Pentax K10D Review

Main Features

10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.5″ Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

793g. 142 x 101 x 70 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced by Pentax K20D

$699.95

CHECK TODAY's PRICE

Select a Camera to Compare

Add a Camera for comparison

Pentax K10D Overview

First introduced in December 2006 , Pentax K10D is a 10.0MP Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor. Pentax later replaced K10D with K20D. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Pentax K10D vs Pentax K20D

Pentax K10D has an Overall Score of 54/100 and ranked #133 out of 200 in DSLR cameras (Top 10 DSLR), and ranked #429 out of 1157 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Pentax K10D Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras

Pentax K10D Compared to other DSLR Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Pentax K10D review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Image Stabilization

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

11 Focus Points

Environmental Sealing

Top LCD Display

Flash Sync Port

Buy Pentax K10D from or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Articulating Screen

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

No Face Detection Focusing

Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.600

Small LCD Screen ( 2.5″)

Low Screen Resolution ( 210kdots )

Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps

Heavy Body: 793g

Poor Low Light Performance

No AF Micro Adjustment

Pentax K10D Lens Mount and Lenses

Pentax K10D has a Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 144 native lenses available for this mount. Pentax K mount has backward compatibility for all the K mount lenses produced since 1975 so Pentax users has access to a large selection of manual era native lenses in addition to the modern AF lenses.

K10D also has a Sensor based Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on K10D. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC. There are also 22 lenses with weather sealing for K10D that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Pentax K10D Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Pentax K10D Lenses

	Focal Length on K10D	Max Aperture	Weight	Focusing	Price
Pentax smc FA 50mm F1.4	75mm	F1.4	220gr	AF	$319.95
HD Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR	82.5-450mm	F4.0 - F5.8	466gr	AF	$412.09
Pentax DA 18-50mm F4.5-5.6 DC WR RE	27-75mm	F4.0 - F5.6	158gr	AF	$146.95
HD Pentax D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR	36-105mm	F2.8	787gr	AF	$991.06
Pentax D FA 70-200mm F2.8ED DC AW	105-300mm	F2.8	1755gr	AF	$1,596.95

Check our Pentax K10D Lenses page or use our Smart Lens Finder tool for more detailed lens search.

Pentax K10D Sensor and Photography Features

Pentax K10D has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 3872 x 2592 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. K10D has a native ISO range of 100 - 1600 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Pentax K10D is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Sigma Quattro with its 29.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Pentax K10D vs Sigma Quattro or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Pentax K10D sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 66 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Pentax K10D here.

Let's look at how the size of the Pentax K10D's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Pentax K10D Physical Specs

Pentax K10D weighs 793 g (1.75 lb / 27.97 oz) and has external dimensions of 142 x 101 x 70 mm (5.59 x 3.98 x 2.76″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 771g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 70mm, it also has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Pentax K10D

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Pentax K10D

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Pentax K10D with the dimensions:

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Pentax K10D, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Pentax K10D with its main competitors:

Pentax K10D Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Sensor	Weight	vs K10D	Thickness	vs K10D
Pentax K20D	15.0MP - APS-C	800g	7g heavier	70mm	equal thickness
Pentax K200D	10.0MP - APS-C	690g	103g lighter	74mm	4mm thicker
Pentax K-3	24.0MP - APS-C	800g	7g heavier	77mm	7mm thicker
Pentax K-50	16.0MP - APS-C	650g	143g lighter	71mm	1mm thicker
Pentax K-x	12.0MP - APS-C	580g	213g lighter	68mm	2mm thinner
Nikon D200	10.0MP - APS-C	920g	127g heavier	74mm	4mm thicker
Pentax K-S2	20.0MP - APS-C	678g	115g lighter	73mm	3mm thicker
Pentax K-5 IIs	16.0MP - APS-C	760g	33g lighter	73mm	3mm thicker

Pentax K10D has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Pentax K10D will serve you well. If you attach one of these Pentax K10D weather Sealed lenses to K10D you will have a great all weather kit.

Pentax K10D Other Features

LCD and Viewfinder

Pentax K10D has a Fixed Type 2.5″ LCD screen with a resolution of 210k dots. At only 2.5″, the screen is on the smaller side and 210kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

K10D has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. The viewfinder has a coverage of 95% and a magnification ratio of 0.64x. 95% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

Max Shutter speed
Pentax K10D can shoot continuously at max speed of 3 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

Flash
K10D has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing
Pentax K10D features a Phase Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 11 points to choose from.

Video Features
Unfortunately Pentax K10D doesn't have Video recording ability.

Connectivity and Storage

Pentax K10D has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Pentax K10D Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Pentax K20D >>Compare to K10D	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K200D >>Compare to K10D	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-3 >>Compare to K10D	1920 x 1080	560shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-50 >>Compare to K10D	1920 x 1080	410shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-x >>Compare to K10D	1280 x 720	1900shots	No	No	No
Nikon D200 >>Compare to K10D	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-S2 >>Compare to K10D	1920 x 1080	410shots	Yes	No	Yes
Pentax K-5 IIs >>Compare to K10D	1920 x 1080	980shots	No	No	No

Lowest Price
Current Lowest price for Pentax K10D is $699.95

What type of Photography is Pentax K10D Good for?

In this section, we review and score Pentax K10D in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the K10D compares with the average DSLR camera.
Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

Pentax K10D for Portrait Photography

Pentax K10D has a score of 66 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K10D for Portrait Photography

Pentax K10D for Street Photography

Pentax K10D has a score of 69 for Street Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Street Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor

No Live-view
Large Body

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K10D for Street Photography

Pentax K10D for Sports Photography

Pentax K10D has a score of 78 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K10D for Sports Photography

Pentax K10D for Daily Photography

Pentax K10D has a score of 66 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Environmental Sealings
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Large Body

793g
Body Thickness 70mm

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K10D for Daily Photography

Pentax K10D for Landscape Photography

Pentax K10D has a score of 46 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings

No Live-view
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K10D for Landscape Photography

Pentax K10D Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Pentax K10D compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of K10D and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Pentax K10D alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Pentax K10D

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Pentax K10D amongst Camera Decision readers.

Pentax K20D

Compare

Pentax K200D

Compare

Pentax K-3

Compare

Pentax K-50

Compare

Pentax K-x

Compare

Nikon D200

Compare

Pentax K-S2

Compare

Pentax K-5 IIs

Compare

Pentax K10D Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Pentax K10D with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Pentax K10D's price range.

Panasonic G85

Compare

Sony A7

Compare

Canon M6

Compare

Panasonic GX8

Compare

Olympus E-M5 II

Compare

Olympus E-M10 II

Compare

Olympus PEN-F

Compare

Panasonic GX85

Compare

Frequently Asked Questions about Pentax K10D

Does the Pentax K10D have Image Stabilization?
Does the Pentax K10D have RAW support?
Does the Pentax K10D have Weather Sealing?
Does the Pentax K10D have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Pentax K10D?
What is the Sensor Size of Pentax K10D?
is the Pentax K10D a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Pentax K10D have Touch Screen?
Does the Pentax K10D have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Pentax K10D?

Pentax K10D Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Pentax
Model	Pentax K10D
Announced	2006-12-15
Body Type	Mid-size SLR
Price	$699.95
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Pentax KAF2
Number of Lenses	144
Focal Length Multiplier	1.5×
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	2.5″
Screen Resolution	210k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.64
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000s
Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	n/a
Max Flash Sync	1/180s
Flash Modes	Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Auto Red Eye
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	66
DxO Color Depth	22.7
DxO Dynamic Range	11.6
DxO Low Light ISO	522
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CCD
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Dimensions	23.5 x 15.7 mm
Sensor Area	368.95mm²
Sensor Resolution	10 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	3872 x 2592
Max Native ISO	1,600
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	11
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	793g
Physical Dimensions	142 x 101 x 70mm
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/MMC/SDHC card
Storage Slots	1

LATEST HOLIDAY DEALS!

Sony A7 II with 28-70mm for $998
Olympus Holiday Savings up to $900
Nikon D750 with Grip & Accessories for $1396
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens for $299

See all Active Deals here