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06-23-2013, 09:45 AM   #1
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K-5 II for Wedding Photography

So, my question is quite simple !
Has anyone used the K-5 II for wedding photography in a professional level ?

Recently I was approached by a pro who was thinking about offering me a chance to work for him, at first as a 2nd photographer at weddings mainly and if all goes well I will be a permanent associate.

Now .... all my pics until now are being made (still !) by my trusty K10 !! I know that the K10 won't help me in weddings. I have tried it a couple of times at some close friends ceremonies and the camera of course is not made for that.

So, I was thinking to "invest" in the K-5II as I don't want to change system and go to cannikon, just becayse all "pros" or pros do so !
I really like Pentax and it's system and i want to stick ti that.

My main worries are the focusing capabilities of the camera, primarily. It is vital to "catch that moment" in a wedding ceremony, as it is impossible to repeat the scene !!
And secondly, how the camera works with the Metz 58 AF1 which I own. Although from what I read there aren't any major issued with that combination.

What do you guys think ... should I go for it ?

06-23-2013, 10:33 AM   #2
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Hey, way back in 2007/8 I was doing weddings with a K10d and a K100d as a back up. If anything the 6mp K100d has better noise control than the K10d but both did me proud. In fact that self same K100d is still the back up to my K5 and it gets a lot of use.
Re. Capturing the moment ? Think about how it was done in the days of manual focus. I`m talking about pre-focusing and proper use of depth of field. So, if you have doubts, stay with what you have got. Try to not go above ISO 800, preferably ISO 400 and you will be amazed at what the K10 will do.
So, what I think is - The K10d despite its high ISO noise limitations will still do you proud if used correctly. But, if you feel like upgrading, I would suggest The K5II and keep the K10 as a back up. That way you will have no/less moire problems on wedding dress veils etc and you will find the upgrade massive and totally amazing.
Good luck with your new opportunity and have fun.
Richard.
06-23-2013, 11:03 AM   #3
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I recommend getting IIs (if you can).

Moire thing is oversaturated, you won't notice it 99% of the time.
06-23-2013, 11:04 AM   #4
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Go for it!

I use two K-30's for weddings and though they could use some improvements and have issues, I get many of the critical shots. My preferred shooting style is large aperture and longer focals. Lot's of the successrate will depend on you as the photographer, as well.

06-23-2013, 11:39 AM   #5
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If you get the right lenses and learn to use it, the AF shouldn't be a problem. You can also buy a focusing screen, S type, Katzeye or something, just so you can confirm focus in the viewfinder
06-23-2013, 12:01 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by MacGreg Quote
So, my question is quite simple !
Has anyone used the K-5 II for wedding photography in a professional level ?

Recently I was approached by a pro who was thinking about offering me a chance to work for him, at first as a 2nd photographer at weddings mainly and if all goes well I will be a permanent associate.

Now .... all my pics until now are being made (still !) by my trusty K10 !! I know that the K10 won't help me in weddings. I have tried it a couple of times at some close friends ceremonies and the camera of course is not made for that.

So, I was thinking to "invest" in the K-5II as I don't want to change system and go to cannikon, just becayse all "pros" or pros do so !
I really like Pentax and it's system and i want to stick ti that.

My main worries are the focusing capabilities of the camera, primarily. It is vital to "catch that moment" in a wedding ceremony, as it is impossible to repeat the scene !!
And secondly, how the camera works with the Metz 58 AF1 which I own. Although from what I read there aren't any major issued with that combination.

What do you guys think ... should I go for it ?
I did a birthday thing w/ friends not long ago - I was bouncing flash most of the time which worked out better than I had hoped, but also played around w/ a flash modifier (kind of like a snoot, but shaped like a spoon) that I did not like too well...


k511s w 58af1

took photos at a friends wedding - was using the 77 and k5iis - really didn't have issues in terms of focus speed and/or accuracy. Maybe look at the second half of the set where the reception was - I was shooting iso 6400, 1/25th @ f2.5 to give you an idea of light levels. Since I wasn't the official wedding photog, I did not use my flash at all. That also meant I wasn't jockeying for position either. Normally I'd use 2 bodies, but I ended up not wanting to deal w/ that much gear.
wedding

Now, I'm not a pro, but hopefully these give you an idea of what this gear can do...
06-23-2013, 11:32 PM   #7
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Has anyone used the K-5 II for wedding photography in a professional level ?
Yes every month at least once if not twice as well as a k30 and( a k10 used as remote on the alter or in the choir stalls)
Bristol Wedding Photographer for samples
Alistair

06-24-2013, 12:29 AM   #8
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Thanks you all for your replies, they are really helpful !!

Getting the K5 IIs is not an option, unfortunately. Nor trying to focus manually with the K10. Weddings in Greece sometimes are really fast !!! So, I really do need fast and accurate auto focus. It looks like the K5 II can give me that and from what I see the high iso performance is not bad at all. Although I will use a flash, of course.

@Zafar Iqbal what kind of problems do your K30 has ?

The lens I have and will most probably use, is the Tamron 17-50 f2.8 and the good old Pentax 50 f1.4.

As for the Metz flash, has anyone had any problems using it with the K5 II ?
06-24-2013, 12:39 AM   #9
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I use the original K5 without problems at weddings.
My other camera on me is the K30 which i put the long lens on. The issue with the K30 is no battery grip option, and batteries die faster because the preview screen also shows the settings ( you can turn it off but when you turn the camera off it resets to being on again. I love using both but am not enjoying my DA*16-50 f2.8. that lens seems to react very slowly for me and often miss focus or not focus at all. All my other lenses are sigma which i love to bits....... so my next lens may be the sigma 18-35 f1.8 art lens :-D
06-24-2013, 12:43 AM   #10
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Lauren and Adam highlights - SB Photos

Cheryl and Andrew - SB Photos

P.S. here are a couple of weddings I have shot
06-24-2013, 01:58 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by MacGreg Quote
@Zafar Iqbal what kind of problems do your K30 has ?
Two main issues:

1. The main problem is that off center AF points tend to be less accurate and too many times, be completely off. I've done something like 20mm @ f5.6 and the focus could still be so much off that you don't have a photo. This is clearly an issue, and both my K-30's do this.

I wrote about it and showed photos somewhere but can't find the thread.

I also wrote a bit about it here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/general-technical-troubleshooting/219670-...ml#post2376782

I still use off center points, but I need to be extra careful when doing group shots.

You might think I experience most AF issues under tricky circumstances such as when things are happening fast. That's not the case. Instead I tend to get most of mis-focusing during group shots. The wider the focal I use, the more likely and the more off the focus seems to be. Stopping down is not a guarantee, expect perhaps with 17mm @ f22 :P

I do multiple shots and even though I get this a lot, I still do come out with useful shots. In my experience I need at least 5 shots - lower than that is too risky.

2. The second major problem would be focus tracking when the subject is moving away from or towards the camera. The K-30 is better than how my K-x did, but it's still far from being OK IMO and experience. There's a thread about it where many claim K-5/K-30 does the job, but I do not agree.

you can find some of my wedding shots here: http://zafariqbal.smugmug.com/Weddings

Last edited by Zafar Iqbal; 08-03-2013 at 06:25 AM.
06-24-2013, 07:17 AM   #12
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Thank you for the samples guys, they really do look great ! Seems like I will take that step and well, who knows ... even if things don't work out as I hope that they will, I will have a great camera left !
06-26-2013, 07:01 AM - 1 Like   #13
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Greg i use k5 for my work with no problems!You can check my site!All made with 2 k5's....Gallery | Dinos Cottrell Photography
06-26-2013, 08:52 AM   #14
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People have used all of Pentax's cameras for professional work. Your K10D would work without problem, but of course a newer camera will deliver faster AF, better ISO performances, and lots of bells and whistles.
06-26-2013, 09:06 AM   #15
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I've shot weddings professionally using *ist D, K10D, K20D, K7, K5 and now K5IIS. I've always had excellent results, with me being the limitation not the cameras.

The secret is to know your gear so that you can get the best out of it without losing the trust of the wedding party. If you are fiddling around and don't come across as competent you won't have completely willing subjects. If you know what the limitations of your equipment are you will get more keepers and fewer wasted shots.
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