Pop. Photography Reviews K-7

*Fl_Gulfer* · 10-17-2009, 09:38 PM

I got my copy yesterday in the mail and they weren't too nice on the K-7.
They basicly said that if you don't own a supply of Pentax Lenses and your a experienced Photographer who's starting a DSLR outfit from scratch, you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
They were still unhappy with the sluggish AF in dim light

*heliphoto* · 10-17-2009, 09:56 PM

Interesting - it's comments like theirs which make me want to try the competition. Pentax is the only AF SLRs I've owned (K200D, K20D, K-7), and if the K-7 is sluggish (within range of the AF assist lamp it's amazing compared with the earlier models), I'm quite tempted to be blown away by the competition.

**Damn Brit** · 10-17-2009, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by heliphoto

I'm quite tempted to be blown away by the competition.

As opposed to Pop Photo being blown by the competition (or is it the other way round?).

mickey · 10-17-2009, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by heliphoto

Interesting - it's comments like theirs which make me want to try the competition.

And this is how it simply works.
They write, we believe...or do we?

Andrew Faires · 10-17-2009, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by Damn Brit

As opposed to Pop Photo being blown by the competition (or is it the other way round?).

This has got to be the best comment I've seen about Pop Poto in a long time!

*heliphoto* · 10-17-2009, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by mickey

And this is how it simply works.
They write, we believe...or do we?

Well, I don't read the magazine... I only hear how great the other systems are here on Pentax Forums

. I don't have any needs for a better performing camera than the K-7, but that doesn't make it any less interesting to think about

...

Jodokast96 · 10-18-2009, 02:40 AM

The funniest thing was that they also reviewed the D300s in the same issue. In bright light the K7 beat it in AF speed, but did get spanked starting at like 3EV. It was nice of them to at least explain that their noise rating doesn't do the camera justice due to Pentax leaving the amount of NR up to the photog for RAW shots.

vandamro · 10-18-2009, 03:34 AM

How many of us really have the ability to fairly compare Pentax with Canikon? I mean I believe Pentax makes great cameras and lenses. But I certainly make broad general statements about how it compares to the competition. If pop photo writes an article like that, I (like heliphoto) would certainly be tempted to verify their statements rather than just crying foul. Heliphoto why not rent a Canikon setup and make your own conclusions? I suspect that these mags are far from fair but very few of us have the breadth of experience of multiple brands.

joele · 10-18-2009, 06:13 AM

I have just got back from a stint with olympus and nikon.. Olympus was probably the fastest in good light (SWD lenses and e3). Nikon like Pentax (and any others) depends on the lens, I didn't find them super fast in good light, on average the d90 was similar to the K7, the difference was in low light that was dark enough to slow AF down but not dark enough to trigger the AF assist light. Not a major concern for me as it occurs in very limited situations, MF is much better with Pentax as the manual focus assist is more 'sensitive'.

I do wonder if Pop photo did their tests with the AF assist light disabled??

With my limited experiences using a friends canon I find them very fast and rather less consistant (accuracy) than Nikon or Pentax.

ll_coffee_lP · 10-18-2009, 06:52 AM

Pop photo mag is brutal.

In the same issue they talk about the canon 70-200 f/4 and the pentax 60-250 f/4. For the canon it's all flowery praise and excellent comments. For the pentax it's touted as being too expensive (it's less than $100 more than the canon and is a $1300 lens), and every possible flaw is noted.

Pop photo shits on anything Pentax.

In the K-7 review they indicate that the K-7 is really a revamp of the k20 which was a well regarded camera. They then go on to bash it because of it's price. Well - no shit Sherlock, it's a newly released camera that costs about the same as the K20 did when it was first released. Make up your mind - is it well regarded, or is it not??

My wife got the subscription at a very reduced rate through her work. Needless to say - we won't be renewing.

c[_]

jsherman999 · 10-18-2009, 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by joele

MF is much better with Pentax as the manual focus assist is more 'sensitive'.

Joel, I'm glad someone else besides me has noticed and commented on this! MF on my D90 kinda sucks. The 'in-focus' indicator seems to light up through a relatively large degree of the focus throw, making it almost useless. Also, no green button to assist, and of course, no SR in body to make old primes stabilized.

When I bought my D90, I was all excited to try all the old Nikkor AIS lenses, but it's just not a ton of fun with these limitations.

The sharpest shots I get are still with my Pentax Taks, Ms, Ks and As.

.

Samsungian · 10-18-2009, 08:42 AM

Manual focus with D700 works quite well. I'm very happy with it.

I wouldn't consider a D90 purchase instead of Pentax best aps-c dslr. Now you put D700 against any Pentax dslr then Nikon D700 ability to allow me to manually focus old Ai AiS glass wins. Focus Light is tight and right. And I get full metadata too. I shoot my 300 2.8 AiS at f6.7 the metadata captures it all. I add 1.4x and it gives me "420mm" and exact aperture I choose or in auto aperture the choice it made. Quite handy.

With Nikon, the more you pay the better camera you get.

jsherman999 · 10-18-2009, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by Samsungian

Manual focus with D700 works quite well. I'm very happy with it.

I wouldn't consider a D90 purchase instead of Pentax best aps-c dslr. Now you put D700 against any Pentax dslr then Nikon D700 ability to allow me to manually focus old Ai AiS glass wins. Focus Light is tight and right. And I get full metadata too. I shoot my 300 2.8 AiS at f6.7 the metadata captures it all. I add 1.4x and it gives me "420mm" and exact aperture I choose or in auto aperture the choice it made. Quite handy.

With Nikon, the more you pay the better camera you get.

.

For $2500, it d*mn-well better MF correctly. Actually, I found the D700 with AI lenses to perform about on-par with my K20D + A lenses. Good job Nikon, but you have to bump up to the next class to get there!

Nice to know you're happy with it, but whats the point of comparing bodies in two different classes?

*Sailor* · 10-18-2009, 09:02 AM

Originally Posted by Fl_Gulfer

I got my copy yesterday in the mail and they weren't too nice on the K-7.
They basicly said that if you don't own a supply of Pentax Lenses and your a experienced Photographer who's starting a DSLR outfit from scratch, you can get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
They were still unhappy with the sluggish AF in dim light

Thanks much for the heads up on this - I'll pick up a copy if I can find one somewhere.

I recall that Pop Photo actually measures AF times at different EV's; do they, by any chance, compare performance of a K20D with a K-7/

Again, thanks for the heads up.

Jer

Samsungian · 10-18-2009, 09:20 AM

People get hung up on cost of dslrs.

I don't buy every new dslr. I don't ever consider lessor canon and nikon dslrs and people here get all excited about the next low end pentax. Really? Are a 100 color choices only offered in Japan marketplace on pentax lowend dslr that fantastic? Should we all buy one, oh wait I don't live in Japan.

Lets say a guy paid $1300 for a K20D then buys a K-7 for $1300. That is a D700.

Originally Posted by jsherman999

.

For $2500, it d*mn-well better MF correctly. Actually, I found the D700 with AI lenses to perform about on-par with my K20D + A lenses. Good job Nikon, but you have to bump up to the next class to get there!

Nice to know you're happy with it, but whats the point of comparing bodies in two different classes?