The New Pentax K5 Camera Review

Introduction :

The Pentax K5 is essentially an upgrade to the Pentax K7 which I ABSOLUTELY LOVED.The Pentax K-5 comprises Pentax’s most advanced features to date, all wrapped up into one small, neat package that’s much akin to the K-7 release before it. With a brand new sensor, improved focusing system, super-fast seven frames per second continuous shooting and much more besides, is this strongest Pentax release enough to keep the competition at bay? The What Digital Camera Pentax K-5 review…

The Features Of The Pentax K5 :
• High resolution 16.3 megapixel CMOS sensor w integrated AD conversion circuitry
• High sensitivity 80-51200 ISO range with improved noise performance
• Speedy 7 FPS captures fast action shots
• Highly responsive and accurate 11 point SAFOX IX+ autofocus system with dedicated AF assist lamp and light wavelength sensor
• Widescreen 1080p HD video at 25 FPS, with sound via built-in or external 3.5mm stereo microphone jack
• Large 3? LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution
• Fully weather sealed and coldproof design
• Durable magnesium alloy covers surround a rugged stainless steel chassis
• Highly accurate 77 segment metering system
• Pentaprism viewfinder with 100% field of view and 0.92X magnification
• Pentax body-based Shake Reduction (SR) stabilization system
• A maximum 1/8000 second shutter speed
• HDMI port outputs high definition images and video (and sound)
• Native support for both PENTAX PEF and Adobe DNG 14-bit RAW files
• Improved in-camera HDR image capture
• A wide range of in-camera image processing and special effects filters
• Customizable RAW/Fx button
• Built-in electronic level with tilt scale display
• SDXC memory card compatibility (via firmware update)

Design of Pentax K-5 :

In terms of look and feel the K-5 is barely different from its K-7 cousin. The bodies of the pair are nigh-on identical, though there’s an ever so slight adjustment to the rotational mode dial to the camera’s top right. Despite this dial being slightly taller it still has a lock button to its centre that needs to be depressed in order to release for rotation. Although this is a staple in Pentax design it feels relatively unnecessary and is fiddly to operate. The metering collar that surrounds this is yet more tricky to easily adjust as the textured edge doesn’t protrude from the camera’s edge particularly prominently. Of course there needs to be a balance to avoid accidental and unwanted adjustment, but the controls here feel a touch too rigid.

Elsewhere and the layout is a success: front and rear thumbwheels feature for easy adjustment of options; exposure compensation and ISO quick access buttons sit atop the camera; a rear d-pad and a variety of one-touch and quick access buttons are on the back; and a Raw/Fx button to the front left side of the camera body, just behind the where a fitted lens sits. The top LCD panel lights up for display in darker conditions and is easy to read.

The body itself is weather-sealed at 77 points (as per the K-7 body) and the chassis is made of stainless steel, making it among the most tough and durable in its class. Whereas the Olympus E-5 is also fully weather-sealed, its £1500 body only asking price is considerably more expensive by comparison.As for the internal menu system, this sees little change. Some may argue that this is now dated and old, but it still proves perfectly functional, easy enough to navigate and, crucially, for any existing Pentax users, provides a seamless move from one camera to another.

Conclusion :

At first glance the K-5 may seem a lot like the K-7. While, in some respects, this is true, it’s actually a camera that delivers quite a lot more. Image quality is stunning through a large portion of the ISO range and some of the unique features such as Auto Level Compensation really do add extra value. The fully weather sealed body and WR lenses make for robust use and the 7fps bust mode is great to have. The K-5′s autofocus is the best yet, though we’re still waiting for that truly next generation system to grace a Pentax camera. And while the K-5 may offer 1080p HD video, it’s still some distance behind the competition – something that stills traditionalists are unlikely to be too fussed about. Apart from this and the limitations of an 18-55mm kit lens (we suggest you pick the more expensive 18-135mm kit), the K-5 has bags to offer, is generally good value and arguably the very best digital Pentax camera we’ve ever seen.