PE N TA X K 10D c h A l lE NgE ligh T. cONTENTS iNTOXicATiNg cOlOURS: PENTAX PREciSiON OPTicS. light is the element of seeing and it brings colour into the world. PENTAX has excelled in this medium for over 85 years. Since our beginning our engineers have brought forth innovative precision optical equipment year after year. PENTAX optics ­ photo cameras, medical endoscopes as well as industrial and measurement optics ­ are always ahead of their time regarding quality, precision and innovation. PENTAX PREciSiON OPTicS ThE NEW K10D SPEED DURABLE TECHNOLOGY, ShAKE AND DUST REDUcTiON lighT cONTROl 4 6 8 10 14 16 18 0 4 Founded in Tokyo in 1919 as Asahi Optical Joint Stock co., PENTAX succeeded in 1954 with a break-through in modern photography: the Asahiflex IIB the ­ world's first SlR camera with a quick-return mirror. A success story that has continued until today. in 1971 the PENTAX ES introduced the first SLR with TTL auto exposure. The same year witnessed another milestone: the acclaimed SMc coating process for lenses that reduce light losses in lenses to a minimum. And in 1975 the PENTAX KDMD ­ a genuine classic ­ pioneered the K-mount bayonet system for interchangeable lenses. These historical breakthroughs can be traced all the way through to today with the successor to these legends: the PENTAX K10D ­ the latest shining light in a range of exacting SlR technology. You owe it to yourself to learn all about it. DATA STORAgE PENTAX lENSES PENTAX FlAShES gUNS ORigiNAl PENTAX AccESSORiES FUNcTiONS AND STRUcTURE TEchNicAl DATA FOR ANYThiNg T hAT cOMES TO ligh T: Th E PRE ciSiON PENTAX K10D. FOR AMAZiNg RESOlUTiON: 10 MEgAPiXElS. The new .5 x 15.7mm ccD sensor records photos with a resolution of up to 10 megapixels. This is enough for you to produce truly astounding fine-grained prints of up to 50 x 70cm without difficulty. FOR REMARKABLE PROCESSING SPEED: PRIME. The new PRiME processor (PENTAX Real iMage Engine) greatly accelerates the image processing of the PENTAX K10D compared to other current digital SlRs. For this a DDR component is used. This has a reading rate of 800 MB/sec. making it 600% faster than SDRam and 100% faster than the conventional DDR memory. FOR PREciSE cOMPOSiTiON: PENTAPRiSM FiNDER. The bright pentaprism viewfinder shows the quality of the photo perfectly regarding colours, brilliance and picture composition with a 0.95x magnification and a 95% image field ­ also PhOTOgRAPhY WiThOUT liMiTS. The PENTAX K10D not only opens new perspectives to you, with maximum speed and also with maximum performance. it works more rapidly, more precisely, and more realistically than any other digital SlR in its class. All components and functions are attuned to highest photographic requirements. it can shoot up to fps ­ with a resolution of 10 megapixels. Recording delays are virtually non-existent because the new image processing system PRIME (PENTAX Real IMage Engine) calculates the graphic data remarkable speed. Brilliance in sharpness and colour as well as simplicity in operation and comfort are always there. And further intelligent systems are provided: supersonic direct-drive technology for ultrafast focusing, "Dust Reduction" (DR) against finest dust particles and "Shake Reduction" for blur-free photographs. Everything is there so that you can concentrate on what is really important: creative perfection. in back light conditions or during night photography. The focussing screen can be changed for special applications. FOR PiN-ShARP FOcUS: SUPERSONic 11 POiNT AUTOFOcUS. You can individually select each of the 9 AF cross-sensors or vertical sensors. The sophisticated Automatic Mode can automatically focus on the subject with utmost precision, even when it is positioned off centre. Piezo electronics are integrated into our newest lenses that allow automatic focusing at ultrasonic speeds. FOR ShAKY SiTUATiONS: ShAKE REDUcTiON. The opto magnetic D-Sensor suppresses camera shake: it works within the housing independently of the lens and counteracts camera shake when shooting with long focal lengths or under low light. it offers an outstanding compensation effect equivalent to between two and four shutter-speed steps. FOR DUST-FREE PicTURES: DUST REDUcTiON. The special nanotechnology fluorine coating on the low-pass filter seals the upper surface and prevents dust on the sensor. The "Dust Reduction" system removes remaining particles by short, intensive vibrations. For the photographer this means and end to annoying dust specks and time-intensive retouching. 4 5 cATch T hE ligh T WiTh Th E lighTNiN g-FAST K10D. FOR GENUINE BEAUTY: THE CCD SENSOR. To convert light into perfect digital photos the K10D possesses a particularly efficient CCD sensor with 10 megapixel resolution and a sensitivity range of iSO 100 to iSO 1600. Among its other applications, PRiME provides extremely low picture noise and also higher sensitivity. As a result, white is really white because the white balance works outstandingly well. Apart from the usual pre-setting and the manual white balance adjustment, different colour temperature values can be entered manually. FOR SPEED AT ThE RighT MOMENT. it takes exactly 8 minutes and 19 seconds for a ray of light to travel from the sun to the earth. Each passing moment is unique and if an opportunity presents itself there isn't a second to lose. The new PENTAX K10D is always ready to capture the moment in an instant. The K10D processes graphic data from the ccD over two channels to the bit analogueto-digital converter where the picture signals in the digital data are converted. This new technology affords a substantially higher dynamic range resulting in a finer tuning of colours compared to conventional 1 bit converters. FROM LIGHT TO PHOTO: 22 BIT A/D CONVERTER WITH 2 CHANNEL OUTPUT. ThE ANSWER FOR DAZZliNg SPEED: PRiME. With this new technology PENTAX is again a step ahead of the market. The photographer is Where it comes to speed, all components must work together perfectly. The new PRiME processor has been exclusively developed for the PENTAX K10D: controlling all the procedures of the image processor and memory transfer, the K10D achieves a speed advantage beyond those of conventional digital SlR cameras. What does "speed" actually mean? With the new PRIME computer processing speeds of 800 MB/sec. are attainable. That is 6x faster than the standard SDR processors. For the photographer this directly effects how fast he can shoot. The K10D can shoot at an astonishing 3 fps, in JPEG format, until the memory is full, and shooting RAW files will yield up to 9 pictures. And the K10D is fully compatible with SDhc memory cards that are currently available with capacities up to 4 gigabytes. the winner: digital pictures are now virtually indistinguishable from analogue film pictures in terms of colour and dynamic range. FOR FOcUS AT ThE SPEED OF lighT: ThE SUPERSONic PRiNciPlE. When the action is fast, the camera must be able to follow and adjust focus in fractions of a second. Think of a striker zigzagging across the pitch for a showdown at the goal. PENTAX has developed a Piezoelectronic based autofocus control that focuses the lens faster and more precisely than ever before. PENTAX will introduce a selection of new lenses and will continually expand the range. An important note regarding speed: the K10D is already impressively fast when it comes to focusing conventional AF lenses. With supersonic technology the focusing speed will be truly extraordinary. With the supersonic motors in the new lenses the K10D will become an indispensable tool for all fast-action sport events. 6 7 WE HAVE DEVELOPED A RESi STANcE TO AgAiNST Th E NATURAl ENEMiES OF BRILLIANT PHOTOS. FOR ShARP RESUlTS: ShAKE REDUcTiON. The new developed PENTAX "Shake Reduction" technology solves one of the oldest photographic problems: blur caused by camera shake. The new K10D produces sharp photos in challenging situations without having to use a tripod: hand-held photography is now possible with long telephoto lenses or when long exposure times are required due to poor lighting. The PENTAX "Shake Reduction" system is integrated into the camera body and is totally independent of the lens in use. The principle behind operation is simple: movement sensors in the body recognise camera shake. The optomagnetic D sensor ensures that at the moment of exposure the compensating movements of the ccD sensor provides for blur-free pictures. The advantage is obvious: you can increase your hand-held shooting by up to 4 stops. if you are consciously moving the camera when shooting ­ while panning an F1 car along the track, for example ­ you can simply deactivate the "Shake Reduction" system. ccD plate with electromagnets to control the "Shake Reduction" mechanism is connected to permanent magnets to the metal frame as a unit. with "Shake Reduction" without "Shake Reduction" PERFEcTlY RESiSTANT: AgAiNST hUMiDiTY, SPRAY AND DUST. Whether you're shooting on a drizzling Autumn morning, on a snowy mountain side, along a dusty desert trail or in a tropical rain forest: the seals around the durable K10D body reliably protects the inner components against humidity and the finest dust particles. Other design defences further protect the K10D from the forces of nature. The fibre-reinforced polycarbonate body surrounding the high-rigidity stainless-steel chassis provides for the necessary robustness for rugged daily use. NO DUST iN ThE PicTURE: ThE DUST REDUcTiON. The K10D offers yet another surprise: the movable sensor utilised for the "Shake Reduction" system makes one more important detail possible: Dust Reduction. Behind the "Dust Reduction" designation lies an entire system unto itself ­ a system that ensures dust flecks on the picture are a thing of the past. The first component is the surface of the low pass filter is sealed with a nanotechnology based fluorine coating. This ensures that dust cannot adhere to the sensor surface. in the next step, dust that still remains on the surface is shaken off when the SR system shifts the ccD at high speed. The dust that is shaken off the ccD falls onto an adhesive sheet eliminating any possibility of its returning to the ccD surface. This A complete system: the K10D is protected by 7 seals and the battery grip with an additional 8, assuring complete protection against humidity, dust or sand. PENTAX currently offers the highest level of protection. Durable and solid: the stainless-steel chassis is also insensitive to corrosion and is extremely stable. function can often be arbitrarily repeated, and be implemented automatically when desired when switching the camera on. Dust flecks are now a thing of the past ­ along with annoying and time consuming retouching work. 8 9 ART INVOLVES SHOWING lighT iN iTS ENT iRE SPE c TRUM. THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER IN EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT: 16. As the director of your pictures you're responsible for the light: the K10D easily handles that requirement with its 16 segment metering system. it can accurately assess the balance between the bright and dark areas within the segments automatically, or, alternatively, you can opt for centre-weighted or spot metering yourself. ThE 11 POiNTS OF ThE ShARPNESS: AUTOFOcUS. The focus determines the crucial overall impression of the THE BALANCE BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK. how can you always measure of the right intensity of light? The PENTAX K10D makes it easy. On the one hand it features numerous automatic as well as semi-automatic exposure functions. On the other hand it helps you if you want to determine the actual lighting parameters yourself in relation to the composition of your shot. The ccD sensor works in the broad range of sensitivity between ­ ISO 100 and ISO 1600 ­ and with shutter speeds up to 1/4,000 second. With the K10D is there no situation ­ whether day, night or twilight ­ where you can't bring extreme contrasts into perfect brilliance and balance. photo: determining what aspect of the shot needs to be in sharp focus resolves the meaning of the photo. The K10D utilises an 11 point autofocus system. in automatic operation (AUTO) the camera recognises which object is nearest and chooses that as the main want focus more point. if you direct control you can select any of the 11 points individually by selecting your preferred focus point on the focussing screen. it is also possible to simply select centre of the image as your main point of focus. With continuous autofocus the focus is continually being adjusted, even if you move the camera. With certain lenses it is possible to manually tweak the focus after the autofocus system has selected its reference point ­ or, should you prefer more direct control, you can always focus manually. however, one thing is certain, whether auto or manual focussing, you can always rely on the accuracy of the 9 cross and vertical sensors. SENSITIVITY IS EVERYTHING: THE ISO RA ...