Retro Digital: Pentax K10D vs. K200D

I don't have a K10D but I do have a K200D, so a couple of notes which may be of interest.

The K200D uses 4xAA batteries - eneloops work well, the K10D needs the hard-to-find D-Li50, I'm unaware of any options.

The K200D has a VERY much greater cut-off of infra-red than my 6Mpixel *istDx cameras, possibly resulting in the minimum ISO of 100 instead of 200. I note the K10D has a similar ISO range, so would expect the results to be similar. To my eye, the output from the K200D is very much more like the later CMOS sensor cameras, I suspect due to a reduced sensitivity in the near i/r, so not all CCD sensors are equal

The K200D is perfectly capable of using manual-focus lenses, in conjunction with the 'green hexagon' Focus Confirmation Indicator in the viewfinder and will, of course, also cope with the early K-mount "non-A" lenses in Manual Mode, using the "magic green button".

I use several Pentax cameras with penta-mirrors, both film and digital, and, to be honest, in "normal" lighting conditions, I don't notice the difference between any of them and my KP or K-3iii, so I'd not consider that in my comparison!

Perusing the specifications, combined with my own experience of the K200D, I'd suggest the K200D would be the "better buy", unless you really need the more advanced features (Hyper-Program etc.) of the K10D.

Whatever your final choice ... enjoy

I have had both the K200D and the K10D. The K200D has a smaller viewfinder which I found not as nice to use as the larger and slightly brighter viewfinder of the K10D. The K10D is heavier because it is more solidly built and I had no trouble in getting spare batteries at all, just look online. Both cameras produced lovely photos and both have nice ergonomics. I would choose the K10D because of the better viewfinder.

kypfer said:

I don't have a K10D but I do have a K200D, so a couple of notes which may be of interest.

The K200D uses 4xAA batteries - eneloops work well, the K10D needs the hard-to-find D-Li50, I'm unaware of any options.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Kypfer!

Inexpensive D-Li50 compatible batteries are available from Amazon, and I already have relatively fresh Eneloops.

kypfer said:

The K200D has a VERY much greater cut-off of infra-red than my 6Mpixel *istDx cameras, possibly resulting in the minimum ISO of 100 instead of 200. I note the K10D has a similar ISO range, so would expect the results to be similar. To my eye, the output from the K200D is very much more like the later CMOS sensor cameras, I suspect due to a reduced sensitivity in the near i/r, so not all CCD sensors are equal

Click to expand...

I've looked at sample images from both cameras and liked them. Whatever the technical difference is, it's not an issue.

kypfer said:

The K200D is perfectly capable of using manual-focus lenses, in conjunction with the 'green hexagon' Focus Confirmation Indicator in the viewfinder and will, of course, also cope with the early K-mount "non-A" lenses in Manual Mode, using the "magic green button".

I use several Pentax cameras with penta-mirrors, both film and digital, and, to be honest, in "normal" lighting conditions, I don't notice the difference between any of them and my KP or K-3iii, so I'd not consider that in my comparison!

Click to expand...

I'm planning to use the camera only in good lighting conditions.

kypfer said:

Perusing the specifications, combined with my own experience of the K200D, I'd suggest the K200D would be the "better buy", unless you really need the more advanced features (Hyper-Program etc.) of the K10D.

Click to expand...

Hyper-Program is a nice feature to have, but not essential.

Another question: have you noticed any shutter shock effect with the K200?

WiltshireMoonraker59 said:

I have had both the K200D and the K10D. The K200D has a smaller viewfinder which I found not as nice to use as the larger and slightly brighter viewfinder of the K10D. The K10D is heavier because it is more solidly built and I had no trouble in getting spare batteries at all, just look online. Both cameras produced lovely photos and both have nice ergonomics. I would choose the K10D because of the better viewfinder.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Slightly smaller and dimmer viewfinder is not a problem. I'm planning to use the camera in good light with a magnifier. There is another issue that bothers me. The only camera with a pentamirror I ever used was the Pentax *ist. Its viewfinder was big and bright enough but had optical distortions, especially closer to the edges of the frame. Have you noticed anything like that in the K200D viewfinder?

alex_virt said:

Thanks, Kypfer!

Another question: have you noticed any shutter shock effect with the K200?

Click to expand...

Not sure I'd know "shutter shock" if it stood up and bit me ... sorry!

As for distortion in the *ist viewfinder that you mention in your other answer ... I too have and use a *ist (bought new when they were new!) and I've not noticed any issue ... maybe the camera you used had an alignment problem? ... or maybe I'm not that critical

kypfer said:

alex_virt said:

Thanks, Kypfer!

Another question: have you noticed any shutter shock effect with the K200?

Click to expand...

Not sure I'd know "shutter shock" if it stood up and bit me ... sorry!

As for distortion in the *ist viewfinder that you mention in your other answer ... I too have and use a *ist (bought new when they were new!) and I've not noticed any issue ... maybe the camera you used had an alignment problem? ... or maybe I'm not that critical

Click to expand...

My *ist was perfectly OK for framing and autofocus. Distortion was a problem only if I wanted to manually focus on something off centre.

alex_virt said:

I recently re-processed some very old raw files taken by a friend with the Sony A100 and liked the image quality so much that I wanted to shoot with it myself. Since I don't have any Sony/Minolta lenses, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a Sony camera.

Fortunately, the same or a very similar 10 MP CCD sensor was used in the Pentax K10D and K200D. I can buy either camera locally, and the K10 costs $50 more.

I have questions to old Pentaxians who used both cameras. Is there a reason to pay more for the K10 other than the pentaprism viewfinder? How bad is the pentamirror of the K200? Is it suitable for manual focusing? Is there any other significant difference between the two cameras?

Click to expand...

I only had the K10D not the K200D so my comments are limited. The K10D was their top lline camera at the time and the K200D was a lower level. Aside from the viewfinder the K10D has a more solid build at the expense of being bigger and an extra 100g, but I suspect higher spec parts such as the shutter, etc. Of course 2 control dials vs one on the K200D.

For a C$50 difference I would go with the K10D

DougOB said:

alex_virt said:

I recently re-processed some very old raw files taken by a friend with the Sony A100 and liked the image quality so much that I wanted to shoot with it myself. Since I don't have any Sony/Minolta lenses, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a Sony camera.

Fortunately, the same or a very similar 10 MP CCD sensor was used in the Pentax K10D and K200D. I can buy either camera locally, and the K10 costs $50 more.

I have questions to old Pentaxians who used both cameras. Is there a reason to pay more for the K10 other than the pentaprism viewfinder? How bad is the pentamirror of the K200? Is it suitable for manual focusing? Is there any other significant difference between the two cameras?

Click to expand...

I only had the K10D not the K200D so my comments are limited. The K10D was their top lline camera at the time and the K200D was a lower level. Aside from the viewfinder the K10D has a more solid build at the expense of being bigger and an extra 100g, but I suspect higher spec parts such as the shutter, etc. Of course 2 control dials vs one on the K200D.

For a C$50 difference I would go with the K10D

Click to expand...

Thanks Doug! I've just noticed: the K10 has TAv mode, which I often use, and the K200 doesn't.

alex_virt said:

DougOB said:

alex_virt said:

I recently re-processed some very old raw files taken by a friend with the Sony A100 and liked the image quality so much that I wanted to shoot with it myself. Since I don't have any Sony/Minolta lenses, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a Sony camera.

Fortunately, the same or a very similar 10 MP CCD sensor was used in the Pentax K10D and K200D. I can buy either camera locally, and the K10 costs $50 more.

I have questions to old Pentaxians who used both cameras. Is there a reason to pay more for the K10 other than the pentaprism viewfinder? How bad is the pentamirror of the K200? Is it suitable for manual focusing? Is there any other significant difference between the two cameras?

Click to expand...

I only had the K10D not the K200D so my comments are limited. The K10D was their top lline camera at the time and the K200D was a lower level. Aside from the viewfinder the K10D has a more solid build at the expense of being bigger and an extra 100g, but I suspect higher spec parts such as the shutter, etc. Of course 2 control dials vs one on the K200D.

For a C$50 difference I would go with the K10D

Click to expand...

Thanks Doug! I've just noticed: the K10 has TAv mode, which I often use, and the K200 doesn't.

Click to expand...

Yup, and the K200D has all the Scene/Pict modes that were alwas part of the more entry level models.

Doug

No text

--
pentaxian .

alex_virt said:

WiltshireMoonraker59 said:

I have had both the K200D and the K10D. The K200D has a smaller viewfinder which I found not as nice to use as the larger and slightly brighter viewfinder of the K10D. The K10D is heavier because it is more solidly built and I had no trouble in getting spare batteries at all, just look online. Both cameras produced lovely photos and both have nice ergonomics. I would choose the K10D because of the better viewfinder.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Slightly smaller and dimmer viewfinder is not a problem. I'm planning to use the camera in good light with a magnifier. There is another issue that bothers me. The only camera with a pentamirror I ever used was the Pentax *ist. Its viewfinder was big and bright enough but had optical distortions, especially closer to the edges of the frame. Have you noticed anything like that in the K200D viewfinder?

Click to expand...

Well I wear spectacles so it's more difficult for me to see the whole frame without moving my eyes around a bit but I can't say I noticed any distortion.

WiltshireMoonraker59 said:

alex_virt said:

WiltshireMoonraker59 said:

I have had both the K200D and the K10D. The K200D has a smaller viewfinder which I found not as nice to use as the larger and slightly brighter viewfinder of the K10D. The K10D is heavier because it is more solidly built and I had no trouble in getting spare batteries at all, just look online. Both cameras produced lovely photos and both have nice ergonomics. I would choose the K10D because of the better viewfinder.

Click to expand...

Thank you!

Slightly smaller and dimmer viewfinder is not a problem. I'm planning to use the camera in good light with a magnifier. There is another issue that bothers me. The only camera with a pentamirror I ever used was the Pentax *ist. Its viewfinder was big and bright enough but had optical distortions, especially closer to the edges of the frame. Have you noticed anything like that in the K200D viewfinder?

Click to expand...

Well I wear spectacles so it's more difficult for me to see the whole frame without moving my eyes around a bit but I can't say I noticed any distortion.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm inclined to get the K10D for its better viewfinder and TAv mode.

kypfer said:

I don't have a K10D but I do have a K200D, so a couple of notes which may be of interest.

The K200D uses 4xAA batteries - eneloops work well, the K10D needs the hard-to-find D-Li50, I'm unaware of any options.

The K200D has a VERY much greater cut-off of infra-red than my 6Mpixel *istDx cameras, possibly resulting in the minimum ISO of 100 instead of 200. I note the K10D has a similar ISO range, so would expect the results to be similar. To my eye, the output from the K200D is very much more like the later CMOS sensor cameras, I suspect due to a reduced sensitivity in the near i/r, so not all CCD sensors are equal

Click to expand...

I found the same information from other users that successfully used unmodified K100D for infrared photography. Nevertheless, I find the colors that my K200D produces very different from those coming from CMOS (FSI) sensored Pentax DSLRs. K200D colors have a noticeable (and pleasant) green-yellow tint.

In contrast to K200D, it seems that K100D produces noticeable purplish images, including purple skies, possibly due to a high infrared transmittance of its filters. Comparison of K100D and K200D colors: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/60260-k100d-vs-k200d-performance.html

So I don't know what the CCD colors should look like. There are filter transmission properties (that should be sensor type-independent) and diode properties that could play a role here.

iso rivolta said:

kypfer said:

I don't have a K10D but I do have a K200D, so a couple of notes which may be of interest.

The K200D uses 4xAA batteries - eneloops work well, the K10D needs the hard-to-find D-Li50, I'm unaware of any options.

The K200D has a VERY much greater cut-off of infra-red than my 6Mpixel *istDx cameras, possibly resulting in the minimum ISO of 100 instead of 200. I note the K10D has a similar ISO range, so would expect the results to be similar. To my eye, the output from the K200D is very much more like the later CMOS sensor cameras, I suspect due to a reduced sensitivity in the near i/r, so not all CCD sensors are equal

Click to expand...

I found the same information from other users that successfully used unmodified K100D for infrared photography. Nevertheless, I find the colors that my K200D produces very different from those coming from CMOS (FSI) sensored Pentax DSLRs. K200D colors have a noticeable (and pleasant) green-yellow tint.

In contrast to K200D, it seems that K100D produces noticeable purplish images, including purple skies, possibly due to a high infrared transmittance of its filters. Comparison of K100D and K200D colors: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/60260-k100d-vs-k200d-performance.html

So I don't know what the CCD colors should look like. There are filter transmission properties (that should be sensor type-independent) and diode properties that could play a role here.

Click to expand...

How does the K10D (as per the OP request) compare vs the K100D and the K200D?

Cheers,

Doug

DougOB said:

iso rivolta said:

kypfer said:

I don't have a K10D but I do have a K200D, so a couple of notes which may be of interest.

The K200D uses 4xAA batteries - eneloops work well, the K10D needs the hard-to-find D-Li50, I'm unaware of any options.

The K200D has a VERY much greater cut-off of infra-red than my 6Mpixel *istDx cameras, possibly resulting in the minimum ISO of 100 instead of 200. I note the K10D has a similar ISO range, so would expect the results to be similar. To my eye, the output from the K200D is very much more like the later CMOS sensor cameras, I suspect due to a reduced sensitivity in the near i/r, so not all CCD sensors are equal

Click to expand...

I found the same information from other users that successfully used unmodified K100D for infrared photography. Nevertheless, I find the colors that my K200D produces very different from those coming from CMOS (FSI) sensored Pentax DSLRs. K200D colors have a noticeable (and pleasant) green-yellow tint.

In contrast to K200D, it seems that K100D produces noticeable purplish images, including purple skies, possibly due to a high infrared transmittance of its filters. Comparison of K100D and K200D colors: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/60260-k100d-vs-k200d-performance.html

So I don't know what the CCD colors should look like. There are filter transmission properties (that should be sensor type-independent) and diode properties that could play a role here.

Click to expand...

How does the K10D (as per the OP request) compare vs the K100D and the K200D?

Cheers,

Doug

Click to expand...

Hi Doug,

Really, I don't know as I never used a K10D. I was replying to kypfer rather than the OP.

I presume the sensor is very similar between K10D and K200D, so the images should generally look almost the same. The AD converter is known to be different though, and K200D has a little less noise at high ISO, as is perhaps using more NR in the RAW files over ISO 400: https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Pentax K10D,Pentax K200D (btw the K200D data come from my camera).

EDIT: One other thing I just remembered from imaging-resource's review of the K10D: phantom pixels, https://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/K10D/K10DPHANTOMPIXELS.HTM

These defects seem amply present in images from K10D (in RAW as well) but not from K200D. If you look carefully, you can find this problem here too (only jpg available), albeit not as severe as in the imaging-resource's examples, https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk10d/24

alex_virt said:

DougOB said:

alex_virt said:

I recently re-processed some very old raw files taken by a friend with the Sony A100 and liked the image quality so much that I wanted to shoot with it myself. Since I don't have any Sony/Minolta lenses, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a Sony camera.

Fortunately, the same or a very similar 10 MP CCD sensor was used in the Pentax K10D and K200D. I can buy either camera locally, and the K10 costs $50 more.

I have questions to old Pentaxians who used both cameras. Is there a reason to pay more for the K10 other than the pentaprism viewfinder? How bad is the pentamirror of the K200? Is it suitable for manual focusing? Is there any other significant difference between the two cameras?

Click to expand...

I only had the K10D not the K200D so my comments are limited. The K10D was their top lline camera at the time and the K200D was a lower level. Aside from the viewfinder the K10D has a more solid build at the expense of being bigger and an extra 100g, but I suspect higher spec parts such as the shutter, etc. Of course 2 control dials vs one on the K200D.

For a C$50 difference I would go with the K10D

Click to expand...

Thanks Doug! I've just noticed: the K10 has TAv mode, which I often use, and the K200 doesn't.

Click to expand...

Yes, for a $50 bucks I would grab that K10 as well. Can you check the shutter counts? But even this information is not so important. Some cameras (of the same type) last 20k, some others 200k. And Alex, don't forget to show the (spring) pictures . Here, we will have to wait at least another month :-( .

flektogon said:

alex_virt said:

DougOB said:

alex_virt said:

I recently re-processed some very old raw files taken by a friend with the Sony A100 and liked the image quality so much that I wanted to shoot with it myself. Since I don't have any Sony/Minolta lenses, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a Sony camera.

Fortunately, the same or a very similar 10 MP CCD sensor was used in the Pentax K10D and K200D. I can buy either camera locally, and the K10 costs $50 more.

I have questions to old Pentaxians who used both cameras. Is there a reason to pay more for the K10 other than the pentaprism viewfinder? How bad is the pentamirror of the K200? Is it suitable for manual focusing? Is there any other significant difference between the two cameras?

Click to expand...

I only had the K10D not the K200D so my comments are limited. The K10D was their top lline camera at the time and the K200D was a lower level. Aside from the viewfinder the K10D has a more solid build at the expense of being bigger and an extra 100g, but I suspect higher spec parts such as the shutter, etc. Of course 2 control dials vs one on the K200D.

For a C$50 difference I would go with the K10D

Click to expand...

Thanks Doug! I've just noticed: the K10 has TAv mode, which I often use, and the K200 doesn't.

Click to expand...

Yes, for a $50 bucks I would grab that K10 as well. Can you check the shutter counts? But even this information is not so important. Some cameras (of the same type) last 20k, some others 200k. And Alex, don't forget to show the (spring) pictures . Here, we will have to wait at least another month :-( .

Click to expand...

Hi Peter,

The full price we've agreed upon is 120. I asked about the shutter count, waiting for reply. The weather feels like spring today, as if it's April 10, not March. Of course, it's deceptive.

Hopefully, I will get either the K10 or K200 this weekend and will post some pictures right away

In pictures, the K200 looks smoother, more refined and more comfortable to hold than the K10, which may or may not be true in reality. I'll try the K10 first, and if there's something wrong with it, I'll go try the K200 next day.

OOC JPEGs from the K200 also look better to my taste, but I'm going to shoot raw anyway.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alex_virt/

DougOB said:

alex_virt said:

I recently re-processed some very old raw files taken by a friend with the Sony A100 and liked the image quality so much that I wanted to shoot with it myself. Since I don't have any Sony/Minolta lenses, it doesn't make sense to me to buy a Sony camera.

Fortunately, the same or a very similar 10 MP CCD sensor was used in the Pentax K10D and K200D. I can buy either camera locally, and the K10 costs $50 more.

I have questions to old Pentaxians who used both cameras. Is there a reason to pay more for the K10 other than the pentaprism viewfinder? How bad is the pentamirror of the K200? Is it suitable for manual focusing? Is there any other significant difference between the two cameras?

Click to expand...

I only had the K10D not the K200D so my comments are limited. The K10D was their top lline camera at the time and the K200D was a lower level. Aside from the viewfinder the K10D has a more solid build at the expense of being bigger and an extra 100g, but I suspect higher spec parts such as the shutter, etc.

Click to expand...

Added weight also goes towards better stabilisation.

DougOB said:

Of course 2 control dials vs one on the K200D.

For a C$50 difference I would go with the K10D

Click to expand...

Just bought the K10D. Stay tuned......