A year with the K10D

ukbluetooth · 08-14-2008, 07:41 AM

It has been just over a year now. First there was the honeymoon, then the slight disillusionment, but since then we have both worked hard on the relationship and I think we are beginning to get there. Could this be a marriage made in heaven?

The internet (and yes, this forum) must share some of the responsibility for the disillusionment. First there was the leaning viewfinder, then the back focus and front focus issues, then the poor high ISO performance, and most frustratingly the poor lens copies and soft focus issues.

Naturally I blamed my partner. It was all the fault of the K10D. But then we had a heart to heart and decided to work things out together, one by one.

First we tackled the leaning viewfinder. Many tests and much wasted time suggested that yes, her viewfinder might lean just a little but what girls are perfect? As she pointed out, it was pretty much masked by the strange angles I held her at and most of my shots needed a little straightening in PP anyway. Now it is something I don’t even think about (even if it is there).

Then came the back focus front focus issues. Many of my shots were simply not in focus. Well bits of them might be, but not the bits I wanted. More tests; really interesting shots of newspapers at 45 degrees, and really exciting brick walls. Could not make up my mind if she was cheating on me or not. But gradually she got better and learned to focus properly, especially if I treated her right.

So much so that I treated her to a couple of new lenses. First I bought her the FA50 1.4. Yes, I know, not a lot of money to spend but from what I read I thought she would never know the difference between that and a lens that cost several times more. We put it on and shot some flowers, Bleeding Hearts actually, at, yes, 1.4 close up: Back to the lousy focus, chromatic aberration, general softness. More tests and further uncertainty – should we send it back? Then we tried it in the dark (Nothing like a romantic setting for getting things going properly). And Wow, what a performance. Now we knew it really did work we could start getting some decent shots out of it and use it for what it’s good at – which is just about anything actually if you get the settings right.

Next came the Sigma 10-20. This was definitely a bad copy, soft, soft, soft, even at very small apertures. More shots of exciting brick walls. It would have to go back. And it front focussed and back focussed as it saw fit. Then one day we found something wonderful happened if you set the aperture to F6.3 to F8. Razor sharp, just about everywhere. Wow, what pictures you can take with this lens once you get to know it. We could not believe we had nearly despatched it to its maker.

Bad high ISO? We quickly sorted that thanks to you guys. Just a matter of letting enough light in.

Now we are experimenting more and more with new positions. Having used Av and Tv almost exclusively we are experimenting with TAv and M (well, a girl likes variety) and on very special occasions even using spot metering.

Well, we still have a long way to go, but without all the help and advice from this forum we would never have got this far.

What we have learned: Stop whingeing about your camera, your lenses, etc. there is almost certainly nothing wrong with them (unless you are extremely unlucky). Go out there and take many pictures. Look at them and look at the EXIF. See what worked and what did not. Use what worked. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of your equipment, especially your lenses. Play to their strengths.

And yes – keep reading this forum. Those really experienced guys out there really know what they are talking about.

BBear · 08-14-2008, 07:51 AM

Great reading!! Got a talent for writing and expressing metaphorically your ideas!

And yes... it is just like a regular marriage!

Entropy · 08-14-2008, 09:06 AM

My K10D and I didn't make it a year.

Damn K20D...

*reeftool* · 08-14-2008, 09:47 AM

Well said. I have had my K10D 9 months now and I like it more every day. I'm using the 18-55 kit lens and a Sigma 70-300, probably the 2 cheapest lenses that fit on the camera and am getting good results after the time spent learning what works and doesn't. I have never thought of a camera as a relationship before but it really is. Perhaps thats why out of all the cameras I have owned through the years, the 2 SLR's I currently have are my SP 1000 and K10D, both Pentax.

navcom · 08-14-2008, 09:58 AM

Had my K10D for almost 8 months now and love it as well. I've contemplated moving to a K20D but what for. The K10D suits my needs so pefectly there is no need to drop another grand on a slightly better one. Some day I will, but certainly not now.

Just like my marraige, I have no complaints!

rparmar · 08-14-2008, 10:21 AM

Enjoyable read! And some real truth in there too.

Venturi · 08-14-2008, 12:45 PM

Very enjoyable read and jam packed with truthiness

I'm a polygamist now I suppose (K10D and K20D) and keeping 2 lovers happy is a challenge for sure. But it sure is fun!

Frogroast · 08-14-2008, 01:31 PM

Definitely entertaining and very much a reflection of my relationship with my K10D!

Hey, umm... Arent the K20D and K10D sisters? Bastad!

*jjdgti* · 08-14-2008, 01:57 PM

Very nice reading. Thank you for putting a smile and great analogy by the way. I had my K10D few months. I still learning how to understand (every day you learn a new thing). So far I am in the Honeymoon part. I hope not to hit a rough patch. I am saving to get better lenses (now I have the kit lense, a tamron 28-200 and a Tamron 100-300). Also the Vivitar Series 1 19-35mm that I have very good results (better than the one from the Kit lense).

Lloydy · 08-14-2008, 04:26 PM

I think I'm having the same relationship, are our K10's cheating on us ?

steven smith · 08-14-2008, 05:27 PM

Thanks for a great laugh. Just goes to show that if you work on it it works on you.

cupic · 08-14-2008, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by Entropy

My K10D and I didn't make it a year.

Damn K20D...

You have to watch out for the other woman LOL

cheers

troywhite · 08-14-2008, 10:35 PM

this is gold !!!!!

ukbluetooth · 08-15-2008, 03:06 AM

Thank you all for your kind comments. Really very much appreciated.

Be assured I won’t be trading her in for a younger model just yet a while.

Gary

*gpaual* · 08-15-2008, 04:56 AM

really enjoyed your post ! superb example of working it out, and trusting your instincts. my first pent dslr was the ist ds, which i danced with everyday for a year or so and learned to love; then came the k10d, - we've been partnering for some time now - while the ist sits in the box and ponders co-dependency issues-, and i am always amazed at how subtley she ( k10 ) changes for the better. Now that itch is creeping in, and i find myself lusting for the k20, but have determined to not abandon the k10 just yet; there is always more to discover ! Nothing beats commitment.
Thanks for sharing.