Complete D-SLR System Guide

Regarding the code letters found on Pentax lenses, FA-series lenses provide all camera features. Economically priced FA-J lenses provide all features, but lack an aperture ring. DA-series lenses are optimized for the D-SLRs’ APS-C image sensor and thus can’t be used on Pentax film SLRs. A-series lenses provide all camera features except autofocusing. K-series lenses provide manual focusing only and lack an A setting on their aperture rings, thus precluding program and shutter-priority AE operation.

All Pentax D-SLRs have built-in pop-up TTL flash units. The cameras also provide P-TTL flash (with pre-flash) with the AF-540FGZ (ISO 100/GN 148 in feet) and AF-360FGZ (ISO 100/GN 119) flash units, including wireless operation, high-speed sync and contrast-control flash.

Accessories include power supplies, an AC adapter, remote controls, a right-angle finder and a viewfinder magnifier. There’s a battery grip for the K10D, plus a 1.2X viewfinder magnifier and grid- and scale-focusing screens. Software includes Pentax Photo Browser 3.1 for downloading images and conversion to JPEG or Adobe DNG format and Photo Laboratory 3.1 for RAW conversion, direct printing of RAW images, and image-editing, including noise, distortion and chromatic aberration correction.

Samsung
Samsung’s D-SLR system features three bodies, the fruits of a partnership Samsung entered into with Pentax to develop digital SLRs. First came the value-priced 6.1-megapixel Samsung GX-1S and GX-1L (based on the Pentax *ist DS2 and *ist DL, respectively), offering a nice feature set, good performance and excellent value for the price. The newest member of the trio is the GX-10, a 10.2-megapixel model with a family resemblance to the Pentax K10D.