K-5 purchased! (and a DA15 weehaw)

**todd** · 06-27-2012, 06:17 PM

Well, I know my timing wasn't perfect. With the new model coming soon, I could have done better price wise (bought the K-5 for $869 new and the DA15 new for $580).. The (good) problem was that I was unexpectedly able to pull the funds together and the window of opportunity was 'now or never' before all the bills competing would have pillaged the available funds... I figured if I tried to wait even a few days for a used K-5 to come on the market place, I could lose the opportunity, and even then, the used price looks to be $800, so not that big of a deal..

The exciting part is I will have my new gear in hand for my family trip to Oregon next month! And that my 13yo daughter has been expressing interest in photography lately and I've been teaching her and now she'll be able to use my K100D when we go out shooting, instead of my point and shoot...

SO - anybody have any k-5 specific recommendations for any additional must haves to go along with my new gear? Is there a proper battery/charger situation that comes with? (I really want to look into a focusing screen too..)

Can you tell how excited I am? It has been a long time coming and I am a happy camper.. I am hoping to have my gear in hand by July 4th... ;-)

**Rondec** · 06-27-2012, 06:21 PM

Congratulations! I know you'll love it after you get a little bit of time with it.

I would recommend the Wasabi charger. It is really nice and comes with a couple of decent batteries. http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-Charger-Pentax/dp/B004UR7250/ref=...wasabi+charger

calsan · 06-27-2012, 06:29 PM

"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."
Dorothy Parker

**todd** · 06-27-2012, 06:40 PM

Originally posted by calsan

"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."
Dorothy Parker

Amen! :-)

Originally posted by Rondec

Congratulations! I know you'll love it after you get a little bit of time with it.

I would recommend the Wasabi charger. It is really nice and comes with a couple of decent batteries. http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-Charger-Pentax/dp/B004UR7250/ref=...wasabi+charger

Thanks!

I am also interested in any opinions on SD cards.. I haven't purchased one in years.. My largest card is a 4GB and it seems to be on the fritz...

Frank B · 06-27-2012, 09:34 PM

I use 8GB cards in my K5, and always have a few on hand. They hold a reasonable amount of shots, without risking an entire trip on just one card. I think I get about 5-600 shots on a card (only shoot jpg, no raw). I don't trust the idea of just having one huge card for a multi-day trip. Around town just playing, I never fill the single 8GB that's in the camera.

Cards are cheap, have more than one.

**todd** · 06-27-2012, 10:05 PM

Originally posted by Frank B

I use 8GB cards in my K5, and always have a few on hand. They hold a reasonable amount of shots, without risking an entire trip on just one card. I think I get about 5-600 shots on a card (only shoot jpg, no raw). I don't trust the idea of just having one huge card for a multi-day trip. Around town just playing, I never fill the single 8GB that's in the camera.

Cards are cheap, have more than one.

Thanks for that as I was looking and noticed they have 32GB cards now but what you said sounds perfect.

lammie200 · 06-27-2012, 10:50 PM

Originally posted by todd

SO - anybody have any k-5 specific recommendations for any additional must haves to go along with my new gear? Is there a proper battery/charger situation that comes with? (I really want to look into a focusing screen too..)

Good deal. Congrats.

The camera comes with a Pentax charger. Works great. Just as a suggestion - I would go with the Pentax ME-053 viewfinder magnifier first before changing the focusing screen. It is super easy to install and makes a good bit of difference. Installing a focusing screen is not quite as easy and it would probably be best for you to get used to using the camera for a while before trying the delicate operation of installing one. You might not even want to change it.

Also, a 32mb card is decent size. Go Class 10 for sure. I think that there are 3 varieties - 20mb, 30mb, and 45mb transfer rates. Get the fastest that you can afford.

DSims · 06-27-2012, 11:47 PM

I bought 2 Sandisk Extreme 16GB UHS-1 45MB/s cards at Fry's for a good price earlier this year - they're really good and work great in both the K-5 and K200D.

Battery-wise, just get one genuine spare (I ordered from B&H, I think) and be done with it. Since battery life is good on the K-5, you won't need it most of the time, but sometimes you forget or don't notice the one in the camera is finally low, and you need that fully charged spare in the bag.

Make sure you give your daughter a couple of decent lenses (MF primes, preferably) and the K100D to use. It's a fantastic camera (I used to have a K100D Super). I did the same with my 13 year old daughter with my K200D and 3 primes (FA28, A50/1.7, FA135/2.8). I gave her some quick lessons and told her to focus on only two things: which lens (FL) she wanted, and what she wanted in focus (usually with a narrow DOF). She used only the 50 and the 135, and she especially loved the 135. She got some great results. Since she kept the same lens on the camera for a while, she only needed to concentrate on one thing - what DOF she wanted. And using MF helped her easily achieve it (of course she used Av mode). She also started to learn a little about the shutter speeds she was getting, since she could see the results of slow shutter speeds when indoors. This works great with a few hours at a specific location - we were at a California Mission, and she didn't want to leave ...

I'd recommend getting a 100 or 135mm prime soon, if only for your daughter's sake. The A100/2.8 (non-macro) is ideal if you can find one (I would have given her that if I didn't also have the FA135, which is hard not to like).

**todd** · 06-27-2012, 11:50 PM

Originally posted by lammie200

Good deal. Congrats.

The camera comes with a Pentax charger. Works great. Just as a suggestion - I would go with the Pentax ME-053 viewfinder magnifier first before changing the focusing screen. It is super easy to install and makes a good bit of difference. Installing a focusing screen is not quite as easy and it would probably be best for you to get used to using the camera for a while before trying the delicate operation of installing one. You might not even want to change it.

Also, a 32mb card is decent size. Go Class 10 for sure. I think that there are 3 varieties - 20mb, 30mb, and 45mb transfer rates. Get the fastest that you can afford.

Thanks for this. Will check it out. I was looking at the file sizes and reading about video mode and it made me think that shooting raw+jpeg and doing some video experimentation I will def want larger cards, so yeah thanks. Hadn't heard of the view mag b4 so big thanks for this tip...

**todd** · 06-27-2012, 11:53 PM

Originally posted by DSims

I bought 2 Sandisk Extreme 16GB UHS-1 45MB/s cards at Fry's for a good price earlier this year - they're really good and work great in both the K-5 and K200D.

Make sure you give your daughter a couple of decent lenses (MF primes, preferably) and the K100D to use. It's a fantastic camera (I used to have a K100D Super). I did the same with my 13 year old daughter with my K200D and 3 primes (FA28, A50/1.7, FA135/2.8). I gave her some quick lessons and told her to focus on only two things: which lens (FL) she wanted, and what she wanted in focus (usually with a narrow DOF). She used only the 50 and the 135, and she especially loved the 135. She got some great results. Since she kept the same lens on the camera for a while, she only needed to concentrate on one thing - what DOF she wanted. And using MF helped her easily achieve it (of course she used Av mode). She also started to learn a little about the shutter speeds she was getting, since she could see the results of slow shutter speeds when indoors. This works great with a few hours at a specific location - we were at a California Mission, and she didn't want to leave ...

Thanks yeah the way I see it, we'll just be sharing lenses since I have a pretty small arsenal, as you can see in my sig.. Thanks for the good trainiing tips too.. My daughter is amazingly creative so I am sure she'll be blowing me away in short order..

0rangepeel · 06-28-2012, 12:02 AM

Oh my! Where did you find it for $869?

**todd** · 06-28-2012, 12:47 AM

Ebay.. (First result when searched for there.. )

DSims · 06-28-2012, 12:57 AM

Originally posted by todd

My daughter is amazingly creative so I am sure she'll be blowing me away in short order..

Yeah, well my daughter seems to do the same thing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the K200D's CCD sensor gives nicer color saturation than the K-5. By giving her the K100D you're hardly shorting her on image quality.

Originally posted by todd

Thanks yeah the way I see it, we'll just be sharing lenses since I have a pretty small arsenal, as you can see in my sig.

Decide on two lenses you can give her for the day. And as I mentioned, investing in one or two more could be a good idea. The A series is hard to beat! Or just a Cosina 100/3.5 macro could do the trick (I still have mine). I mention these lenses because they're ones I've kept and am still happy to use, despite the good * and Ltd kit I now have.

The DA15 is completely worth it, and you can't replace it with older lenses since you're working with APS-C. But the rest of the focal lengths (from 24mm to 135mm) you can cover with excellent older Pentax glass for around $200 or less each. The A24/2.8, A50/1.7, and A100/2.8 are a great trio, much like the 3 FA Ltds are a great set. Just get the best of these great-value lenses and you can forget about all (or most of) the rest you now own.

causey · 06-28-2012, 04:57 AM

Here's a very good deal for a 16GB card with good reviews: 16GB Super Talent Class 10 SDHC for $8.75 w/free S&H at Camera Deals

(I've bought from meritline numerous times.)

reeftool · 06-28-2012, 08:51 AM

Congrats on the new camera!. Adding the DA 15 was a good move also, a really awesome combination. The battery life is exceptional although if you want an extra battery on hand I can understand, especially if you shoot video (I don't). The K5 battery takes a fairly long time to fully charge. Since my K10D has a Katz Eye, I do much of my MF shooting with that camera. The Katz Eye was a worthwhile investment for me. The first split image focusing screen (Ebay cheepie) I purchased was a piece of crap but others have had satisfactory copies. It's quite handy to have 2 cameras along. The DA 15 has a semi permanent home on the K5. As I hike, ski, and kayak and lot, one of the most useful accessories I have purchased was a Cotton Carrier vest. I can carry my camera comfortably all day with my camera secure and handy at all times.

06-27-2012, 06:17 PM	#1
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,799	K-5 purchased! (and a DA15 weehaw) Well, I know my timing wasn't perfect. With the new model coming soon, I could have done better price wise (bought the K-5 for $869 new and the DA15 new for $580).. The (good) problem was that I was unexpectedly able to pull the funds together and the window of opportunity was 'now or never' before all the bills competing would have pillaged the available funds... I figured if I tried to wait even a few days for a used K-5 to come on the market place, I could lose the opportunity, and even then, the used price looks to be $800, so not that big of a deal.. The exciting part is I will have my new gear in hand for my family trip to Oregon next month! And that my 13yo daughter has been expressing interest in photography lately and I've been teaching her and now she'll be able to use my K100D when we go out shooting, instead of my point and shoot... SO - anybody have any k-5 specific recommendations for any additional must haves to go along with my new gear? Is there a proper battery/charger situation that comes with? (I really want to look into a focusing screen too..) Can you tell how excited I am? It has been a long time coming and I am a happy camper.. I am hoping to have my gear in hand by July 4th... ;-)

06-27-2012, 11:47 PM	#8
DSims Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,236	I bought 2 Sandisk Extreme 16GB UHS-1 45MB/s cards at Fry's for a good price earlier this year - they're really good and work great in both the K-5 and K200D. Battery-wise, just get one genuine spare (I ordered from B&H, I think) and be done with it. Since battery life is good on the K-5, you won't need it most of the time, but sometimes you forget or don't notice the one in the camera is finally low, and you need that fully charged spare in the bag. Make sure you give your daughter a couple of decent lenses (MF primes, preferably) and the K100D to use. It's a fantastic camera (I used to have a K100D Super). I did the same with my 13 year old daughter with my K200D and 3 primes (FA28, A50/1.7, FA135/2.8). I gave her some quick lessons and told her to focus on only two things: which lens (FL) she wanted, and what she wanted in focus (usually with a narrow DOF). She used only the 50 and the 135, and she especially loved the 135. She got some great results. Since she kept the same lens on the camera for a while, she only needed to concentrate on one thing - what DOF she wanted. And using MF helped her easily achieve it (of course she used Av mode). She also started to learn a little about the shutter speeds she was getting, since she could see the results of slow shutter speeds when indoors. This works great with a few hours at a specific location - we were at a California Mission, and she didn't want to leave ... I'd recommend getting a 100 or 135mm prime soon, if only for your daughter's sake. The A100/2.8 (non-macro) is ideal if you can find one (I would have given her that if I didn't also have the FA135, which is hard not to like). Last edited by DSims; 06-28-2012 at 12:02 AM.

06-28-2012, 12:57 AM	#13
DSims Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,236	Originally posted by todd My daughter is amazingly creative so I am sure she'll be blowing me away in short order.. Yeah, well my daughter seems to do the same thing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the K200D's CCD sensor gives nicer color saturation than the K-5. By giving her the K100D you're hardly shorting her on image quality. Originally posted by todd Thanks yeah the way I see it, we'll just be sharing lenses since I have a pretty small arsenal, as you can see in my sig. Decide on two lenses you can give her for the day. And as I mentioned, investing in one or two more could be a good idea. The A series is hard to beat! Or just a Cosina 100/3.5 macro could do the trick (I still have mine). I mention these lenses because they're ones I've kept and am still happy to use, despite the good * and Ltd kit I now have. The DA15 is completely worth it, and you can't replace it with older lenses since you're working with APS-C. But the rest of the focal lengths (from 24mm to 135mm) you can cover with excellent older Pentax glass for around $200 or less each. The A24/2.8, A50/1.7, and A100/2.8 are a great trio, much like the 3 FA Ltds are a great set. Just get the best of these great-value lenses and you can forget about all (or most of) the rest you now own. Last edited by DSims; 06-28-2012 at 01:41 AM.

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06-27-2012, 06:21 PM	#2
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,663	Congratulations! I know you'll love it after you get a little bit of time with it. I would recommend the Wasabi charger. It is really nice and comes with a couple of decent batteries. http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-Charger-Pentax/dp/B004UR7250/ref=...wasabi+charger

06-27-2012, 06:29 PM	#3
calsan Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,549	"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves." Dorothy Parker

06-27-2012, 06:40 PM	#4
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,799 Original Poster	Originally posted by calsan "Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves." Dorothy Parker Amen! :-) Originally posted by Rondec Congratulations! I know you'll love it after you get a little bit of time with it. I would recommend the Wasabi charger. It is really nice and comes with a couple of decent batteries. http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-Battery-Charger-Pentax/dp/B004UR7250/ref=...wasabi+charger Thanks! I am also interested in any opinions on SD cards.. I haven't purchased one in years.. My largest card is a 4GB and it seems to be on the fritz...

06-27-2012, 09:34 PM	#5
Frank B Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 149	I use 8GB cards in my K5, and always have a few on hand. They hold a reasonable amount of shots, without risking an entire trip on just one card. I think I get about 5-600 shots on a card (only shoot jpg, no raw). I don't trust the idea of just having one huge card for a multi-day trip. Around town just playing, I never fill the single 8GB that's in the camera. Cards are cheap, have more than one.

06-27-2012, 10:05 PM	#6
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,799 Original Poster	Originally posted by Frank B I use 8GB cards in my K5, and always have a few on hand. They hold a reasonable amount of shots, without risking an entire trip on just one card. I think I get about 5-600 shots on a card (only shoot jpg, no raw). I don't trust the idea of just having one huge card for a multi-day trip. Around town just playing, I never fill the single 8GB that's in the camera. Cards are cheap, have more than one. Thanks for that as I was looking and noticed they have 32GB cards now but what you said sounds perfect.

06-27-2012, 10:50 PM	#7
lammie200 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Photos: Albums Posts: 1,033	Originally posted by todd SO - anybody have any k-5 specific recommendations for any additional must haves to go along with my new gear? Is there a proper battery/charger situation that comes with? (I really want to look into a focusing screen too..) Good deal. Congrats. The camera comes with a Pentax charger. Works great. Just as a suggestion - I would go with the Pentax ME-053 viewfinder magnifier first before changing the focusing screen. It is super easy to install and makes a good bit of difference. Installing a focusing screen is not quite as easy and it would probably be best for you to get used to using the camera for a while before trying the delicate operation of installing one. You might not even want to change it. Also, a 32mb card is decent size. Go Class 10 for sure. I think that there are 3 varieties - 20mb, 30mb, and 45mb transfer rates. Get the fastest that you can afford.

06-27-2012, 11:50 PM	#9
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,799 Original Poster	Originally posted by lammie200 Good deal. Congrats. The camera comes with a Pentax charger. Works great. Just as a suggestion - I would go with the Pentax ME-053 viewfinder magnifier first before changing the focusing screen. It is super easy to install and makes a good bit of difference. Installing a focusing screen is not quite as easy and it would probably be best for you to get used to using the camera for a while before trying the delicate operation of installing one. You might not even want to change it. Also, a 32mb card is decent size. Go Class 10 for sure. I think that there are 3 varieties - 20mb, 30mb, and 45mb transfer rates. Get the fastest that you can afford. Thanks for this. Will check it out. I was looking at the file sizes and reading about video mode and it made me think that shooting raw+jpeg and doing some video experimentation I will def want larger cards, so yeah thanks. Hadn't heard of the view mag b4 so big thanks for this tip...

06-27-2012, 11:53 PM	#10
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,799 Original Poster	Originally posted by DSims I bought 2 Sandisk Extreme 16GB UHS-1 45MB/s cards at Fry's for a good price earlier this year - they're really good and work great in both the K-5 and K200D. Make sure you give your daughter a couple of decent lenses (MF primes, preferably) and the K100D to use. It's a fantastic camera (I used to have a K100D Super). I did the same with my 13 year old daughter with my K200D and 3 primes (FA28, A50/1.7, FA135/2.8). I gave her some quick lessons and told her to focus on only two things: which lens (FL) she wanted, and what she wanted in focus (usually with a narrow DOF). She used only the 50 and the 135, and she especially loved the 135. She got some great results. Since she kept the same lens on the camera for a while, she only needed to concentrate on one thing - what DOF she wanted. And using MF helped her easily achieve it (of course she used Av mode). She also started to learn a little about the shutter speeds she was getting, since she could see the results of slow shutter speeds when indoors. This works great with a few hours at a specific location - we were at a California Mission, and she didn't want to leave ... Thanks yeah the way I see it, we'll just be sharing lenses since I have a pretty small arsenal, as you can see in my sig.. Thanks for the good trainiing tips too.. My daughter is amazingly creative so I am sure she'll be blowing me away in short order..

06-28-2012, 12:02 AM	#11
0rangepeel Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Vancouver Photos: Gallery Posts: 111	Oh my! Where did you find it for $869?

06-28-2012, 12:47 AM	#12
todd Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,799 Original Poster	Ebay.. (First result when searched for there.. )

06-28-2012, 04:57 AM	#14
causey Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Arlington, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,757	Here's a very good deal for a 16GB card with good reviews: 16GB Super Talent Class 10 SDHC for $8.75 w/free S&H at Camera Deals (I've bought from meritline numerous times.)

06-28-2012, 08:51 AM	#15
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,555	Congrats on the new camera!. Adding the DA 15 was a good move also, a really awesome combination. The battery life is exceptional although if you want an extra battery on hand I can understand, especially if you shoot video (I don't). The K5 battery takes a fairly long time to fully charge. Since my K10D has a Katz Eye, I do much of my MF shooting with that camera. The Katz Eye was a worthwhile investment for me. The first split image focusing screen (Ebay cheepie) I purchased was a piece of crap but others have had satisfactory copies. It's quite handy to have 2 cameras along. The DA 15 has a semi permanent home on the K5. As I hike, ski, and kayak and lot, one of the most useful accessories I have purchased was a Cotton Carrier vest. I can carry my camera comfortably all day with my camera secure and handy at all times.