[kamicota]

Hi all

Am exploring this versatile K10D and feel it is a long learning curve ahead.

Just checked the Shutter Count and find it is 7701 - so not to bad eh???

Set it up first in "AV" @ F11 and then shown about possibilities in the "P" mode

Compared several pics alternating the Mode. Surprised that in "P" mode it was F4.5 but they seemed like better pics.

Always shoot in "Raw" and at present use the Free DxO Pro 8 and just use their default and process further from there.

Have seen a few exif for various images which displayed it was "AV - SemiAuto" and have no idea about that - if anyone can point me in the right direction.

After a little bit of reading saw comments like Macro & Bokeh were at tine troublesome to achieve???

At Present am exploring the Pentax DAL 55-300mm Lens to see what can be achieved with the 28-80mm in the case too

Better not go on to on as I feel as if with all the questions I may be in "Overload" right now

If anyone can offer any advice PLEASE do so as it would be gratefully appreciated

Cheers for Years
Colin

[blackcloudbrew]

Ah, my K10d was my first DSLR which I bought new in 2008. I loved the color the CCD sensor can provide but always felt limited with it's 1600 ISO limit. Basically above 400ISO the pictures started to get noisy and beyond 800ISO they were not useless but not great either. I shot in P mode for a year with it then learned how to shoot and process raw files. I've almost never shoot jpegs anymore. While I sold my K10d a few years ago and have gone on to a K20d, K5, and now K3, the K10d was / is a great camera to learn on and is still capable of producing beautiful color images (stay away from low light or really fast action though).

It's been long enough that I don't remember a lot of tips and quirks of the K10d, sorry. I do remember that I had to get a split image viewfinder (from Katzeye) at some point to utilize older manual focusing lenses or really fast lenses (like f1.4). The K10 and frankly the K20 as well just isn't up to finding good tack sharp focus with manual focus lenses. Be sure that your K10d has the latest firmware (I think there were some good fixes in these).

I suggest that you experiment with all the camera's shooting modes save green mode. P ok but a bit too automatic for me, Av and Tv are more familiar to me, Tav is a brilliant Pentax mode I use with flash photography, Sv another unique Pentax mode that I find extremely helpful for shooting lights at night. M - a real good tool to learn with and excellent for old manual lenses. B is off course for longer exposures and a cable release is a great tool for this on a tripod. Learn all of these modes and then use them where they are the most helpful to you.

[kamicota]

Thank you blackcloudbrew

Learnt a few things from you comments and most of my shots right now are Landscape

When camera arrived it was set back to default settings & Green Mode and did appreciate some of the pics I took.

It maybe a while before I venture into Tav mode though. Although the Tav & Sv seemed to satisfy a few misgivings I have about shooting LIghts etc - thank you.

Went looking to see what firmware was installed but did not find it. Also saw some comments I think about the pitfalls with the 1.31 upgrade. Have done this upgrading on a couple of pother cameras but as yet it gives me the "Collywobbles" even to just think about doing it.

Have tried "B" mode especially as I have a strong urge to try "Light Painting"

Cheers for Years
Colin

[blackcloudbrew]

Do the latest firmware update only. This will update all firmware fixes. As I recall, holding down the menu button, when turning on the camera will cause the version of the firmware to be displayed on the LCD.

Just follow the directions with the firmware, blank card, fully charged battery,etc.

[pete-tarmigan]

Hi all

Am exploring this versatile K10D and feel it is a long learning curve ahead.

If anyone can offer any advice PLEASE do so as it would be gratefully appreciated

Cheers for Years
Colin

I found that the Magic Lantern Guides book on the K10D written by Peter K. Burian to be a great help in learning how to use the camera. (Published by Lark Books; ISBN-10: 160059185X; ISBN-13: 978-1600591853).

[kamicota]

Thank you blackcloudbrew

I tried that and found that the firmware is 1.31 and whether that is the latest I will just have to explore again

Am expecting a new SanDisk SDHC (Class 6) card to arrive today or tomorrow and use this one as I have been told this is better with the K10D CCD sensor. So if firmware needs updating we ill see where we go from here.

Cheers for Years
Colin

---------- Post added 02-12-15 at 12:42 PM ----------

Thank you pete-tarmigan

Checked Chapters/Indigo in Canada - they do list the book but Not in Stock online

And what with the $exchange Ebay may be out of the question eh what???

Cheers for years
Colin

[baro-nite]

P mode is great; it is just as automated as Green mode but allows you to use the e-dials to adjust the settings. When you do so, P mode automatically adjusts the other setting(s) to keep the exposure correct.

With all the different modes it can seem complicated, but actually all these different modes affect the same three things: sensitivity (ISO), shutter speed (Tv), and aperture (Av), or even just two of the three (most modes don't affect sensitivity). They're just different ways of achieving correct exposure.

P and Green modes also make use of a feature called Program Line, which is a database of optimum aperture settings for each lens in the FA, DFA, and DA series. If you like, you can configure the camera to make use of Program Line in other modes, too (using the Green Button). However, in low light P and Green modes will prioritize keeping shutter speed fast. So that's probably why the camera picked f/4.5. It was probably the widest aperture available at that focal length.

I'd say one of the most important things to learn is how the exposure meter can be fooled; in such cases you want to override the automatic setting either by using exposure compensation (EV+-) or M mode. Examples include strong backlighting, snow scenes, and night scenes. The first two the camera will tend to underexpose; the last it will tend to overexpose.

For the heavy bokeh look you either want a wide aperture or a short focus distance (or both).

Macro: well, big subject. Fun, and very many ways to approach it.

[TER-OR]

I found that the Magic Lantern Guides book on the K10D written by Peter K. Burian to be a great help in learning how to use the camera. (Published by Lark Books; ISBN-10: 160059185X; ISBN-13: 978-1600591853).

That book helped me a lot, too. I may still have it somewhere.

[Dartmoor Dave]

Hi Colin

The K10D is a great camera to develop your skills with. You've made an excellent choice.

There's a small but passionate group of K10D users here on this forum in the K10D Club: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/6-pentax-dslr-discussion/242738-k10d-club.html. It's worth having a look through the history of the thread, because you'll find the answers to many of your questions there.

Welcome to the gang. We're a friendly and helpful and only slightly insane bunch of 10 megapixel CCD fanatics, and it'll be great to see your work.

Dave.

[emalvick]

I long ago retired my K10d (and now have given it to my father to encourage him to digital photography). It's been about 4 years since I used the camera last, but I still revisit the RAW files I collected over the 4 years I had the camera, and I'm still amazed at how good some of them are and even how much better they are now that I've gotten much better at PP (or perhaps that the software has gotten so much better).

It was a great camera to have, and it taught me a lot. It's supposed limitations (like the high noise at higher ISO) were where I excelled at learning the most. I learned how to utilize the histogram, and even learned how to be successful at high ISO through careful exposure settings. You can do a lot with that camera, and its supposed limitations should be viewed as challenges to making your photography better. You really can get a good ISO 1600 shot out of that camera, maybe not regularly, but once you know the conditions that work, the sky becomes the limit.

[lmd91343]

Thank you blackcloudbrew

I tried that and found that the firmware is 1.31 and whether that is the latest I will just have to explore

No! No! No!

Don't go to 1.31 with the K10!

If you go higher than 1.30, then you will not be able to do fine AF adjustments for your lenses on your K10. I leave my K10 in debug mode all the time and set the micro AF adjustments, from a table I created, every time I change the lens. It takes just five seconds.

This may not be important to you now. As you grow and become more practiced with the camera and digital photography, it will become important. I have not wanted for the upgrade 1.31 in the thousands of images I have taken on my K10.

[Canada_Rockies]

No! No! No!

Don't go to 1.31 with the K10!

If you go higher than 1.30, then you will not be able to do fine AF adjustments for your lenses on your K10. I leave my K10 in debug mode all the time and set the micro AF adjustments, from a table I created, every time I change the lens. It takes just five seconds.

This may not be important to you now. As you grow and become more practiced with the camera and digital photography, it will become important. I have not wanted for the upgrade 1.31 in the thousands of images I have taken on my K10.

Too late - the camera came to Colin with 1.31 installed. I have 1.31 in mine as well, and have no particular problems.

PS: Hi Colin!

[kamicota]

Hi Al

Thought we may find you here & thanks for the help.

lmd91343 --->>> No idea what debug mode is but seems a little too far advanced right now.

emalvick --->>> the way things are right now only shooting @ 100 ISO

Dartmoor Dave --->>> Just bookmarked the K10D site and Impressed with MOST of the images

Just come back from a little "ClickClickClick" with the 55-300mm Lens and still working on them being so "BLAH"

After exploring these tonight will probably use the 28-80mm tomorrow when it is supposed to have some more Sun & Blue Skies.

Thank you all for taking time to post

Cheers for years
Colin

---------- Post added 02-12-15 at 06:14 PM ----------

I Know it is winter & all that but here is what I am calling "BLAH" even though I PURPOSELY went overboard with the "Magenta" Saturation

Taken a few days ago after just getting the Camera @ Lundbreck Falls Alberta with a view downstream from the Falls to the Bridge.



Cheers for years
Colin

[lmd91343]

Too late - the camera came to Colin with 1.31 installed. I have 1.31 in mine as well, and have no particular problems.

PS: Hi Colin!

You'll need to downgrade to 1.30 when are are ready to do fine adjustments for the AF if your lens if it back or front focuses. Folks here on the PF have done that.

Enjoy the K10. It is a great camera!

[kamicota]

Thank you lmd91343

Appreciate the comments and you may be right about this fine tuning - another setting/settings that is way above me right now

Cheers for Years
Colin