[archaeodude]

Hi All,

One of my neighbors has a Used K-5 with ~5,200 shutter actuations. He's offered it to me with a bag, an 18-55mm AL WR, and a 50-200 DA WR for $350 USD, and I'm not sure what to do.

I've been extremely happy with a recently-bought, new Panasonic G80 and kit lens, and although I have some vintage K-mount glass, I'm not really actively looking to pick up another camera body.

That said, I have a feeling that this could be a deal too good to pass up, and my wife and I might be able to make use of an extra camera in our work (we visit lots of botanical gardens and museums, to take pictures of their layouts and collections items).

I know that lots of forum members still attest to the longevity and capability of their K-5's, and I'm not too concerned about the 16MP APS-C sensor as my wife and I wouldn't be blowing up our pictures to crazy print sizes.

Can I respectfully ask what you forum members might advise? I would also be interested in hearing your thoughts about how the performance of the K-5 could compare with my G80?

Many Thanks!

[aslyfox]

not a voter

just a questioner

has the OP done the research on the K 5 yet?

Pentax K-5 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Pentax K-5 - Pentax K-mount DSLRs - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

will it fit the purpose the OP wants

or the vintage Pentax lenses currently owned and being offered in the sale?

Pentax Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Pentax K-mount Lens Compatibility Chart
Copyright 2006-2020 Mosphotos.com. All rights reserved.

The Pentax K-mount Camera Lens Compatibility Chart

[Belnan]

Your Panasonic is a new and probably better overall camera however. If you shoot raw or intend too the K5 IQ will smoke the G80 no question. If you do a lot of hiking or extended outdoor shooting the K5 will outlast the G80 and be perfectly at home in wet weather. The only issue is those lenses while good will not get the most out of that sensor.

[macman24054]

It seems to me that you feel it is a good deal. It sounds like a good deal. The K-5 is still very capable and the image quality (especially if you crop) over the G80 will be noticeable. Having a GH4 (for video), I can attest to the image quality of stills between my K5 and GH4. I'd buy if I were in your shoes.

[Cerebum]

Its not cheap but it is low usage. Have a look on here for known issues then offer him $300

[UncleVanya]

Respectfully, why branch into two camera lines? (this from someone with four lines)

While the k-5 is a nice capable camera so too are others. If the g80 fits your needs, why not pick up another m43 body and lens so you can share equipment? There are plenty of inexpensive bodies/kits on eBay or other sites.

On the other hand, if you just want to experiment and the Pentax is a fun option - compare prices and then go for what makes the most sense. As someone else indicated the lenses are pretty weak, the 18-55 is the better of the two.

[CarlJF]

It’s an okay price, nothing less nothing more. It’s not a deal too good to pass on since you can easily find used k-5 and lenses for about the same price.
If should buy the kit and found out you’re not liking it, you could resell it for about the same price. So, you might not need it but not much to lose either by trying it…
As others said, the two lenses are among the weakest in the Pentax lineup. They’re mainly interesting because of the WR sealing, if it’s something useful to you. But if you’re more into IQ, I would suggest looking at getting some other lenses. Prime lenses like the DA18 1.8 and DA35 2.4 can be found used for less than 100$ and will provide much improved IQ over these zooms.

So, go for it or not, it’s your choice.

[luftfluss]

I agree with UncleVanya, put the $$ toward another m4/3 body.

Do you have an adapter so you can use your "vintage K-mount glass" on your G80?

[Viking42]

You could go either way on this one. If your needs tend to wet, dusty or snowy conditions, then the weather sealing of the Pentax would make it a no-brainer. OTOH, if that isn't a factor, then there are some terrific m4/3 bodies out there for reasonable money that have excellent image quality and usability. I have used my daughter's Olympus Pen system and was really impressed by the images it produced -- and it's an older model with only 12MP sensor I think. They have in-body stabilization too (just like Pentax, I should point out), which means it works with your legacy lenses.

[mtgmansf]

Do not know if you have a macro lens for either system, but that would be important to me based on what you like to shoot. Agree that raw files are great - I like my K5II raw files more than I like the ones from my Nikon D7200 - less noise and better color depth. If you like thinner depth of field and WR, that would be additional purchase reasons. Better noise and dynamic range would likely also be available to you via the K5, I am pretty sure. Lastly, I have done some very nice 16x20 and 12x24 inch prints from my Pentax K5II files. You could buy the set, play with it, and sell it on Pentaxforums if you are not convinced. As others have mentioned, you need better glass to get the most out of the sensor, although stopping down two or three stops from wide open should yield some very good results even with this particular lens set...

[akptc]

Are you kidding? Is that even a question? BUY IT! and have fun !
Since when does common sense enter into camera gear acquisition

[jpzk]

I still have and use my K5 with over 100,000 clicks!!
It still performs perfectly after all those years and I find it very good at high ISO settings(that beats my K3 in that department).
I don't mind the 16 MP ... plenty enough for me, especially when printing some pics, and as you mentioned, as long as they are not super-large sizes.
For that price, including the lenses, that is a great deal .... go for it!

[Viking42]

I'm not sure what the values are for those lenses in the US, but here in Canada they are selling for about C$100 to $125 each. That makes the price of the body alone look pretty reasonable. If they don't meet your IQ expectations then you could easily sell them and put the money toward better glass. Overall it's a pretty fair price in my estimation, and you wouldn't lose money if you decided to sell the whole kit in future.

And as others have said, the dynamic range of the K5 sensor is extremely good -- better than any other digital camera I have used, including some quite expensive ones. Yet another box ticked in favour of the Pentax :-)

[TER-OR]

The K5 is very durable and very good. I am just upgrading from the K5 to the K3III as my second body in the field, but will miss the very film-like images the K5 produces.
For portraits, landscapes etc. the K5 is still very useful. The K3II and III are sharper, as they lack the AA filter, but the K5 is no slouch.

[DonV]

Buy it, but $250-$300 is more realistic; the kit lenses are not expensive at all.

There are better deals on the forum trader right now- JMHO.