K5ii auto focus vs nikon d7100

Reptilezz · 07-22-2013, 07:44 PM

Hey everyone, im still on my journy of finding the right dslr for me to buy for christmas and its always a case of pentax k5ii vs something else, and this time its up against a nikon d7100. Every thing seems very similar but im not sure on the auto focus. My style of photography is wildlife (mainly birds) so i need speedy auto focus but i will not take faster auto focus if it has worse image quality (7d). Could anyone please help me out here? I can get a body only for about the same price at a local store.
Thanks in advance

Adam · 07-22-2013, 08:05 PM

The nikon is better for action hands-down, though in low light the Pentax will have a slight edge as it can go down all the way to -3ev ish.

Personally I'd recommend going with the nikon in this case as they have a better lineup of modern telephoto lenses as well.

Reptilezz · 07-22-2013, 09:55 PM

Thanks adam. If i got the pentax i could get a tamron 70-200 f2.8 di ld but if i get the nikon i would have to get a cheaper lens like a sigma 70-300 cheapo one, would this turn the tables a bit if i had a better lens? Also im not worried about the bigger lens lineup because sigma is always gonna be here.
Thanks

Giklab · 07-22-2013, 11:19 PM

Hmm... That Sigma essentially nullifies any speed advantage of the AF system. How much will you be able to spend in the next few years? A complete pro lens system doesn't help if you (I

) can't afford it.

Reptilezz · 07-22-2013, 11:28 PM

Hey giklab, im only 13 and ive been saving all this year and last for a good dslr and lens. After i get this setup, if i got the pentax k5ii and tammy 70-200 f2.8 di ld, i would probably get a sigma 100-300 or pentax da* 300. But that will take a lot of saving up and convincing my parents that i need it..

clockwork247 · 07-23-2013, 12:22 AM

Originally posted by Reptilezz

Thanks adam. If i got the pentax i could get a tamron 70-200 f2.8 di ld but if i get the nikon i would have to get a cheaper lens like a sigma 70-300 cheapo one, would this turn the tables a bit if i had a better lens? Also im not worried about the bigger lens lineup because sigma is always gonna be here.
Thanks

actually what do you shoot? the 70-200 2.8 and 70-300 are 2 totally different lens, even though their range over lap some what, they're not even in the same categories.

If you're looking where else, the canon 6D ain't bad, i saw it running with the 24-105 L for 2000, which is close to what you're willing to spend on a K-5 II + 70-200 2.8 Tamron.

And that particular combo is very useful the 24-105 is a nice lens that can do a lot of different type of photography.

vodanh1982 · 07-23-2013, 12:27 AM

The Sigma 70-300mm is very bad at long end (200mm - 300mm) and it will be your most use. I would not recommend it.

Reptilezz · 07-23-2013, 12:41 AM

thanks guys, Clockwork, i mainly shoot grey fantails and other small birds around my yard and i know that those two lenses are completely different but i have a very tight budget so i think i might just go the k5ii because i probably won't have the money for a better lens if i got the nikon. i actually just watched video on utube of a k5 with a 70-200 tammy and the auto focus was very fast compared to the crappy super zoom i have now.

calsan · 07-23-2013, 01:49 AM

I'm not sure what level you're at, but it's a common mistake to get the best camera money can buy and hope that will fix all other issues, including skill and technique. We all make that error, some of us over and over...

Manual focus or just centre point focus is pretty standard for small birds, mainly because there will always be twigs, leaves and other things in the way. You would be miles in front by just getting any old dslr and spending your money on a decent long lens and a book on wildlife photography technique. Bird photography is 99% down to the photographer's technique, and autofocus will always be hit and miss on any system, as the camera can't read your mind and focus on the tiny bird, rather than the tree it's sitting in or flying past.

As you know, birds are generally small, dark and fast moving, so the fun is in being able to correctly preset the exposure, predicting where to focus and waiting for the bird to fly into that zone.

good luck and have fun

Reptilezz · 07-23-2013, 01:59 AM

Originally posted by calsan

I'm not sure what level you're at, but it's a common mistake to get the best camera money can buy and hope that will fix all other issues, including skill and technique. We all make that error, some of us over and over...

Manual focus or just centre point focus is pretty standard for small birds, mainly because there will always be twigs, leaves and other things in the way. You would be miles in front by just getting any old dslr and spending your money on a decent long lens and a book on wildlife photography technique. Bird photography is 99% down to the photographer's technique, and autofocus will always be hit and miss on any system, as the camera can't read your mind and focus on the tiny bird, rather than the tree it's sitting in or flying past.

As you know, birds are generally small, dark and fast moving, so the fun is in being able to correctly preset the exposure, predicting where to focus and waiting for the bird to fly into that zone.

good luck and have fun

Thanks calsan, ive been doing bird photography for about 2 years but i still class myself as beginner. I have outgrown the camera i am using now (powershot s2is) and this year have been using full manual controlls, also the camera im using at the moment doesnt have dials for shutter and aperture. I have used my fellow bird photography friends ist d and was very impressed with it even the auto focus which alot of people diss. But he sill uses manual focus sometimes.
Thanks

goubejp · 07-23-2013, 01:59 AM

If it is for chrismas, the K5 successor will be there, you should consider it, as the K5 is a relatively old body, 3 years old, the D7100 was released this winter.
By the way, for birding you should consider to invest in a long lens, 200 mm is far too short, 400 to 600 mm is the correct range. Consider the Sigma 50-500 zoom or if you are fortunate enough, the Sigma 500 or the Pentax DA 560. I Personnaly use a FA*400 f5.6 and a FA*600 f4

Reptilezz · 07-23-2013, 02:02 AM

Hey goubejp, i will only consider it if the price is $1500 or under as my budget wont stretch that far. And we dont know if it is a myth or truth as it may be released early next year

Ferdinand · 07-23-2013, 02:07 AM

I think Adam could consider working for nikonforums if such thing exists.
Do not we have good telephoto lenses in the Pentax lineup? How many telephoto lens an average user need? (I guess one can do...)

Reptilezz · 07-23-2013, 02:10 AM

Originally posted by Ferdinand

I think Adam could consider working for nikonforums if such thing exists.
Do not we have good telephoto lenses in the Pentax lineup? How many telephoto lens an average user need? (I guess one can do...)

Well we have the da*300 560... I like the line up so far better quality then nikon aswell because.. Well its pentax

Franc · 07-23-2013, 02:17 AM

even a combo of the old k7 and de da*300 will give better results then the sigma 70-300 and the k5ii. Its just mainly practice.

07-22-2013, 07:44 PM	#1
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206	K5ii auto focus vs nikon d7100 Hey everyone, im still on my journy of finding the right dslr for me to buy for christmas and its always a case of pentax k5ii vs something else, and this time its up against a nikon d7100. Every thing seems very similar but im not sure on the auto focus. My style of photography is wildlife (mainly birds) so i need speedy auto focus but i will not take faster auto focus if it has worse image quality (7d). Could anyone please help me out here? I can get a body only for about the same price at a local store. Thanks in advance

07-22-2013, 08:05 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	The nikon is better for action hands-down, though in low light the Pentax will have a slight edge as it can go down all the way to -3ev ish. Personally I'd recommend going with the nikon in this case as they have a better lineup of modern telephoto lenses as well. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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07-22-2013, 09:55 PM	#3
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206 Original Poster	Thanks adam. If i got the pentax i could get a tamron 70-200 f2.8 di ld but if i get the nikon i would have to get a cheaper lens like a sigma 70-300 cheapo one, would this turn the tables a bit if i had a better lens? Also im not worried about the bigger lens lineup because sigma is always gonna be here. Thanks

07-22-2013, 11:19 PM	#4
Giklab Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Slovenia Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,182	Hmm... That Sigma essentially nullifies any speed advantage of the AF system. How much will you be able to spend in the next few years? A complete pro lens system doesn't help if you (I ) can't afford it.

07-22-2013, 11:28 PM	#5
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206 Original Poster	Hey giklab, im only 13 and ive been saving all this year and last for a good dslr and lens. After i get this setup, if i got the pentax k5ii and tammy 70-200 f2.8 di ld, i would probably get a sigma 100-300 or pentax da* 300. But that will take a lot of saving up and convincing my parents that i need it..

07-23-2013, 12:22 AM	#6
clockwork247 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 360	Originally posted by Reptilezz Thanks adam. If i got the pentax i could get a tamron 70-200 f2.8 di ld but if i get the nikon i would have to get a cheaper lens like a sigma 70-300 cheapo one, would this turn the tables a bit if i had a better lens? Also im not worried about the bigger lens lineup because sigma is always gonna be here. Thanks actually what do you shoot? the 70-200 2.8 and 70-300 are 2 totally different lens, even though their range over lap some what, they're not even in the same categories. If you're looking where else, the canon 6D ain't bad, i saw it running with the 24-105 L for 2000, which is close to what you're willing to spend on a K-5 II + 70-200 2.8 Tamron. And that particular combo is very useful the 24-105 is a nice lens that can do a lot of different type of photography.

07-23-2013, 12:27 AM	#7
vodanh1982 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 126	The Sigma 70-300mm is very bad at long end (200mm - 300mm) and it will be your most use. I would not recommend it.

07-23-2013, 12:41 AM	#8
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206 Original Poster	thanks guys, Clockwork, i mainly shoot grey fantails and other small birds around my yard and i know that those two lenses are completely different but i have a very tight budget so i think i might just go the k5ii because i probably won't have the money for a better lens if i got the nikon. i actually just watched video on utube of a k5 with a 70-200 tammy and the auto focus was very fast compared to the crappy super zoom i have now.

07-23-2013, 01:49 AM	#9
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,548	I'm not sure what level you're at, but it's a common mistake to get the best camera money can buy and hope that will fix all other issues, including skill and technique. We all make that error, some of us over and over... Manual focus or just centre point focus is pretty standard for small birds, mainly because there will always be twigs, leaves and other things in the way. You would be miles in front by just getting any old dslr and spending your money on a decent long lens and a book on wildlife photography technique. Bird photography is 99% down to the photographer's technique, and autofocus will always be hit and miss on any system, as the camera can't read your mind and focus on the tiny bird, rather than the tree it's sitting in or flying past. As you know, birds are generally small, dark and fast moving, so the fun is in being able to correctly preset the exposure, predicting where to focus and waiting for the bird to fly into that zone. good luck and have fun

07-23-2013, 01:59 AM	#10
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206 Original Poster	Originally posted by calsan I'm not sure what level you're at, but it's a common mistake to get the best camera money can buy and hope that will fix all other issues, including skill and technique. We all make that error, some of us over and over... Manual focus or just centre point focus is pretty standard for small birds, mainly because there will always be twigs, leaves and other things in the way. You would be miles in front by just getting any old dslr and spending your money on a decent long lens and a book on wildlife photography technique. Bird photography is 99% down to the photographer's technique, and autofocus will always be hit and miss on any system, as the camera can't read your mind and focus on the tiny bird, rather than the tree it's sitting in or flying past. As you know, birds are generally small, dark and fast moving, so the fun is in being able to correctly preset the exposure, predicting where to focus and waiting for the bird to fly into that zone. good luck and have fun Thanks calsan, ive been doing bird photography for about 2 years but i still class myself as beginner. I have outgrown the camera i am using now (powershot s2is) and this year have been using full manual controlls, also the camera im using at the moment doesnt have dials for shutter and aperture. I have used my fellow bird photography friends ist d and was very impressed with it even the auto focus which alot of people diss. But he sill uses manual focus sometimes. Thanks

07-23-2013, 01:59 AM	#11
goubejp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: France Photos: Albums Posts: 804	If it is for chrismas, the K5 successor will be there, you should consider it, as the K5 is a relatively old body, 3 years old, the D7100 was released this winter. By the way, for birding you should consider to invest in a long lens, 200 mm is far too short, 400 to 600 mm is the correct range. Consider the Sigma 50-500 zoom or if you are fortunate enough, the Sigma 500 or the Pentax DA 560. I Personnaly use a FA400 f5.6 and a FA600 f4

07-23-2013, 02:02 AM	#12
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206 Original Poster	Hey goubejp, i will only consider it if the price is $1500 or under as my budget wont stretch that far. And we dont know if it is a myth or truth as it may be released early next year

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07-23-2013, 02:07 AM	#13
Ferdinand Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Frankfurt Photos: Albums Posts: 89	I think Adam could consider working for nikonforums if such thing exists. Do not we have good telephoto lenses in the Pentax lineup? How many telephoto lens an average user need? (I guess one can do...)

07-23-2013, 02:10 AM	#14
Reptilezz Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 206 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ferdinand I think Adam could consider working for nikonforums if such thing exists. Do not we have good telephoto lenses in the Pentax lineup? How many telephoto lens an average user need? (I guess one can do...) Well we have the da*300 560... I like the line up so far better quality then nikon aswell because.. Well its pentax

07-23-2013, 02:17 AM	#15
Franc Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Hoevelaken Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,212	even a combo of the old k7 and de da*300 will give better results then the sigma 70-300 and the k5ii. Its just mainly practice.