Forgotten project - been there for ages.

Searching Pentax User I found a handful of Q10 images, non of which are too shabby. This one https://www.pentaxuser.com/photo/search-q10/silversurfers-78651 struck me as pretty good considering the Exif shows a shutter speed of 1/6 second. Reviews on the web give mostly 3-5 stars for image quality several reviewers praise image quality but comment on poor quality and noise if the ISO is pushed above 800. http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/pentax_q10_review/image_quality/
I notice that the ISO of your image is 3200, high ISO is not a strong point of this camera. I would try to keep ISO below 800 even if you have to slow shutter speed, see how you get on. My K7 produces brilliant images in good light but in poor light with the ISO above 800 the quality can be and usually is awful.

Best of luck David

Thanks, David, for the above commentary. You certainly have looked into the question. Perhaps I was too hasty and careless and unjust, but I am so used to just pointing and shooting, and was disappointed seeing that the Q series is an interesting and useful concept. I'll follow you indications and see if I can do better. Thanks again, and have a good day.

My apologies to Pentax users.
David (above) pointed out a number of things I had not thought about.
And I was rather unjust in what I said.
Accepting the camera's inhérent limitations and by deciding on default at P, and by fiddling around with the ISO speed (I've decided on 200), apertures, and point focusing, and keeping a steady hand, one can obtain quite acceptable photos—which is all I had hoped for.
And having asked the seller if that really was what he wanted, and having even suggested that I was ready to pay more, I consider what I got for €160 a real bargain.

Just wondered if you had chance to test the Q10 in better light and if so how are you getting on with it, if it doesn't produce excellent pictures in brighter conditions I will be disappointed. My sister uses a Pentax Q series probably a Q7 as its bright yellow but it produces some cracking photos. All the best David

Hello and thanks for the follow-up.
I'm still dabbling.
And point and shooting.
The pictures have not been "excellent" because the camera is slow and I usually don't give it time to focus properly or adjust to the light.
When I do take my time, some photos are not too bad, but with pronounced perspective distortion, and, of course, the lack of sharpness due to the 12mp, but remainb passable though with some problems with the colours.
In a word, as far as I am concerned, the results remain very variable, but can be interesting.
I have rather big hands and the controls are rather tiny, so I use the device set permanently P at 200/320 iso, having decided to use it mainly for B&W off-the-cuff photos—come as they may and then dabble.
I have posted three B&W (experimental) pictures today which were quite heavily reworked on Photos and Tonality.
We'll see.
All in all, if one does take ones time, the Q 10 is OK for the type of photos one glances at once, or shows to people who are not really interested, etc.
For more "serious" and experimental stuff, it could be a quite interesting venture.
Cheers, and thanks for your remarks.
A good day to you.

Actually, I am not dissatisfied with the Q 10 as it is different and something of a casual challenge interesting in its possibilities, though, as far as "functional" photos are concerned, any middle-of-the- range cell phone does as well, or better.

In fact, after less than a week, I have come to like the object and have had it permanently around or on me.
Small, light, silent—not like the K-3 and its 10-17 &16-45 & 55-300.
Pity it is not at least 16mp (like the K-50 which takes excellent photos).

This doesn't sound good to me, my sister uses a Q7 with the same lens as your using, I don't think shes had any problems like your suffering with.
I feel something must be wrong with the camera, camera set up or lens.
Have you checked the lens to camera connections are clean.
Also try removing the battery and the lens press and operate controls to remove any stored power, this has on my K7 and K5ii cleared several locked up focus and other problems I've occasionally had over the years.
Have you got shake reduction set on because as you may well know with no viewfinder holding the camera rock steady is almost impossible so its best to use SR if you can.
Photo test a scene using a tripod with few seconds delay and hand held to compare results.
Hope this helps David

Thanks David,
The camera does seem fickle and perhaps it is just not quite a good one.
The results can be distressingly irregular.
Some photos are frankly lurid or fuzzy and others out of focus, especially when zooming.
But the camera is slow and I cannot force myself to wait.
I know—as you point out—that it has to be held very very steadily.
It is all more annoying than dramatic because I redo all the pictures I take with it
All my recent posting have been (artily) taken with the Q7.
Seeing the price I paid, there is no point in my getting it checked or repaired.
There are always a K-R, K-50, K-70, K-3 to fall back on.
Cheers and have a good day.

ps: I have found that spot focusing gives better results. The normal multi-segment (or whatever it's called) is extremely sensitive and tends to hop around which perhaps hates the lack of definition what the poor little divide cannot determine what is it oe should be photographing.

pas: P & 250 iso & spot focusing seems to be the best setting I can find. Still the limitations of 12mp, but, with a bit of redefining and sharpening…

I'm sorry to hear that its so unsatisfactory, even at 12mp it should produce images far better than what your getting. I had Canon which was only 2.1mp, it produced brilliant photos as long as you didn't want to crop them much.
All the best David

Finally. I am quite happy with it. One must take one's time. The way things are going, the Q10 may even become my main camera. 😁

Thanks for all your remarks.

Wow that's an encouraging statement, so pleased your getting to grips with it.
All the Best David