10 Megapixel SLRs Compared
In items as complex as a camera, different buyers find different features important to their needs. For that reason we will attempt to look at areas that are typically important to some buyers and compare the four cameras in that area.
Pentax K10D
VIEWFINDER: The Pentax has the best viewfinder, followed closely by the Nikon D80, then the Sony A100. The Sony viewfinder is remarkable for a penta-mirror setup, but it is no match for the true pentaprisms in the Nikon and Pentax. The Canon is by far the worst of the lot in viewfinders. Best in this case is measured by brightness of the screen image, ease of seeing the entire screen, and "natural perspective". If you want to see a mediocre viewfinder for comparison take a look at the Olympus E500 which makes the user feel like they are looking down a tunnel.
Canon Rebel XTi
VIEWFINDEER FEATURES: All of the 10 megapixel SLRs have adjustable diopters for dialing in a mild correction for shooting without glasses. The Pentax is the only camera in the group to also offer interchangeable focusing screens.
POWER OPTIONS: The Pentax K10D, Nikon D80, and Canon XTi all offer optional battery grips for providing more power and options for vertical shooting. The Sony A100 does not offer this feature. All four models use proprietary Lithium-Ion batteries that can provide 800 exposures or more before recharge, and the battery charger is included in the retail package. Canon reduced the size and capacity of the XTi battery, which may affect the number of shots between charges compared to the 8 megapixel XT model. The Sony A100 uses a new battery type that is not interchangeable with earlier Maxxum digital camera batteries. Oddly enough, the Pentax K10D turns out to use the same NP400 battery that powered the last Minolta Digital SLRs like the Maxxum 5D, so your spare Maxxum batteries will work in the new Pentax K10D. The Nikon D80 remains a proprietary design that refines and extends the capabilities of batteries used in the D70 and D70s.
ANTI-SHAKE: Minolta pioneered anti-shake built into the camera body, which allowed shooting at slower shutter speeds with any lens attached to the camera. Sony refined and improved the feature. Pentax also has added an anti-shake program that is even more sophisticated than the one used by Sony. Both Canon and Nikon have special lenses with anti-shake motors, but they are very expensive, and anti-shake only works with those lenses.
COMPATABILITY: Nikon and Canon are the brands that most often come to mind when you think of professional photography. They both have large lens lines that work on their cameras. The new Sony uses the Minolta Maxxum lens mount and can mount and work with almost any of the 18 million Maxxum mount lenses sold in the last 20+ years. The Pentax K10D has full functionality with any autofocus K-mount lens, and these lenses have been manufactured for many years. In addition Pentax has special focus assist for ANY Pentax K-mount lens ever produced - which now total about 25 million lenses. You can even use older screw-mount Pentax lenses in manual mode with a screw-to-K-mount adapter
Nikon D80
AUTOFOCUS: All cameras were compared using a 50f1.4 lens, since the shallow depth of field evened the focusing playing field for all cameras. All four 10 megapixel cameras were very fast in focusing and locking on the same subjects - much better than older models like the Pentax *ist D or the original 6 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel. Focusing noise was lowest for the Canon, but it was only very slightly quieter than the Nikon D80 (with a 50f1.4D) and Pentax K10D (50f1.4 FA) which were virtually tied. The Sony was just as fast in focusing, but noisier than the other cameras with a Minolta 50f1.4 lens. Perhaps the Sony would be quieter with the reworked Sony 50f1.4 if anyone could find it and they are willing to pay the new $350 cost Sony is asking. However, this was as fair as we could make it with the 50f1.4 lenses we had available.
Sony A100
FOCUS MODULE: All four 10 megapixel SLRs use some of the most capable focusing modules available from each manufacturer. There are, however, some differences in technical specifications and functionality. The Pentax K10D uses an 11-point focusing system, Nikon also uses an 11 point focusing array with a layout similar to the Pentax K10D, Sony uses an 8-point array, and Canon uses their 9 point focus array that is apparently borrowed from the 30D. The number of points is only part of the story, however, since most manufacturers use the more sensitive cross array for the center point only. The Cross point is sensitive to both vertical and horizontal detail where the single point is sensitive to just one direction. Pentax says they use 9 cross points in their focusing module.
In items as complex as a camera, different buyers find different features important to their needs. For that reason we will attempt to look at areas that are typically important to some buyers and compare the four cameras in that area.
Pentax K10D
VIEWFINDER: The Pentax has the best viewfinder, followed closely by the Nikon D80, then the Sony A100. The Sony viewfinder is remarkable for a penta-mirror setup, but it is no match for the true pentaprisms in the Nikon and Pentax. The Canon is by far the worst of the lot in viewfinders. Best in this case is measured by brightness of the screen image, ease of seeing the entire screen, and "natural perspective". If you want to see a mediocre viewfinder for comparison take a look at the Olympus E500 which makes the user feel like they are looking down a tunnel.
Canon Rebel XTi
VIEWFINDEER FEATURES: All of the 10 megapixel SLRs have adjustable diopters for dialing in a mild correction for shooting without glasses. The Pentax is the only camera in the group to also offer interchangeable focusing screens.
POWER OPTIONS: The Pentax K10D, Nikon D80, and Canon XTi all offer optional battery grips for providing more power and options for vertical shooting. The Sony A100 does not offer this feature. All four models use proprietary Lithium-Ion batteries that can provide 800 exposures or more before recharge, and the battery charger is included in the retail package. Canon reduced the size and capacity of the XTi battery, which may affect the number of shots between charges compared to the 8 megapixel XT model. The Sony A100 uses a new battery type that is not interchangeable with earlier Maxxum digital camera batteries. Oddly enough, the Pentax K10D turns out to use the same NP400 battery that powered the last Minolta Digital SLRs like the Maxxum 5D, so your spare Maxxum batteries will work in the new Pentax K10D. The Nikon D80 remains a proprietary design that refines and extends the capabilities of batteries used in the D70 and D70s.
ANTI-SHAKE: Minolta pioneered anti-shake built into the camera body, which allowed shooting at slower shutter speeds with any lens attached to the camera. Sony refined and improved the feature. Pentax also has added an anti-shake program that is even more sophisticated than the one used by Sony. Both Canon and Nikon have special lenses with anti-shake motors, but they are very expensive, and anti-shake only works with those lenses.
COMPATABILITY: Nikon and Canon are the brands that most often come to mind when you think of professional photography. They both have large lens lines that work on their cameras. The new Sony uses the Minolta Maxxum lens mount and can mount and work with almost any of the 18 million Maxxum mount lenses sold in the last 20+ years. The Pentax K10D has full functionality with any autofocus K-mount lens, and these lenses have been manufactured for many years. In addition Pentax has special focus assist for ANY Pentax K-mount lens ever produced - which now total about 25 million lenses. You can even use older screw-mount Pentax lenses in manual mode with a screw-to-K-mount adapter
Nikon D80
AUTOFOCUS: All cameras were compared using a 50f1.4 lens, since the shallow depth of field evened the focusing playing field for all cameras. All four 10 megapixel cameras were very fast in focusing and locking on the same subjects - much better than older models like the Pentax *ist D or the original 6 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel. Focusing noise was lowest for the Canon, but it was only very slightly quieter than the Nikon D80 (with a 50f1.4D) and Pentax K10D (50f1.4 FA) which were virtually tied. The Sony was just as fast in focusing, but noisier than the other cameras with a Minolta 50f1.4 lens. Perhaps the Sony would be quieter with the reworked Sony 50f1.4 if anyone could find it and they are willing to pay the new $350 cost Sony is asking. However, this was as fair as we could make it with the 50f1.4 lenses we had available.
Sony A100
FOCUS MODULE: All four 10 megapixel SLRs use some of the most capable focusing modules available from each manufacturer. There are, however, some differences in technical specifications and functionality. The Pentax K10D uses an 11-point focusing system, Nikon also uses an 11 point focusing array with a layout similar to the Pentax K10D, Sony uses an 8-point array, and Canon uses their 9 point focus array that is apparently borrowed from the 30D. The number of points is only part of the story, however, since most manufacturers use the more sensitive cross array for the center point only. The Cross point is sensitive to both vertical and horizontal detail where the single point is sensitive to just one direction. Pentax says they use 9 cross points in their focusing module.
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soydios - Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - link
IMHO, this is a rather important fact that isn't in the article: the Nikon D40 (unlike every other Nikon DSLR) does not have an in-camera autofocus motor. This means that only Nikon AF-S lenses, which have the autofocus motor in the lens and are not nearly as prolific as the rest of the Nikon F-mount AF lens family, fully function on the D40. Older Nikon AF lenses, which are the entire reason that I purchased my D50 six months ago, do not autofocus on the D40.Awax - Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - link
Except for the 3 point autofocus and the lack of integrated lens autofocus engine, everything is better on the D40. The D40 will in 90% be associated with the kit lens only: this is an entry-level D-SLR and as it, is better than the D50. If you already own a D50, you'll better go for the D80. If you own an argentic SLR <ith many lenses, you'll probably buy new lens since the new generation digital only lenses are much better than the old/classical argentic lenses.PCHPlayer - Tuesday, December 26, 2006 - link
Did anyone else get the feeling that the author was a Pentax fanboy and the conclusion was going to be in favor of the Pentax line? Unfortunately I found the article quite shallow. I would highly recommend going to dpreview.com to get a real in-depth analysis of these cameras.Justin Case - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
Personally, I just got the feeling the author is completely clueless. Take this paragraph, for example:"Sony continued the then-unique in-camera image stabilization pioneered by Minolta, which allowed any lens mounted on the camera to take sharper pictures at slower shutter speeds."
Image stabilization simply helps reduce blur caused by camera vibration. It won't do anything to make pictures "sharper". At slow shutter speeds, if the subject moves, the picture is going to be blurry, no matter what. Image stabilisation makes no difference to that. And if the subject doesn't move, then most of the time you can simply use a tripod (or rest the camera on top of a table, or whatever).
And to mention Sony and Minolta (and Pentax) as examples of image stabilization is ridiculous. Nikon's VR is 10x better than anything those three have ever done and Canon's IS is 5x better than Nikon's VR.
Then there's that amazing paragraph titled "COMPATABILITY" (sic), which basically reads as a love letter to Pentax. They've made 25 million lenses! Whoa! Leica have only made around 2 million, so I guess that makes them crap. Maybe I should sell my Summilux and "invest" in some K-mount glass? Sigh...
When someone considers that Pentax beats Canon and Nikon in terms of lens quality and selection, I think it's clearly time to call for the paramedics.
fass mut - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
do you have link to the comparison between in body and lens stabilization? as far as i know, there is a slight benefit (.5 stop to maybe 1 stop) to in lens stabilization but that benefit is greatly off set by the price.buying a full range of lens with built in stabilization i.e. lenses that cover say 28 mm to 300 mm would cost a small fortune (~$2500-$4000 maybe more even). for me, that money saved could be plowed into better accessories like tripod, bag, flashes, heck even a faster computer or wide screen monitor to post process...but that's just my opinion.
Justin Case - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
No amount of post-processing is going to recover detail that your lens didn't capture in the first place. When you invest in an SLR system, the main element are the lenses. That's the main difference between SLRs and compact cameras, and what some people don't seem to understand.If you can't afford good lenses, then use a compact camera instead. It's easier to use, cheaper, lighter, etc.., and can also take great pictures. Lots of great photographers use them. In some situations they're not just "as good" as an SLR, they're actually better.
And you don't need a full lens range with image stabilization. In fact, many great photographers managed to go through their entire careers without ever using ONE. But if you're going to use (and possibly rely on) image stabilization, you need it to actually be good, not just a marketing gimmick.
Lots of lenses aren't available in stabilized versions anyway. Lenses above 400mm are usually quite heavy, and used on a tripod, and below 70mm or so, vibration isn't a big problem. So a lot of photographers have only a couple of stabilized lenses, or even none at all (I have one, I might get one more, and I doubt I'll get any after that). Stabilized lenses are useful when you need to "track" subjects a lot, at long distances (ex., wildlife).
The only way you can really see the difference between proper optical image stabilization (ex., Canon IS or Nikon VR) and sensor stabilization (which has been used for a long time in video camcorders, BTW, namely Sony's) is by trying it.
It's not a matter of "how many stops" it gets you (that's just an over-simplification). It won't do anything for subject movement, and if you are using a tripod it won't make any difference. The effect depends on the vibration, and the vibration depends on each situation. If you are shooting a still subject under low light with no tripod, yes, maybe you can talk about gaining 2-3 stops with Canon IS. But that's just one specific situation.
It would be perfectly possible to add great image stabilization to cameras, but:
- It would make the cameras bigger
- It would make the cameras heavier
- It would make the cameras more expensive
And it's more or less useless when shooting at wide angles, and worse than useless when shooting on a tripod. 95% of people would never pay for it, or pick the heavier, bulkier camera. So some brands just use this "sensor stabilization" as a marketing gimmick, to make buyers think that, for an extra $75 or so they're getting image stabilization similar to what they'd get from a $1500 lens. They're not, of course.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's simply on a different league from lens stabilization, just as those MiniDV camcorder "stabilizers" are on a different league from a full SteadyCam harness.
The way the article's author dismisses VR / IS as if they were just an "overpriced version" of the same thing suggests that he never actually used it.
And I found it funny (though not surprising) that this AT article's "demonstration" of sensor stabilization was actually an unrealistic mock-up taken from an ad, not a real test image. In fact, it's funny how a review of four cameras manages to have so few pictures taken with those cameras and such poor pictures of the cameras themselves.
Photographers have a term for people who judge cameras by looking at their specifications (instead of at the images they produce): measurebation.
mongrelchild - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
Get the hell out of here, Ken Rockwell.No one cares for your misinformation.
mongrelchild - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
That was a reply for Justin Case, who by his preferring the K100's PQ to the K10s demonstrates that he has used neither of the products.Wesley Fink - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
I have owned many Nikon and Canon film and digital cameras over the years - as well as a current Fuji S3 (Nikon lenses) and a D80. The Fuji S3 is well-suited to our work which is mostly "still-life" where the S3 excels. It would be a horrible camera for action photography. My last Canon Digital was a 20D. I have also owned both VR and IS lenses from Nikon and Canon, and have a fair amount of Nikon glass.There is definitely a place for lens-based VR/IS, but most of the VR/IS that I see being sold is for $200 Nikon/Canon entry zoom lenses that now cost $400 to $600 with lens integral anti-shake. It is easy to defend pro glass with IS, but most users who read this Buyers Guide will not spend $1500 to $2000 or more on the lenses you talk about, they will buy the $400 to $600 overpriced VR/IS zooms that are f4.0-F5.6 and not that great to start with. For most users, body-integral AS is a much better and cost-effective solution that works with any lens mounted - and yes it is more effective on some lenses than others.
Modern DSLR cameras communicate lens info to the processor, so it is possible for AS to be customized in processing for the lens in use. Under $1000 is still entry-level and this article is not aimed at Pro's. The entry kit lens for both are also pretty awful - both the Pentax kit and Sony kit are actually better lenses. At least Nikon offers a kit lens upgrade option, but it brings the price of the upgrade D80 kit to $1300.
Pentax and Minolta have made some superb AF lenses over the years. If you doubt that compare some lens qulaity ratings at www.photodo.com. Canon learned Pros want more than glass - they want the service and hand-holding that Nikon has provided to Pros for many years. Don't project the Pro orientation of Canon and Nikon into beliefs that their glass is superior, because it isn't. All four companies have some wonderful lenses and some dogs. Sony/Minolta, Pentax/Hoya, Canon and Nikon all have some pretty mediocre low cost lenses these days - aimed at low cost buyers. All four also have some superb glass. If you're a Pro who needs a long super-fast telephoto for a sports assignment - cost be damned - then you will find it at Canon or Nikon. However, for the photo enthusiast or hobbyist that is the intended audience for this guide, Pentax and Sony can give the buyer excellent selection and value.
Wesley Fink - Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - link
Since you seem the most vocal in calling me clueless I ask if you can please share your experiences when you tested the Pentax K10D and some of the new lenses like the 31mm f1.8 or 43 f1.9 or the pancake 21mm f3.2. Can you comment on the handling, build-quality, and lens line based on real hands-on experience? Or are your comments based on intuitive knowledge since everyone knows Canon and Nikon are the best?We tested ALL FOUR cameras in this review and we bought the cameras with kit lenses and 50mm F1.4 lenses. No manufacturer supplied samples for testing. We did borrow some lenses from friends for testing. Opinions are always welcomed, but you have turned your commenst into a personal vendetta. Since you have so much to say please share the basis of YOUR opinions. We would all like to hear you own personal testing experiences with the Pentax K10D.