Like most Pentax digital single-lens reflex cameras, the Pentax K10D packs a lot of features into a small package at a mid-range price. It takes a bit of effort to get used to how it works to get the best photos possible, but it gives you a lot of tools to do just that. It also has a built-in mini photo lab to work with images in the camera.
Basics
The 10-megapixel Pentax K10D has a variety of features to get used to before, during and after shooting photos. For example, you can switch between capturing images in JPEG or RAW format with a button to the left side of the lens, something usually reserved for a menu item. If you are serious about photography, you should never shoot in JPEG format because the quality and control of the image just aren't there as they are in RAW. Another tool available without going to a menu is the mode selector dial. There are the standard Auto, Program and Manual settings, but there also are two other settings that are quite useful. The "TAv" setting combines aperture and shutter priority. That means you can choose the aperture setting and shutter speed, which directs the K10D to select the ISO speed from 100 to 1,600. The "Sv" mode allows you to choose your speed, again from 100 to 1,600 ISO, and the camera will adjust the shutter speed and aperture opening. The camera also has 72 seals against moisture and dust, so you can use it in wet conditions relatively safely.
Features
Because the K10D has an anti-shake system, you can hand-hold the camera at much slower speeds than a traditional camera. While it is common to use a tripod to expose images at 1/30th of a second or slower speeds, this limitation no longer is there. You can hand-hold for longer exposures, which means you can shoot without a tripod in lower lighting conditions such as indoors at night without a flash. This feature also helps when shooting with long telephoto lenses that magnify camera shake. You'll need to experiment with this, however, because you won't see the stabilization through the viewfinder. To stabilize further, the K10D has a mini-grip on the left side of the camera to give you two-hand holding capabilities.
Photo Lab
Since you can see the recorded image on the 2.5-inch screen on the back of the camera, you also can process the photo there before ever taking it out to Adobe Photoshop or another photo-editing software package. By pressing the Function (Fn) button, you can change the RAW image to a JPEG in the camera, then make adjustments to quality, white balance, contrast, saturation and other standard manipulations usually found only in image-editing software. You can use this feature to figure out if the photo is exactly what you want while you are at the scene, where, if it isn't, you can shoot more photos at different settings to get what you want.
Tags: camera also, JPEG format, left side, shutter speed, slower speeds, what want
