[twitch]

Fine! Check it out: dx0mark comparison of Pentax K-5, Sony A77, and NEX-7

The k-5 beats the a-55 by a country mile. Compared to the NEX-7 it beats it by .7 EV on dynamic range and is 10% better in relative ISO.

The upcoming Sony A99 full frame may seduce Pentax owners, (the first Sony 14 bit) but the same sensor is the one rumored to be in the Pentax full frame, but Sony is stipulating the A99 have 6 month's lead time before Pentax can use the sensor. I suspect that Pentax engineers will do more with the sensor than Sony's engineers ( as they did with the sensor in the k-x and k-5).

I'm comparing sensors not cameras, and sensors in a like for like body and like for like imaging engine. There's no question Pentax squeezed more out of the 16MP than Sony did for a few reasons 1) not having a mirror in front of it 2) ISO80 3) NR tweaks. However like for like, the 24MP sensor is "better" according to DXO scores and weighting than the 16MP sensor. That's all I'm saying, that it's a myth that the 16MP is better than the 24MP one. That 24MP sensor in the hands of Pentax will outscore the NEX7 & Pentax K-5.

So the reason the Pentax facebook person gave for not having a 24MP sensor was bogus.

[normhead]

Pentax says..

The new Auto Focus system is a complete revamp. The K-5 will boast the widest AF range of any DSLR currently available, meaning that it will focus from -3EV to +18EV.

People without even seeing it say... it's not good enough (blah, blah blah), others say "the only reason the NEX 7 isn't rated as high, (blah, blah blah.) Well, all I can say is I've never rated a camera system on (blah , blah, blah). People can have whatever ideas they want about the nature of the universe and what's good and what's not... I'm going to wait until someone has at least tried it out before I make up my mind. Secondary to that point... if a D600 comes out, I might be interested, if a Pentax FF comes out I might be interested. But, I'm not anticipating getting rid of my K-5. If you can't afford to keep an APS-c body and still get an FF, you really shouldn't even be thinking FF. It's going to cost more than you think. As of this moment I would be looking at FF (or 645) only for use with 20-31 mm for landscape and maybe an 85 or 100mm as a short telephoto/portrait lens. Once you get to 35mm as a 50mm equivalent I'm happy with APS-c. I'm happy with 16 Mp. And I'm never going to pay for an FF 300 mm 2.8 telephoto. A 70-200 2.8 on APS-c will do just fine thanks.

I don't own the 31, I don't own an 85 so, I would have to buy those lenses no matter who comes out with an FF. So I'm not really seeing what the issue is. If you really need something , just buy it. I'm not clear on why Pentax has to do it. In many cases, it wouldn't even save any money. It would be nice to use the Pentax FF lenses I own on an FF body. But it's a long way from the critical issue in deciding whether or not to go FF.

That 24MP sensor in the hands of Pentax will outscore the NEX7 & Pentax K-5.

So the reason the Pentax facebook person gave for not having a 24MP sensor was bogus.

Or the Pentax engineers tried to squeeze from the 24 what they squeezed from the 16 and were unable to produce the same results , in which case what the Pentax facebook person said wasn't bogus. You can be very quick to throw your weight behind a half thought out conclusion.

[D4rknezz]

I'd be more impressed by this claim if my classic K-5 came anywhere close to its claimed spec of focusing down to -1EV.

Using an f/2.8 lens, I can focus accurately down to about +3EV, then it starts to focus on who-knows-what somewhere in the air in front of the actual subject.

I will wait for comprehensive testing by someone who knows what to look for.

LOL.

+1

All this says is that it will focus on something - as opposed to hunting for focus at -3EV. What it will focus on? who knows what.

[pentaximus]

Everyone is threatening to jump somewhere. This Sony blogger threatens a jump to Pentax as he praises the specs of the K-5IIs.

[NickLarsson]

So the reason the Pentax facebook person gave for not having a 24MP sensor was bogus.

True, but to me giving this reason means that there is no 24Mp K-3 planned at the moment.

[tabl10s]

How did Hoya wreck Pentax? After the LX, the company came out with a bunch of Bullshit products. They shot to the top like a rocket on one product and slid back down as though they were on an icy slope...backwards. How many times can you be late to the party or late to the wedding? They'll probably be late to the funeral too. I wait with baited breath to see what falls off the K-3 next.

BTW, I don't know why everyone is raving about the MP's of the '800. Doesn't Sigma have a 41 MP DSLR?

[D4rknezz]

As always, great argument from you Norm. I agree - so I got a D800.
I hate the colours. Weird, it would come from a photoshop person like myself - but it adds hours to my PP. I want Pentax to come up with whats missing from its component - I see that its more likely for Pentax to come up with a better system than Nikon to change its colours. Also, my first camera - and the reason I am in so much debt - I want Pentax to succeed I see a company being pushed ahead by its customers through a healthy mix of supporters and haters of whatever it does.

Pentax says..



People without even seeing it say... it's not good enough (blah, blah blah), others say "the only reason the NEX 7 isn't rated as high, (blah, blah blah.) Well, all I can say is I've never rated a camera system on (blah , blah, blah). People can have whatever ideas they want about the nature of the universe and what's good and what's not... I'm going to wait until someone has at least tried it out before I make up my mind. Secondary to that point... if a D600 comes out, I might be interested, if a Pentax FF comes out I might be interested. But, I'm not anticipating getting rid of my K-5. If you can't afford to keep an APS-c body and still get an FF, you really shouldn't even be thinking FF. It's going to cost more than you think. As of this moment I would be looking at FF (or 645) only for use with 20-31 mm for landscape and maybe an 85 or 100mm as a short telephoto/portrait lens. Once you get to 35mm as a 50mm equivalent I'm happy with APS-c. I'm happy with 16 Mp. And I'm never going to pay for an FF 300 mm 2.8 telephoto. A 70-200 2.8 on APS-c will do just fine thanks.

I don't own the 31, I don't own an 85 so, I would have to buy those lenses no matter who comes out with an FF and who doesn't. So I'm not really seeing what the issue is. If you really need something , just buy it. I'm not clear on why Pentax has to do it. In many cases, it wouldn't even save any money. It would be nice to use the Pentax FF lenses I own on an FF body. But it's a long way from the critical issue in deciding whether or not to go FF.



Or the Pentax engineers tried to squeeze from the 24 what they squeezed from the 16 and were unable to produce the same results , in which case what the Pentax facebook person said wasn't bogus. You can be very quick to throw your weight behind a half thought out conclusion.

[bennygoerlach]

I'm happy with all the releases overall. 8 new products is a lot of stuff from a company that people considered dead and buried 18 months ago.

Although it would have been nice to hear about a Pentax FF in this batch of new releases, I am still hopeful they will show a prototype of a FF at Photokina, I remember reading not long ago, that if Pentax were to use the new Sony FF sensor, they would have to Wait 6 months before releasing their own FF DSLR with the same Sensor in it, so as not to detract from Sony's FF release. If thats the case then we could still see a Pentax FF prototype at Photokina. Fingers crossed

[mysticcowboy]

Those who think Pentax FF will come out this year is absolutely out of their minds! There is no WAY a FF will come out this year. Wait until Photokina and just see! Should've known that in the first place and jump ship along time ago. Next year Pentax will announce a FF and who knows whether they will release it that year or not. For what I know is Pentax will probably start announcing FF zooms here and there until next year where they will announce FF.

I'm not looking for a FF, the Sony 24 MP sensor would be good enough. Focus peaking, a faster processor, autofocus in movie mode, a dedicated movie record button, swivel LCD, more autofocus points, a 35mm equivalent lens are all things that would help. Something to show that Ricoh is working on pushing Pentax.

[7samurai]

OK, OK. The K5 is a very nice camera, I like it alot. But people got to admit this is a bit sad as pentax's latest and greatest. There is still the possibility of something even better this year, we will see soon. At the very least they should have gave it focus peaking and improved video. Looks like Pentax had some spare parts left and had to use them up. I think the K-3 will be sweet when/if it comes out.

If it's the flagship, it should be the flagship. It should not have less video features than the K-01/K-30. It should have focus peaking. Did time stop for the K-5 in 2010?

[kenyee]

so I got a D800.
I hate the colours

Out of curiosity, what don't you like about the colors? That's the only Nikon I've seen that seems to have decent skin tones

p.s., FWIW, I'm a bit disappointed in the K-5 II (aka "better" AF) as well...they really needed a new smaller AF sensor site size w/ more points. The K-IIs looks like what they should have released as the K-5II instead...removing the AA filter should make it quite a bit sharper and if they did it right like the D800e, there will be barely any moire. And I'm surprised it doesn't have focus peaking for AF as well...

[D4rknezz]

Out of curiosity, what don't you like about the colors? That's the only Nikon I've seen that seems to have decent skin tones

p.s., FWIW, I'm a bit disappointed in the K-5 II (aka "better" AF) as well...they really needed a new smaller AF sensor site size w/ more points. The K-IIs looks like what they should have released as the K-5II instead...removing the AA filter should make it quite a bit sharper and if they did it right like the D800e, there will be barely any moire. And I'm surprised it doesn't have focus peaking for AF as well...

Sure . Pay close attention to the right arm here - its flat. Greyish. Worse, pay attention to the edges of the highlights around that right arm. Image came straight out of camera. Exif is on the flickr site
I have tried all the 4 or 5 different auto setting in the Nikon, and nothing came out right. Luckily the dynamic range is good - i can fix this in raw - but i am always happy with how Pentax's contrast come out straight out of camera.

Worse? The Jpeg is worse than the Nef files, I find, and both are worse than the preview, lol. In the preview I get great contrasty image - and then i download it, and then I feel down for a few minutes before i set to work. With Pentax, I set myself to work feeling happy, lol.

[jsherman999]

I'd be more impressed by this claim if my classic K-5 came anywhere close to its claimed spec of focusing down to -1EV.

Well, this new K-5 II might get close to -1EV now!


.

[sb in ak]

As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke...." Using that though train, they took an awesome camera and fixed the number one complaint: the AF. If the AF ends up rocking and the lens button stays on, it might just be the best APS-C DSLR ever. I don't see the move to 24MP as completely necessary and I wasn't a big fan of swivel screens, etc as it seems like one more thing to break.

A few things do strike me as odd though: no focus peaking or Prime M, both of which are on the lower K30. What gives? It strikes me that perhaps these K5 IIs are holdovers of sorts. Perhaps what ever camera they had in the wings wasn't quite ready so they figured they could repackage a K5 with a few tweaks until the real flagship arrives.

But anyways. I'm still content shooting on my K5.

[bossa]

Everyone is threatening to jump somewhere. This Sony blogger threatens a jump to Pentax as he praises the specs of the K-5IIs.