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Testing out a Pentax K5

jonoslack

Active member
Well - back in July I had a Pentax K7 for a week, and sent it back. I loved the camera, but not the sensor.

Having fallen for the Sony sensor in the A55, it was hard to resist testing out the K5 (body of the K7, sensor of the A55). . . . . so I didn't resist!

Basically, it's slightly bigger than an A55 (but not much). Metal, weathersealed, very quite, beautifully built.

here are some early results - almost all shots taken with the Pentax 35 mm f2.8 limited macro.









I've also been fiddling around with some night shots:

City Nights
 

Terry

New member
I'm glad to see that 20mm lens on the E-P1 is getting used (see shots in the night gallery). It has a very good provenance :LOL::LOL::LOL:.

Too bad both don't share the same lens mount to see how the two render differently with same settings same lenses.
 

jonoslack

Active member
I'm glad to see that 20mm lens on the E-P1 is getting used (see shots in the night gallery). It has a very good provenance :LOL::LOL::LOL:.

Too bad both don't share the same lens mount to see how the two render differently with same settings same lenses.
Hi Terry
Actuallly, that's Kevin's lens . . . and that's Cam lying on the floor with my M9 and here noctilux!

Did you look at the ISO values . . . incidentally, the night shots were taken in Gent, and in Bergen op Zoom (Holland)
 
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Terry

New member
Yes, that particular 20mm used to be domiciled in San Francisco :D hence the excellent provenance :D. I will go back through the ISOs when I get home.
 

Terry

New member
How high with the auto ISO go or do you have to manually select 3200 and 6400. How high have you dared to go above 6400?
 

kevinparis

Member
step away terry..... this is not the hi iso camera you are looking for...

says kevin in his best scottish/Jedi accent ;)

your a MF girl now... you can't go back :)

K
 

ecsh

New member
Looking at this camera as well with a couple of limiteds to go with it. If Jono keeps it, then i will seriously look at it. If not...
 

Terry

New member
Pretty amazing the body only price of the K5 is more than double the price of the A55 body in the US.
 

jonoslack

Active member
How high with the auto ISO go or do you have to manually select 3200 and 6400. How high have you dared to go above 6400?
You can set the auto ISO range to anything you like - so, if you want you can set it from 80-51000, I have it set from 100-6400. I have gone above, but to be honest I haven't really found a situation were I wanted more than 6400, and as you can see from the puddle picture, that's just fine.


Pretty amazing the body only price of the K5 is more than double the price of the A55 body in the US.
If you pick up the A55, and then pick up the K5 you'll see why it's more than double the price. To be honest, pick up the K5 next to the Sony A900, it's better made, more solid, and has the same (or similar) facilities - not to run down the A55, but you would expect a plastic bodied camera which is not water or dust resistant, has a noisier shutter (despite no mirror flap) to be cheaper than a metal bodied camera, fully weather sealed, with the quietest shutter available.

I really don't mean to run down the A55 - it's great, and the live-view is a whole quantum leap better than that of the K5 . . . but the build quality and options is a whole quantum leap less good!
 

jonoslack

Active member
Looking at this camera as well with a couple of limiteds to go with it. If Jono keeps it, then i will seriously look at it. If not...
:ROTFL:
Don't take any notice of me . . . I'm a terrible flibbertygibbet. My M9s and the A900 seem to have become a given . . . apart from that I'm the most terrible camera whore.

But certainly, the K5 with the 35 f2.8 macro limited seems to do a lovely job (and the body is as lovely as the old E1 - the lens is rather reminiscent of the 50 'cron with the sliding lens hood). I have a Zeiss ZK 50 1.4 on it's way from popflash, and I'm dithering about whether to buy the Zeiss 100 macro or the pentax one (half the price and weathersealed).

Will it stay? Not on the evidence of the kit zoom, and I haven't had enough chance to shoot in daylight to see how the files look at base ISO, but the high ISO and the 35 f2.8 certainly make good cases for themselves. It's certainly passed the tests that the K7 failed.

Watch this space!
 

jonoslack

Active member
For what it's worth
here is a 100% crop of the last shot
don't forget that it's ISO 640




here is the full shot:

 

sinwen

Member
The best Pentax box with probably one the best macro lens around, last sensor generation in Pentax electronic soup.... result... wonderful.

Question, how do you find the viewfinder compare to a 35mm film camera ?
 

jonoslack

Active member
The best Pentax box with probably one the best macro lens around, last sensor generation in Pentax electronic soup.... result... wonderful.

Question, how do you find the viewfinder compare to a 35mm film camera ?
Well, it seems to be lovely (meaning that I hadn't noticed that it was anything else but grand).
 

clay stewart

New member
Nice shots Jono, the bokeh looks really good too. I've been wanting to get a hold of some of those limited primes for a few years now, but none of the bodies tripped my trigger till the K7 and then the sensor seemed a bit lacking. I'm really close to jumping in, but I've grown so accustomed to the fast LV AF with the GH1, that I'm afraid I would sorely miss it. Is the LV AF speed of the K5 anywhere close to Panasonic - I haven't tried the Sony yet? Thanks Clay:)

P.S. Did you notice any AF hunting in low light with the 35 macro?
 
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jonoslack

Active member
Nice shots Jono, the bokeh looks really good too. I've been wanting to get a hold of some of those limited primes for a few years now, but none of the bodies tripped my trigger till the K7 and then the sensor seemed a bit lacking. I'm really close to jumping in, but I've grown so accustomed to the fast LV AF with the GH1, that I'm afraid I would sorely miss it. Is the LV AF speed of the K5 anywhere close to Panasonic - I haven't tried the Sony yet? Thanks Clay:)

P.S. Did you notice any AF hunting in low light with the 35 macro?
HI Clay
I haven't noticed any hunting in low light - or at least, very little.
The live view autofocus is nothing like as good as the A55 - or (I think) the GH1 either - but to be honest, I haven't spent a lot of time with it, there may be techniques for improving it.
All the best
 

clay stewart

New member
HI Clay
I haven't noticed any hunting in low light - or at least, very little.
The live view autofocus is nothing like as good as the A55 - or (I think) the GH1 either - but to be honest, I haven't spent a lot of time with it, there may be techniques for improving it.
All the best
Hi Jono and thanks. I've read that the LV is greatly improved over previous models, but not having experience with any previous models, I didn't know how great ( greatly improved) was:D.

I noticed that the new 35 2.4 is available too and looks to be a pretty good lens, but I think I would like to experience a metal lens again, with a distance scale, before I die:ROTFL:.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Jono and thanks. I've read that the LV is greatly improved over previous models, but not having experience with any previous models, I didn't know how great ( greatly improved) was:D.

I noticed that the new 35 2.4 is available too and looks to be a pretty good lens, but I think I would like to experience a metal lens again, with a distance scale, before I die:ROTFL:.
Don't write off the live view on my account . . . for two reasons:
1. I rarely use it
2. I've been shooting with an A33 and an A55 for the last two months!

as for the 35's - the 2.8 macro really is a fab lens - focus up to your nose, but it's also good for people and other things - definitely a winner
 

Paratom

Well-known member
Jono,
you are even worse than me.
What do you want to get from the Pentax which you do not get from the Sonys?
 
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