[skankin_giant]

Hello,

I have a Pentax Kr as my main camera, but I work away from home and have a few days off that I am currently wasting.
I don’t really want to drag my Kr up to work and risk damaging it so am thinking about getting a K10d as 2nd camera to play with when I am away.
I can pick a 2nd hand K10d up for about £200 with a kit lens and have some older lens I can bring up to play with a bit of manual stuff.
Just wondered if they are any good still? Or will it be a bit of a risk, are they getting close to their end of life?

The one I am looking at has around 7700 actuations.

They seemed quite good in their day, and the weather proofing in a big Plus! Something I miss that on the Kr.

Any advice would be great.

Kind regards

Steve

[redrockcoulee]

I have a K-r and my wife has a K10D. I think she has somewhere around 25 000 shutter count, at least 21K maybe closer to 30K. She has never had problems with the camera and she is not a fair weather photographer. It is no where as good in low light for either focusing or ISO as the K-r. IT is electronics so that can go at anytime but 7700 actations is hardly used. A two week shooting vacation can exceed that. But of course the buttons are all in the wrong place when I go to use it

If weather sealing is important go for it. I believe batteries are still available and until some component goes it should work and that could be tomorrow or in 2025.

[abieleck]

I had two K10d's at one point and loved them, really a great camera in my opinion. 10 MP is usually enough even for enlargements....no live view, but I don't use it much on my K5 anyway.

The only real barrier is the ISO performance. I tried to keep it at ISO 400 or less and never really went past ISO 800.

I shot weddings, took it backpacking, and around town as a daily camera.

Great camera, especially if it is under 10,000 actuations. I would go for it.

[Saxplayer1004]

agreed with the above. It is a fantastic camera and I use mine as a backup. It also has WR which is a good feature

[skankin_giant]

Thanks for the comments guys, my lovely wife doesn't seem sure but sure something could be worked out...

Cheers Steve

[skankin_giant]

Sorry more Q's

Is it worth buying one with the battery grip? I noticed there is aftermarket ones available but not sure on quality.
Also is it worth paying the extra £100 +/- for a K20d?

I am kind of half worried I will prefer the K10d over my K-r......

Cheers, Steve

[lesmore49]

I have has a K10D since 2007. I must have around 80,000 shutter actuation's ( a guess) and it still works very well. I have 3 Pentax DSLR bodies and the K10D is still used a lot.

A great camera still very capable.

I have the battery grip....I keep an extra battery in it and my remote control. I'm a big guy with big hands and I find the grip works well....gives me a lot of area to hold the camera with, which I like.

It's heavy with an extra grip and battery....but I don't notice it.

I also have a K-m, which came out just before your K-r. I like both. Your K-r will have more ISO, digital filters....more advanced technologically than the K10D....so they will each have their place.

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Last edited by lesmore49; 02-18-2013 at 09:19 AM.

[skankin_giant]

Thanks for the reply, I'm hoping to get back to something a bit more bare bones, get away from the fancy tricks etc.
I would like to have gone back to 35mm (Canon T90/EOS1) if I had the space/time but it is not going to happen with 2 kids under 2.
So look like the K10d would suit me need of a bit more photographer lead camera.

My EOS1 had the extra battery grip and that was a bit of a weight holding up but I could manage it, fitted the hands nicely, didnt like my Benbo tripod though.

Cheers, Steve

[TheOtherRob]

Interesting discussion. I recently bought a good second hand K10d with very low shutter count. My original intent was to gift it to my niece, as she is getting into photography, but alas she prefers mirrorless... which is another story.

Anyway, I kept the K10d and have ended up using it quite a lot. Originally I kept it intending it to simply be a backup because as a largely ignorant neophyte I assumed that a six-year old 10Mp camera couldn't bring anything to the table next to a K5. Well, that changed when I read on here some people's experience with the K10d and the peculiarities of it's sensor. It turns out that so long as you can keep the ISO low, the CCD sensor has a weak anti- aliasing filter and so it is actually quite sweet with a prime and even light (eg: such as outdoors in overcast conditions, just when you need to keep your weatherproof lens on your weatherproof camera). So, on one shoot I left my DFA100 on the K10d and took my portraits with it... and it was actually really great. The trick is not to be fooled by the little display on the back, the lack of mod-cons and to remember to adjust exposure compensation to suit the conditions. Certainly, if you don't mind a camera that is a bit less forgiving and will make you think a bit more, a K10d will be a worthy challenge rather than an inconvenience. Get the pictures printed or up on a decent screen and you can see why this camera is such a stalwart. Add great build quality, ease of us and weather sealing and you have an excellent camera for the price.

Bottom line is that when I checked out some of the great images on this site produced by skilled photographers using the K10d, it was plain the limiting factor for me is still the operator rather than the kit. If you can get a good copy for a reasonable price, I reckon the K10d will do as a great second camera, especially if you need the weather sealing.

[Al_Kahollick]

Keep in mind though, whether you get the K10 or K20, the weather resistance is only good if you use WR lenses also, so be cautious taking it out in bad weather with non WR lenses.

[skankin_giant]

Well went to look at a local (and over priced!) K10D yesterday, felt nice in hand, but for me, I think it would be better with the battery grip.
Pay day next week, will see if the one I was looking at is still for sale!

Cheers Steve

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I would advise against getting a K10D - especially if you start from a K-r. The sensor in the K-r is much better - unless you plan to use your K10D at low ISO in good light, you'll have a bit of a shock. If you are keen on acquiring one, take some pictures with it, take the card home and then check the full size images to verify that they are what you expect.

[Bcrary3]

I've had my K-10D since about 2010, I bought it used, it has somewhere close to about 45,000 shutter actuations, and I've never had a problem with it. For only being 10.2 MP it's a fantastic camera if you're not using it in low light. This was my first DSLR and I love the dang thing, so if you can get it for the right price, it's certainly worth it.

[skankin_giant]

Can see what you're saying, from the looks of it I may be better doing a switch and having a K10 (Mainly Landscapes) for home use and a K-r for work (Museums etc) but they the K-r is good for taking snaps of the kids, especially with the flash gun.
Was thinking of doing one of the Kew Gardens photography courses while I am up at work, and I don't really want to drag the K-r back and forth on the coach, then across London on the tube.
As I only have around £200 +/- £20 (around $300) to spend I was looking at a K10 which would do the job for what I need really, cant really splash out on a K30 or K5II, would be nice though.
6 of one half dozen of the other really, just need to make a choice.

1st thing I need to do is sort out the front/back focus on my K-r noticed that the other day!







Cheers, Steve

[excanonfd]

An interesting discussion you've started here - buying an older technology for a back-up. Your K-r has a very good sensor for low light, high ISO application, bigger buffer, and more features (all due to it being a newer generation camera) but a K10D is probably superior to K-r in just about anything else. The flagship models always had better build quality, penta prism vs penta mirror, 2 control wheels vs 1, optional battery grip, upper LCD and WR. It's also quieter than the K-r (though none are quieter than a K-5). I say it's interesting because you may end up relegating the K-r to the back-up position instead.

The K10D with it's CCD sensor is second to none when shot between ISO 100-400, in good lighting. I have compared the shots from a K10D against a K20D (albeit briefly) in identical settings, I thought the colours from the K10D seemed more pleasing. I am not sure if anyone has shot a K10D in low light, low ISO, slow shutter speed - I might try that in the Spring if I still have the K10D then.

Speaking for myself, I think having a two camera system (2 identical bodies) is the best option. K20D was my main shooter before I upgraded to a K-5 recently and when I get into a shooting groove, I find myself reaching for the non-existent buttons on the K-5. I am sure this will happen less as I use the K-5 more but with a K10D as a back-up, which has nearly identical button layout as the k20D, I may end up fumbling with the controls on the K-5 longer than without. I think that I will sell the K10D and get another K-5 when I could afford to.