Pentax K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR with 18-55mm Lens and 3-Inch LCD (Black)

When the Kx arrived, K7 owners who were more than content with their current bodies coveted the superior high-ISO (low light performance) capability of the Kx. At least I did. And while the K7 was a capable tool, I often found myself compensating for its weaknesses (which were limited to high ISO and autofocus continuous (AF.C) performance). Not so with the K5.

I won't go into the specifications since those can be found elsewhere but I'll give my overall impression - what I like and what could be better:
+ Great ergonomics. Love the compact, solid body which is identical to the K7 save for a heightened knob and elongated AF lever. I was even able to use the same split prism focus screen I had purchased for the K7.
+ Fantastic high-ISO performance - clean and offering far more flexibility than the K7. I'd try never to breach ISO 800 on the K7 whereas the K5 is routinely pushed past ISO 3200. While I wouldn't give it equal footing to a full frame camera,... Read more

I've shot with the K-5 for a month now, and I'd like to share my viewpoints on it.

First, the noise level in the high-ISO images really is as excellent as the technical reviews say it is. This means that you can use a higher ISO number and get results equivalent to other cameras at lower ISO numbers. You can take your shot with either a faster shutter time (better motion freezing) or smaller aperture (better sharpness, etc) or just enjoy the reduced noise. This puts the camera at an advantage over all other APS-C cameras and a few of the full frame cameras.

Next, the movie mode is a mixed bag. It has the 1920x1080 at 25fps setting, as well as 1280x720 at 30fps settings, and lower settings too. The 25fps setting is often quoted as a major problem, with videographers wanting to shoot 23.976fps as a "cinema" mode, but it takes only a bit of video conversion to change the frame rate to 23.976 and resample the 32k s/s stereo signal to match. So, if... Read more

I upgraded from the K-7. K-5 keeps the excellent design, unparralleled build quality, super quiet shutter sound and outstanding ergonomics of K-7, has the best APS-C sensor. High ISO performance is stunning. What worth mentioning is that the Low ISO performance is also outstanding, noticably better than the K-7. Also, the super high Dynamic Range is very helpful. AF speed is not much improved, but much more decisive. For DA* SDM lenses, the speed is not improved at all. All my lenses are SDM, but I find the speeds are fast enough. The AF-C mode is much improved, but can be improved further. The camera is fun to use, I bet everybody who has a K-5 loves it.

I'd like to comment on the following two problems:
1. stained sensor problem was solved already, all cameras having serial number larger than 3973*** are fine. Basically this problem is now worry free.
2. The bad Auto Focus under artificial light condition. I believe this is a relatively unusual problem that... Read more