[RiceHigh]

Just read a full page Ad in the Practical Photograph (an UK magazine) for a K10D Ad which I think is just a waste of advertising fee for the Pentax UK.

It promotes the K10D as the "ideal action DSLR" with a "3 frame per second jpeg" shooting capacity as the only theme. Well, we all know that these are actually just the true weak spots of the K10D (and Pentax as well), i.e., slow frame rate, poor continuous AF tracking ability and poor predictive AF and dropped frame rate when C-AF is used in conjunction and so on.

As they have also (just) included the three award marks which the K10D have obtained, why don't they said something on these - e.g., the DSLR which (ever?) wins all the major awards, the most versatile DSLR for the money, the most feature rich DSLR in the year, the best value DSLR or etc.

Just imagine if a person who knows nothing goes to buy a K10D just for action photography, then what will happen!? .. He will probably just be very upset and start to think he is cheated by Pentax.

They are buying a camera not a shotgun. If the customer doesnt know the difference between 3fps and 9fps then he/she doesnt need those extra fps. Besides, an amateur should learn to make pictures first before become a lazy shotgunner. Pros and serious amateur will know the difference and wont buy this camera for those purposes. So please, stop it here before it becomes another "punch RH" thread.

[Andrew Faires]

To summarize, AFC is slow. Tracking is poor and 3 fps isn't fast enough (and also slows down during AFC).

I agree with those statements but will offer up the following:
-AFC is faster than I am
-AF tracking is actually pretty good unless the subject is running at you head on and anything that moves faster than a kid running makes the outcome uncertain.
-3 fps isn't all that bad....at least not for day-to-day action.

Furthermore, you'll notice that the only blur in the photo below comes from motion - not focus (which is on his eyes) and this was shot in AFC in continuous drive with obviously less than stellar light:


(Notice, he's coming strait at me)

In spite of your critique, the K10D does function in that capacity. Even I concede that it's not on the same level as other camera models from other makers, but it'll get the job done.

[kent vinyard]

Hey guys, Why bother answering the comments when rice high uses every oppurtunity to slam Pentax that he can. I use K10D for all types of action shot and it isn't the very best but it will get the job done if you don't try to use it to shot gun.

[anomaly]

I agree with ricehigh. It is not a good point to market the K10D on.

They should wiping all those awards in everyones faces. They should be talking about their strong history in the camera industry. They should be talking about how there are millions of old lenses out there which will work on the K10D. They should be talking about the weather sealing or the huge pentaprism view finder.

That is what I think anyway.

[codiac2600]

Just read a full page Ad in the Practical Photograph (an UK magazine) for a K10D Ad which I think is just a waste of advertising fee for the Pentax UK.

It promotes the K10D as the "ideal action DSLR" with a "3 frame per second jpeg" shooting capacity as the only theme. Well, we all know that these are actually just the true weak spots of the K10D (and Pentax as well), i.e., slow frame rate, poor continuous AF tracking ability and poor predictive AF and dropped frame rate when C-AF is used in conjunction and so on.

As they have also (just) included the three award marks which the K10D have obtained, why don't they said something on these - e.g., the DSLR which (ever?) wins all the major awards, the most versatile DSLR for the money, the most feature rich DSLR in the year, the best value DSLR or etc.

Just imagine if a person who knows nothing goes to buy a K10D just for action photography, then what will happen!? .. He will probably just be very upset and start to think he is cheated by Pentax.

Hey that 5D you have is 3fps? It's a $2500 camera, but only 3fps! Plus it's Servo-AF is as accurate as a can of tuna in the dog food isle.

Oh, all the 1DMkIII's have been recalled at the expense of the owner or store and it can't focus worth a darn at 10FPS? Why aren't you talking about that RH???? Oh thats right Pentax didn't make it, gosh how silly of me.

Maybe retailers should stop telling costumers that wildlife photographers use the 5D or 1DMkIII?

Go find something else to talk about RH, the K20D is due out soon and the K10D won't be on your list of things to pick on so start researching the new stuff. This way it's easier for me to punish you for inaccuracies due to what I know and what I know that you don't.

Oh, and the K10D does a great job at action you silly bean:






















I think I proved you wrong enough again so go find some other thread topic to pretend in.

[magnum1]

I am someone who has just "moved up" to a K10D. Bottom line is, for it's price range and even a few hundred more, this is by far the best camera I could buy! Period.

I paid absolutely no attention to any advertising before I purchased.

[Andrew Faires]

Excellent display, Chris!

@Chris
How dare you to say that the Canon have issues and to show nice pics taken with a K10D? Shame on you

[JCSullivan]

Why do people need to be so intolerant. Ricehigh is entitled to an opinion. No need to flame anyone.

Coming back with good solid info should suffice to counter the argument.

My opinion, 3 frames-per-second is not much for a modern dSLR when compared to the 2.5/6 for the istD.

[JamesD]

I agree that we need to be more tolerant as you put it. I suppose it becomes tiresome to many of us that many of his posts appear to have one end: deride/ridicule/belittle Pentax whether at the corporate level or the very product itself. And having carefully made our own decision to purchase Pentax, his posts have implications for us: i.e. we're stupid for having purchased such an incapable camera in terms of its JPEGs, its inability to focus action etc etc. Personally, while I don't much care for posts that suggest I'm an idiot for buying a Pentax, I can get over it. That's why I rarely respond to RH.

On the other hand, I noticed that one of the Pentaxians featured at their site is an avid surfer photographer. I examined many of his images and by golly... they were tack sharp. Now, surfing isn't exactly shuffle board. As far as I'm personally concerned, my Pentax focuses just fine in any of the circumstances in which I've attempted to use it. And as someone else mentioned earlier, if a potential buyer wants to shoot action, surely he will know the difference between 3fps and more (if in fact he really needs more).

[Ray Pulley]

Just read a full page Ad in the Practical Photograph (an UK magazine) for a K10D Ad which I think is just a waste of advertising fee for the Pentax UK.

It promotes the K10D as the "ideal action DSLR" with a "3 frame per second jpeg" shooting capacity as the only theme. Well, we all know that these are actually just the true weak spots of the K10D (and Pentax as well), i.e., slow frame rate, poor continuous AF tracking ability and poor predictive AF and dropped frame rate when C-AF is used in conjunction and so on.

As they have also (just) included the three award marks which the K10D have obtained, why don't they said something on these - e.g., the DSLR which (ever?) wins all the major awards, the most versatile DSLR for the money, the most feature rich DSLR in the year, the best value DSLR or etc.

Just imagine if a person who knows nothing goes to buy a K10D just for action photography, then what will happen!? .. He will probably just be very upset and start to think he is cheated by Pentax.

Didn't you move to Canon gear?

How come you do not have a Canon blog?

Mr. RH, your obsessive behavior is getting embarrassing and is truly sad to see. I suggest that you schedule a visit with a qualified psychologist to see what can be done about your unhealthy obsession with retail camera products that you do not own.

In the mean time, I suggest that all users here enact a complete and total non-response policy to all RH posts. I would bet that it would not be long before the lack of attention would drive him away.

Ray

[SpecialK]

My opinion, 3 frames-per-second is not much for a modern dSLR when compared to the 2.5/6 for the istD.

I remember when my FPS was limited by how fast my thumb operated. I had to manually focus. I had two controls - aperture and shutter.

Now?

[grhazelton]

Back in the dark ages I shot sports photos for my high school paper. I used a fixed lense rangefinder 35mm, and flash bulbs (remember them?). I was able to get some good action shots by prefocusing (you can't really follow focus with a rangefinder, at least I couldn't) where I could anticipate action - the batter's box, under the net, etc.

Football was difficult since the action could occur farther away than even a number 5 bulb would reach.

Also I learned to press the shutter a fraction of a second before the batter would swing, or the ball might meet the racquet.

With practice come results. Have a look at some of the great action shots before autofocus, umpteen shots per second.

Cartier-Bresson spoke, I think, of the decisive moment. All you need is one good shot, rather than a zillion failures.

I have a winder on my Pentax LX, 2fps. Such devices are more useful in allowing one to shoot single shots rapidly without the jarring of using the rapid wind.

Practice is the key, not a scatter-gun approach. Just my 2.5 cents worth!

[Canada_Rockies]

Back in the dark ages I shot sports photos for my high school paper. [snip] I was able to get some good action shots by prefocusing (you can't really follow focus with a rangefinder, at least I couldn't) where I could anticipate action - the batter's box, under the net, etc. Practice is the key, not a scatter-gun approach. Just my 2.5 cents worth!

I find, personally, that I still do not use AF.C. Ever. I may have 700+ images room in my card, but I would still have to go through them after i have shot them looking for the good one, and as John Shaw once wrote, the best shot will be between two of the frames. For sports, and I have shot many over the years, and still do, I use the pre-focus system.

My tuppence worth.