[Hugo Bucussi]

I'm a week away from my payslip and ready to push the button to buy the Pentax K-5 body. I found a Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 (not sure if HSM, probably not) for £90 and a Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for £115. The Tamron I found on MPB and the Sigma on eBay, so I'm a bit more inclined into the Tamron, as it comes from a reputable source. But my only question is, should I invest on any of these two? Or should I buy the Pentax 18-55 WR to start and save some more money to get something else?

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Last edited by Hugo Bucussi; 01-11-2023 at 10:27 AM.

[UncleVanya]

I'm a week away from my payslip and ready to push the button to buy the Pentax K-5 body. I found a Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 (not sure if HSM, probably not) for £90 and a Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 for £115. The Tamron I found on MPB and the Sigma on eBay, so I'm a bit more inclined into the Tamron, as it comes from a reputable source. But my only question is, should I invest on any of these two? Or should I buy the Pentax 18-55 WR to start and save some more money to get something else?

The two are both nicer than the 18-55 but not weather resistant. It depends a lot on what you plan to photograph under what conditions. The 17-50 is quite good, here is is compared to the 16-50 sdm and the Sigma:

DA* 16-50mm vs. Sigma and Tamron 17-50mm F2.8 Comparison Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

---------- Post added 01-11-23 at 12:42 PM ----------

I will add that the range of the 17-70 is longer but not drastically longer. Flexibility is different for all three lenses:

18-55 wr - easier peace of mind in bad weather.

17-70 - longer overall range. Capable of shots from farther away.

17-50 - optically fastest once past the wide end (17-70 will start out the same aperture but changes as you zoom). Likely sharper than the 18-55. Excellent flare resistance (not sure how the other two you are considering compare).

[Hugo Bucussi]

It seems that I snoozed and lost the opportunity on the Sigma 17-70.

Is the Pentax 17-70mm F4 any good? I saw some reviews on it, but it seems that the AF is a bit of a mess on the lens. I also saw some users having problems where the AF stop working.

[UncleVanya]

It seems that I snoozed and lost the opportunity on the Sigma 17-70.

Is the Pentax 17-70mm F4 any good? I saw some reviews on it, but it seems that the AF is a bit of a mess on the lens. I also saw some users having problems where the AF stop working.

Many copies of the lens developed sdm failure. The lens is sdm only and can’t be converted to screw drive. Later copies seem less likely to have motor failure. Because of this people shy away from the lens which depresses the price. My dad owned and shot one in the past that worked great for him and my uses of it gave me a great deal of enjoyment. The lens is optically good, The focusing was great, but you have to be prepared for the potential for the in lens motor to die.

[normhead]

MY wife upgraded her k-5 to a K-5ii and has never looked back. It took only a few days to see a difference an make the switch.

As for the DA 18-135 as a dog action lens... it's always worked for me.






From my most recent outing just before the holidays.

Some older images..


And one taken with a K-5


One of my wife's, then with her K-5 and Tamron 90 macro...


Here's our whole extended family pack...


We've also used our 50 1.7mm for dog action shots.

[Hugo Bucussi]

Coming back here to announce that I'm now a proud owner of a Pentax K-5

I was a bit bummed that the one I was looking to buy sold yesterday, so today when I got my payslip I had nothing available at a sensible price. But just before I finished work, I Google again to see if I was lucky.... and it ended up very well! I found a mint condition K-5 kit, with the 18-55 WR and the battery pack, all in the box and the shutter count at 2206. The package cost me £249, which I think is a very decent price.

Now I cannot wait to put me hands on it and start shooting some pictures

[MikeNArk]

I've been following this thread off and on. I'm glad to hear that you have acquired a K-5. The K-5 is capable of producing good images. Take a little to to get familiar with it and post some photos when you can. Good luck!

[Hugo Bucussi]

Hello all,

Just received my K5 in the mail today. After leaving it for a couple of hours to acclimate (it's -1C outside here in London, the box was super cold), I have already updated the firmware to use the SD card I bough and now the battery is charging. I took a couple of pictures inside the flat, but as it's getting dark, the light conditions is not the best. I also realized that even understanding the basics (Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO), the K5 is a bit overwhelming for someone that haven't shoot a camera in the last 15 years (apart from the phone camera), or never had any experience with DSLRs.

I probably should read the user manuals, but I was curious if there is any quick guide for the diverse modes the K5 have and how to use them.

The camera is in pristine condition, and I cannot wait to go out and explore more. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

I really appreciate everyone's help here in the forum.

[pres589]

Besides the factory owner's manual, there's the ebook that was published by a forum member here. Ref: PENTAX DSLRs: Download a free sample of the Pentax K-5 e-book before you purchase.

Spend some time playing around. I still find my K-5 II (which I believe is exactly the same) to have a very easy to use menu structure and is nice and responsive for most things regarding the user interface. Keep the ISO at or below 3200 maximum for control over noise in the image.

[mikesbike]

I am inclined on the K-5II just to have a safeguard on the faster AF system, but for the £75 difference, I'm not entirely convinced it is worth it.

It is worth it, as there were other good upgrades as well. There were some issues that could be problematic with earlier batches of the original K-5.

Then the main thing is to find a low-use camera that has been well cared for. As to lenses, this is a very important factor also. I too recommend the DA 18-135mm DC WR lens. It is better than the kit lens in every way. Its very versatile and generous zoom range would fit your described uses very well. It covers subjects both near and pretty far. Its AF is exceptionally fast and accurate, and is very quiet. It has WR (weather-resistant) construction and is much better built than the kit lens. The K-5 series is also built having WR construction, but this is not actively so unless using a WR lens with it. If you were to consider Nikon or Canon, for new equipment you would be paying around $1,000+ for the camera body and another $1,000+ for the lens. Of course used would be less, but prices are still not very cheap, especially for the lenses. The Pentax 18-55mm kit lens is decent for a kit lens, but its AF is not always accurate, it is noisy, and it does not have much zoom range for single-lens usage to cover a variety of scenes such as you describe.

Although I have other more recent Pentax camera models, I still have my K-5 IIs, still use it, and still like it very much. It is a former Pentax flagship model, is built very well, and is durable.

[Hugo Bucussi]

Besides the factory owner's manual, there's the ebook that was published by a forum member here. Ref: PENTAX DSLRs: Download a free sample of the Pentax K-5 e-book before you purchase.

Spend some time playing around. I still find my K-5 II (which I believe is exactly the same) to have a very easy to use menu structure and is nice and responsive for most things regarding the user interface. Keep the ISO at or below 3200 maximum for control over noise in the image.

Amazing suggestion, I just bought the eBook about the K5 line. I hope it will help me to get to know the camera better. I will also ready the user manual in parallel.

---------- Post added 01-24-23 at 03:54 AM ----------

It is worth it, as there were other good upgrades as well. There were some issues that could be problematic with earlier batches of the original K-5.

Then the main thing is to find a low-use camera that has been well cared for. As to lenses, this is a very important factor also. I too recommend the DA 18-135mm DC WR lens. It is better than the kit lens in every way. Its very versatile and generous zoom range would fit your described uses very well. It covers subjects both near and pretty far. Its AF is exceptionally fast and accurate, and is very quiet. It has WR (weather-resistant) construction and is much better built than the kit lens. The K-5 series is also built having WR construction, but this is not actively so unless using a WR lens with it. If you were to consider Nikon or Canon, for new equipment you would be paying around $1,000+ for the camera body and another $1,000+ for the lens. Of course used would be less, but prices are still not very cheap, especially for the lenses. The Pentax 18-55mm kit lens is decent for a kit lens, but its AF is not always accurate, it is noisy, and it does not have much zoom range for single-lens usage to cover a variety of scenes such as you describe.

Although I have other more recent Pentax camera models, I still have my K-5 IIs, still use it, and still like it very much. It is a former Pentax flagship model, is built very well, and is durable.

Hey, thanks for the insight about the camera and lenses. I already purchased the original K-5 with the kit lens, which I found in near mint condition for a very good price.
Unfortunately here in UK the K5II and K5IIs are not an easy find, and when they are available they are quite expensive.

[Hugo Bucussi]

Wanted to come back here and share a picture I took with my new "used" gear

My Flickr - Hugo Bucussi

I have lightly edited the first picture, as it came out too blue. But the second is just converted from RAW to JPEG.