Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
09-22-2010, 10:30 PM   #1
Forum Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 54
What about K-5 vs. 7D?

I've seen lots of threads comparing the k-5 and D7000, but what about the 7D?

This is my dilemma.

I was originally leaning toward a D7000 over the K-5 (mostly because of the price differential - I don't want to wait months for prices to drop).

However, in my research, I stumbled across particular promotion.

Canon is offering a $500 rebate with the combined purchase of a 7D (or other specified models) and a PIXMA Pro9500 MK2.

Newegg has the 7D with kit lens (28-135) for $1700, and the printer for $550 for a grand total of $2250. After rebate, it'll be $1750.

However, the printer sells for ~$400 on eBay, so that would defer the cost even more (down to $1350).


At the same time, I've been really considering the K-5 (so I won't have to sell off my Pentax stuff).

So, irrespective of price, could you please tell me what you think the hierarchy of these three cameras is based on overall ability.

09-22-2010, 10:38 PM - 1 Like   #2
Ash
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
Ash's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 23,920
Do you really want that printer?
The K-5 and 7D are reasonably close in specs, but high ISO performance and AF speed are importantly yet to be compared...

My only suggestion would be to wait until the K-5 comes on the shelf of your local camera shop and try it out head to head with the 7D. Check ergonomics, UI and basic functions - then see about value for money - and forget putting an unwanted 'bonus' product in the mix. If you just want the camera, then just assess the total price you pay between them - and consider lens upgrade prices too...
09-22-2010, 10:39 PM   #3
Veteran Member
JohnBee's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Newrfoundland
Photos: Albums
Posts: 4,667
I haven't skewered the spec sheets, but based on FPS, video and resolution, I'd guess the 7D is superior to the K-5.
09-22-2010, 10:48 PM   #4
Raylon
Guest




I am considering the same deal. 7D will beat K-5 in every aspect. You could also get the 9000 printer, which is $340, and get a $400 rebate, but it only sells for like $200 on ebay. That and there are a ton of them on ebay right now due to this deal which has been around a while. I think I am going to wait till Christmastime and see what kind of 7D deals I can find.

09-22-2010, 11:00 PM   #5
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 923
The Canon 7D is very good value for money right now, and on paper the 1-year old camera still beats the K-5, in many aspects, subject to real-world performance and image results from the K-5.

The K-5 "may" be better at High-ISO, where the 7D ends at 12,800 Extended ISO.

The 7D is quite a bit larger and heavier than the K-5/K-7.

The cost of ownership of a Canon system can be quite significantly higher than with Pentax, once you consider the need for IS lenses for equivalent functionality to Pentax SR - even more costly for WR Canon lenses.

If IS or WR are not important to you, its possible to get Consumer-grade Canon zooms for similar cost to Pentax equivalents (still a bit more expensive).

Of course, Canon doesn't have the full range of Primes that Pentax has, but you may not care for the Primes....
09-22-2010, 11:01 PM   #6
Forum Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 54
Original Poster
The problem is that the promotion ends at the end of the month.

Would the 7D be considered a previous generation camera? As in, the D7000 and k-5 are going to be better just because technology gets better over time?
09-22-2010, 11:03 PM   #7
Veteran Member
Pentaxor's Avatar

Join Date: May 2009
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,513
QuoteOriginally posted by Raylon Quote
7D will beat K-5 in every aspect.

are you sure?

09-22-2010, 11:05 PM   #8
Forum Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 54
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by kittykat46 Quote

The 7D is quite a bit larger and heavier than the K-5/K-7.

It's interesting that you mention that. I actually went to Best Buy tonight to get a feel for the 7D. And while it was heavy and bulky, needless to say, there was no Pentax camera there to compare it to.

Moreover, I can probably use one of those 10% off Best Buy coupons to make it even cheaper.
09-22-2010, 11:15 PM   #9
Veteran Member
Pentaxor's Avatar

Join Date: May 2009
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 6,513
QuoteOriginally posted by kittykat46 Quote
The Canon 7D is very good value for money right now, and on paper the 1-year old camera still beats the K-5, in many aspects, subject to real-world performance and image results from the K-5.

The K-5 "may" be better at High-ISO, where the 7D ends at 12,800 Extended ISO.

The 7D is quite a bit larger and heavier than the K-5/K-7.

The cost of ownership of a Canon system can be quite significantly higher than with Pentax, once you consider the need for IS lenses for equivalent functionality to Pentax SR - even more costly for WR Canon lenses.

If IS or WR are not important to you, its possible to get Consumer-grade Canon zooms for similar cost to Pentax equivalents (still a bit more expensive).

Of course, Canon doesn't have the full range of Primes that Pentax has, but you may not care for the Primes....

I'm skeptical about the 7D having the better end of the specs on paper. to me, they are pretty much equalize each other by virtue of their pros and cons on paper. fps, video, ISO, resolution, WR, durability, size, SR, NR, etc...

I believe the defining factor would be is to see the actual overall performance of the K-5. this includes IQ, DR which are the most important factor for most people. since we have seen how fast the AF of the K-5, it is pretty much not different nor lag far behind the 7D. now it comes to AF accuracy on how well the K-5 performed? like determining the ratio of good in focus photos that are shot in succession. blurry images or lower success rate are yet to be determined.
09-22-2010, 11:34 PM   #10
Forum Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 54
Original Poster
Let me simplify the question...

If someone said you could have either a D7000, K-5, or D7 for free, which one would you pick?
09-22-2010, 11:36 PM   #11
Veteran Member




Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,291
QuoteOriginally posted by Raylon Quote
I am considering the same deal. 7D will beat K-5 in every aspect.
I've been seeing this extremely misleading blanket comment all over the place. Firstly, the K-5 is an unknown in many respects. Secondly, my K-7 is better than the 7D for my needs - it's smaller, quieter and has shake reduction with primes.

If you want the 7D - go buy it, but consider that not all camera users have the same needs as you.

QuoteOriginally posted by kittykat46:
Of course, Canon doesn't have the full range of Primes that Pentax has, but you may not care for the Primes....
What's a 'full range'? If you want superb modern 28mm f/1.8, 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, 85mm f/1.2mm shoot Canon. Trade off: They're massive and expensive.
If you want generally more affordable compact and super-compact primes, or older manual primes, shoot Pentax.
09-22-2010, 11:43 PM   #12
Forum Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 54
Original Poster
Is the 7D the fastest AF on the market as far as APS-C cameras go?
09-23-2010, 12:03 AM - 1 Like   #13
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Miguel's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Near Seattle
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,743
7D = top APS-C camera

The 7D is a very modern camera. I've owned one for about two months. I was planning on purchasing a Nikon D300s for sports and birds, but the ergonomics on the 7D won me over pretty easily. Most of the Canon crop cameras I've used over the past five years have had kludgy design; this camera is mostly different.

It fits the hand quite well and doesn't feel all that big. The viewfinder is better than the K-7 for both AF and manual focusing. It is easier to use M42 lenses on the 7D because the adapters, unlike the old-style Pentax one, just pop out with the lens attached like any other bayonet-mount lens.

Generally the systems exceed the K-7, but the Pentax still has the feel that a photographer rather than an engineer designed the camera.

The LiveView is excellent; video too.

The weather resistance of the body is very good; not quite K-7 but I think adequate for the Pacific Northwest where I shoot. Now none of my Pentax lenses are weather resistant either, but you know, those OpTech Rainsleeves are really cheap and work quite well for outdoor sports shooting. That's the real world talking, not a keyboard. or ad copy.

The shutter feels and sounds excellent. The predictive AF systems are so beyond the K-7 and very most likely the K-5;
The AF points are nicely configurable;
The AF has more detailed Spot AF which is great for the eyes of birds;
You have three custom modes on the dial.
The flash system is so much better than Pentax though not quite up to Nikon.
Many of the buttons are customizable

There are some stupid things:
-The second wheel is a thumb wheel that I cannot get used to; it rotates and has a center select button, but it is not a 4 or 5 way button.
-There is only a front facing IR port for cheap wireless remote control. My K20D has a rear port as well. This makes shooting portraits and group shots a lot easier as I can hide the remote in my palm and trigger the shutter from most anywhere when working the group; on the 7d I have to use a wired remote which distracts in a negative way. You'd think Canon had a staff photographer around to do scenario testing.
-MLU is not triggered by the 3-second shutter delay.
-The shooting modes are typical.
-The top LCD is relied upon too much for critical information
-With 18 MP, onscreen noise requires more oomph in software, but it is controllable. Prints turn out excellently though.
-Canon cannot make a decent ultra-wide angle prime for crop cameras.

Other things to be aware of:
-The Canon lens system is primarily oriented towards 135-format bodies, FF. This is good and not good.
-It's not good because only a few EF-S (crop sensor) lenses are considered better than average; some of the third parties make very nice versions, especially Tokina using the same Pentax DA and DA*
designs more or less.
-It's good because having a "FF" pull of gravity means that sooner or later you may just get a 5DMKII which is a very fine camera that mostly produces better images than any APS-C body. You just have to manage the transition of lenses upward and balance their use with your shooting requirements. I use the 7D where the perceived telephoto boost is beneficial.
-Canon lenses are very expensive; third parties are generally held in lower esteem by Canonites than Pentaxians feel.
-Canon zooms are many and powerful; their primes can be amazing (135mm @ f2) but I know many professional shooters who just use a couple of f2.8 zooms and a T/S.
-The Pentax overall approach is very unique, quirky, and charming to an extent. The cameras are better integrated with your mind and body somehow. Until you need fast AF and long fast glass.
-Pentax higher end glass is excellent and special for the small size and high quality and weather resistance.

Finally, while it feels kinda special using Pentax, it is also harder to solve some problems that develop over the years (I've been doing this for 40 years). Going with a market leader ensures that there is an almost limitless supply of helpful information both online and in photo communities. And the tools and support are out there. I can go to my pro shop and test out or even rent bodies and lenses seemingly forever. I can put out a request to borrow a flash cable or a TC on my local e-list and get a response within an hour. Lightroom 3 has my lens profiles and can auto-correct distortion etc. on RAW files. I can also tether a Canon DSLR.

You are more on your own with Pentax--a mixed blessing over time.

M

QuoteOriginally posted by Copyright Quote
The problem is that the promotion ends at the end of the month.

Would the 7D be considered a previous generation camera? As in, the D7000 and k-5 are going to be better just because technology gets better over time?
09-23-2010, 12:18 AM   #14
Moderator
Loyal Site Supporter
Wheatfield's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: The wheatfields of Canada
Posts: 15,903
What is your investment in Pentax gear?
Can you justify the expense involved in selling it at whatever loss that might entail?

What does the Canon bring to the table in terms of capabilities that you really need?
Do you want the 7D because it will improve your photography or do you want it as a male sex organ enhancer?

Look at what it is going to cost you to buy the Canon and replace your Pentax lenses with similar focal lengths from Canon (include the cost of their image stabilized lenses if shake reduction is important to you) and decide if your photography will improve by that amount of money.
Then decide if you can afford it or if your money would be better spent on photographic tools that offer real value,such as lenses.
09-23-2010, 12:29 AM   #15
Forum Member




Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 54
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
What is your investment in Pentax gear?
Can you justify the expense involved in selling it at whatever loss that might entail?

What does the Canon bring to the table in terms of capabilities that you really need?
Do you want the 7D because it will improve your photography or do you want it as a male sex organ enhancer?

Look at what it is going to cost you to buy the Canon and replace your Pentax lenses with similar focal lengths from Canon (include the cost of their image stabilized lenses if shake reduction is important to you) and decide if your photography will improve by that amount of money.
Then decide if you can afford it or if your money would be better spent on photographic tools that offer real value,such as lenses.
I have a very limited investment in Pentax:

*ist DL/18-55kit (That has served me well for 4 years)
*80-200
*FA50/1.4 (just bought new a month ago for $400 - I'll recoup a lot of that)

I've taken some pretty good pictures with my DL, but it's time to move up to a better body. The AF speed and FPS have really presented issues in the past - especially while trying to shoot sports and moving motorcycles. I've never even had SR/IS, so any of these cameras will be a MAJOR upgrade. I just want to pick the best one out of the three choices.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
7d, camera, d7000, dslr, k-5, k-5 ii, k-5 iis, k5, pentax k-5, price, printer, rebate
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:43 PM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top