A7r to K-70?

GalacticPhoto · 08-27-2016, 04:09 AM

I am actually considering trading in my A7r for a K-70.

Currently I have:

A7r

Rokinon 14mm 2.8 (k mount)

Pentax 50mm 1.7

Minolta 50mm 1.7

Minolta 135mm 3.5

I've shot Canon, Pentax, Sony, Fuji, Nikon and keep wanting to go back to Pentax.

I am really not into the A7r even though the sensor is fantastic for a landscape photographer like me. However I don't like the form factor or battery life. I also don't like cleaning the sensor all the time or using a bunch of adapters. It's got a lot of benefits being mirrorless and I dig the EVF but I feel like I could leave this system and not be sad.

I am rather impressed with the noise on the K-70, I think it may be the best out of any crop sensor BEFORE even using PS! Since I do primarily landscape the PS could rival my A7r.

Downsides with Pentax is mostly in the glass selection, especially fast glass. I also need something wide to compare to the 14mm on FF. So that leaves me with options like the Sig 10-20 3.5 or 8-16, but I do Astro. In the past I have done the astro with the GPS and Rok 14mm 2.8, I am unsure how well the 8-16 being 4.5 would work comparing it, though it is wider so exposure could be longer.

My budget total to start over, keeping the Pentax 50mm would be about $1200. I could budget the K-70 and Sig 10-20.

The other option is to go with the K3 II and keep the Rok 14mm. I've shot with 14mm on crop before but prefer wider, though I'm content with 14mm also.

The plus side with the K3 II is that it would save me the necessary cost of the GPS and that it's a more professional camera, which I also prefer.

Thoughts?

**clackers** · 08-27-2016, 05:10 AM

As a landscaper with manual lenses I think you should stick with the A7R for IQ reasons, GalacticPhoto, but that's just my opinion. :-)

robthebloke · 08-27-2016, 05:14 AM

If you were going to step up to the K-1, I'd say do it. But for the k-70, I'd probably keep the a7r and invest in glass instead (possibly a nice FA limited with a view to switching to the k-1 in the future).

GalacticPhoto · 08-27-2016, 05:25 AM

Originally posted by robthebloke

If you were going to step up to the K-1, I'd say do it. But for the k-70, I'd probably keep the a7r and invest in glass instead (possibly a nice FA limited with a view to switching to the k-1 in the future).

I don't have any money to invest into anything right now, only if I sell. I would like the K1 ideally but it's out of budget for now.

The A7r is probably the better choice as far as IQ goes without factoring in Pixel Shift, with PS things seem to even out a fair bit...

It's just the battery life mostly annoys me and sensor cleaning issues... and I really don't like Sony as a company. Maybe I'll just save my pennies for the K1. :/

D1N0 · 08-27-2016, 05:40 AM

Buy a few spare batteries. Then you've got one annoyance out of the way. You can save for the K-1 and maybe it will drop in price a bit along the way.

GalacticPhoto · 08-27-2016, 05:54 AM

Originally posted by D1N0

Buy a few spare batteries. Then you've got one annoyance out of the way. You can save for the K-1 and maybe it will drop in price a bit along the way.

I have a few spare, it's still an annoyance. Having to swap batteries is a pain, you'd know if you dealt with the camera. Not only is swapping a pain, it means you have to charge that many more batteries, which sometimes means staying awake, or waking up to swap batteries or buy 4-5 chargers. It's just additional costs and a pain to deal with.

You also have to consider, when your battery reads something like 15 percent on an SLR you might have another 100 shots, on the Sony you're looking at just a few. It's terrible.

CDW · 08-27-2016, 08:20 AM

My opinion, FWIW, would be to keep your SONY for awhile. If you ultimately want a K1, that will buy you time while Pentax sorts out the white dot issue with the SONY sensor they picked for the K1, and that's assuming they do. The white dot issue becomes a major one with astro work. The noise performance of the a7r is better than any APSc body than I'm aware of.

alpheios · 08-27-2016, 09:00 AM

Originally posted by GalacticPhoto

In the past I have done the astro with the GPS and Rok 14mm 2.8, I am unsure how well the 8-16 being 4.5 would work comparing it, though it is wider so exposure could be longer.

The 8-16 on a crop sensor is actually not that much wider. If you shoot it at 8mm that would translate to an equivalent FOV of 12mm on FF. So without tracking that would be 41,7 seconds compared to 35,7 seconds with your 14mm Rokinon using the 500 rule. That's not that much more exposure time. At least not enough to compensate for the difference between 2.8 and 4.5. If you shoot a lot of astro I would keep the Sony until you can afford a K-1.

Na Horuk · 08-27-2016, 09:16 AM - **3 Likes**

Most people will tell you to stick to the A7r because its a more expensive, higher tier camera. But honestly, if you don't enjoy it, if you haven't taken to it, and if you already have K-mount glass, then getting a Pentax Kmount DSLR makes sense. I recommend you go to a store and try holding the K-3, K-1 and K-70. In your hands, that will be the tipping point where your choice will be made easy.

The K-70 does have good sensor and apparently has pretty good noise characteristics. Though, for landscapes, I generally use lowest possible ISO so noise is rarely a problem, even with my 16MP camera.
Better to have a camera that you enjoy, that compels you to go out and take good photos; than to have a camera with high end features that you practically never use. That's why I enjoy my silly yellow K-01 and don't mind that there are better cameras out there

So go ahead and go down the path that pulls you. Do a test run first if you can, but don't seek approval of your choices from strangers on the internet

D1N0 · 08-27-2016, 09:19 AM

Originally posted by CDW

If you ultimately want a K1, that will buy you time while Pentax sorts out the white dot issue with the SONY sensor they picked for the K1

The same sensor is in the A7R so the A7r also suffers from it. Also it is not a problem for the majority of people.

KDD · 08-27-2016, 09:21 AM

Curious Why didn't Users say no words for K-70?

planteater · 08-27-2016, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by KDD

Curious Why didn't Users say no words for K-70?

The two headline features that prompted me to buy a K-70 are of limited use to a predominantly landscape photographer - namely, high ISO performance and excellent IBIS. It seems to me that that GalacticPhoto already has one of the best landscape cameras on the market but Sony's ergonomics are sucking the joy out his/her photography. My suggestion might be to get a used K30/50/3 for fun and keep the Sony for the 'killer' shot where the handling problems can be overlooked.

Na Horuk · 08-27-2016, 11:16 AM - **2 Likes**

Also, K-70 is really new, so it didn't have a chance to build up a fan base yet. Similarly some other cameras were not really recommended until people had time to try them and then they became popular. With the K-70 it is too early to expect a lot of recommendations. We haven't even seen many real reviews of the camera from websites

But it has some things going for it - flippy screen, NR unit, Pixel Shift, good optical viewfinder (unlike the mirrorless cameras), hybrid AF (so even in Live view it is not terrible). Plus hte usual Pentax stuff like Catch in Focus, green button, TAv mode, hyper program, customizable buttons, etc. Maybe none of these features alone is a big reason to upgrade, but all of them together in a neat, good looking camera? Why not

The K-70 is not just the K-30-->K-50. It is a bigger jump, but people don't notice it as much because the K-1 was such a big shakeup in the Pentax world

Penumbra · 08-27-2016, 04:04 PM - **1 Like**

I think, when things are so well stated by the OP in his initial post, Na Horuk's #9 post answers it all. Sir, go in a store and handle the tool!

For almost all modern bodies the technical capabilities are there and then some. We obsess over some petty things.. A smarter thing to do would be to look at the lense ecosystem (and lens prices, and may i personally laugh at Sony in this regard). And at the end of the day, for us - the amateurs (if you'll indulge me), isn't it about knowledge/technique and the joy of going out and capturing the moment in time?!

So, asking how come no one recommends the K-70 is provocative. The man has a more expensive car.

But what good is the best, most expensive car in the world, if you don't enjoy driving it.

GalacticPhoto · 08-27-2016, 04:43 PM

I owned a K-50 before, I like pentax, I am sure the K-70 or K3 II would feel just fine in my hands, no worries there, especially coming from an A7r which feels pretty bad compared to my K-50. As Na Horuk stated the camera seems to be sucking the fun out of Photography for me.

I enjoy seeing the results from the camera but I also let it sit in the bag pretty often. I purchased it at the start of this year and have maybe taken a total of 500 shots with it. It's also pretty demanding on glass. Another thing is shooting Macro you kind of lose out, sure the low light helps with small apertures but you lose DOF, so you aren't really gaining anything. I would rather have more DOF and use a ring light instead.

I don't know, tough decisions. I'll try to hold out a bit longer. I do want to see the Raw results on the K-70 with PS so I'll wait until at least then.

08-27-2016, 04:09 AM	#1
GalacticPhoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 106	A7r to K-70? I am actually considering trading in my A7r for a K-70. Currently I have: A7r Rokinon 14mm 2.8 (k mount) Pentax 50mm 1.7 Minolta 50mm 1.7 Minolta 135mm 3.5 I've shot Canon, Pentax, Sony, Fuji, Nikon and keep wanting to go back to Pentax. I am really not into the A7r even though the sensor is fantastic for a landscape photographer like me. However I don't like the form factor or battery life. I also don't like cleaning the sensor all the time or using a bunch of adapters. It's got a lot of benefits being mirrorless and I dig the EVF but I feel like I could leave this system and not be sad. I am rather impressed with the noise on the K-70, I think it may be the best out of any crop sensor BEFORE even using PS! Since I do primarily landscape the PS could rival my A7r. Downsides with Pentax is mostly in the glass selection, especially fast glass. I also need something wide to compare to the 14mm on FF. So that leaves me with options like the Sig 10-20 3.5 or 8-16, but I do Astro. In the past I have done the astro with the GPS and Rok 14mm 2.8, I am unsure how well the 8-16 being 4.5 would work comparing it, though it is wider so exposure could be longer. My budget total to start over, keeping the Pentax 50mm would be about $1200. I could budget the K-70 and Sig 10-20. The other option is to go with the K3 II and keep the Rok 14mm. I've shot with 14mm on crop before but prefer wider, though I'm content with 14mm also. The plus side with the K3 II is that it would save me the necessary cost of the GPS and that it's a more professional camera, which I also prefer. Thoughts?

08-27-2016, 11:16 AM - 2 Likes	#13
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Also, K-70 is really new, so it didn't have a chance to build up a fan base yet. Similarly some other cameras were not really recommended until people had time to try them and then they became popular. With the K-70 it is too early to expect a lot of recommendations. We haven't even seen many real reviews of the camera from websites But it has some things going for it - flippy screen, NR unit, Pixel Shift, good optical viewfinder (unlike the mirrorless cameras), hybrid AF (so even in Live view it is not terrible). Plus hte usual Pentax stuff like Catch in Focus, green button, TAv mode, hyper program, customizable buttons, etc. Maybe none of these features alone is a big reason to upgrade, but all of them together in a neat, good looking camera? Why not The K-70 is not just the K-30-->K-50. It is a bigger jump, but people don't notice it as much because the K-1 was such a big shakeup in the Pentax world Last edited by Na Horuk; 08-27-2016 at 11:22 AM.

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08-27-2016, 05:10 AM	#2
clackers Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Melbourne Photos: Albums Posts: 16,397	As a landscaper with manual lenses I think you should stick with the A7R for IQ reasons, GalacticPhoto, but that's just my opinion. :-)

08-27-2016, 05:14 AM	#3
robthebloke Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Sydney Photos: Albums Posts: 844	If you were going to step up to the K-1, I'd say do it. But for the k-70, I'd probably keep the a7r and invest in glass instead (possibly a nice FA limited with a view to switching to the k-1 in the future).

08-27-2016, 05:25 AM	#4
GalacticPhoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 106 Original Poster	Originally posted by robthebloke If you were going to step up to the K-1, I'd say do it. But for the k-70, I'd probably keep the a7r and invest in glass instead (possibly a nice FA limited with a view to switching to the k-1 in the future). I don't have any money to invest into anything right now, only if I sell. I would like the K1 ideally but it's out of budget for now. The A7r is probably the better choice as far as IQ goes without factoring in Pixel Shift, with PS things seem to even out a fair bit... It's just the battery life mostly annoys me and sensor cleaning issues... and I really don't like Sony as a company. Maybe I'll just save my pennies for the K1. :/

08-27-2016, 05:40 AM	#5
D1N0 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Location: --- Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,802	Buy a few spare batteries. Then you've got one annoyance out of the way. You can save for the K-1 and maybe it will drop in price a bit along the way.

08-27-2016, 05:54 AM	#6
GalacticPhoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 106 Original Poster	Originally posted by D1N0 Buy a few spare batteries. Then you've got one annoyance out of the way. You can save for the K-1 and maybe it will drop in price a bit along the way. I have a few spare, it's still an annoyance. Having to swap batteries is a pain, you'd know if you dealt with the camera. Not only is swapping a pain, it means you have to charge that many more batteries, which sometimes means staying awake, or waking up to swap batteries or buy 4-5 chargers. It's just additional costs and a pain to deal with. You also have to consider, when your battery reads something like 15 percent on an SLR you might have another 100 shots, on the Sony you're looking at just a few. It's terrible.

08-27-2016, 08:20 AM	#7
CDW Site Supporter Join Date: May 2011 Location: Big Island, Hawaii & Utah Posts: 457	My opinion, FWIW, would be to keep your SONY for awhile. If you ultimately want a K1, that will buy you time while Pentax sorts out the white dot issue with the SONY sensor they picked for the K1, and that's assuming they do. The white dot issue becomes a major one with astro work. The noise performance of the a7r is better than any APSc body than I'm aware of.

08-27-2016, 09:00 AM	#8
alpheios Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Bremen Posts: 410	Originally posted by GalacticPhoto In the past I have done the astro with the GPS and Rok 14mm 2.8, I am unsure how well the 8-16 being 4.5 would work comparing it, though it is wider so exposure could be longer. The 8-16 on a crop sensor is actually not that much wider. If you shoot it at 8mm that would translate to an equivalent FOV of 12mm on FF. So without tracking that would be 41,7 seconds compared to 35,7 seconds with your 14mm Rokinon using the 500 rule. That's not that much more exposure time. At least not enough to compensate for the difference between 2.8 and 4.5. If you shoot a lot of astro I would keep the Sony until you can afford a K-1.

08-27-2016, 09:16 AM - 3 Likes	#9
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Most people will tell you to stick to the A7r because its a more expensive, higher tier camera. But honestly, if you don't enjoy it, if you haven't taken to it, and if you already have K-mount glass, then getting a Pentax Kmount DSLR makes sense. I recommend you go to a store and try holding the K-3, K-1 and K-70. In your hands, that will be the tipping point where your choice will be made easy. The K-70 does have good sensor and apparently has pretty good noise characteristics. Though, for landscapes, I generally use lowest possible ISO so noise is rarely a problem, even with my 16MP camera. Better to have a camera that you enjoy, that compels you to go out and take good photos; than to have a camera with high end features that you practically never use. That's why I enjoy my silly yellow K-01 and don't mind that there are better cameras out there So go ahead and go down the path that pulls you. Do a test run first if you can, but don't seek approval of your choices from strangers on the internet

08-27-2016, 09:19 AM	#10
D1N0 Pentaxian Join Date: May 2012 Location: --- Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,802	Originally posted by CDW If you ultimately want a K1, that will buy you time while Pentax sorts out the white dot issue with the SONY sensor they picked for the K1 The same sensor is in the A7R so the A7r also suffers from it. Also it is not a problem for the majority of people.

08-27-2016, 09:21 AM	#11
KDD Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 403	Curious Why didn't Users say no words for K-70?

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08-27-2016, 10:53 AM	#12
planteater Forum Member Join Date: May 2016 Location: Hastings UK Posts: 58	Originally posted by KDD Curious Why didn't Users say no words for K-70? The two headline features that prompted me to buy a K-70 are of limited use to a predominantly landscape photographer - namely, high ISO performance and excellent IBIS. It seems to me that that GalacticPhoto already has one of the best landscape cameras on the market but Sony's ergonomics are sucking the joy out his/her photography. My suggestion might be to get a used K30/50/3 for fun and keep the Sony for the 'killer' shot where the handling problems can be overlooked.

08-27-2016, 04:04 PM - 1 Like	#14
Penumbra Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Suceava, Romania Photos: Albums Posts: 139	I think, when things are so well stated by the OP in his initial post, Na Horuk's #9 post answers it all. Sir, go in a store and handle the tool! For almost all modern bodies the technical capabilities are there and then some. We obsess over some petty things.. A smarter thing to do would be to look at the lense ecosystem (and lens prices, and may i personally laugh at Sony in this regard). And at the end of the day, for us - the amateurs (if you'll indulge me), isn't it about knowledge/technique and the joy of going out and capturing the moment in time?! So, asking how come no one recommends the K-70 is provocative. The man has a more expensive car. But what good is the best, most expensive car in the world, if you don't enjoy driving it.

08-27-2016, 04:43 PM	#15
GalacticPhoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Photos: Gallery Posts: 106 Original Poster	I owned a K-50 before, I like pentax, I am sure the K-70 or K3 II would feel just fine in my hands, no worries there, especially coming from an A7r which feels pretty bad compared to my K-50. As Na Horuk stated the camera seems to be sucking the fun out of Photography for me. I enjoy seeing the results from the camera but I also let it sit in the bag pretty often. I purchased it at the start of this year and have maybe taken a total of 500 shots with it. It's also pretty demanding on glass. Another thing is shooting Macro you kind of lose out, sure the low light helps with small apertures but you lose DOF, so you aren't really gaining anything. I would rather have more DOF and use a ring light instead. I don't know, tough decisions. I'll try to hold out a bit longer. I do want to see the Raw results on the K-70 with PS so I'll wait until at least then.