K5 Arrived!

I know how we do testing and it's either worst or best case.
The spec apparently says (for a K10D) 4 RAWs. I get 8 with an Ultra III.

If the system is designed to output just as fast as it can, then the limit is more the card and then the output speed, along with the size of the pics / datavolume.

I don't know and I doubt that Pentax will ever publish how they get the numbers they put in the paperwork; I know we don't.

The other thing: different pics have different sizes in RAW. I've seen 9MB, I've seen 16MB. Comparing apples with oranges or making things look good? Depends on your viewpoint, methinks.

Bret

The K10D only has something like 3FPS, the K7 has 7FPS so it can fill the buffer in almost a second, that doesn't leave a lot of time for the processor to process and write the photo to the card.
I think the biggest lack off the K5 and also with the 645D is that they didn't upgraded the processor.

We had visitors last night .

Finally got to have a bit of a play this morning, but the weather is not good - grey and miserable, so I haven't been out with it yet.
Plus I've got the RZ10 to play with too.


So far I am very happy with the K5. It feels good and is easy to operate. Obviously it will take a while to work everything out and assign buttons appropriately but so far so good.

No extensive tests from me I'm afraid.

I have found a couple of things I don't like.

One is the door/slot for the SD card and getting the damn card out of the slot. No nice lock on it like on the K10D/K20D but back to a springy door. And a really tight slot for the card. Very hard to get it out.

The other is that SR is now buried in the menus.

I know neither of these are probably news to K7 owners, but they are my only niggles so far.

Otherwise so far so good. No exposure problems, like I had with the K20D. And I can carry it around without one shoulder ending up 6" lower than the other one..

Took the RZ10 out with me too just to give it a go. It will take some getting used to - not holding it up to my eye to take a photo . Slips nicely in a pocket though so I shall take it out more often I think.

I'm not putting any photos up as they are all snapshots and playtime photos at the moment.

The quickest way to turn the SR off (although...why would you want to except on a tripod?) without going into menus is to put it in Remote mode, the normal release button still works but SR is turned off. Well, at least, that's what the Kx does, so I'd guess its the same.

That sounds like a bit of common sense on the designers part, does it turn SR off if the camera is used with a cable release or put onto self timer?

I noticed the lack of the SR button but haven't had time to look further. Does this mean that SR ON is the default, and you have to do whatever to turn it off?

It's just in the menu for you to turn it off.

It isn't that much of a deal for most, most leave it on for any type off photography and only on a tripod you should turn it off and when you use the shutter delay or an infrared remote the camera turns the SR off automatically.

I don't believe it gets turned off with a cable release since with a cable release you can leave it in normally shooting mode.

Only with the delay or on infrared remote the SR gets turned off, so if you want to use a cable release without SR you can set the camera on infrared remote.

Thanks Stefan

Hopefully i can have my K5 this week, got an email to call back for a job

Cable release not affecting the SR wouldn't bother me anyway (I dont have one) turning off with self timer and remote would suit me perfectly.

Just waiting for an auction to end on fleabay, if I get a good price then the K20D may be going in the classifieds here and Chris may be getting a call

Good luck Alan

If you press the INFO button twice it takes you to a screen where various parameters can be set and it remembers the last one you changed. Pretty quick but perhaps not as convenient as a switch.

At first the lack of a SR switch on the K7 frustrated, however I tend to leave the SR enabled and when I mount the camera on a tripod switch on the two second delay or IR mode options, this turns off the SR automatically. I do agree about the memory card slot placement, it drives me nuts.

One question, why K5 and not K8 if it's an improvement on the K7?

confused of Northumberland

Seems Pentax is nostalgic with his naming.
K1000, k-m and k-x
If you look back 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are numbers often used never an 8 maybe that explains it.

The one replacing the K-5 would most likely be a K-3 or K-6 but i doubt the last one because that would be really confusing