Eddy, I've moved this thread over to the Cameras forum for discussion. If you were specifically looking for one, I'll be happy to retitle and move back to the Flea Market.
Looks like a pretty nice camera to me. It's got a better feature set than the 7D, but I'd rather have the Canon glass. Pentax does have a very nice lens setup, though, and they've got a plethora of old cheap K-mount lenses that will mount on it (they're very cheap, because they're manual focus).
Overfocused can tell you about it
But it's not as good as that 1Ds Mark III you used to have
I pre-ordered the K5 when it was announced last September and so far I've pushed the shutter about 1800 times. My short answer is that I love the camera and feel that I'll continue to be happy with it for some time to come.
You didn't say anything about what kind of photography you do so I'll preface my comments by saying that I only shoot nature / landscapes so I can't really speak about shooting sports, portrait, street, etc. My primary lenses are the Pentax DA12-24mm, Sigma 17-70mm, and the Pentax DA55-300mm zoom. My previous SLR was the Pentax K10d so I am already "invested" into the Pentax lens system.
I love the way the camera feels in my hand as do the majority of people who own one but people with larger hands aren't so keen about it as you might think. Pentax managed to even reduce the size slightly compared to their last flagship model, the K-7. The array of dedicated buttons on the camera are pretty good and, for the most part, are laid out great.
My biggest gripe about the buttons/functions are related to the four way directional buttons on the back panel. Pentax decided to have these buttons serve a dual purpose. In one mode, the buttons are used to specify the AF point to use for focusing; in the other mode, they access the frequently accessed settings such as white balance, flash mode, etc. The problem is that the "OK" button in the center toggles between the modes (accomplished by pressing and holding the button for 2 secs). Sometimes, either by accident or forgetfulness, I want to use the buttons as AF point select but suddenly a menu pops up. It's annoying but I'm used to it by now.
The K-5 really stepped up the options for people who bracket for exposures. You can brack 2, 3, or 5 exposures up to 2 EV (I think) in either 1/3 or 1/2 EV increments. It will also take all shots in your sequence with only one shutter click. With my older K10d, I had to manually click the shutter for each shot in a bracketed sequence. I shoot RAW and, like previous Pentax models, you can select between Pentax's own .PEF format or .DNG. I use DNG so that means no conversion of my RAW files. The RAW files average about 29Mb in size.
Unlike Canon/Nikon, shake reduction is built into the body instead of the lenses. This means ANY lens you can mount to the body can benefit from shake reduction. Battery life is really good. Pentax weather sealing has held up well for me here in the Pacific Northwest.
If you've already done research, you'll know that there have been some issues with the initial batch of cameras, namely a manufacturing defect which shows up in photos as a series of spots in a linear line (it's referred to by Pentax enthusists as the "string of pearls"). I, personally, haven't experienced this but it was an issue out there. Others have complained about focus issues in certain conditions. Generally, I haven't experienced this either.
I'd suggest a visit over to pentaxforums.com and lurk in their sub-forum specifically for the K-5. Hope this helps. Feel free to follow up with any questions.
P.S. Any photos on my blog since November 2010 were taken with my K-5..
Undoubtably the K-5 is a fantastic camera. If anyone wants to buy me one, I'll be happy to write a hands on review. What you really have to ask yourself is, "do I want to buy into the Pentax infrastructure, which contains some excellent lenses to be sure, or do I want the wider range of options that are available under CaNikon?"
The K-5 is the first camera they've offered that makes me want to upgrade from my K200D. Finally a camera with class-leading (or at least competitive) autofocus and high ISO performance, in a compact, stout, weather sealed body.
I'll be buying one at some point, just waiting for prices to come down a bit as I continue to acquire lenses and improve my technique.
Comments
thanks,
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Overfocused can tell you about it
But it's not as good as that 1Ds Mark III you used to have
You didn't say anything about what kind of photography you do so I'll preface my comments by saying that I only shoot nature / landscapes so I can't really speak about shooting sports, portrait, street, etc. My primary lenses are the Pentax DA12-24mm, Sigma 17-70mm, and the Pentax DA55-300mm zoom. My previous SLR was the Pentax K10d so I am already "invested" into the Pentax lens system.
I love the way the camera feels in my hand as do the majority of people who own one but people with larger hands aren't so keen about it as you might think. Pentax managed to even reduce the size slightly compared to their last flagship model, the K-7. The array of dedicated buttons on the camera are pretty good and, for the most part, are laid out great.
My biggest gripe about the buttons/functions are related to the four way directional buttons on the back panel. Pentax decided to have these buttons serve a dual purpose. In one mode, the buttons are used to specify the AF point to use for focusing; in the other mode, they access the frequently accessed settings such as white balance, flash mode, etc. The problem is that the "OK" button in the center toggles between the modes (accomplished by pressing and holding the button for 2 secs). Sometimes, either by accident or forgetfulness, I want to use the buttons as AF point select but suddenly a menu pops up. It's annoying but I'm used to it by now.
The K-5 really stepped up the options for people who bracket for exposures. You can brack 2, 3, or 5 exposures up to 2 EV (I think) in either 1/3 or 1/2 EV increments. It will also take all shots in your sequence with only one shutter click. With my older K10d, I had to manually click the shutter for each shot in a bracketed sequence. I shoot RAW and, like previous Pentax models, you can select between Pentax's own .PEF format or .DNG. I use DNG so that means no conversion of my RAW files. The RAW files average about 29Mb in size.
Unlike Canon/Nikon, shake reduction is built into the body instead of the lenses. This means ANY lens you can mount to the body can benefit from shake reduction. Battery life is really good. Pentax weather sealing has held up well for me here in the Pacific Northwest.
If you've already done research, you'll know that there have been some issues with the initial batch of cameras, namely a manufacturing defect which shows up in photos as a series of spots in a linear line (it's referred to by Pentax enthusists as the "string of pearls"). I, personally, haven't experienced this but it was an issue out there. Others have complained about focus issues in certain conditions. Generally, I haven't experienced this either.
I'd suggest a visit over to pentaxforums.com and lurk in their sub-forum specifically for the K-5. Hope this helps. Feel free to follow up with any questions.
P.S. Any photos on my blog since November 2010 were taken with my K-5..
Steve
Blog: http://blog.scolephoto.com
I'll be buying one at some point, just waiting for prices to come down a bit as I continue to acquire lenses and improve my technique.
Anyone have the pentax K-5 and pics, thinking of getting one, has a backup camerae
Great understanding is broad and unhurried, Little understanding is cramped and busy" ..... Chuang Tsu
Mark Go a head looking for a backup camera
Great understanding is broad and unhurried, Little understanding is cramped and busy" ..... Chuang Tsu
I'm about $1300 shy of being able to afford one right now
But if someone wants to buy me one, tomorrow is Lost Sock Memorial Day, as well as National Train Day. (In case someone needs an excuse!)