[wallygoots]

Hey all,

The initial charge takes like 5 hours! Does it always take that long? It's dark now, so I'll have to wait till tomorrow to play. The camera is smaller than it looks in pictures, but with the venerable Pentax-A 35-105mm f3.5 on it, it's really hefty feeling. I know that lens is heavy, but the camera also feels very robust (like my E-1).

So, I perused all 40 pages of the K5iis picture thread for inspiration. Thanks for taking great shots and inspiring us all--especially those of us who are waiting for a brown box to arrive. This is my first new camera in 10 years, so I'm pretty excited about the IQ upgrade and to learn a new system.

Cheers, Seth

[Adam]

The initial charge takes like 5 hours! Does it always take that long?

Pretty much- if you only have one battery, it's a good idea to get a spare later on so you never have to wait.

[asahi67]

Bought a new K5II in October 2013, supplied battery was a dud, vendor replaced and as per info in user's manual took a full 6 hours to charge. Bought a battery grip and spare battery shortly after. Love the grip, makes the camera feel like my LX with the winder grip on it. In November 2013 bought the K3 and ordered a battery grip and spare battery for it also. Both batteries took 6 hours to reach full charge. In March purchased various plug adapters for Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam as my spouse are headed there in 4 days...have prepped as much as possible but for now still in Victoria, BC...shit still in Victoria...soon to be on the Mekong---enjoy your new 'jewell'

[foto guy]

The longer the charge time, the longer it lasts in the field. And always have at least one spare.

[Oldbayrunner]

Hey all,

The camera is smaller than it looks in pictures, but with the venerable Pentax-A 35-105mm f3.5 on it, it's really hefty feeling. I know that lens is heavy, but the camera also feels very robust (like my E-1).

The battery is geared for 980 shots so they do take a tad bit of time the first charge. Slap a Bg4 or a knock off Bg4 on that baby and it will feel & look very robust. You'll love this camera it is a lot better than the OLY E1, E3 or even E5. I owned the E1 and E3 prior to switching.

[wallygoots]

Thanks OldBayRunner,

I believe this is a much better camera and quite an upgrade for me in IQ, however, I will struggle to get good glass on it due to my limited budget. I'm basically starting over what took a decade to build with Zuiko glass. But hey, life is good and the K5iis has some really nice engineering touches. Tav for starters is brilliant.

The LCD lights up all the time, will that run the battery down much quicker? I don't see a way to turn it on just to have a look (say for night shooting).

[savoche]

The LCD lights up all the time, will that run the battery down much quicker? I don't see a way to turn it on just to have a look (say for night shooting).

Yes, it definitely eats battery. And I hate having the screen light up whenever. I've configured mine to never switch on unless I specifically press the review button (or any other function that needs the screen, of course). I don't remember where in the menus it is, but the option is definitely there.

[Oldbayrunner]

Take look for some of the older Pentax SMC F lenses they can be found pretty cheap and work well on dslr's, such as the SMC Pentax-F 35-70mm F3.5-4.5. It's a bright really fast focusing lens with decent IQ. I bought a couple that were with Pentax AF Slr's cheap.

Take a look at this one;
http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Pentax-SF10-35mm-SLR-Camera--Tamron-Lens-16996054.html

I haven't found mine taking the battery down with normal usage much but I have it shut off more for convenience. Of course if you use it and Live View quite often then it uses more battery power, which is another reason I got the Bg4 and a couple of extra batteries just in case.

Tap your info button until the Lcd shuts off. Once you have shut it off via the info button it wont come back on unless you tap the info button. On restart the Lcd will only show the initial settings then go off after a couple of seconds or you can tap the ok button to turn that off immediately . Also you can control the illumination of the top LCD or shut it off in C-4 LCD Panel Illumination.

Another item to consider getting is an ACMaxx Screen protector or something compatible. here's the site but you can purchase it a couple of dollars cheaper on Ebay. They stand by their product is why I like them and it works great.
ACMAXX LCD ARMOR Features
http://www.acmaxx.net/pentax_k5_2.html

[calicojack]

I'll second the recommendation for the ACMAXX screen protectors. I put a set on my K10D when I got it in 2007. They are still in great shape today. It's also the first thing I bought for my K5II when I got it.