On the other hand, though the K10D performs well for its class, it doesn't really stand out. Its time to first shot and typical shutter lag of about half a second come in around the average, and difficulty autofocusing in dim light results in a 1.6 second lag in suboptimal environments. At half a second, JPEG and raw shot-to-shot speeds also fall in the middle of the pack, though its 3.1fps continuous-shooting clip elevates it a bit above the budget crowd. Occasionally I ran into focus lock issues--usually during close-ups--where it would rock back and forth quickly for a few iterations, as if trying to decide whether or not it was satisfied. Most of the time I fell into a rhythm with it, as you do with any good camera, but occasionally missed a shot waiting for it to catch up.
As with most LCDs, the color and exposure reproduction on the K10D's 2.5-inch screen can't be trusted; it's so contrasty, in fact, that I couldn't really judge whether the flash was operating the way I wanted. You just have to close your eyes and trust the histograms.
If you're looking for a first dSLR or a no-brainer kit, the Pentax K10D may be too much for you, as in too much power and too expensive. But if you want to buy into an inexpensive system with a really good amateur dSLR at its hub, the K10D hits the mark.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Shutter lag (dim light) | |
Time to first shot | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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In frames per second |
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Raw shot-to-shot time | |
Typical shot-to-shot time |
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Pentax K10D (with 18mm-55mm lens):
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