

The answer to both questions is that they appear to have a long
standing problem with Pentax not sending them products for review.

Click to expand...

Remember Pentax for long time not sending Phil K10D for review? Or maybe it's just Pentax UK specific attitude?

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http://www.pbase.com/klopus

Once again, I think Pentax shoots themselves in the foot by not making their products readily available to all media outlets (including magazines).

Also, if they had more marketing, they would be more of a major player in the dSLR world.

BUT if they were dumping millions in marketing like the CaniNikon folks do, then that cost would ultimately be passed on to the consumer.

Which would mean the K10 would probably cost more in line with the Canon 30D.

It's a double edged sword.

I wouldn't expect much from the AF article if it will be in line with their previous Pentax reviews. I'll never forget the treatment reserved to the MZ-S by Damien Demolder, who couldn't figure out how to use functions that are as clear as the sun to anyone with a bit of familiarity with modern Pentax slrs, and kept marking it down because of his incompetence (and laziness - he could have at least read the manual). This guy was a real liability, he even got annoyed about the fact that HE had forgot some function switch on (cant remember what now) resulting in some wrongly exposed images, and he mentioned that as a downpoint of the camera. Amateur Photographer, indeed. It boils down to the usual thing: would they have let someone with no knowledge or interested in the brand review the latest Canon? And the answer is... no.

Re the lack of equipment being sent to UK magazines for reviews, I think it has everything to do with the UK office rather than Japan. I don't remember it being like this before the UK office moved to Slough. PUK previously had a much more clued up marketing department, and technicians too. If Japan would only whip some of these satellite offices into shape, Pentax could easily be great again.

When you think about it, keeping the major magazines promptly supplied with goodies is even more important than keeping the retailers supplied because if nobody knows products exist, nobody can even think about whether they might like to buy it. OTOH if the magazines have review samples and the shops don't have good stocks, at least that generates interest and frenzy. Interest and frustrated frenzy is surely better than no knowledge of a product at all.

Japan seem to be doing all they possibly can to give customers what they want. Some of our retailers are showing interest in Pentax again, following the K10 launch. It's the bit in the middle where it all goes wrong.
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Kate, world authority on wibble

These kind of remarks about Pentax ergonomy are quite annoying indeed and they really have a bad influence on the average reader.

But they also are comprehensible: all these guys have been shooting semi pro or pro Nikons or Canons bodies for ages and they are used to their ergonomics, hence their feeling that the controls are not where they should be.

Try shooting with a Canon after 15 years of using a Pentax and see what it feels like (I tryied and was really confused about the ergonomics of the 30D: I still have a "negative" feeling about it, even though I know it's just that I am used to Pentax's one).

I should add that all the reviews I read really pointed out the Hyper modes to be a strong point but it doesn't seem to matter that much theses days compared to 100% default jpeg edge sharpness...

I kind of miss the film days where Image Quality was not even a point for a body... In fact I'm wondering why it has become such an important thing for digital bodies since everybody agrees that default jpegs doesn'treally tell you anything about what quality you can get from a DSLR.

For me, it's like testing a F100 or EOS 3 with an AGFA 400 film and an average zoom and trying to get a judgement on their respective image quality...

You know, I just listened again to the sound of the shutter here on the K10D review. It sounds annoyingly crisp to me. My EOS-3 had a very pro-sounding machine noise, kind of the Porsche of shutter sounds- reallly one of my favorite shutters. Of course that was a full frame mirror. The 5D and 1DsmkII reviews don't have shutter sound recordings, and the 30D sound isn't all that hot- sounds kind of "wet" to me. I think the D80 sounds a bit better.

Anyone else have a favorite?

Frank