Will I see a difference kx and k5

Just two words can sum up an answer to your question: 'Massive difference'.

Regards
David

Shake Reduction (SR) on the K-30 is also better than the K-5
or any other Pentax

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Is it? That's good, not heard or read that one.

Leave that to the groom on the wedding night

Link to test in this post... link

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Apart from the key image quality improvements (which David listed above), the K5 (like the K7 before it) is built around a much more 'Pro -Spec' design. By this I mean easy access controls on the body - levers for AF point select, Focus Mode, Metering Mode, DOF Preview, 100% Viewfinder.

All of these key shooting controls have been valued by professonals on SLR bodies for years (long before Digital), and they still help now. I know you'd have to get used to operating the camera, there's a learning curve, but I'd have thought that when on a wedding job the last thing you'd want to be doing is scrolling through menus to change key shooting settings.

FWIW, having never done (or intend to do!) a wedding, my comments are:

Having had a K-5 for 2 yrs and a GX10 for 3 yrs before that, I got a K-R as a lighter weight "travelling" camera - and there are things I really miss when using that (good as it most certainly is) compared with the other two:
- Top screen with all the basic exposure settings that is available by just glancing down, but not having to look at the rear screen
- Front adjustment wheel for setting shutter speed (or whatever I would want to use it for from the choices available).
- Rear buttons that give you much quicker access to the various adjustment functions.
- Pentaprism that is certainly a lot brighter, the display in it is more informative, and there is more "eye relief" (i.e. the pentaprism screen looks bigger and with a less restricted viewing angle - especially if you wear glasses all the time as I do), than the K-R.

As a result, the K-R is slower and less intuitive to use, and to adjust quickly - and, with the K-30 having the same single screen, pentamirror and single adjustment wheel arrangement, I would expect roughly the same speed of use as the K-R. These things would not help in a relatively rapidly changing situation like a wedding (and thus, for the same reason, when I go to an "action" event like an airshow, I will always take the K-5 in preference to the K-R).

Finally:
- The K-5 will take a grip with an extra battery ready for use at all times should the body battery run out, whereas the K-30 will not.Also, the K-5 is steadier with the grip fitted than either camera without it - as I confirmed last night at a firework display where a tripod or monopod was not a viable option (result = some reasonable but not outstanding handheld shots at 6400ISO!)
- Given that the K-5II appears to have better low light autofocus than the K-5, may be that would be the better choice of the two (provided you can afford it) as many wedding scenarios are indoors in relatively poor light;
- I would also suggest the 18-135mm WR lens is a good default - provided you get a good sample and keep it stopped down a bit (and have a decent fully adjustable flashgun).
- A decent wide angle zoom might also be useful for the "let's get the whole family together now" shots - and that's where I might keep the K-R as the back-up, as that then becomes more of a point and shoot combination.

John

K-30 has a pentaprism and two adjustment wheels, at least on my copy

Definitely will be faster to use than the K-r (when I get used to it) and don't keep turning the front wheel instead of the on/off switch

Milamber

Thanks for correcting my uninformed comments - in which case these can probably be ignored

John

Thankyou all very much thats been really helpful. I am going to be going camera shopping in the next 2-4 weeks.