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Pentax K10D First Impressions Review

First Impressions Review

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Introduction

Next: Page 2

Components
September 30, 2006 By Patrick Singleton
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Front
The deep grip bulges at the top to form a niche for the user's middle finger, and the front control dial protrudes from the bulge. An infrared sensor is flush with the surface of the grip. Most of the body of the K10D is covered in leather-textured rubber, making the camera easy to grip securely. The lens release button is on the lower left of the mount. On the right side of the mount, there is a lever to choose the focus mode, and a button to change the image format to RAW. The viewfinder hump overhangs the mount, accommodating both a flip-up flash and a pentaprism. A button on the side of the hump activates the flash.
 
The Pentax logo is on the hump, and the right shoulder is labeled "K10D." A small red badge low between the grip and the lens mount reads "SR."
 
Back
The Pentax K10D's viewfinder is large, and surrounded by a soft rubber eyecup. A button to initiate bracketing is to the left of the viewfinder. The rear control dial is to the right, and the autoexposure lock button is at far right. The 2.5-inch, 210,000-pixel LCD is centered below the viewfinder. The Menu, trash, INFO and playback are to the left. The exposure compensation and autofocus buttons are near the top right corner of the LCD, next to a red LED that glows as images are saved to memory. The 4-way controller is below. It's a ring which can be rocked up, down or sideways, with an "OK" button in the middle. A kurled ring surrounds it. It's the control for how autofocus sites are selected. The function button and a switch for the anti-shake mechanism are below the 4-way controller. A secure metal latch for the memory card door is in the lower right corner of the back. A patch of textured rubber runs up the right side of the back, which has a sloping concave contour to for a large thumb rest.
 
Left
The left side of the Pentax K10D features a wide, stamped-metal strap lug, which pokes out of the side of the camera. The flash, RAW and focus mode controls are also visible from the left. Pentax makes some very small lenses – a short 70mm lens is pictured in some of our illustrations – so it may be best to hold the side of the camera, rather than the lens with the left hand in some situations. The left side is covered in the same gripping material as the right. A rubber door covers ports for a wired remote control, USB and analog video out, and a DC power supply. The door seals well. A ridge along the forward edge of the left side also facilitates the grip.

Right
The strap mount on the right side of the Pentax K10D is inset along the top edge of the side, out of the way of the user's hand. Because the K10D takes SD cards, the media door is small, taking up much less than half the height of the camera, along the back of the side. The door has a full gasket to seal out environmental contaminants. The rubber gripping material on the front of the camera stops midway back on the right side, giving way to hard plastic with a slight texture.

Top
The large mode dial is on the left of the Pentax K10D's top deck, with a lever beneath to set the metering pattern. A narrow, stiff tab on top of the viewfinder adjusts the diopter, and a hot shot for dedicated flashes is at the apex of the viewfinder hump. A wide monochrome LCD takes up the right side of the top, short of the grip. The power switch is a ring around the shutter release. The ring also activates the depth of field preview, to which Pentax has added some useful features. There's a green button between the shutter release and the viewfinder hump. It can be programmed for a number of uses.

Bottom
The tripod socket is a nice metal thing directly under the lens axis, which should aid in balancing and aiming the K10D on a tripod. A rubber plug fills up the access port to a set of gold electrical contacts on the bottom of the camera, and the battery compartment door is a substantial piece of plastic with a hearty double-action latch and a full gasket.

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Pentax K10D First Impressions Review
First Impressions Review
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Previous:

Introduction

Previous: Page 2

Components