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Is now a good time to upgrade to a K-5?

BarnHill
Posted 09/05/2012 - 19:19 Link
I own a Pentax Kx and a few lenses I fancy upgrading to the K-5 but is now a good time to do it or should I see if any new dslrs are going to be announced in the Pentax line-up?
Thanks
Barn Hill
SteveEveritt
Posted 09/05/2012 - 19:22 Link
It's always a good time to upgrade to a 5, I just wish I could
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Mike-P
Posted 09/05/2012 - 19:30 Link
Depends if you have the £1300/1500+ that the K-5 replacement is going to probably cost.
BarnHill
Posted 09/05/2012 - 19:57 Link
have any specs been released? If money was no object how much better than the K5 can it be? But it is a good point Mike-P hadnt really thought of the extra cash and k5s are going at a good price at the moment
Fletcher8
Posted 09/05/2012 - 20:56 Link
The K5 is a very good camera and even when the next Pentax flagship model arrives, the K5 will still be a good camera. In terms of price I think they are worth every penny, but I am biased I own two of them.
Fletcher8.
ChrisA
Posted 09/05/2012 - 22:23 Link
BarnHill wrote:
have any specs been released?

Nope. There's been no announcement at all. Rumours are ten-a-penny.
Quote:

If money was no object how much better than the K5 can it be?

Loads. They can always be loads better.

The K-5 is good, but it's not perfect, and a little Googling will reveal a truckload of improvements people want.
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Pentax K-3, DA18-135, DA35 F2.4, DA17-70, DA55-300, FA28-200, A50 F1.7, A100 F4 Macro, A400 F5.6, Sigma 10-20 EXDC, 50-500 F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS Samsung flash SEF-54PZF(x2)
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JAK
Posted 09/05/2012 - 22:43 - Helpful Comment Link
I feel from comments made at various Pentax events that there might be more than one new Pentax DSLR on the cards. Mike-P reckons it'll be in the region of £1300/1500+. I think one of them may initially be even more than that, but if you are happy with an APS-C sensor camera like the K-5 it might not be for you.

I then feel there will be an updated camera based on the K-5. We've had the K-7, we've had the K-5, how about the K-9? It'll be some dog of a camera Whatever it is it will be similar to a K-5 but be updated with some of the newer features Pentax have included with the Q and K-01 but not present on the K-5 (eg the animation feature.) To be honest though, what else would you want on a DSLR that the K-5 doesn't have already? It has been shown to out-perform well regarded full frame models from other manufacturers. The DSO ranking placed it 7th in the table of 2012 Best Professional DSLR Camera Reviews http://digital-cameras.toptenreviews.com/professional-dslr/ but surely anywhere in the top ten cannot be too bad!
Which is the best value of them all? It would seem that the K-5 is pretty well up there already with the best so how much could it be improved in a new model? I feel not a lot when it comes to taking photographs and technology needs to progress somewhat for it to jump to the number one slot for features not to be found in anything else.
You would certainly find going from the K-x to the K-5 a worthwhile jump. As to whether the follow up camera is worth waiting for we can only conjecture, I feel it will offer a little more, but not much and come in around the same price point the K-5 was 18 months ago, that is initially around £1100/1200 and gradually drop over a similar time scale to where the K-5 is now. The K-7 did just that before it.

No one knows Pentax's secrets - but let's hope someone at Pentax does!

John
John K
Edited by JAK: 09/05/2012 - 22:45
cabstar
Posted 09/05/2012 - 22:51 Link
I think Pentax will fall into its regular pattern of slight improvement before a major change, possibly keep the k-5 body but improve af speed, larger buffer, faster fps & maybe tethering... maybe even improve the already fantastic sensor...
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Currently on a Pentax hiatus until an FF Pentax is released
dougf8
Posted 09/05/2012 - 22:57 Link
Bigger AF point flashies, and AF point flashies in LV, and an algorythm to wind through three possible AF lock points. And a toggle function on the FX button. I'm in the wrong thread really.

I'm overcoming my desire to jump brands, it's coincided with a bit of good weather. The K-5 is a very good camera.
Lurking is shirking.!
Edited by dougf8: 09/05/2012 - 22:58
cabstar
Posted 09/05/2012 - 23:00 Link
I think if I was to jump ship, which I am not then I would jump on a d700 before its fazed out, but then imagine all the glass to replace too... Thats the only reason I can see to jump ship to for a minimum of improvement on the k-5...
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Concert photography

Currently on a Pentax hiatus until an FF Pentax is released
Frogfish
Posted 10/05/2012 - 03:48 - Helpful Comment Link
Fletcher8 wrote:
The K5 is a very good camera and even when the next Pentax flagship model arrives, the K5 will still be a good camera. In terms of price I think they are worth every penny, but I am biased I own two of them.

+1 to all of the above (including the 'two of them' bit) !

Maybe something else to consider: if you intend to wait for the next Pentax camera then you have a long wait. They may be announced at Photokina (September) and then it'll be a few months before they hit the shops ... and at top price. So you are looking at a 6-9 month wait and paying the premium early adopters always pay (e.g. K5 was, if I remember correctly, around US$1,600 when announced and is now US$850).

You can't lose much on buying a K5 now and selling it again 9-12 months down the line if you wanted to.
http://frogfish.smugmug.com/ Pentax. Pentax DA*300/4, Cosina 55/1.2, Lens Baby Composer Pro & Edge 80, AFA x1.7, Metz 50 af1.
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BarnHill
Posted 10/05/2012 - 16:02 Link
thanks for the advice people think I'm going to get the K5
Edited by BarnHill: 10/05/2012 - 16:03
JohnLewis
Posted 10/05/2012 - 20:36 Link
I got a K5 never regretted it my 1st digital SLR what a lovely camera to use, so easy and great photos.
beginner
Posted 10/05/2012 - 21:25 Link
Fletcher8 wrote:
The K5 is a very good camera and even when the next Pentax flagship model arrives, the K5 will still be a good camera. In terms of price I think they are worth every penny, but I am biased I own two of them.

And the K20 is still a good camera....The only model that didn't hit the mark was the K7!....I'm going to buy a K5 one of these days!
K20D...ist DS ,DA18/55,DA16/45.DA* 50/135,"A"1.7 50MM..."A" 70/210..M 50mm f2...Tamron 90mm macro,28/300 Tamron,200/500 Tamron 6.9....A Pentax DA*300... Sigma10/20,FA31mm 1.8 Ltd*********,FA 77mm Ltd!
BarnHill
Posted 10/05/2012 - 22:05 Link
has anyone here made then upgrade from the kx? Already have a small collection of glass so seems to be the natural route to take.

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