Don't forget Pentax transport their batteries (presumably for
safety) un-charged even though that isn't an ideal way to store
a battery.

They should be stored at about 40% charge at 15deg C .....

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_store_batteries

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It's amazing that most batteries for cameras such as the K-5
no longer come with the plastic cover. You would think that
normal H&S would insist on it.

I used to take each shot 4 times refocusing for each shot.
Usually one (max.) was good from the 4 or maybe it was
just better than the other 3

Now using a Eye-Fi card and a focusing rail I take a shot..
have a look... if it's near, I put masking tape on the lens
to stop it moving and then bracket some shots with the
focusing rail until I find exactly where the focus point
is.

I suppose tethered would work instead of an Eye_Fi.

Then with the camera focused correctly I can quickly
run through single shots at each aperture. As long as
the lens doesn't have focus shift all the shots are sharp.

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If you can get hold of an old K20D battery the case can
be cut to fit the K-5.

Here's why it's very difficult to compare the sharpness of
two lenses. The DOF at 100% (1:1) view is so small that if
they aren't both exactly in focus at the same point the
results will be meaningless.

The shot of the can on the left looks sharper than the
one on the right, if you look around the V, but they are
both the same except the camera was racked forward 7mm
for the 2nd shot. If you look at the dots on the side
of the can you can see the RHS is sharper on the 2nd pic.

What we often see as lens tests/shoot outs on the web
are often nothing more than "which lens is in focus
tests" and as such are totally useless




1st shot focussed by LV K-5 Pentax_A 50mm at f/1.7
100ISO failing available light 5:30pm.
900mm distance.

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So good I said it twice!

I've been having a lot of trouble adjusting the Beep/GreenHex
signal on the Chinon 50mm f/1.9 at first it seemed OK with
an adjustment of -10 plus -100 via Debug on the K-5, but it
was going Beep when it wasn't even in focus.... so I'm
resigned to just using the viewfinder image or LV.
Probably the nice bokeh that this lens has wide open
confuses the electronics. Pentax actually knew that
you needed a sharp lens wide open with AF when they
brought the MEF out which is why the 35-70mm f/2.8
was made 2.8 throughout and sharp at 2.8.

Yesterday just out of curiosity I tried the Pentax_A 50mm
f/1.7 which I knew needed -10 and 0 Debug and what a
difference focus was spot on most of the time, but you
do get two beeps, probably one on either side of the
DOF depending on if you come from INF or 0.45M with the
focus ring.

It's still not ideal because at f/1.7 and 900mm you
have only a few mm's of DOF and I doubt if a split-image
finder would see any difference. So LV seems to be the
most reliable, although I have used a 100mm quite
well with the Beep/GreenHex signal

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Wouldn't a K-5 with Go-Faster-Stripes added be as good as
the K-5 II........

You seem to have the flash exposure spot on

The 2nd shot is great.... very nice bokeh.... I said bokeh