[normhead]

Pentax still can't track moving subjects.
If only every shot was of inanimate objects...

I thought that was the photographer's job... taken with an A-400... I guess it's a case of whatever excuse makes you happy.

[lightbulb]

So many credible reviewers sang praises of k5iis over 7100. The joke is on you dpreview

[tuco]

This is largely true. I must track moving subjects myself.

However, I'm a bit perplexed by this "problem." I usually want my subject in a certain part of the frame, so I have to track him manually anyway. And if I don't know who my subject is, I usually have no business clicking the shutter.

So I suppose this feature is more useful for those who shoot extra wide and crop later.

3D tracking is not just things moving across your view but also coming at you. Here you separate the wheat from the chaff.

[lightbulb]

Nice ones normhead. I don't understand the af tracking problem either. I did some bif and fif ( fish in flight)and get sharp images. A pro even commended the sharpness. My k5 and k5iis must be special lol!

[RonHendriks1966]

Well I somehow read a different thing. A good review pointing out that the body from the K-7 was allready excellent and that the interior was improved over the years.

Looking at page 11 I read what I still believe is true:

The K-5 is in RAW superior to all other aps-c camera's in Hi-iso's, wich I do appriciate over the years making images at sportsvenues at iso6400.

[normhead]

3D tracking is not just things moving across your view but also coming at you. Here you separate the wheat from the chaff.

First it was tracking, then it's tracking things coming at you, how far can this go? I think shooting birds in flight while shooting from a hang glider in an updraft separates the wheat from the chaff, care to up me one? How about birds in flight while shooting from a hang glider in an updraft in low light at 6400 ISO, using off camera flash... I bet that would separate the wheat from the chaff... ... lets see how much wheat and how much chaff we can separate.

[tuco]

First it was tracking, then it's tracking things coming at you, how far can this go? I think shooting birds in flight while shooting from a hang glider in an updraft separates the wheat from the chaff, care to up me one? How about birds in flight while shooting from a hang glider in an updraft in low light at 6400 ISO, using off camera flash... I bet that would separate the wheat from the chaff... ... lets see how much wheat and how much chaff we can separate.

Norm, I've pushed the shutter button on a K5. If you think your camera is good at how fast it responds in real time than you are about an order of magnitude short of what other cameras can do, seriously. So whatever dynamic shots you can get with your K5, you can up ante even more with something else.

[Jean Poitiers]

3 things i find a little bit annoying listed under the cons, which if you remove, leaves the DSLR with much lesser Cons:

• No dedicated movie shooting button
• No AF during movie shooting
• No 'live' aperture control during movie shooting

I mean, c'mon... It's a camera, not a video-camera. :/

+1 ... Agreed, video is low on my priority list ... I did NOT read all of this very late review because I do not need to be provoked into anger!

But now that I read about the battery door "bad joke", I've got to see this with my own eyes ... I have had my K-5 over 18 months without a problem, and certainly not one with the battery door! J

[Rondec]

Well, they appreciate some of the features of the K-5 II, but how on earth can the Nikon D7100 score better in "build quality" and "ergonomics"?

How on earth can in-body image stabilisation be not be one of the "Pros" in the conclusion?

How on earth can they miss to mention the f/2.8 AF area of the AF system and the fact that it at last cures all the low-light front-focusing issues that lesser designs are plagued with?

One explanation is that -- whether justifiable or not -- the Nikon D7100 must come out with 5% ahead in the overall score.

I've presented my viewpoint in a post to the review discussion thread.

In the past DPReview staff have partially acknowledged shortcomings of their reviews but only corrected spelling mistakes, not factual mistakes. They also have a history of simply ignoring valid arguments.

It is sad, that a site as important as DPreview is not the reliable, impartial source of information it could be.

Pentax is already disadvantaged in terms of exposure. They don't really need unfair reviewing on top of it.

P.S.: I just noticed that the DPreview staff honestly appear to believe that their SD card door troubles can be generalized. They write as part of the "Body & Design" description:

The battery door has a tendency to open during normal operation. Taping it shut when working in wet conditions might be prudent.

What a joke!

I read your comments and agree whole-heartedly. Clearly, the K5 II is a great sell versus the D7000 (at that point the upper end Nikon camera for APS-C), but even against the D7100, it has some very strong points and for whatever reason (I can guess), DP Review has chosen to minimize those as much as possible.

The buffer issue is a huge deal breaker to me if it would come to thinking about the D7100. It may have the best auto focus in the world and be capable of 6 fps, but for just one second of shooting. Obviously this is one of the problems with 24 megapixel files and the question of how much benefit they bring over 16 megapixels isn't really clear to me.

Anyway, I think the D7100 is a fine camera, I just think that DP Review has deliberately attempted to magnify the K5 II's flaws (few though there are) and minimize its strong points versus the competition.

[beholder3]

[[deleted]

[DSims]

3D tracking is not just things moving across your view but also coming at you. Here you separate the wheat from the chaff.

A bit of hyperbole here, in both your comment and the original. Chaff is useless, but as many of us have proven the K-5 II/s is far from it. The K-5 II offers significant AF improvements over the original K-5 in real-life use. I don't believe any serious Pentaxian has illusions that it's the best on the market. It tracks more slowly. When a runner is coming at me I only have a few chances to click the shutter - each time the AF-C refocuses. But I'm not sure I need - or even want - more shots than this.

We all work with the tools we have. But sometimes when you have to work harder it seems you get better results. And many of us are pleased and even proud of the results we get.

[mrNewt]

LOL at the battery door ... unless you accidentally hit it with a hammer ... how in the world you open it by accident?

[normhead]

Norm, I've pushed the shutter button on a K5. If you think your camera is good at how fast it responds in real time than you are about an order of magnitude short of what other cameras can do, seriously. So whatever dynamic shots you can get with your K5, you can up ante even more with something else.

tuco.. I was never under the illusion that the $799 I paid for my k-5 gave me the best of anything.....so, your mini-lecture on the draw backs of k-5s is completely inappropriate. Are you one of those people who just likes to find deficiencies and rub people's faces in it? "Hey , my $2000 camera is better than your $800 camera." Is that really necessary?

[valy]

It's my impression or there is no cons at all? Well, there are some words in the "Conclusion - Cons" section, but except moire for kiis there is nothing relevant at all.

[tuco]

tuco.. I was never under the illusion that the $799 I paid for my k-5 gave me the best of anything.....so, your mini-lecture on the draw backs of k-5s is completely inappropriate. Are you one of those people who just likes to find deficiencies and rub people's faces in it? "Hey , my $2000 camera is better than your $800 camera." Is that really necessary?

No, Norm, I'd say you are constantly defending your choice as if the little extra other cameras have is insignificant and we shouldn't bother. I'm just reminding you do not lose focus in the face of being a fanboy of a particular brand. I have both praise and criticism of each and every camera I've ever owned.