[Groucho]

That second shot is fantastic!!

I'm thinking of getting a K-5, and this may be a stupid question. I understand that it's weather sealed, but does that mean I can really just walk around in the rain w/o a cover on the camera or lens? I haven't had a weather sealed camera before, so the concept alone scares me!

There's lots of threads on this, but basically... yes, definitely.

HOWEVER, you should also have a weathersealed lens, like the DA* 16-50mm used here. With such a combination, you can do almost anything short of submerging it without any issues. Rain is absolutely no concern... but if it gets salt water on it, you'll want to rinse that off. I've had my K20D and K-7 out in rain, hail, snow, on log flume rides, without any issues whatsoever. My K-5 is less than a week old so it hasn't seen the elements yet, but it definitely will!

Back on topic - I actually like the third shot the best, just for all the glops of mud in the air.

[kittykat46]

That second shot is fantastic!!

I'm thinking of getting a K-5, and this may be a stupid question. I understand that it's weather sealed, but does that mean I can really just walk around in the rain w/o a cover on the camera or lens? I haven't had a weather sealed camera before, so the concept alone scares me!

I just want to add to previous comments that you do have to take appropriate care to clean and dry your camera and lens after such heavy weather usage.

Water itself is not much of an issue as long as you dry out the camera.
Salt and mud, if not cleaned out properly can work is way into the equipment, and shorten the equipment life. A gentle rinse down with clean water, and cleaning the corners and screw points with a cotton bud, then dry it with silica gel in a bag.

[CRPhoto]

Thanks all for the comments! I'm not really that much into Quads but I couldn't let this opportunity pass...bad weather, bad light, fast moving targets, mud, dirt, rain...just pentax territory! and a Press Pass! Next day I got my pictures published in 3 newspapers and several websites.

That second shot is fantastic!!

I'm thinking of getting a K-5, and this may be a stupid question. I understand that it's weather sealed, but does that mean I can really just walk around in the rain w/o a cover on the camera or lens? I haven't had a weather sealed camera before, so the concept alone scares me!

Well YES! Funny thing happened that day....I'm walking under the rain with just my camera and lens...no cover....camera soaking wet...I see a friend with an umbrella, one of the FF Canons, a big L lens under a plastic cover. I walk to him to say HI and he just stares at me. LOL!. I smile and walk away into the action.

After that...the camera had a couple of mud splashes...so I go back to a tent...grab a bottle of water and pour it over the camera in front of some people...they all look surprised! Camera clean again!
It feels great to own a Pentax!!

Here another shot with the corresponding 100% crop. This is just as it came out of the camera (I shoot jpg), only AutoContrast in PS and crop.




the crop:

[Ex Finn.]

Nice shots, tough camera in harsh conditions, how did the photographer fair?.