Pentax K10D Operation

Pentax K10D Operation

Operation of the Pentax K10D digital SLR is fairly straightforward, but tuned with the experienced photographer in mind. You'll do better with the K10D if you take time to read the manual and learn every little function. The large Mode dial on top of the camera controls the main operating modes, and tells the story of the K10D's uniqueness. It has options for Green (Auto), Program, Sensitivity priority, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, Shutter and Aperture priority, Manual, Bulb, and X-sync (flash). Several of the Pentax K10D's control buttons perform multiple functions, which saves space and time. The e-dials for example, control a variety of settings when turned in combination with a press of a button, and the arrow keys of the Four-way arrow pad access shortcuts to common camera settings as well. The Pentax K10D's LCD menu system is straightforward, with four main menus accessible via a tabbed interface at the top of the screen. Considering the multi-functional controls and variety of menu options, it will probably take most users a little time with the manual to really get the gist of things, but operation becomes intuitive after that.

Viewfinder
Like most digital SLRs, the Pentax K10D has no live preview on the LCD. Instead, the camera has an optical viewfinder, where you get something better: a true live view of what you're about to shoot, with no electronic delay. 11 autofocus points are arrayed across the screen. You can pick which one you want to have the K10D use (in certain program and manual modes), or you can let the camera analyze the scene and pick what it deems best. Across the bottom of the screen, the K10D keeps you posted about its settings, including Shake Reduction, flash charge status, Shutter Speed, Aperture, Focus indicator, Manual Focus mode, EV bar, EV compensation, Flash EV compensation, AE Lock indicator, ISO warning, Number of images available/ISO setting. See the complete list below.

Status Display
The Pentax K10D's monochrome LCD status display appears on the camera's top deck just behind the shutter button. It displays the Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, exposure mode, battery status, EV compensation, drive mode, and the estimated number of images available, varying depending on mode and buttons active. See the complete list below.

LCD Display
The Pentax K10D's LCD monitor is mainly for image review, though a Digital Preview option does let you verify your exposure settings before snapping a picture. Accessed by turning the Power dial to the aperture symbol, Digital Preview displays the framed image in the LCD monitor, allowing you to quickly check depth of field and approximate exposure based on the set variables. Otherwise, the K10D's LCD monitor serves as an information display in most record modes, when the Info button has been pressed (or when the Mode dial is turned). The information display reports AF mode, Mode dial setting, AE metering, flash mode, drive mode, auto bracketing, ISO, tone, quality, resolution, color space, white balance, date & time, AF point, saturation, sharpness, contrast, focal length, scene mode, and Shake Reduction status. Pressing the Function button brings up a Function menu, allowing quick settings of commonly accessed items, including White balance, Drive mode, ISO, and Flash.

Playback Mode Display
In Playback mode, the default image display shows the most recently captured image, with a modest information overlay present. Pressing the Info button once pulls up the Pentax K10D's histogram view. Pressing the up or down arrow switches between a luminance histogram and an RGB+Luminance histogram set. Any overexposed areas in the frame also blink, if the option is selected in the Playback menu. Pressing the Info button again brings up a detailed information display, which decreases the image to a thumbnail on the screen. All of the same information is reported here as in the detailed display in record mode, listed above. A third press of the Info button brings the image back fullscreen, with no information. Turning the e-dial in this mode controls the index display and image enlargement options. The index display shows nine thumbnail images at a time on-screen, while the enlargement feature magnifies images as much as 12x.

Pentax K10D Modes and Menus

Green mode: Full automatic mode. Camera sets shutter speed and aperture. AE lock, EV compensation, auto bracket, multiple exposure and flash compensation cannot be set in Green mode.

Program mode (P): Called Hyper-program, K10D selects shutter speed and aperture, while you control all other exposure variables. You can use the front and rear e-dial to adjust exposure, or press the Green button on the top deck to return to the Program mode's default choice.

Sensitivity Priority mode (Sv): In this unique mode you set the ISO by pressing the shutter button halfway, then turning the Rear e-dial. The camera picks the Aperture and Shutter value accordingly.

Shutter Priority mode (Tv): Marked with a "Tv," this mode allows the user to control the shutter speed, from 30 seconds to 1/4,000 second.

Aperture Priority mode (Av): Marked with an "Av," this mode gives user control of aperture, while the camera selects the shutter speed.

Shutter and Aperture Priority mode (TAv): Another unique mode, opposite of Sv above: The camera adjusts the ISO sensitivity to meet the requirements of your Aperture and Shutter settings.

Manual mode (M): Dubbed Hyper-manual mode, this setting provides complete control over the exposure, with independent settings for aperture and shutter speed. Shutter speeds range from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds.

Bulb mode (B): Marked with a "B" on the Mode dial, this mode offers unlimited exposure times, holding the shutter open for as long as the Shutter button is held down (and the batteries last).

Flash X-sync mode (X): Sets shutter speed to 1/180 second, for use with manual strobes.

User mode (USER): This mode lets the user quickly recall a set of favorite settings including exposure mode, flash mode, EV compensation, exposure bracketing, drive mode, flash exposure compensation, sensitivity, auto sensitivity range, white balance, file format, JPEG size and quality, image tone, saturation, sharpness and contrast.

Playback Mode: Playback mode is entered by pressing the Playback button on the camera's rear panel. In this mode, you can scroll through captured images, delete them, write-protect them, and set them up for printing on PictBridge-compatible printers. You can also apply digital filters for creative effects.

Record Menu

Playback Menu

Setup Menu

Custom Menu