Quote Originally Posted by Photo-John

By the way, it would be wonderful if you would post a review for your camera. We need more reviews for the K10D, please!
I don't know what type of review you are looking for, but I have found my K10D to be a far more effective high quality image tool than the Canon 400D that I had for about a week. Once you get the settings tweaked correctly, even the jpegs have far better color accuracy.

The only instances of less noise on the Canon were found to be because Canon has more automatic in-camera noise reduction so blurs a bit more detail as well.

I still feel the K10D is the best of its type in image quality along with its better build and fit & finish, even though I wish Pentax would correct a few niggles with a firmware update.

1) I feel they should improve the jpg processing for a better tone curve closer to how well its RAW files can be interpreted by outside programs like ACR or Lightroom with an eye toward increasing Dynamic Range like the 22-bit processor advertises.

2) Add an edge sharpening algorithm as a menu option so those who need to save post processing time can choose this instead of the dark halo sharpening Pentax uses:

CUSTOM MENU>

.................SHARPENING>

......................1- DEFAULT
......................2- EDGE USM

3) Solve or minimize VPN so there is more usable Dynamic Range in the Shadows. The range is there (so far in RAW), but gets cut short if VPN begins to show. If the noise was patternless, it would be no problem.

4) When in Auto-ISO and HyperProgram, for example indoors, the range being 100-800, the K10D will start off at ISO 800, and as you slow up the shutter speed, the Auto ISO will lower the ISO until it reaches 100.

Then, you will not be able to choose faster shutter speeds because the ISO will be locked at 100. In other words, you can't reverse direction, expecting the ISO to go back towards 800.

One manager at Pentax was told about this, and just said this is how we "designed" it, so it will not be fixed. I think this should be fixed aka designed better.

4a) Also on tweaking Auto ISO, as per a suggestion by the indubitable Ken Rockwell:

"If using auto ISO in auto, Av, or program mode, the k10d should stay at your chosen lowest ISO value and allow you to set a shutter speed threshold at which the ISO will change to the next highest or lowest level needed to maintain proper exposure at a given aperture."

5) A menu option for Noise Reduction levels that can be user defeatable to preserve Pentax philosophy of no noise reduction (unlike Nikon where it can NEVER be turned completely off - even in RAW)

All of this is almost completely doable in a firmware update, and would make the K10D an even better tool than it already is, and would make a lot of common concerns into non-issues and get people off the fence in buying a K10D. Pentax even has mentioned they might use firmware to introduce 16 bit RAW files ( as originally intended) hopefully taking more advantage of the 22-bit PRIME processor.

Hopefully they realize the importance of doing this (and the maybe some of the other tweaks) for the current already sold K10D cameras that people invested $1000 in, rather than making the decision to focus on including these things in the K10D replacement scheduled to come out already in the fall.

Larry