THE K10D is here!!!! $999.99

[mountainvisions]

Ok people.

 

Pentax posted the specs, photos and price.

 

$999.99 with 18-55mm lens.

 

The camera has a 12 frame buffer at 3FPS in raw and unlimited in JPEG.

 

Track lock on the AF.

 

22 to 12 bit conversion on the files. So it has a higher dynamic range.

 

dust removal

 

shake reduction up to 4 stops.

 

uses SD (not good for me but no complaints)

 

has a weather sealed body and battery grip (YES!!!!!!).

 

10.2MP (least important feature)

 

iso 100-3200

 

1/180th flash sync on camera with flash comp (less good and great, flash comp

is really useful on camera flash but the 1/180th is slow for sports and

dayligt when shooting a flash in manual at 1/8 power for action sports and

multi burst)

 

high speed flash sync to 1/4000 with P-TTL accessory flash units.

 

USM capability and powerzoom capability (USM is the fancy high speed low noise

motors on the canon/nikon AF systems)

 

same AF system as the *ist D no word on the motor. I'm hoping it's a bigger

faster motor with better algorithms.

 

 

Overall this is a D200 with a lot of great features at half the price.

Basically this is the new standard for other manufacturers to match. The D80

is now over priced since it has the same buffer, same 10.2MP, lacks anti-shake

and dust removal and I think weather sealing.

[mountainvisions]

to see for yourself...

 

http://www.pentaxslr.com/bodies/k10

[gee-bug]

Beware of NYC camera stores saying they have the K10D: Adorama lists the body, and lets you order it no problem. Then you get an email the next day saying it is back-ordered. I did this and have just cancelled my order since I didn't want my money tied up until probably November.

[jorge alban]

Large Histogram & LCD, three Color Temperature memories, brighter and larger viwefinder, larger dynamic range due to-22 bit, DNG raw format option, environment sealing, K mount compatible & built-in Shake Reduction to save BIG $$$ on long glass... in a $900 body!!! brings back memories of the value Pentax used to put into their Pro SLRs (MX, LX, 67, 645)...

 

BUT...(there always is a but) ISO only goes up to ISO 1600 (you stated 3200)... Crowding 10 MP in that Sony sensor excluded ISO 3200 (and might have made ISO 1600 too noisy)... So I'd wait for some high ISO peformance tests before taking the plunge...

 

Meanwhile those Pentax DA Limited primes are killing me with the promise of critically sharp photos in a semi-compact package!

 

JADe

http://www.ayerestabaaqui.blogspot.com

[Peter_in_PA]

Perhaps, if they had had this even 6 months ago, I would not have switched to Nikon.

However, I've generally liked the Nikkor lenses (both range of options and quality) better than

the Pentax (I've used both over the past decade or so) anyway, so I'll stay happy. (Interesting

note... among "low-end" lenses, however, Pentax, imho, has the absolute best. The kit lens

on the K100 blows away the other guys in many ways...) The camera looks killer, I hope they

sell a ton of 'em. Because I want my dust removal and weather sealing!

[mountainvisions]

apologies on the 3200. Are you sure there is not custom function for 3200.

 

Personally on the *ist D despite the 3200 being OK for an emergency I avoid it like the plague so I'm not too upset if there in fact is no way to get 3200.

 

Yeah, 10MP doesn't impress me. With camera raw I upsize virtually lossless 1 size to 10MP anyway with perhaps lower noise. Not sure I needed native 10MP, but I won't complain unless the image noise is awful.

[wigwam jones]

I do not believe that there is an ISO 3200 on the K10D. However, if the anti-shake works as advertised, it may be a moot point. I'd only reach for ISO 3200 in low-light conditions where I was trying to hand-hold at a very low shutter speed anyway, or shoot stopped further down that conditions would otherwise allow. If I can hold the shutter open longer without paying the piper in terms of shake-induced blur, it sounds pretty good. Biggest issue then would be if shutter speed were too slow to freeze action, but that is a minor quibble for me.

 

I am looking forward to this camera. I hope I will be able to scrape together enough ducats to buy it sometime around January.

 

As to upsizing images - I agree that one can interpolate without an apparent loss in quality to an amazing degree with the software now available, but to be precise, I don't think it can be called 'lossless'. The fact is, no matter what software is used, it is interpolating - guessing what pixels would have been in their if they had in fact been sensed by a higher megapixel sensor. It cannot restore data that was never there - so it cannot be lossless in that sense. It's making it up as it goes along - and doing it well, I agree - but that cannot be described as lossless. Just a minor quibble.

[gee-bug]

Looks like it still has the "Slim" digital filter. Am I the only person who can't figure out what that is useful for? Surely not just for making rotund folks look thinner?