Pentax K-5 In-depth Review

 
Review based on a production Pentax K-5 with firmware 1.0.1

In terms of operation and design the new K5 is all but identical to the K-7. For this reason, to gain a '360' view of the K-5's body design and operation we therefore recommend you not only read this review, but also the relevant sections in our full review of the Pentax K-7.

When the K10D was released in Sept 2006 it was Pentax's first venture into the 'enthusiast' DSLR industry, aggressive at enough time with opponents such as the Cannon EOS 30D and the Nikon D200. Four decades later truly the fanatic industry of the industry is as aggressive as ever and the K-5, Pentax' newest providing to the 'serious beginner photographer', will have to battle for customers' interest with companies the Cannon 7D, Nikon D7000 and D300S, and the Olympus E-5. At a release RRP of $1600 (body only) the K-5 is currently at a identical cost as its primary opponents but we would anticipate the road cost to go down earlier rather than later.

At first vision the K-5 is almost indistinguishable from the K-7 (in some marketplaces the K-7 will stay in the Pentax range together with the K-5). Apart from an additional 'Fx' (which appears for 'flex') brand on the personalized RAW option and a simple update of the AF change on its back there are no easily considerable variations between the K-5 and its forerunner the K-7. However, there is more unique to be discovered under the cover - the K-5's most considerable new element is a 16.3 mega-pixel CMOS indicator, which is probably carefully relevant to the receptors within the Nikon D7000 and Panasonic SLT-A55. The new indicator delivers with it an improved maximum possible understanding (ISO 51200 in extended function, the greatest on any APS-C electronic camera to date), quicker ongoing capturing (7.0 fps vs the K-7's 5.2fps) and a 1080p complete HD movie function (the K-7 provided a rather non-standard 1536 x 1024 p maximum possible movie resolution).

Other upgrades consist of an enhanced SAFOX IX+ AF program, passed down from the lately revealed medium-format 645D, which functions color-detection, broader protection of the AF factors and enhanced rate. Also new is a dual-axis electronic skyline (now with message as well as move indication) and a few additional electronic filtration and customized picture ways. Despite the changes, however, current K-7 customers will no question need very little modification time if they choose to update to the new design.

The K-5 has exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor, the K-7. Its magnesium alloy and stainless steel body is chunkier than Pentax's new upper entry-level DSLR the K-r (pictured here on the left) but still relatively compact for a camera in its class.

Key Features

Although it might appear to be a near-clone of the K-7, the K-5 offers some significant improvements in specification. Here is a rundown of the key features:

• 16.3Mp CMOS sensor
• ISO sensitivity span of 80-51,200 (equivalent)
• 1080p HD movie mode
• Limited in-camera movie editing functionality
• Socket for external microphone input
• Triple-axis sensor-based shake reduction (horizontal, vertical and rotational correction)
• New SAFOX IX+ 11-point AF system (improved over the K-7)
• Support for older Pentax lenses with manual aperture rings
• Magnesium alloy body shell
• Improved handheld HDR function (JPEG mode only)
• Continuous shooting up to 7fps
• 100% viewfinder coverage (0.92x magnification)
• Choice of PEF or DNG RAW files
• 3in, 921k pixel LCD screen
  

Model line history

Model	Announced	Effective pixels	Continuous shooting	Movie mode	LCD monitor
K10D	Sep 2006	10.2 mp	3.0 fps	n/a	2.5" 210K pixels
K20D	Jan 2008	14.6 mp	3.0 fps	n/a	2.7" 230K pixels
K-7	May 2009	14.6 mp	5.2 fps	1536 x 1024 30fps	3.0" 920K pixels + Live View
K-5	Sep 2010	16.3 mp	7.0 fps	1080p 25fps	3.0" 921K pixels + Live View

Pentax K-5 compared to K-7 and K-r

The table below shows the specification differences between the K-5's predecessor, the K-7, and the recently released K-r. Apart from the new sensor, the differences between the K-5 and the older K-7 are quite subtle. It is clear that Pentax has opted for selective improvements rather than a complete overhaul.

	K-7	K-5	K-r
Image sensor	14.6Mp CMOS	16.3Mp CMOS	12.4Mp CMOS
Imaging engine	Prime II	Prime II	Prime II
Sensitivity	100-3200 (6400 with expansion)	100-12800 (51200 with expansion)	200-12800 (100 and 25600 with expansion)
Continuous shooting speed	5.2 fps (40 frames)	7.0 fps (40 frames)	6.0 fps (25 frames)
AF	SAFOX VIII+ 11-points (selectable)	SAFOX IX+ 11-points (selectable)	SAFOX IX 11-points (selectable)
AE	77-segment	77-segment	16-segment
Viewfinder	Pentaprism Coverage: 100% Magnification: 0.92x	Pentaprism Coverage: 100% Magnification: 0.92x	Pentamirror Coverage: 96% Magnification: 0.85x
LCD screen	3.0 in, 920k pixels	3.0 in, 921k pixels	3.0 in, 921k pixels
Movies	1536 x 1024 30fps	1080p 25 fps	720p 24fps
Microphone	Mono internal or stereo external	Mono internal or stereo external	Mono internal
HDMI output	Yes	Yes	No
IR simple	No	No	Yes
Cross process mode	No	Yes	Yes
Night Scene HDR	No	Yes	Yes
Movie custom images modes	No	Yes	Yes
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery	Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery	Rechargeable battery or four AA batteries (with adapter)
Cold resistant to -10deg	Yes	Yes	No
Weather resistant	Yes	Yes	No
Weight (body only)	670g	670g	544g

Original Article:www.dpreview.com

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Pentax K-r Review

Review based on a Pentax K-r with firmware V1.01

The structure of this evaluation has been a little bit shorter as the Pentax K-r is operationally identical and identical with regards to outcome to the Pentax K-x that we analyzed in Dec 2009. We examined to validate the picture quality is identical, then focused the evaluation on the variations between the two camcorders. To understand everything about the K-r we suggest studying not only this evaluation but also the complete evaluation of the Pentax K-x.

The K-r was declared in Sept 2010 and spots into the Pentax line-up between the entry-level K-x and the fanatic designs K-7 and K-5. Creatively it is much nearer to the K-x but a look under the cover reveals that the new design has been enhanced over the K-x in various places. Such as the K-r reveals the effective concentrate factor in the viewfinder when the shutter option is half-pressed. The deficiency of this function was one of our details of critique of the K-x and K-m (this is also almost certainly the purpose why the K-r's prism is a little bit bigger than the K-x's).

Like the K-x the K-r records its pictures and 720p movie on a 12.4 indicator, but like on Pentax's semi-pro designs the outcome and food selection can be considered on a 3.0 inches LCD display with 921k p quality. Furthermore the K-r provides, after the K-5, the second greatest ISO variety (100-25600 in prolonged mode) and second quickest ongoing capturing (6.0 fps) of all present Pentax DSLRs. As opposed to K-r the new functions also consist of an IR simple interface (wireless information to suitable devices), a combination handling function and a Evening Landscape HDR function. For those photography lovers who cannot choose if they choose AA battery energy or a exclusive conventional battery energy as their digital camera's energy resource the K-r provides both alternatives. It comes with a conventional battery energy as conventional, but AA battery energy can be used with the help of an optionally available adaptor.

Apart from the dual-battery function the Pentax K-r doesn't really provide anything completely new or out of the common, but the requirements piece does look quite powerful for a photographic camera at its price, and creates it look (at least on paper) like a more than practical substitute to some of the competitive designs from bigger producers.

Original Article:www.dpreview.com

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Pentax Q Hands-on Preview

Preview based on a pre-production Pentax Q running firmware 1.0

The Pentax Q is the tiniest similar relationships image picture image photo photographic camera in the market. And, just like the organization's usually little Vehicle 110 SLR from the delayed Seventies, it explains this by applying less scaly structure than its co-workers. Being designed around a 1/2.3" indication, the Q is a factor of the determine even the tiniest present mirrorless camcorders and is the first really genuine design (though the sticking out relationships still indicates that will have to be the pouches of your protected, rather than your clothing or trousers).

To present what the rather impressive 1/2.3" determine actually indicates, it indicates a place of around 28mm2. This is around 1/8th the determine the indication used in Little Four Thirds camcorders and 1/13th the determine the the APS-C structure indication in Sony's NEX. The key benefits of this is that the relationships for the Q set up can be designed a lot little than those for other techniques, but the disadvantage is that the image is more likely to look like that of a lightweight image picture image photo photographic camera than a DSLR.

You can comprehend a lot about Pentax's way to the Q from the relationships it has announced: a 47mm comparative F1.9 primary relationships for the lovers but with a amazing and better comprehensive variety of fun through two set primary duration 'toy' relationships (a wide-angle and a telephoto edition, both sub-$100). On the fun factor there will also be a fisheye relationships or, at the more serious end, a 28-83mm comparative conventional zoom capability capability capability capability ability with a built-in shutter, enabling display hook up at any shutter amount.

Coupled with the 47mm equiv. primary or the conventional zoom capability capability capability capability ability the Q, with its impressive magnesium-alloy make, seems to be providing an substitute take on the photographers' compacts such as the Cannon G12, Olympus XZ-1 and even the Ricoh GRD. However, the factor that it can take different relationships indicates that in a problem of a few moments it can be become a fun little image picture image photo photographic camera that should still offer a more fulfilling getting experience than a mobile cellular mobile mobile mobile phone and image handling app.

And the Q is no toy image picture image photo photographic camera, despite its regular indication determine it features a complement supplement vitamin nutrient mineral magnesium metal system with distressing front side element part element factor defending, a 460,000 dot LCD on the coming back and raw outcome in the DNG structure. Incredibly, Pentax money the latest schedule of trying to entice point-and-shoot customers by eliminating those annoying management control management control control buttons with all those uncommon signs on them, and contains a lot of exterior manages.

Pentax Q key specifications:

• 12.4MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor (1/2.3" size - 6.17 x 4.55 mm)
• Q-mount interchangeable lens mount
• 12-bit DNG raw file option
• 3" 460,000 dot LCD
• Sensor-shift image stabilization and dust-removal
• 1080p30 HD movie recording in H.264 format
• 5 frame-per-second continuous shooting capability
• Quick-dial control giving access to four image settings
• In-camera HDR option blends three images
• Built-in flash
• Flash hot shoe (also used for mounting optional viewfinder)
• Front and rear IR remote sensors

Compared to the Sony NEX-C3

The Q's well-proportioned design makes it a little hard to work out how large it is until you see it in comparison to another camera. The sensor is around 1/13th the size of that in the NEX-C3 but does means it's the closest a mirrorless camera has yet come to being truly pocketable.

Placing the Q side-by-side with the NEX helps give some idea of how small it is, but taking the lens off also reveals how small its sensor is. The Pentax doesn't trigger quite the same wonder about how the engineers managed to fit so much into so little space - suggesting that there's a minimum size a camera can currently be, regardless of sensor size.

Original Article:www.dpreview.com

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Pentax K-30 Hands-on Preview

Preview based on a pre-production K-30 with firmware 1.00

Pentax has a long tradition of making very photographer-focused DSLRs, often eschewing the latest fashions to concentrate on providing cameras with well-sorted ergonomics and a focus on core photographic features such as good viewfinders. This trend appeared to reach its peak with the K-5 - arguably the best APS-C DSLR currently on the market. With its latest offering, the Pentax K-30, it looks like the company, now owned by Ricoh, is planning to bring this capability to a wider audience.
The first thing you're likely to notice is its rather aggressive, angular styling but what's really interesting is what's going on inside. The K-30 is built around the updated 16MP CMOS sensor and processor used in the K-01 - one of the only cameras we've seen to exceed the K-5's low light performance. And that's promising, even before you venture further into the specifications.
Despite playing second-fiddle to the K-5, the K-30 borrows a great many of its flourishes. It's weather sealed. It features the same 0.92x magnification viewfinder with 100% coverage - meaning you can compose your image knowing that you'll get the framing you thought you would. It also sports twin control dials and a not-disimilar degree of external controls. With a starting price of $899 with the 18-55mm kit zoom, we can't imagine Pentax expects to sell many K-5s once the K-30 reaches shop shelves.
The camera's SAFOX IXi+ AF system is an advance over the K-5 and features 11 AF points, 9 of which are cross-type (sensitive to vertical, as well as horizontal edges). The major difference is that the lenses in front of the AF sensor have been improved - promising more consistent autofocus performance (what Pentax is calling a diffusion lens is designed to prevent chromatic aberrations confusing the AF system). A wide-area AF mode promises to improve focus tracking if the subject strays from a user-selected AF area to a neighboring point.
To make use of this AF capability, the K-30 can shoot at up to 6 frames per second (just shy of the the K-5's 7fps). This slower frame rate also allows the K-30 to offer slightly longer bursts of shots than the K-5; capturing up to of 30 JPEGs or 8 Raw files (which slightly edges the K-5's 26 JPEG/8 Raws).

Next to the K-5, you can see how unusual the K-30's styling is. It's a similarly-sized camera, though. Its polycarbonate, rather than magnesium alloy construction also helps keep it a touch lighter. Not visible in this shot is the K-5's top-plate LCD panel, which the K-30 lacks.
From the back you can see that the K-30 has lost a couple of controls, compared to the K-5 (the K-30 doesn't have an AF mode switch or separate AF and AE-L buttons), but has retained a lot, given how much less expensive it is.

There are a few odd quirks in the K-30's feature set. The first is the AA-cell-shaped battery compartment. This is clever in the sense that, once you've buy the optional adapter, you can use AA batteries if you want to (a constituency Pentax has long courted), or when the supplied Li-ion battery pack runs out. The downside is that the design only leaves enough room for a 7.8Wh battery, which can only motivate itself to produce 410 shots, using standard CIPA methodology. This puts the K-30 in Canon Rebel territory (The T3i is rated at 440 shots per charge), rather than EOS 60D territory (1100 shots per charge).
The other oddity is that, while the K-30 offers the very fashionable 'focus peaking' manual focus aid that highlights high-contrast edges, it can't do so while shooting video. And, while part of its current popularity comes from its use for focusing manual focus lenses on mirrorless cameras, its original purpose (at which it excels), is focusing in video. Losing a key focus aid, just when you need it is a perverse limitation, to say the least.
And this omission, along with the lack of external microphone socket leaves the K-30 looking somewhat lacking when it comes to video capture. But, as a stills camera, its feature set looks very promising.

Pentax K-30 specification highlights

• 16.1MP CMOS sensor
• In-body image stabilization
• Weather-sealed polycarbonate body
• ISO 100-12800 (expandable to 25,600, with user-defined Auto ISO range)
• 1080p HD movie recording at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second
• 920,000 dot LCD
• Per-lens AF fine adjustment

Source:www.dpreview.com

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Pentax K-01 Review

The Pentax K-01 (from $749) is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a most unusual design. Created by Australian designer Marc Newson of (who, admittedly, I'd never heard of before the K-01), the modern look of the K-01 will certainly turn heads (especially if you get the yellow one). Aside from its unique looks, the K-01 is also a fully-featured camera. It has a 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor, K-mount lens support with built-in (sensor-based) image stabilization, lots of manual controls, a boatload of scene modes and special effects, an HDR function, and 1080p video recording.

What's in the Box?

The K-01 is available in three kits in three colors (black, white, yellow). You can go body only for $749, add a 40mm pancake lens (pictured in this review) for $899, or get a dual lens kit with more traditional-looking 18 - 55 and 50 - 200 mm zooms for $999. Here's what you'll find in the box for each of those:

• The 16.3 effective Megapixel Pentax K-01 camera body
• F2.8, 40mm Pentax DA XS lens [40mm lens kit only]
• F3.5-5.6, 18 - 55 mm Pentax DA lens [dual lens kit only]
• F4.0-5.6, 50 - 200 mm Pentax DA lens [dual lens kit only]
• D-LI90 lithium-ion battery
• Battery charger
• Body cap
• Shoulder strap
• USB cable
• CD-ROM featuring SilkyPix Developer Studio 3.0
• Fold-out Quick Start Guide + 265 page Operating Manual (printed)

Memory Cards and Battery

Returning to the review now, let's talk about memory cards. Interchangeable lens cameras like the K-01 never come with memory cards. So, if you don't have one already, you'll need to pick one up. The K-01 supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC media, and I'd recommend picking up a 4GB if you'll be taking mostly still photos, and 8 - 16 GB if you'll be recording a lot of Full HD videos.
The K-01 uses the D-LI90 lithium-ion battery for power. It has a whopping 14 Wh of energy, which is at least twice as much as the battery in your typical interchangeable lens camera. If you think that's going to give the K-01 some big battery life numbers, you're right. Here's how it comes to other ILCs:

Camera	Battery life w/live view (CIPA standard)	Battery used
Nikon 1 J1	230 shots	EN-EL20
Olympus E-P3	300 shots	BLS-1 / BLS-5
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1	300 shots *	DMW-BLD10
Pentax K-01	500 shots	D-LI90
Samsung NX210	320 shots	BP1030
Sony Alpha NEX-5N	430 shots	NP-FW50
* With the 14 - 42 mm kit lens Battery life numbers are provided by the manufacturer

Sure enough, the Pentax K-01 has the best battery life in the group, beating the second place Sony NEX-5N by about 16%. If you do feel the need to get a spare battery, an extra D-LI90 will set you back just shy of $50.

	When it's time to charge the D-LI90, just pop it into the included charger. And then go for a long drive, as it'll take a lengthy 320 minutes for the battery to charge. I guess that's the price you pay for having such great battery life!

Optional Accessories

The K-01 has a pretty good set of accessories, though one missing item that I think a lot of people would've liked is an electronic viewfinder. Here are the most exciting accessories for the K-01:

Accessory	Model #	Price *	Description
Lenses	Varies	Varies	You can use any K-mount lens with the K-01, with a 1.5X crop factor.
External flash	AF200FG AF360FGZ AF540FGZ	From $154 From $340 From $490	The AF200FG is a basic external flash with a guide number of 20 meters. The two higher-end models are much more powerful, can tilt/rotate, and support high speed x-sync.
GPS receiver	O-GPS1	From $225	Tag your location and direction with this GPS, which can be controlled right from the camera menu. GPS is self-powered.
Wireless remote control	Remote Ctrl F O-RC1	$20 $30	Remote Control F is a old model which simply releases the shutter. The O-RC1 is waterproof and has a few additional buttons.
A/V cable	I-AVC7	From $16	A composite A/V cable for connecting to older TVs.
AC adapter	K-AC1202	TBC	Power the camera without using your battery.
Camera case	O-CC120	TBC	The manual mentions this case, but I can't seem to find any details on it. May be a Japan-only product.
* Prices were accurate at time of publication

There are a couple of other things available too, including a macro ring flash and various hot shoe accessories.
Pentax includes SilkyPix Developer Studio for Pentax version 3.0 with the K-01. SilkyPix is included by many manufacturers (Panasonic most notably), so there's a good chance that you've used it before. SilkyPix is a capable editor for both JPEG and RAW images, though it's interface is clunky, with some poor Japanese to English translations. That said, it will edit all kinds of RAW (DNG) properties, including exposure, dynamic range, white balance, noise reduction, sharpness, and color. If you'd rather use Photoshop, that's no problem, since the K-01 uses Adobe's own DNG format for its RAW images. Pentax doesn't provide anything for editing movies, though the software that comes with Mac OS or Windows should be fine for basic edits.
While other camera companies skimp on their documentation, usually providing them in PDF format, Pentax still spends the money on a full, printed manual. The manual is lengthy, detailed, and fairly user-friendly. Instructions for using the included software will be installed onto your Mac or PC.

This review was first published at www.dcresource.com, and is presented here with minimal changes, notably the inclusion of a full set of product images, our usual studio comparisons and an expanded samples gallery, plus the addition of a standard dpreview score.

Source:www.dpreview.com

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