The Pentax K10D was announced about a week ago, but at the time of Samsung's announcement last night we were awaiting details including product specifications and pricing, and hence couldn't make much comparison beyond the product photos which showed that some of the controls and markings on the camera body had been restyled. We've now received specs from Samsung, and as might be expected they are extremely similar to those for the K10D. There are some areas that differ - for example, Samsung lists the camera body as four millimeters thicker, describes a couple more white balance modes than Pentax does, and lists only a DNG raw mode where Pentax lists both DNG and PEF raw modes. One point will certainly differ between Pentax and Samsung's cameras - the software bundle. Where Pentax includes its PENTAX PHOTO Browser3 and PHOTO Laboratory3 programs, Samsung will include Digimax Master and Digimax DNG Converter instead.

However, given that Samsung's spec sheet so far looks to be rather preliminary (for example, listing the camera weight as "to be determined"), we wouldn't read too much into it. The specifications we've received from Samsung follow below.

More importantly, we have now received pricing information for the Samsung GX-10, which is slated to ship this October, just slightly before the K10D arrives in November. Pentax's pricing was revealed as $899.95 body-only, or $999.95 with the inclusion of a Pentax DA 18-55mm zoom lens as a kit. We now hear today that Samsung's pricing will be essentially the same - MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $899.99 body-only, or $999.99 in a kit with an 18-55mm lens.

Since the K10D was announced, we've read a lot of very excited emails and forum posts from prospective buyers impressed by the robust, promising feature-set (on paper anyway - we've yet to have a chance to review the camera). Given its similarity, the same can doubtless be said of the GX-10, which will also attract much attention. For would-be customers who are able to source both cameras in their region, the choice looks likely to come down to this: which brandname resonates with you, whose after-sales service do you prefer, which software bundle do you want, and what shape do you like your buttons? So far, given the pricing and product specifications we've seen, there will be little else to help make the call.

Samsung GX-10
General
Camera Type	SLR
Manufacturer	Samsung
Model Number	GX-10
Dimensions	5.6 x 4.0 x 2.8" 142.0 x 101.0 x 71.5mm
Planned Price	$899.99
Planned Availability	Oct 2006
Image Capture
Sensor Type	APS-C CCD 10.75 megapixels (total) 10.20 megapixels (effective)
Filter Type	RGBG
Aspect Ratio	3:2
Image Dimensions	3872 x 2592 (10.0 megapixels) 3008 x 2000 (6.0 megapixels) 1824 x 1216 (2.2 megapixels)
Capture Speed	Continuous: 3.0 frames per second
Image Quality	3 levels
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder	Yes, SLR type; Eye-level Pentaprism 95% field of view
LCD	2.5", 210,000 pixels 100% field of view
Lens
Lens Type	Interchangeable Lens
Lens Mount	PENTAX KAF; KAF2, KAF, KA lens
Image Stabilization	Yes
Focusing System	11-point TTL phase-matching (SAFOX VIII) Manual Focus possible (0) steps
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity	Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, ISO priority AE
Shutter Speed	30 - 1/4000 second
Exposure Modes	Aperture, Shutter, Manual
Metering Modes	TTL open-aperture: 16-segment multi, Center-weighted, Spot
Exposure Compensation	+/- 3.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance	Image Sen sor - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent (W / D / N), Flash, Manual, Manual
Internal Flash	Guide Number: 11 Modes: Auto, Manual, Auto/Red-eye reduction, Manual/Red-eye reduction
Creative
Scene Modes	Auto Scene, Normal, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night scene
Self Timer	Yes, 2 or 12 seconds
Storage
Recording Medium	SD/MMC, SDHC
File System	Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF)
File Format	CCD-RAW, RAW (.DNG), JPEG (EXIF 2.21)
Connectivity
Video	Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Computer	USB 2.0 High Speed
Other	DC In
Power
Battery Type	Lithium Ion rechargeable
Battery Form Factor	Proprietary D-LI50
Product Bundle
Software	Digimax Master, Digimax DNG Converter
Battery / Charger	Proprietary D-LI50 Lithium Ion rechargeable battery and charger
Flash Memory	0.0MB
Other
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant	Yes
PictBridge Compliant	Yes
Tripod Mount	Yes
Remote Control	Yes
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