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12-28-2016, 08:41 AM - 2 Likes   #1
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Reasons why I bought the K70

I have the K7, we have had a very fine but unusually dark winter so far and anything above ISO 320 disappoints me so I have become increasingly frustrated and made up my mind to change upwards. I take mainly landscapes and try for sea birds that pass the winter here but without much luck, they usually wing it before you can get within striking distance. I have no interest in Video and my family have no interest in photography so all I have to do is please myself. I have no interest in LiveView as that usually requires a tripod and I don't like carrying a tripod around. After all one of Oscar Barnack's reasons for inventing the 35mm camera was to get rid of the tripod he had to lug around, (OK he had a stand camera and plates as well but why worry about minor technicalities).

Any camera by any maker these days is basically a computer with lens attached and as with all computers the new model is probably entering production as the latest one is announced so I did not wish to spend a fortune on a body which will be superseded tomorrow, as others have said putting your money into glass is a better investment so I started looking at second hand models.

I looked at the K5 IIs as I liked the idea of the missing AA filter, I read all the reviews and decided that the sensor was now just a bit too old when compared to the K3 / K3 II.

The K3 series sensor is now around 4 years old and most would agree it's due for an upgrade, made more likely now that the fuss in making the K-1 is over, with my luck the K4 or whatever it's called would be announced the day after purchasing the K3 II so I decided to pass on those options as well

I was very tempted by the K-S1 as you can now get a new one on line for around €270 and the sensor seems very good and it did most of the things I wanted including being lightweight, I don't do sports photography so slow AF etc., was not a worry but what did concern me was the lack of WR, not because I stand out in the rain taking photos but because I live on the coast with very changeable fast moving weather and you can easily get caught out.

So I moved onto the K-S2, virtually same as the K-S1 with weather sealing and a better grip and now available new on line for around €480. I am not impressed by the flip out screen as I have had one of those before (on a Samsung EX1) and found that unless the screen is perfectly lined up with the camera it's difficult for me to aim the lens at the subject while looking at the screen. The difference between the K-S2 and the K70, which is now at sale prices of around €598, was working out at only €198.

So I moved onto the K70, the better sensor with increased resolutions and upgraded processor was what really tempted me, I was a bit concerned as to whether or not the sensor would be too good for my M series lenses but having read through the "Pentax Lenses on FF Club" and seeing the results when used on the K-1, admittedly by far better photographers than myself, I was happy they would stand up to it. If I can get a good image with ISO 800 I will be very happy, Pixel shift technology is very fine I suppose but not where there is constant wind and again you probably need a tripod for best results so I skipped over that feature. Built in WiFi, well I don't have a smart phone and it if I am reading the review correctly it won't transfer directly to the computer so that's something else I don't have to master. Front and back focus adjustment, nice to have if you have lenses that need it but I wonder if this is just not a way of getting around low quality control tolerances in the lens making department. Weight - about the same as the K200D and about 50g lighter than the K7, it would have been nice if it had worked out as the K-S1 but I suppose X into Y still won't go. Batteries, if it took the same as the K7, K5, K3 it would have been better, as it is, space for another set of batteries and charger will have to be found. Video, well as the staff review pointed out the video is basically behind the posse but I'm a still photographer. I have often wondered why Pentax don't take a leaf out of Leica's book and make a basic model with just the bare necessities to take still photos better than anyone else.

So I pulled the trigger, hopefully it will arrive Friday.

12-28-2016, 09:03 AM   #2
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Seems like a rational decision.
12-28-2016, 09:51 AM - 2 Likes   #3
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I think you will enjoy your K-70 I know I do. I bought mine a couple of weeks ago as an upgrade from a K-30 and so far it has exceeded expectations.

QuoteOriginally posted by PenPusher Quote
Front and back focus adjustment, nice to have if you have lenses that need it but I wonder if this is just not a way of getting around low quality control tolerances in the lens making department.
I don't think it's to cover low quality control issues at all. Every piece of equipment you buy has to have some built-in size tolerances just so that parts can fit together. What the adjustment does is allow you to fine tune your lenses to your specific body so that you can get the best possible images out of your lens/body combination. Even if all your lenses and your body were built within their design tolerances you will still get variations especially if one or the other is close to the limits and more so if the lenses are at one end of their band and the body is at the opposite end of it's band.

One of the first things I did when I got my K-70 was to test the front/back focus of all my primes (I didn't bother with my zooms). I have several test charts I downloaded from online sites and I even designed one of my own and made a foam-core stand for it and it works very well. When I did the tests for my K-30 I had a couple that needed some minor tweaking but on the K-70 I found every lens was spot on and no adjustments were necessary at all.

Have fun with your new K-70 and be sure to post some shots.
12-28-2016, 10:56 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by PenPusher Quote
I have often wondered why Pentax don't take a leaf out of Leica's book and make a basic model with just the bare necessities to take still photos better than anyone else.
I play this game from time to time; it's called "how much can they rip out of a DSLR and still leave you able to select shutter speed, ISO and aperture, and take pictures?". It is my hypothesis that given the micro-miniaturisation we have seen in cellphones over the last few years, and keeping manual actuation to recock the shutter, this bare minimum could be crammed inside the shell of a Pentax MX, all the way down to using the existing shutter speed and ISO selection dials on the camera and limiting use to film-era lenses only.There would be no screen; only a slot for a micro-SD card... or maybe a jack you could plug into where the FP port is now, since they don't make those sorts of flashbulbs anymore.

12-28-2016, 12:31 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by PenPusher Quote
I have the K7, we have had a very fine but unusually dark winter so far and anything above ISO 320 disappoints me so I have become increasingly frustrated and made up my mind to change upwards. I take mainly landscapes and try for sea birds that pass the winter here but without much luck, they usually wing it before you can get within striking distance. I have no interest in Video and my family have no interest in photography so all I have to do is please myself. I have no interest in LiveView as that usually requires a tripod and I don't like carrying a tripod around. After all one of Oscar Barnack's reasons for inventing the 35mm camera was to get rid of the tripod he had to lug around, (OK he had a stand camera and plates as well but why worry about minor technicalities).

Any camera by any maker these days is basically a computer with lens attached and as with all computers the new model is probably entering production as the latest one is announced so I did not wish to spend a fortune on a body which will be superseded tomorrow, as others have said putting your money into glass is a better investment so I started looking at second hand models.

I looked at the K5 IIs as I liked the idea of the missing AA filter, I read all the reviews and decided that the sensor was now just a bit too old when compared to the K3 / K3 II.

The K3 series sensor is now around 4 years old and most would agree it's due for an upgrade, made more likely now that the fuss in making the K-1 is over, with my luck the K4 or whatever it's called would be announced the day after purchasing the K3 II so I decided to pass on those options as well

I was very tempted by the K-S1 as you can now get a new one on line for around €270 and the sensor seems very good and it did most of the things I wanted including being lightweight, I don't do sports photography so slow AF etc., was not a worry but what did concern me was the lack of WR, not because I stand out in the rain taking photos but because I live on the coast with very changeable fast moving weather and you can easily get caught out.

So I moved onto the K-S2, virtually same as the K-S1 with weather sealing and a better grip and now available new on line for around €480. I am not impressed by the flip out screen as I have had one of those before (on a Samsung EX1) and found that unless the screen is perfectly lined up with the camera it's difficult for me to aim the lens at the subject while looking at the screen. The difference between the K-S2 and the K70, which is now at sale prices of around €598, was working out at only €198.

So I moved onto the K70, the better sensor with increased resolutions and upgraded processor was what really tempted me, I was a bit concerned as to whether or not the sensor would be too good for my M series lenses but having read through the "Pentax Lenses on FF Club" and seeing the results when used on the K-1, admittedly by far better photographers than myself, I was happy they would stand up to it. If I can get a good image with ISO 800 I will be very happy, Pixel shift technology is very fine I suppose but not where there is constant wind and again you probably need a tripod for best results so I skipped over that feature. Built in WiFi, well I don't have a smart phone and it if I am reading the review correctly it won't transfer directly to the computer so that's something else I don't have to master. Front and back focus adjustment, nice to have if you have lenses that need it but I wonder if this is just not a way of getting around low quality control tolerances in the lens making department. Weight - about the same as the K200D and about 50g lighter than the K7, it would have been nice if it had worked out as the K-S1 but I suppose X into Y still won't go. Batteries, if it took the same as the K7, K5, K3 it would have been better, as it is, space for another set of batteries and charger will have to be found. Video, well as the staff review pointed out the video is basically behind the posse but I'm a still photographer. I have often wondered why Pentax don't take a leaf out of Leica's book and make a basic model with just the bare necessities to take still photos better than anyone else.

So I pulled the trigger, hopefully it will arrive Friday.
The K-70 is in my opinion the best APS-C camera for non sports photography thanks to its great sensor, fully articulating screen, pixel shift, astrotracer compatibility and many useful live view functionality
12-28-2016, 03:18 PM - 1 Like   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by pathdoc Quote
I play this game from time to time; it's called "how much can they rip out of a DSLR and still leave you able to select shutter speed, ISO and aperture, and take pictures?". It is my hypothesis that given the micro-miniaturisation we have seen in cellphones over the last few years, and keeping manual actuation to recock the shutter, this bare minimum could be crammed inside the shell of a Pentax MX, all the way down to using the existing shutter speed and ISO selection dials on the camera and limiting use to film-era lenses only.There would be no screen; only a slot for a micro-SD card... or maybe a jack you could plug into where the FP port is now, since they don't make those sorts of flashbulbs anymore.
Well I have, somewhere, an Olympus FT half frame SLR that still works, they just ran the mirror vertically so it works in portrait format and then squeezed everything else down as far as it would go, nice camera, as Leica have proved, you don't need most of the gadgets modern cameras are filled with. Of course they then screwed up the whole thing by making the camera as heavy as possible and charging the moon for it and their lenses.

---------- Post added 12-28-2016 at 10:24 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by UncleVanya Quote
Seems like a rational decision.
Probably not, I haven't actually mentioned it yet to "the she who must be obeyed" as she's just back from causality with a sprained ankle after falling over one of the dogs in the dark last night.

Brilliant fool proof excuses for the purchase welcome.
12-28-2016, 03:36 PM - 1 Like   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by PenPusher Quote
\Probably not, I haven't actually mentioned it yet to "the she who must be obeyed" as she's just back from causality with a sprained ankle after falling over one of the dogs in the dark last night.

Brilliant fool proof excuses for the purchase welcome.
"Look honey, the photo fairy brought me a late xmas gift..."
"You look so lovely I just had to have a camera to capture it..."
"This old thing? I have had it for years, just thought I'd try using it again..."
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME..."
"I love you..."

Good luck...

12-28-2016, 06:48 PM - 1 Like   #8
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Excuses

QuoteOriginally posted by PenPusher Quote
Brilliant fool proof excuses for the purchase welcome.
At least I didn't buy a Porsche! (This works for me).
12-29-2016, 09:35 AM   #9
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"This is cheaper than the sportscar my buddies bought for his midlife crisis..."
12-30-2016, 06:20 AM   #10
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Obviously persons of vast experience with the problem.

Thank you.

The problem now is what to do with my K7, I'm thinking of keeping it for summer use with my M42 collection when the days are brighter and it can be used at low ISO ?
12-30-2016, 07:40 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by PenPusher Quote
Obviously persons of vast experience with the problem.

Thank you.

The problem now is what to do with my K7, I'm thinking of keeping it for summer use with my M42 collection when the days are brighter and it can be used at low ISO ?
Lol. Nope I'm just honest with my wife and take my lumps. She and I have a relationship that requires that. I just have an active imagination.

As for the k-7 I'm sure it will work fine but the fact that the field of view will be cropped may annoy you once you go full frame.
01-12-2017, 01:51 PM   #12
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I had a hard choice recently between a K-70 and K-3II.
K-70 is (was) $646 - new
K-3ii was $796.
$150 wasn't going to break the bank, until I checked on some specifics.
K-3ii was 'actually' $850 from anywhere reputable (still - $200 more than K-70), still reasonable.

I ended up rationalizing that I already have the K-70 batteries (from my K-30), and I don't 'need' the k-3ii. K-70 basically has the same sensor

Lastly - and I hadn't though of this as I'm not a pro, I use the onboard flash.
Since most other important features are similar - weatherproof, WiFi in included, both are 24MP, both have the same pixel shift, I don't think I really could justify the k-3ii unless I was going to use it a lot more than I do.

As a note, I'll use it for the inauguration parade this year.
01-12-2017, 05:37 PM   #13
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The main thing with any camera purchase - apart from devising a satisfactory explanation for your Significant Other - is working out what matters to you and what doesn't. You've thought about this carefully, and that's a lesson for all of us.

You might find the articulating screen more useful than you expect, even when the camera is not on a tripod. I find the one on the K-S2 very handy for low-level or high-level shots (e.g. flowers from ground level). Yes it can be tricky learning to point the camera in a different direction from the screen (especially when doing focus/recompose), but It's worth taking a few minutes to get used to it. Focus peaking in live view (where the things in focus are outlined) makes focusing a lot easier.
01-13-2017, 04:38 AM - 1 Like   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by formercanuck Quote
I had a hard choice recently between a K-70 and K-3II.
K-70 is (was) $646 - new
K-3ii was $796.
$150 wasn't going to break the bank, until I checked on some specifics.
K-3ii was 'actually' $850 from anywhere reputable (still - $200 more than K-70), still reasonable.

I ended up rationalizing that I already have the K-70 batteries (from my K-30), and I don't 'need' the k-3ii. K-70 basically has the same sensor

Lastly - and I hadn't though of this as I'm not a pro, I use the onboard flash.
Since most other important features are similar - weatherproof, WiFi in included, both are 24MP, both have the same pixel shift, I don't think I really could justify the k-3ii unless I was going to use it a lot more than I do.

As a note, I'll use it for the inauguration parade this year.
K-70 actually has a much better sensor than the K-3 II (just check dpreview comparison of ISOs) - of the level of sony A6300 and Nikon D7200.
01-13-2017, 07:43 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by anu l Quote
K-70 actually has a much better sensor than the K-3 II (just check dpreview comparison of ISOs) - of the level of sony A6300 and Nikon D7200.
Are we sure the sensor is different? I was under the impression this was likely due to improved amplification and processing.
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