[srinathm7]

Hi Pentaxians,
It feels nice to be part of this forum and this is my first post. First of all, a bit of intro .. I am from India and am learning photography and this is gonna be an upgrade from my Sony DSC-H9. So thought of going for the best in APS-C.

Couple of reasons i like pentax k-5

1. SR is built on to the body so relatively cheaper lenses and makes sense in the long run
2. Since i am learning TAv pentax mode will be a help
3. Bolder edges on Pentax and the look n feel.. i kinda love it
4. My part of the world .. you cant expect when its gonna rain and dusty as well.
5. I love the 7fps continuous burst.

Now why i am a bit sceptical...

1. No service support in India.. nearest being SRI LANKA and DUBAI
2. No lens availability ( This i guess i can manage as i am not planning to buy LENSES that often once in an year or something)

Now my question to the fella pentaxians...

1. How reliable is the K-5 and does it have common issues and errors which i might need to run to service center

I am evaluating Nikon D7000 as well so any takes on that. ( Except from the video crap.. which i am not a big fan off) , Nikon has service centers and also lenses are available in India. So please help me in deciding.

I have an offer from 42photo.com .. k-5 for 1060$ and also amazon sells the kit lens for 126$, which looks to be a good deal. Please let me know if you know better places to buy the pentax and also if you have purchased from 42photo, please rate their service.

Regards,

Sri

[sterretje]

I am evaluating Nikon D7000 as well so any takes on that. ( Except from the video crap.. which i am not a big fan off) , Nikon has service centers and also lenses are available in India.

Local support is important for me; so in your shoes I would opt for a make that is available locally.

1. How reliable is the K-5 and does it have common issues and errors which i might need to run to service cente

The K5 does not seem to have the best reliability record; mine however does not have issues and I'm a very happy user.

[Adam]

All cameras can have problems- originally the K-5 had some QC issues, but those have been resolved a long time ago, so I wouldn't say the K-5 is any more likely to crap the bed on you then any previous model. I also wouldn't say lens availability is a problem (in general), although I don't know how things look in India.

The D7000 is nice but it'd place it between the K-5 and the K-r. If you want a body from another manufacturer, check out the D300s or the Canon 7D.

[srinathm7]

Hi Adam,
Thanks for your valuable inputs. Generally lens availability will not be an issue as i am planning to buy lens once an year.. and some of my friends will be returning from US and all. So that should not be a big problem. But the reliability part is the real worry point for me.. coz if the camera has even a minor glitch i might have to wait a long time to get it fixed which will spoil the whole fun of having a DSLR. I heard SRILANKA and DUBAI has authorized dealers but not sure about service center, if yes then that is good as it is just 1 - 2 hour journey for me.

Thanks again for your time and inputs.

Regards,

Sri

[dexmus]

K-5 is a terrific camera.

But with any modern gadget, specially if you are spending over 1000$, you should consider the possibility of something going wrong within the warranty period. Happens with the best of the brands.


cheers,

Abhi

[Ash]

Welcome here Sri,
I can concur that the K-5 is a reliable workhorse of a camera.
There is little to fault, and the vast majority of the units sold are fine.
Any camera you decide on has a risk of failure, but you should always have a decent warranty deal upon purchase.

[ross]

I have just bought the K5 with the kit lens 18-55mm WR, a great little camera but the lens is crap mine has very soft blurring on the edges especially the right side at 18mm zoom range. To really get the best out of this camera don't waste your money on the supplies kit lense get a lense like the Tamaron 17-50 F2.8

[stgeo]

I agree with ross if you want a standard zoom get the (non vc) Tamron 17-50/2.8 or if you want the perfect IQ go for some of the Pentax primes .
K5 is really amazing but without warranty I would stay (sadly) away.

[RyanW]

Now why i am a bit sceptical...

1. No service support in India.. nearest being SRI LANKA and DUBAI
2. No lens availability ( This i guess i can manage as i am not planning to buy LENSES that often once in an year or something)

That bit right there would put me off the brand, at least until the next camera comes out and has a proven track record. Reports of issues abound in the forum, do a little reading. I'd say your chances of having to make use of a service center in the warranty period are very high.

All cameras can and do have issues, though I don't think there is any current body with the number of high profile issues suffered as the K-5. By high profile, I mean needing a trip to the repair center. I thought it was unfair to say severe. Technically it's a great camera, if it works, when it works.
You might look at a K-R, they seem to have fewer issues.

[ross]

That bit right there would put me off the brand, at least until the next camera comes out and has a proven track record. Reports of issues abound in the forum, do a little reading. I'd say your chances of having to make use of a service center in the warranty period are very high.

All cameras can and do have issues, though I don't think there is any current body with the number of high profile issues suffered as the K-5. By high profile, I mean needing a trip to the repair center. I thought it was unfair to say severe. Technically it's a great camera, if it works, when it works.
You might look at a K-R, they seem to have fewer issues.

I know for a fact that the Nikon D7000 has QC problems too as I had two of them both had focussing problems and oil stains on the sensor, I have since bought the Nikon D300s an older body but no faults.I think it's just the sign of the times companies now are more interested in profit margins than QC. My K5 was bought on EBay for a lot cheaper than I could get it in the shops here but I'm having issues with the cheap kit lens supplied but the camera is working great. I was wondering if now most of the early problems with the K5 have been ironed out my build date on the camera is August this year and the serial number starts with 416XXXXXX....
I was all but sure last night to get rid of the the K5 but I like the size and build and I think with a decent lens it will be great again.

[Tony3d]

K-5 is a terrific camera.

But with any modern gadget, specially if you are spending over 1000$, you should consider the possibility of something going wrong within the warranty period. Happens with the best of the brands.


cheers,

Abhi

One would hope that spending $1000.00, and beyond would help guaranty a more reliable product not the opposite. As for myself, I'm rather disappointed in Pentax Q/C. My first K7 went in for service in the first two months when it just stopped focusing. My new 55-300 DA lens had to have it's optics adjusted, my remote arrived dead as a door nail, and my first K5 went back for random freezing. All in all a pretty bad track record! I've said this before, and I'll say it again....
I love my K5, but I have to admit it has to be the most unreliable camera on the planet! Yes, I know a lot of them work fine, but then they should being Pentax's top of the line. This camera has found more ways to fail than any other piece of electronics I have ever owned. I know I'm going to get torn for this, but I'm sorry it's just true. Hopefully Ricoh will pick up the pieces, and start producing a quality product again! I can only hope their listening. I'm really kinda sorry I didn't keep my K7, and wait for the next model. That said my second K5 seems perfect so far. Of course I only have 967 shots with it. I need to feel confident in my equipment, and I'm affraid I have lost that with Pentax. Everytime I pick up the camera to take a shot, I can't help but think if the next time will be to put it in a box for shipping. Not my idea of what a top of the line camera should be. I think the bean counters at Hoya penny pitched this camera to death, and were all paying the price for it.

[ross]

One would hope that spending $1000.00, and beyond would help guaranty a more reliable product not the opposite. As for myself, I'm rather disappointed in Pentax Q/C. My first K7 went in for service in the first two months when it just stopped focusing. My new 55-300 DA lens had to have it's optics adjusted, my remote arrived dead as a door nail, and my first K5 went back for random freezing. All in all a pretty bad track record! I've said this before, and I'll say it again....
I love my K5, but I have to admit it has to be the most unreliable camera on the planet! Yes, I know a lot of them work fine, but then they should being Pentax's top of the line. This camera has found more ways to fail than any other piece of electronics I have ever owned. I know I'm going to get torn for this, but I'm sorry it's just true. Hopefully Ricoh will pick up the pieces, and start producing a quality product again! I can only hope their listening. I'm really kinda sorry I didn't keep my K7, and wait for the next model. That said my second K5 seems perfect so far. Of course I only have 967 shots with it. I need to feel confident in my equipment, and I'm affraid I have lost that with Pentax. Everytime I pick up the camera to take a shot, I can't help but think if the next time will be to put it in a box for shipping.

Hi Tony I'm really p---esd off with QC especially spending over $1000 you have a right to expect better, that use to be the case but doesn't seem to exist in this modern world where profit margins are more important.
I don't know what to do with my K5 whether to sell it while it's still working OK (only 3 days old) and just stick with my older very reliable Nikon. Already the kit lens supplied is faulty won't focus properly on the right side at 18 mm.Or to stick with it and hope everything turns out ok with it further down the track.
When did you buy your 1st K5 and what did the serial number start with?, mine is August build date and the serial starts with 416xxxxx, just hoping later build dates are better.

[pentup]

Nikon has service centers and also lenses are available in India. So please help me in deciding.

This seems like a very easy choice to me. Obviously, go for the Nikon. Lenses are more important than bodies, generally speaking. The kit zoom isn't bad, but I think you're wasting your money on the body if that's the only glass you put on it; the D7000 and the K-5 have the same sensor, essentially, and very similar low-iso performance. Yes, the in-body stabilization is a god-send with Pentax, but you have less need of it with either of these cameras, and anyway, you'll be able to find fast, affordable lenses for the Nikon.

"the vast majority" of K-5's being "fine" notwithstanding (just how does one arrive at such an omniscient statement, I wonder) it seems a bad idea, whatever the make of the camera, to purchase one without convenient availability of warranty repair.

The K-5 is probably a better camera overall, but I just don't think you'd be able to take enough advantage of the minor performance differences with the D7000 to make it worth the greater risk, given the situation as you describe it.

The better weather sealing of the K-5 may decide it for you, I suppose (as long as the lens release button doesn't fall off; that's been known to happen!) but apart from that going with NIkon just seems more practical.

[pentup]

Since i am learning TAv pentax mode will be a help

I believe the D7000 has a similar feature, they just don't market it as a distinct mode: in Manual metering mode, you can set auto-ISO if you want, just as you can with other modes. That seems to do essentially the same thing that TAv mode does with Pentax. (And I wish Pentax had simply done it that way themselves, just letting us turn auto-ISO on and off while in M mode -- but I guess they couldn't resist being able to market a feature with a nice new name and pretending it's unique, when it's really not.)

[sterretje]

... (And I wish Pentax had simply done it that way themselves, just letting us turn auto-ISO on and off while in M mode -- but I guess they couldn't resist being able to market a feature with a nice new name and pretending it's unique, when it's really not.)

You're talking about a feature that was introduced by Pentax in the K10D in october 2006. I'm not familiar with Nikon, so can you please confirm that Nikons from that era had the same functionality. If so, you're right about marketing. If not, Nikon is the copycat