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Will I Love the K-5

Posted 23/05/2011 - 19:46 Link
I have a GX20 (K20D) and as per my other thread where I was mentioning that I had a wedding booked I have come to the stage where I need to get a second body rather quickly. My original intention was to get a K10D or a GX10 as a back up as that is all my immediate budget would allow. I have decided that if I can borrow some money I'll go for an uprgade and have my Gx20 as a spare as it seems a waste spending money on a camera that isn't going to be used when I will probably need to upgrade at some point soon anyway.

So - in short, coming from a GX20, which I absolutely adore, will I love the K-5 equally or more? What were your experiences of the K-5 coming from a GX20 or K20D?
fatspider
Posted 23/05/2011 - 20:34 Link
Quote:
Will I Love the K-5

Answer is more than likely, but then for all I know you may have hands the size of dinner plates and find the K5 too small, find a nearby stockist (or fellow PU member) and try one on for size.

Whether you should get one in time for a wedding depends on how far off it is and if your the main photographer, IMHO you should not tackle anything as important as a wedding with an unfamiliar camera.
My Names Alan, and I'm a lensaholic.
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Sean282
Posted 23/05/2011 - 21:29 Link
Going from the K20 to the 5 isn't a huge leap. The basic controls are the same or similar.

The general concensus is very positive. Low light performance is a big step up from the K20 and I think be a real plus for indoor shooting without flash (I'm no wedding photographer btw so we'll see if others back that up)
Anvh
Posted 23/05/2011 - 21:54 Link
Sean282 wrote:
Going from the K20 to the 5 isn't a huge leap. The basic controls are the same or similar.

I went from a K10D which have almost a similar layout as the K20D and i find quite different. Some controls are hiding inside menu's now and some other function are moved.
Not saying it's a bad thing but you will need a little bit of adjustment but the way the menu and layout has be done with this same "mind" so to say, so it does come over quite logical but you just need to get to know where everything is once again.
Stefan
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K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ
Smeggypants
Posted 23/05/2011 - 21:55 Link
Sean282 wrote:
Going from the K20 to the 5 isn't a huge leap.

I would disagree.

I've found upgrading the K20D to the K-5 a huge leap in lot of respects, not least of which is the IQ. The AF is much faster, shutter is much quieter, the menu system is much easier to navigate ( and remembers the last page ).

The 4 way buttons take you straight to function, without pressing a redudant function button

Release priority on AF means you don't get situations where the camera won't fire due to focus being slightly off.

Live view feature is much much better, including contrast AF ( accurate! ) and magnification that doesn't horribly pixellate.

Dedicated ISO button for those modes where you don't have it programmed to a wheel

... and the image Quality is much better at ALL light levels, not just low light due moistly to the higher Dynamic range ( 14bits )
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
NeilP
Posted 23/05/2011 - 23:13 Link
Used mine in anger for the first time briefly today, having used the k20d for 2 years. The sound of the shutter and it firing at 7 fps gave me nice feelings
puma
Posted 23/05/2011 - 23:20 Link
Theres only one camera that i really want and thats Pentax 645D £9999.99p
and i cant get it my wife said she would leave me if i got one,
ahh well it was nice knowing her lol
PPG link
Edited by puma: 23/05/2011 - 23:21
Sean282
Posted 23/05/2011 - 23:39 Link
Sean282 wrote:
Going from the K20 to the 5 isn't a huge leap.

Yes the menus are very different as is the way the camera performs/sounds/feels. But turning the camera on, using the dials, figuring out how the other buttons work as much as it will take a bit of familiarisation, theres a lineage there which doesn't make basic operation to a K20 owner difficult...thats all I was saying
bretbysteve
Posted 24/05/2011 - 12:28 Link
Only you can answer that. It is pretty certain the image quality is of an order better, but depending on how you work and how your end images are made/presented, you may never see any difference! or only a slight one.

The other point is that some K10/K20/GX10/GX20 users prefer the size/shape/handling of their older cameras.

The point I am making is that you may spend a whole pot of money and not really have any advantage.
Gwyn
Posted 24/05/2011 - 12:53 Link
I would suggest you try and handle one before committing to it.
It has a very different feel to the K20D, and handles quite differently imho.
Now I didn't like the K20D but love the K-5 but I understand those who find the K-5 too small for them, especially after having a brick like the K20D .
simonkit
Posted 24/05/2011 - 13:35 Link
Gwyn wrote:
Now I didn't like the K20D but love the K-5 but I understand those who find the K-5 too small for them, especially after having a brick like the K20D .

Despite reading about this beforehand I can't honestly say that I find that there's such a significant difference in size/weight between K20D & K5 - the main difference for me is the R/H grip which feels more uncomfortable on the K5. Perhaps it's because I've hardly used my new K5 yet and maybe my opinion will change over time.

I'm sure I'm going to be very happy with the K5 and it's immediately obvious that the high iso IQ is much superior to the K20D, the 7FPS, low shutter noise and increased DR are all welcome too, as are the menu/functionality improvements.

Having said this the K20D is a very capable camera and in decent light/"normal" conditions the improvements in the K5 are much less significant - it's a case of deciding if the K5 improvements will make a noticable difference to your own photography, I know they certainly will with mine.

Simon
Mannesty
Posted 24/05/2011 - 14:42 Link
I think you will love the K5 as long as the one that you get doesn't suffer from any of the issues experienced by many other owners.

Many K5 owners are more than happy with theirs. There are also many others who are not.

Only you can decide. I've made my decision, I won't be buying a K5 unless I can have a cast iron guarantee that I will not experience any of the problems other users have encountered. My K10D and K20D bodies more than satisfy my needs, and so far, I haven't had to send them away to be repaired or exchanged.

I think the K5 has suffered from more quality & early life failure issues than any previous, and hopefully future, Pentax DSLR bodies.
Peter E Smith - flickr Photostream
Edited by Mannesty: 24/05/2011 - 14:45
Smeggypants
Posted 24/05/2011 - 17:35 Link
Mannesty wrote:
I've made my decision, I won't be buying a K5 unless I can have a cast iron guarantee that I will not experience any of the problems other users have encountered.

Agreed on the terrible QC of the early models. I thankfully missed the sensor stain issue but had a bad body for AF.

My K-5s are both working fine.

Given the sensor stain ad focussing issues are pretty much history now how long are you going to wait?

My K10D and K20D satisfied my needs, but after every shoot now I'm still amazed at the huge leap in IQ of the K-5
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
bretbysteve
Posted 24/05/2011 - 18:39 Link
"Despite reading about this beforehand I can't honestly say that I find that there's such a significant difference in size/weight between K20D & K5 - the main difference for me is the R/H grip which feels more uncomfortable on the K5"

Isn't it funny how different people perceive the same thing so differently?

K20D weight 715g, K7/K5 weight 55g less (7.5% less). I used to have a K20D, the second I picked up the K7 when it first came out, it immediately felt far smaller, far easier to hold and slightly lighter. The difference to my mind was immediate and very noticeable.
Anvh
Posted 24/05/2011 - 18:57 Link
Gwyn wrote:
I would suggest you try and handle one before committing to it.
It has a very different feel to the K20D, and handles quite differently imho.
Now I didn't like the K20D but love the K-5 but I understand those who find the K-5 too small for them, especially after having a brick like the K20D .

I'm thinking to see if they can fit the limited edition mount on mine K5... i can't go without the camera for long so hopefully they can do it on the fly maybe...
I should try to contact them and find out.
Stefan
Comment Image

K10D, K5
DA* 16-50, DA* 50-135, D-FA 100 Macro, DA 40 Ltd, DA 18-55
AF-540FGZ

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