Pentax K10D sample photos online

Pentax UK have posted Pentax K10D sample images taken with the new 10 megapixel digital slr. The Pentax K10D camera has the same ccd sensor as Nikon D80 and Sony Alpha100 and the K10 samples have siilar attributes.

The Pentax K10 sales broschure and user manual in english are also online (see below).

These are sized down. The original material is available at Pentax UK. Click the images to open the Pentax UK images full size (images are about 2 meg each). Site might be slow since interest is high.

All Pentax K10 sample photos are © pentax.co.uk.





As always with all camera manufacturers the first samples placed online suck and do not do the equipment justice. It is a mystery to me why the manufacturers allow half-bad images to be officially posted online. All material that goes online with official status must be seen as marketing material that can affect the product and the Brand.

Why Pentax, and most other brands, allow images with such simple degrading features as obvious camera shake, or burned highlights due to way too hi dynamics that no imaging device can handle is as mentioned... a mystery.

Anyway, wait with your judgement until quality samples pop up and a couple of reviews get passed around.

Bottom line: you cannot say much about the Pentax K10D performance from these samples, apart from that they look like all the other brand samples.

** Check for Pentax K10D price and stock info. **

The Pentax K10D has the same sensor as the Nikon D80 and results should be very similar with the Pentax taking the upper hand on body build, price and weather sealing.

More samples will probably show up on the web shortly as well as the first reviews. I personally think the Pentax K10D will be one of the next to show up at dpreview.com as a complete review. Looking forward to it!

The original fullsize samples are posted here at the Pentax Uk site.

The Pentax K10D manual was up for a short while.
You can reach it here at this alternative url. (4.4 megabytes)
There are probably some tidbits they are editing sice it went offline again. Anyway, it makes for some good reading over cofee.

The K10D product broschure is also online, grab it here. (1.8 megabytes)

All linked Pentax material is © Pentax.

Tags: pentax, pentax k10d, k10, k10d manual, broschure, k10 samples, pentax sample, k10 samples, sample photos, sample immages, test images, k10d test, k10d review, pentax k10d review, k10 review, megapixels, marketing strategy, high+iso, iso

Nikon D2x D2hs and D200 firmware updates

Nikon Europe have posted firmware updates to Nikon D2x and Nikon D200 as well as D2hs. This firmware 2 adds Nikon D2Xs features to the Nikon D200, D2x and D2hs.

Nikon D200 firmware 2 highlights.

Nikon D200 only - Support for the wireless transmitter WT-3 has been added.

Image authentication option has been added to the setup menu.

Nikon D2HS firmware 2 highlights.

Image authentication option has been added to the setup menu.

Autofocus subject acquisition and tracking performance has been improved.

Up to 3 custom tone curves can now be downloaded to the camera for use with the Custom Tone compensation option.

A Save/load settings item has been added to the setup menu.

The Mirror lock-up option in the setup menu has been modified to function with battery power as well as AC-adapter power.

The Lock-On option in the CSM menu now offers 4 options: Long, Normal (default), Short, and Off.

Max. sensitivity and Min. shutter speed options have been added to the ISO auto menu.

The Maximum shots option in the CSM menu has been updated to support a maximum setting of 60 shots.

A Recent settings item has been added to the setup menu.

The shooting data of an image in the playback photo-information display now includes. Focus mode (S/C/M) and Vibration reduction* (on/off)

Latitude and longitude GPS data now displays up to 3 digits* for each segment.

A compass bearing is displayed in the GPS data, if used with a GPS device is equipped with digital compass.

There are some indications that the D200 focusing performance is noticably improved on VR teles and that compatibility with for example sigma long zooms is better.



Nikon D2x firmware 2 highlights.
Same as for D200 and D2H with the addition of:

H 0.3 (equivalent to ISO 1000), H 0.5 (equivalent to ISO 1100) and H 0.7 (equivalent to ISO 1250) options have been added between the ISO 800 and H 1 settings in the ISO menu.

The FUNC. button item in the CSM menu has been divided into 2 separate items labelled FUNC. button and FUNC. + command.

Check the latest price on D200 and Nikon D80.

The Nikon support website is like always extremely clunky and you have to log in to access the firmwares. One sometimes wonders if they fully realize how a supportive website can be made. In many parts the Nikon site is extremely outdated and simply irritating. Ok, end of rant :)
Nikon firmware downloads are here.

Tags: nikon, d200, d80, d2hs, d2x, d2xs, nikon d200, nikon d80, nikon d2x, d3x, d3h, nikon d60, firmware, update, autofocus, digital slr, tone, curve, photo edit, enhancement, cutomize, photokina

Alamy Images uploads and Stock Photo website

Alamy Images is one of the most established Stock Photo Agencies online. Together with Getty Images, Corbis and a couple of other players like Jupiter Media they supply almost all of the global mainstream stock photo market. Alamy Images has a great variety of Stock Images both royalty free and rights managed by pro, agencies and amateurs.

Until recently, supplying Alamy Images with stock photos has required sending in CD and DVD with your material. Alamy is now on the verge of allowing FTP upload to signed-on submitters. At the same time, Alamy seems to be gearing up for a website update. The first page has recently gotten a new (more boring) look to replace the splendid showcase of images that we have gotten used to. Let´s hope this is temporary.

The very extensive photo library of editorial stock images that Alamy Images markets is mainly taken by semi-professionals and weekend snappers. Alamy quality control is pretty strict though and the vast bulk of images online are usable to large printing sizes.

Alamy also markets vast amounts of Agency images. The same images can often be found at Gettys and Corbis.

Rumor has it (as always) that the new search engine is coming online. This time, the grapevine tells it will elevate search result placements to images that have a good track record. Perhaps a good move since the model now seems to be to bring all third party agency material to the first pages - pushing new and original material from you and me to the back pages.

Time will tell. With 6.5 million images online, one can understand their slow movements in adjusting such performance critical tools as the central search engine.

Tags: alamy, alamy images, stock agency, stock photos, stock image, royalty free, phtoso, images, photography, alamy, website update, search engine, photo book, photographer, submission, submit, register, image royalty, royal photos, freelance, photog, interpolate, megapixel, pro photo, pfoessional, getty images, istock, jupiter