Pentax K-5 User Review

[rei_vilo]

Photography is back on my website!

The Pentax K-7 was a great camera but had some flaws. I' was looking for faster AF, better sensibility and reduced noise. All reviews I've read about the K-5 were positive on those points.



Combining the Pentax 100 € cash-back program, a 10% discount from the reseller and a fair price for my former K-7, I decided to update my dSLR for a Pentax K-5.

As usual and as I did for the *ist, K-10D and K-7 as well as for the SDM lenses and accessories, I'll share my  discoveries on an on-the-go basis. Stay tuned!

[Ron Kruger]

I'm a fairly new K5 users as well, so I will be following your findings with interest.

[rei_vilo]

The first impression when switching from a K-7 to a K-5 is the lack of surprise. I felt as I hadn't changed my camera: I was at home!

Nice point, all the gear I used with the K-7 is ready for the K-5, lenses, accessories and flash.



The ergonomics of the K-7 were excellent, but Pentax pushed them even further, refining some details on the K-5.

Read more about my first hands-on.

[GvilleRick]

I also just upgraded to the K-5 (from a K20D) and so far am quite happy with it. Still having to search a bit for the menu settings but it is easier to find what I need compared to when I jumped from the *ist DL to the K10D and from the K10D to the K20D.

I shoot a good bit of sports to publish shots on a website so I've been shooting at higher ISO and comparing shots. I also like the faster burst speeds for sports.

[blackcloudbrew]

Note: I split out the posts on sport photography settings for the K-5.

Earl da admin

[GvilleRick]

I have really enjoyed the differences in the K5 over the K20D. Here are a couple of shots taken at higher ISOs.


300mm 1/125" f5.6 ISO800


220mm 1/200" f8.0 ISO1600


500mm 1/50" f9.0 ISO3200

[Ron Kruger]

Really like everything about the last shot.

[Ron Kruger]

By the way, I also really like the locking mode wheel. I was occasionally nudging the one on my K20D off kilter without knowing it; even messed up a couple of shots because of it.

[GvilleRick]

Really like everything about the last shot.

Thanks, I was pretty happy with it as well. ISO 3200 on the K20 was only useful for small website photos and just barely able to use them. The last shot was pretty slow for handheld with the 170-500mm Sigma lens so I shot burst mode to get a good one. It's pretty overcast and rainy today so there was not much light to work with.

By the way, I also really like the locking mode wheel. I was occasionally nudging the one on my K20D off kilter without knowing it; even messed up a couple of shots because of it.

I agree. This is a small change (along with making the wheel slightly taller) but useful. I often bumped the dial on my K20 and ound the mode changed, usually at the worst possible time. I also like the flexibility in selecting the behavior of the front and rear dials in the various modes. I set up my K20 so that the front dial controlled aperture and the back dial controlled ISO. The only problem was sometimes chaging the ISO when I didn't want to. With he K5 I just use the ISO button on top and don't have to worry about changing it by accident.

I also like that the shutter click does not seem as loud on the K5. 

[rei_vilo]

Very nice pictures! What lenses are you using?

The K-5 makes wonders for sport and nature photography. Thanks to high ISO and low noise, convenient and high speeds could be used. The K-5 is just pushing the limits!

I shot my first batch of pictures two weeks ago and I'm still sorting them to release my first review of the K-5.

Stay tuned

[GvilleRick]

Very nice pictures! What lenses are you using?

The first two were taken using a Quantaray 70-300 lens. The last was taken with a Sigma 170-500mm lens.

[Mike Pearson]

Rick,

The high iso shots on the K5 are superb 

I sold my Sigma 17-500 last year - it was an excellent lens but I just didn't get the use out of it.

Mike

[GvilleRick]

Rick,

The high iso shots on the K5 are superb 

I sold my Sigma 17-500 last year - it was an excellent lens but I just didn't get the use out of it.

Mike

I got the lens on EBay a year or so ago for US$350. I've been happy with it for bird shots and for daytime sports shots.

[Felix]

I too just bought my K5 and I still have my K7 and it is a world of difference in the way the K5 takes the photos.

[rei_vilo]

After the first hands-on, please find the first pictures, continuous shooting sequence as well as Pros and Cons and Wrap-Up for the Pentax K-5.

Here's a summary of the tests I've conducted: