[jackseh]

Thanks for sharing the results. These test results provide re-assurance that K-5's autofocus system is atleast on-par, if not better, than other major brands.

This makes K-5 one of the top buys on the market with cost-performance in mind. A major step forward in putting Pentax back on the competitive roadmap for marketshare.

[dylansalt]

This makes K-5 one of the top buys on the market with cost-performance in mind. A major step forward in putting Pentax back on the competitive roadmap for marketshare.

Well I see guys are selling it over here in South Africa slightly used for approx $ 1250
It came on the shelves at $ 2125.

Unfortunately support for Pentax in SA is nil - unless one is prepared to buy grey.

[vrrattko]

Thanks for sharing Falk!

The numbers look a bit too good in favour of Pentax to be true:

Camera	% sharp	% acceptable	% not sharp
Pentax K5	62,4%	28,9%	8,6%
Sony Alpha 55	62,1%	16,4%	21,4%
Canon 7D	40,2%	29,7%	30%
Nikon D7000	35,2%	40%	24,8%

Source: vordprefect's post @ DFN.

The difference between the K-5 and the D7000 in the above numbers is quite dramatic.

Well this should be sent as some educational reading to that Nikon expert form Art of the Image. Remember the infamous video on youtube : pentax k5 trumphs nikon d7000?

[jamesm007]

Yeah, sorry, I find this a little hard to believe. But whatever, a win is a win. Wonder how many angry letters they'll get from the other camps.

I do like how the cover was STILL of the two usual brands though.

For years Pentax owners have read of SAFOX being designed for AF accuracy. My research makes me believe it. Moreover my experience with the system tells me the SAFOX system double checks a lot! If you know how to use the Pentax AF system you will not get missed shots on still or slow objects. My hit rate is seriously high on still objects. I don't get OOF shots.

The proof is in the 645D. This is a dSLR that needs a seriously accurate auto-focus system.

Every review of any Pentax bodies note its accurate AF system. However copy variance with lens and bodies play a big role in your experiance with the system. As well as your experiance with dSLRs.

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Last edited by jamesm007; 08-19-2011 at 06:23 PM.

[GrinMode]

too bad it badly needs the secondary sensor to handle front focus in tungsten.

maybe they should add it to the k-r successor

[Rupert]

Enjoyed the read.....you guys are way over my head in the technical department, but I walk away with confirmation of what I already know......my K5 shoots Squirrels with very good accuracy. No complaints here!
Best Regards & as always, Falk's dedication and knowledge is greatly appreciated.

[Pål Jensen]

The proof is in the 645D. This is a dSLR that needs a seriously accurate auto-focus system. .

Most professional photographers do not use AF (or program mode)....

[Fototim]

Not that it matters Pål, but I think your definition of pro is a bit narrow

Pros has different habits and needs, just like amateurs.

[jamesm007]

Most professional photographers do not use AF (or program mode)....

Nice try but Pros do use AF and MF and what ever they need for the job. If taking a shot of a landscape with the 645D just hand holding for a personal use (or even paid) or on a tripod the AF system has to be deadly accurate or it will show big time with that much resolution, not just mega-pixels but unreal resolution. The AF system in the 645D works for that camera. There are no complaints. There has never been complaints of Pentax not having accurate AF in any review that I can remember and I remember a lot of reviews. I am speaking of accuracy on still objects, not moving of course.

My hit rate with my K20D is near 100% on still objects. If I go to a car show I have come home with 200 pics and not a one was OOF. I did not get that type of hit rate the first time I used a dSLR... and learn.

Which brings up another subject not everyone needs are the same as the poster above states.

[Pål Jensen]

Nice try but Pros do use AF and MF and what ever they need for the job. If taking a shot of a landscape with the 645D just hand holding for a personal use (or even paid) or on a tripod the AF system has to be deadly accurate or it will show big time with that much resolution, not just mega-pixels but unreal resolution. .

Using AF for landscape is a slow and incredibly roundabout way of working. No landscape pro use AF unless they have eyesight problems. Virtually all landscapes with such large format rely on hyperfocal focusing. AF or MF must a lot off to matter....

[Rondec]

Using AF for landscape is a slow and incredibly roundabout way of working. No landscape pro use AF unless they have eyesight problems. Virtually all landscapes with such large format rely on hyperfocal focusing. AF or MF must a lot off to matter....

I have to agree with Pal with regard to the professionals who use the 645D. These guys are doing focus bracketing and layering multiple photos to get specific looks -- things that auto focus just isn't going to be adequate to do. Not saying that they never use auto focus, but when they are shooting their professional landscapes I don't think they do so much.

Obviously there are a bunch of professionals using smaller formats who do use auto focus and for whom it is paramount that it performs well.

[falconeye]

Using AF for landscape is a slow and incredibly roundabout way of working. No landscape pro use AF unless they have eyesight problems. Virtually all landscapes with such large format rely on hyperfocal focusing. AF or MF must a lot off to matter....

However, one has to acknowledge that a larger format is incredibly easier to focus, both manually and by an AF module. So, for a 645D, it won't actually matter anymore which method is used.

(I had written about a formula by how fast focus problems disappear with a larger format -- a lot faster than noise problems)

Part of the reason is that the larger format uses apertures which are similiar in millimeter-diameter but correspond to much larger f-stop numbers. The other part is that the better viewfinder (or wider AF module measurement base) allow for more accurate focussing manually (or by autofocus), at least relative to image height.

[deejjjaaaa]

For years Pentax owners have read of SAFOX being designed for AF accuracy. My research makes me believe it. Moreover my experience with the system tells me the SAFOX system double checks a lot! If you know how to use the Pentax AF system you will not get missed shots on still or slow objects. My hit rate is seriously high on still objects. I don't get OOF shots.

The proof is in the 645D. This is a dSLR that needs a seriously accurate auto-focus system.

Every review of any Pentax bodies note its accurate AF system. However copy variance with lens and bodies play a big role in your experiance with the system. As well as your experiance with dSLRs.

I tuned FA50/1.4 on K20D in a day light, left the target and tripod w/ K20D mounted intact, night came, switch tungsten bulbs on... oops, not focusing correctly... tuned for tungsten, again left the target and tripod w/ K20D mounted intact, day came - same story... so which accuracy you are talking about ? same story was w/ *istDL, K10D, Kx...

[philbaum]

I tuned FA50/1.4 on K20D in a day light, left the target and tripod w/ K20D mounted intact, night came, switch tungsten bulbs on... oops, not focusing correctly... tuned for tungsten, again left the target and tripod w/ K20D mounted intact, day came - same story... so which accuracy you are talking about ? same story was w/ *istDL, K10D, Kx...

He's talking about daylight. I don't know of any camera makes out there that focus in the same way in tungsten as in day light for phase focusing.

[Class A]

I don't know of any camera makes out there that focus in the same way in tungsten as in day light for phase focusing.

I agree with you that it makes sense to distinguish between AF accuracy for one particular type of light and for various types of light.

However, note that the K-7 and K-5 are advertised to have accurate AF independently of the light temperature. That's why they have a "+" in their "SAFOX" designations.