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Testing the K10D

Rodger Fooks
Posted 25/02/2007 - 15:40 Link
Well I'm back from Kenya and have tried the K10D for the 1st time in anger

The image stabilisation worked a treat allowing me to take photos at 2x -3xlower ISO ratings than I'm used to. (500mm at 1/200 is fine even on the back of a Safari bus with the engine still running)

Every time I changed lense I ran the dust removal system and no dust spots at all.

Focusing was faster than the ist DS with the same lenses.

The seals coped perfectly with the Savanagh conditions with no problems at all (I've seen threads saying dust gets behing the prievew screen but no issues with this)

The only problem I had is that you must turn to AF-S or M mode when using the flash otherwise the IR doesn't fire aon the AF360 unit (nor does the pre-flash on the inbuilt flash). I used AF-C nearly all the time for wildlife and it was brilliant. The speed of changing from centre spot focus / metering to other modes also helped greatly enabling shots to be taken when I would still be changing modes on the DS.

I bought the camera for these abilities and not the 10mp sensor - Really impressed and all held up superbly.

Battery was great giving about 500 shots before re-charging and 3fps for 10 frames in PEF was more than adequate. I conditions where the local power goes off a lot having 2hr recharging for the battery was good (typically 1hr was possible where the battery was only partially discharged).

Still can't get to grips with with taking pics over water - nearly always under exposes for some reason. Mind you I shoot in RAW nearly all the time so not such a problem.

Overall 10x better than the ist DS in these conditions.

Well done Pentax from a very happy customer.
Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.
Gwyn
Posted 25/02/2007 - 17:52 Link
Look forward to the photos
petekd
Posted 26/02/2007 - 08:20 Link
Glad to here it Roger

If it withstands those conditions it must be good.

Look forward to the Pics

Pete
Rodger Fooks
Posted 26/02/2007 - 08:53 Link
Pics will be out soon - only 10gb to sort through

Only problem with Safari is the light, you just cant pick and choose the conditions for the best shots - some are full overhead light, some early morning / late evening etc... but just made the best of what was available.

What was interesting is that I only saw 2 other users of SLR's (of any type) whilst out there and only 1 of those with a lens capable of taking long range shots. Just imagine one person paying all that money for Safari and doing all their pics on a mobile phone
Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.
Gwyn
Posted 26/02/2007 - 10:10 Link
I saw that too last year in Tanzania! Crazy. Or with a tiny point and shoot with 3X zoom trying to get a photo of a leopard up a tree. Well I just about managed it with my 300mm lens but 500 would have been better. Still it's the experience and the memories as much as anything....

That said I now have my Bigma and hope to go back to TZ next year

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