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12-29-2012, 10:15 PM   #1
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K5 vs. K5 II and IIs

New to the forum, currently shooting with a K7, which I love, except for the low light AF and high-ISO noise.

Looking to upgrade to a K5, K5II, or K5IIs. Yes, plenty of discussion here (my eyes are bleeding reading about moire or lack thereof), and I've read countless reviews here and elsewhere on all three models.

My basic takeaway is this - as an upgrade from the K7, which should solve the AF and noise issues, the K5 seems like the best bet, at a street price of $749US (body only). A great price for a great camera. With the K5II at about $1200, and IIs at $1300, it seems like the most cost efficient option.

However, I suddenly have the opportunity to pick up the K5 II for only $849, or the IIs for $949. Again, body only.

What would you do? Particularly interested in thoughts from previous K7 or K5 owners. Thanks in advance!

12-29-2012, 10:21 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by JBWPhoto Quote
New to the forum, currently shooting with a K7, which I love, except for the low light AF and high-ISO noise.

Looking to upgrade to a K5, K5II, or K5IIs. Yes, plenty of discussion here (my eyes are bleeding reading about moire or lack thereof), and I've read countless reviews here and elsewhere on all three models.

My basic takeaway is this - as an upgrade from the K7, which should solve the AF and noise issues, the K5 seems like the best bet, at a street price of $749US (body only). A great price for a great camera. With the K5II at about $1200, and IIs at $1300, it seems like the most cost efficient option.

However, I suddenly have the opportunity to pick up the K5 II for only $849, or the IIs for $949. Again, body only.

What would you do? Particularly interested in thoughts from previous K7 or K5 owners. Thanks in advance!
If it's only $50 more then you might as well get the K-5 II, though I feel obliged to say that most users won't be able to feel the difference between the two in practice.

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12-29-2012, 11:30 PM   #3
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For those prices you should pick up the II or IIs, since the AF works noticeably better in low light. I wish I could replace my K-5 with a K-5 II for that price difference! My IIs is great, and I'd like my K-5 to perform the same.
12-30-2012, 01:39 AM   #4
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Wow! For 849, might as well go the extra 100 for it.
Incidently, I'm in a similar position in buying a new camera.
Is there a website you could direct me to? =D

12-30-2012, 04:05 AM   #5
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Quite a big jump in performance from k5 to k5iis. I would go for the latter.
12-30-2012, 05:25 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
If it's only $50 more then you might as well get the K-5 II, though I feel obliged to say that most users won't be able to feel the difference between the two in practice.
I shoot in very dark conditions for concerts. Though I've been lucky with focus and the FA35 and the M85 as my primary concert lenses, I'm wondering if a K-5IIs would work for me, primarily for the supposedly better focus. I'm often shooting wide open and bumping against 12,500 and adquate shutter speeds to get my subjects without blur.
12-30-2012, 06:10 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
I can imagine some AF up-side to pairing a K-5IIs with an FA35, but may I ask how you feel the camera's reported low light focus advantage will help with the M85, a manual focus lens? For MF lenses like the M85 (and 'quick-shift' AF lenses, too, with SR=OFF), why would the K-01 (same sensor as the K-5IIs) with focus peaking NOT be a better option for concert photography?

...just curious...M
I use catch in focus and I can't sit there and look at live view while the musicians are running across the stage. I shoot heavy metal concerts and the musicians are not sessile. I have fractions of a second to get them or not get them at all.

By the way, the sensor in the K-01 is not the same as the the one in the K5/II/s. It's the same series, but a different sensor within the series. Updated, perhaps, very similar performance, but with some evolution from the K5. Part of what might signal this is the fact that the K-01 has focus peaking and also has higher frame rate video. The output, while similar, is rather different. Sony is also known to make running evolutionary changes within a series/model. Even Sony's own usage of the same sensor produces different results in the NEX 6/5 series, not to mention, now it has phase detect sectors.

Check out my blog for examples, some good, some bad, but I'm improving. I typically have pit and stage access, so an FA35 is essentially all I need. The M85 is flare-prone. so I use it only under the right conditions.


Last edited by snake; 12-30-2012 at 06:32 AM.
12-30-2012, 06:15 AM   #8
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Thanks

Thanks everyone for the responses. My first instinct is to go with the IIs, but budget is a key consideration, and I just found this thread pointing to a tax-free $684 K5.

Hmm...I guess there are worse problems to have.
12-30-2012, 07:13 AM   #9
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Eh, what the heck. Going with the K5 IIs. Thanks everyone!
12-30-2012, 07:18 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by JBWPhoto Quote
Eh, what the heck. Going with the K5 IIs. Thanks everyone!
That would be my advice unless the budget is absolutely not flexible and waiting until it gets bigger is a not option.

The possibility of the better low light performance (particularly front focus in low light problems) is a welcome improvement.
12-30-2012, 08:41 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
Thanks for the clarification... Although I've yet to find myself in settings that demand it, I'll be interested to learn if catch-in-focus is much improved in the K-5II/IIs series, too.

As to the sensor, you may be correct; however, I'd like to give the credit to the engineers at Pentax. There are lots of ways to 'skin the ol' cat'. It's hard to think about things you've never though of before, so working on ways to improve what you've got better makes sense until the next breakthrough comes forward. I'd bet using software and support hardware improvements, they were able to enhance the sensor's output and help refresh it's product cycle. Guess we'll never really know. Once hardware hits the street, while good for us, it's usually old news to them.

Cheers...M
It's no secret, what you wrote in this post. This is analysis that's been going on for several years now with this series of sensor, even against the D7000 and follow ups continue to be compared to the K5 and D7000.
12-30-2012, 01:46 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by snake Quote
I shoot in very dark conditions for concerts. Though I've been lucky with focus and the FA35 and the M85 as my primary concert lenses, I'm wondering if a K-5IIs would work for me, primarily for the supposedly better focus. I'm often shooting wide open and bumping against 12,500 and adquate shutter speeds to get my subjects without blur.
The IIs, while hardly magical, will give you that effective ~1 extra stop in high-ISO performance (especially with RAW). So you'd definitely want the IIs instead of the II, since you're hitting ISOs around 10000, which is marginal on the K-5, but more usable on the IIs. And I've found the AF improvements are very noticeable, both in low light and daylight. The K-5 IIs is probably the best APS-C camera on the market for your intended purpose.

It's been a while since I owned the FA35 (pre- K-5) so I don't know how fast the AF is now. Do you use catch-in-focus for it too? Some screw drive lenses show nice AF speed improvement with the IIs, so it might give you more options. The IIs AF-C is tricky but reasonably good at tracking when I shoot athletes in running races - but when the subject is at walking speed (such as the holiday parade I shot this month) it does quite well, I've found.

I understand how those "brief moments" can be. I think the K-5 IIs may give you an edge.


[BTW the FA77 is amazingly small, and while I was using it in more casual situations, I often found it (or now the FA*85) is the only lens I'd use when shooting dark stage performances. It appears the M85 is already fulfilling this role, but if you ever want AE and AF ... .]

Last edited by DSims; 12-30-2012 at 02:08 PM.
12-30-2012, 02:35 PM   #13
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For ISO 10,000 and above, I think I'm doing ok for a beginner and the K-5 seems to be a bit better than "marginal", in my opinion. I try not to push it, but I'm doing ok in that region, but would like to bring it back down. The main issue I have wtih ISO levels that his is when the performers use heavy smoke and NOTHING will work. Not even the pros I'm friendly with and shoot with in the pits, on their D3's and 5DII/IIIs are able to get past that. It makes the noise look worse.

I could shoot with a faster lens, sure, but then I'm dealing with DOF issues.

I didn't know the IIs was reported to have a 1 stop low light advantage. I thought it was purely sharpness and AF performance. This is the first I'm hearing of better low light performance.

THe FA35 I use with AF. I have considered the FA77, especially since I like very sharp renditions, but I have to justify the usage. It might work, since I find the M85 too long (as mentioned, I have stage, pit, and backstage access), so I have to continue learning and moving forward and seeing where my needs lie. I might end up sacrificing speed to just get a Tamron 70-200.

Both at ISO 10,000:

12-30-2012, 07:53 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Michaelina2 Quote
I can imagine some AF up-side to pairing a K-5IIs with an FA35, but may I ask how you feel the camera's reported low light focus advantage will help with the M85, a manual focus lens? For MF lenses like the M85 (and 'quick-shift' AF lenses, too, with SR=OFF), why would the K-01 (same sensor as the K-5IIs) with focus peaking NOT be a better option for concert photography?

...just curious...M
First off, the sensor of the K-01 is definitely not the same as the K-5IIs (I have both cameras btw). Focus peaking is nice on the K-01 but, try handholding at slow shutter speeds and with a long lens and it becomes a real challenge to hold the camera steady with camera away from your face. It is definitely easier to shoot slow shutter speed shots handheld with a DSLR thru the viewfinder. The K-5IIs will perform better not just because of the better, more decisive AF but because of the better high ISO performance.
12-31-2012, 12:25 AM   #15
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Where has the better high ISO performance of the IIs been documented?
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