[ogl]

The weaknesses of K-5 - what do you think?
What could be better?

1. no 12/14 bit RAW mode ?
2. small buffer size ?
3. weak video control ?
4. no AF in video ?
5. price? higher than 60D and D7000
6. still 1/180 x-sync
7. ridiculous speed modes - 7 fps and 1.6 fps. K-7 has 5.2 and 3.3 fps modes (and it's logical)

What is your impressions, thoughts, feelings???

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Last edited by ogl; 09-20-2010 at 11:07 PM.

[illdefined]

The weaknesses of K-5 - what do you think?
What could be better?

1. no 12/14 bit RAW mode ?
2. small buffer size ?
3. weak video control ?
4. no AF in video ?
5. price? higher than 60D and D7000

What is your impressions, thoughts, feelings???

unfortunately the only answer to all these questions is YES.

another big weakness of the K-5 that won't show up on a spec-sheet is that its not NEW. Canon and Nikon have introduced all new models, the K-5 is a de facto update of an old model. don't discount novelty and the desire for "NEW" in the mind of the consumer.

I think that the real weakness is that K-5 is too much like the products recently announced by other brands. Nothing fresh or ground breaking here. Because Pentax is not the big 2, and if they hope to knock the socks off, they cannot be putting out stuff like that. Sorry.

[wlachan]

I think the biggest con of the K-5 from a consumer pov is that it looks just like the K-7. Like the 50D, which is really too much like the 40D and people didn't perceive it was a complete upgrade. It's more of a minor updated, no matter how much more it offered under the skin. Pentax is doing this for good reason though, as it saves cost, but might not lure K-7 owners paying for another yet so similar camera.

[sjwaldron]

I think the biggest con of the K-5 from a consumer pov is that it looks just like the K-7. Like the 50D, which is really too much like the 40D and people didn't perceive it was a complete upgrade. It's more of a minor updated, no matter how much more it offered under the skin. Pentax is doing this for good reason though, as it saves cost, but might not lure K-7 owners paying for another yet so similar camera.

I wouldn't say them using the K-7 body is a negative. It's actually a positive from grip, battery, and an accessory point of view. However, I don't see how 1.5 years later they use a new sensor, upgrade the AF, 1.8 fps, and a few extras and then charge a MSRP $300 more than the K-7's MSRP when a lot of their manufacturing costs should be low (same body, same mirror box, same viewfinder, same seals, same buttons excluding 2, etc...). Don't get me wrong, I think the K-5 will be a great camera and is most likely a pretty nice improvement in some aspects over the K-7, but I'm not seeing value for my money in the purchase (especially with that new Nikon around and a price around the 7D). Now if Pentax would have placed a FF sensor in the K-7 body for $1600 - $2000, I would have been all over it. I have no desire to buy the Nikon or switch brands, but I see a good value there. That's it.

[Boris]

The weaknesses of K-5 - what do you think?
What could be better?

If Nikon can produce D7000 for USD 1,300 or thereabouts with full compatibility with old completely non-electronic glass, then so should Pentax. Gimme uncrippled mount! I could care less about the rest.

[GordonZA]

Nothing to moan about personally but I just thought I would post a moan here to make your guys feel better and not feel so alone....

[gazonk]

another big weakness of the K-5 that won't show up on a spec-sheet is that its not NEW. Canon and Nikon have introduced all new models, the K-5 is a de facto update of an old model.

The "new" 60d is so weak that it's really a competitor of the K-r. The D7000 is more similar to the K-5 than the D90 or the D300 were to the K-7. That might actually be an advantage for pentax.

[ogl]

Nothing to moan about personally but I just thought I would post a moan here to make your guys feel better and not feel so alone....

Very primitive proposition.
I never bought DSLR with price above $1000. I have camera and lenses. I never planned to buy K-5.

I'd like to undestand why Hoya has so weak marketing department.

And I'd like to know different opinions of Pentaxian.

How can BRAND launch top-camera with real weaknesses? Didn't they know about it?

[illdefined]

The "new" 60d is so weak that it's really a competitor of the K-r.

the vari-angle screen on the 60D was a first on an SLR for the big brand, and surely got some new consumers excited. video has made this feature more important and is not present in the K-r

The D7000 is more similar to the K-5 than the D90 or the D300 were to the K-7. That might actually be an advantage for pentax.

how is it an advantage at $400 more expensive?

[Wheatfield]

The weaknesses of K-5 - what do you think?
What could be better?

1. no 12/14 bit RAW mode ? GordonBGood says that 14 bit mode (only) plays a low-down trick with IQ of K-5 in some situations.
2. small buffer size ?
3. weak video control ?
4. no AF in video ?
5. price? higher than 60D and D7000
6. still 1/180 x-sync

What is your impressions, thoughts, feelings???

1) More bit depth is pretty much always better.
Seat belts kill people sometimes too.

2) Could be bigger, what might ameliorate it is faster write times.

3) Buy a video camera and stop moaning. It's a still camera first, a video camera second.

4) see above (and they put these rings on the lenses for a reason).

5) The price still hasn't been decided in reality. The price will be what it is when the camera is on the shelves, not before.

6) In reality, this is a non issue for technical reasons relating to flash equipment. Why put something on the camera that can't be used when it's really needed?
People who want 1/250th flash sync don't understand what else goes along with it, and don't understand why what they are asking for makes absolutely no sense.

[ogl]

The "new" 60d is so weak that it's really a competitor of the K-r. The D7000 is more similar to the K-5 than the D90 or the D300 were to the K-7. That might actually be an advantage for pentax.

60D is just 1100 USD. D7000 - 1200 USD.
For 1100 USD - 60D is good machine. For 1200 USD - D7000 is almost outstanding.

[johnmflores]

The biggest weakness about the K-5 is that it's not out yet! Didn't Pentax marketing know that people were going to come to conclusions about the camera even before it was released?

[ogl]

1) More bit depth is pretty much always better.
Seat belts kill people sometimes too.

2) Could be bigger, what might ameliorate it is faster write times.

3) Buy a video camera and stop moaning. It's a still camera first, a video camera second.

It seems to me I talk with mentally incompetent users...
I have video camera and I don't care about video in DSLR.

I don't moan at all. I'm sober-minded and I have no any feelings to K-5.
Neutral. I have a look at K-5 as at technical device at DSLR market. And nothing else.

[illdefined]

1) More bit depth is pretty much always better.
Seat belts kill people sometimes too.

2) Could be bigger, what might ameliorate it is faster write times.

3) Buy a video camera and stop moaning. It's a still camera first, a video camera second.

4) see above (and they put these rings on the lenses for a reason).

5) The price still hasn't been decided in reality. The price will be what it is when the camera is on the shelves, not before.

6) In reality, this is a non issue for technical reasons relating to flash equipment. Why put something on the camera that can't be used when it's really needed?
People who want 1/250th flash sync don't understand what else goes along with it, and don't understand why what they are asking for makes absolutely no sense.

all these things DO matter to the market when the K-5 will be judged against competitors who do handle these issues better, and for less money. even if most people won't use or understand these features.

looking at the prominently central new video control on the D7000 and GH1/2 with video AF tells me that the notion of "still camera first/video camera second" is short-sighted and potentially dangerous for a brand trying to effect today's market.