Here is a chart comparing the Pentax K-5 with the Pentax K-7 and the Pentax K20D.

Click here to compare other Pentax DSLRs.

	Pentax K-5	Pentax K-7	Pentax K20D
Year introduced	2010	2009	2008
Availability	Worldwide	Worldwide	Discontinued
Mount	KAF2 (exposure mode limitations with M and K series lenses)	KAF2 (exposure mode limitations with M and K series lenses)	KAF2 (exposure mode limitations with M and K series lenses)
Meter range	0 to 22 EV	0 to 21 EV	0 to 21 EV
Meter pattern	m (77 segments) c s	m (77 segments) c s	m (16 segments) c s
ISO range (expanded)	100 - 12800 (80 - 51200)	100 - 3200 (100 - 6400)	100 - 3200 (100 - 6400)
Expanded dynamic range	Yes, highlight and shadow	Yes, highlight and shadow	Yes, highlight
Exposure modes	Green, HyP, Sv, Av, Tv, TAv, HyM, X, B	Green, HyP, Sv, Av, Tv, TAv, HyM, X, B	Green, HyP, Sv, Av, Tv, TAv, HyM, X, B
Exposure compensation	+/-5 EV	+/-5 EV	+/-3 EV
Exposure lock	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shutter speeds (auto)	30s - 1/8000s (stepless)	30s - 1/8000s (stepless)	30s - 1/4000s (stepless)
Shutter speeds (manual)	B, 30s - 1/8000s	B, 30s - 1/8000s	B, 30s - 1/4000s
Continuous shooting	Hi: 7 fps to 22 frames (JPG), 8 frames (PEF/DNG), Lo: 2 fps until card is full (JPG), up to 12 frames (PEF/DNG)	Hi: 5.2 fps to 40 frames (JPG), 15 frames (PEF), 14 frames (DNG) Lo: 3.3 fps until card is full (JPG), up to 17 frames (PEF/DNG)	Hi: 3 fps up to 38 frames (JPG), 14 franes (PEF), 16 frames (DNG) Lo: 2.3 fps until card is full (JPG) Burst mode: 21 fps up to 115 frames (1024 x 1536 JPG)
Self timer / Interval shooting	Yes / Yes	Yes / Yes	Yes / Yes
Mirror lock-up	Yes	Yes	Yes
Shake reduction	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto bracketing	Yes (2, 3 or 5 frames)	Yes (3 or 5 frames)	Yes (3 or 5 frames)
HDR mode	Yes	Yes	No
Multiple exposures	Yes	Yes	Yes
Built-in flash	Yes, GN 13	Yes, GN 13	Yes, GN 13
TTL flash	No	No	No
P-TTL flash	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sync speed	1/180s	1/180s	1/180s
Flash exposure comp	-2 to 1 EV	-2 to 1 EV	-2 to 1 EV
Autofocus	Yes (SAFOX IX+, 11 focus points, light wavelength sensor)	Yes (SAFOX VIII+, 11 focus points)	Yes (SAFOX VIII, focus 11 points)
Autofocus sensitivity	-1 to 18 EV	-1 to 18 EV	-1 to 18 EV
Autofocus with SDM	Yes	Yes	Yes
AF Assist	Dedicated lamp (can be disabled)	Dedicated lamp (can be disabled)	Yes, stroboscopic flash
Front/Back focus corr	Yes	Yes (adjustments for up to 20 lenses)	Yes (adjustments for up to 20 lenses)
Power zoom	Limited	Limited	Limited
Lens correction	Yes	Yes	No
Viewfinder	0.92x, 100%	0.92x, 100%	0.95x, 95%
Viewfinder type	Pentaprism	Pentaprism	Pentaprism
Diopter adjustment	-2.5 to +1.5	-2.5 to +1.5	-2.5 to +1.5
AF Points in viewfinder	Yes	Yes	Yes
Exchangeable screen	Yes	Yes	Yes
Depth of field preview	Yes	Yes	Yes
Digital preview	Yes (with image magnificaion)	Yes (with image magnificaion)	Yes (with image magnificaion)
Live view	Yes	Yes	Yes
Video/Movie Mode	1960x1080 (16:9 Full HD) at 25 fps 1280x720 (16:9) at 30 or 25 fps 640x480 (4:3) at 30 or 25 fps HDMI out	1536x1024 (3:2) at 30 fps 1280x720 (16:9) at 30 fps 640x416 (3:2) at 30 fps HDMI out	No
Sound in Movie mode	Stereo (external mic) Mono (built-in mic)	Stereo (external mic) Mono (built-in mic)
Camera controls	2 control wheels. Many dedicated buttons	2 control wheels. Many dedicated buttons	2 control wheels. Many dedicated buttons
Custom Functions	40 (Five programmable USER Settings)	37 (One programmable USER Setting)	36 (One programmable USER Setting)
Sensor	16.28 MP CMOS with SP coating	14.6 MP CMOS	14.6 MP CMOS
Image size	15.7 x 23.7 mm	15.8 x 23.6 mm	15.8 x 23.6 mm
Dust removal / alert	DRII (ultrasonic) / Yes	DRII (ultrasonic) / Yes	Yes / Yes
Pixel mapping	Yes	Yes	Yes
File format	DNG, PEF, JPG, AVI	DNG, PEF, JPG, AVI	DNG, PEF, JPG
Memory card type	SD, SDHC (max. 32GB), SDXC via firmware update	SD, SDHC	SD, SDHC
Tethering	No	No	Yes
Back LCD	3 in. 921,000 pix	3 in. 921,000 pix	2.7 in. 230,000 pix
Top LCD	Yes	Yes	Yes
Weather resistant	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery	D-LI90 lithium-ion rechargeable	D-LI90 lithium-ion rechargeable	D-LI50 lithium-ion rechargeable
Battery grip	D-BG4 with D-LI90 or 6x AA	D-BG4 with D-LI90 or 6x AA	D-BG2 with D-LI50
Size (W x H x D)	130.5 x 96.5 x 72.5 mm	130.5 x 96.5 x 72.5 mm	141.5 x 101 x 70 mm
Weight	660 g (740 g with battery and SD card)	670g (750g with battery and SD card)	715 g
Comment	Program lines: Auto, Normal, Action, Depth of field (two), MTF. Extra flash functions: Wireless, High-Speed, Contrast control. Exposure modes with M and K lenses:Restricted to Av (with aperture always wide open) and M. Movie mode: The exposure value is fixed during recording. Color depth: 3 x 14 bit (RAW). Shutter life: At least 100,000 actuations. Other: Embed copyright information in EXIF. Image plane indicator. In-camera RAW development. Save last jpg as RAW. The RAW button is customizable and can perform a variety of functions, hereunder exposure bracketing. High ISO noise reduction is customizable separately for each ISO setting. The 11 autofocus points cover a wider area of the image than on previous models.	Program lines: Auto, Normal, Action, Depth of field (two), MTF. Extra flash functions: Wireless, High-Speed, Contrast control. Exposure modes with M and K lenses: Restricted to Av (with aperture always wide open) and M. Movie mode: The exposure value is fixed during recording. Color depth: 3 x 12 bit (RAW). Shutter life: At least 100,000 actuations. Other: Embed copyright information in EXIF Image plane indicator In-camera RAW development	Program lines: Normal, Action, Depth of field, MTF. Extra flash functions: Wireless, High-Speed, Contrast control. Exposure modes with M and K lenses: Restricted to Av (with aperture always wide open) and M.

[akanarya]

thanks for info and work

[PropFan]

Very helpful. Thanks.

Very interesting, thanks. However, while the K-5 is obviously superior to the K-7 like it was superior to the K20D, a comparison chart like this makes the changes from one generation to the next look fairly small. Evolution, not revolution.

[bigowl]

Thanks. Very interesting.

[bdery]

Dump question... what's Flash exposure comp? First time I hear of it. My camera has it apparently

[rrm]

nice. thanks for the work. any chance of adding the k10 to this comparison?

[Adam]

See Pentax K-5, Pentax K-r & Pentax K-x - Pentax Camera Comparison - PentaxForums.com if you'd like to do your own comparisons (BETA).

[jamesm007]

Very interesting, thanks. However, while the K-5 is obviously superior to the K-7 like it was superior to the K20D, a comparison chart like this makes the changes from one generation to the next look fairly small. Evolution, not revolution.

For a Photographer the changes may be smaller than superior. Superior is a very strong word that may not apply to all photographers. Take the K-7. I was all excited when it was being introduced only to discover its CMOS sensor was inferior(?) to the K20D CMOS sensor (I know really it's fairly close). In any case my research and many others pros research did discover an increase in noise compared to the K20D. So for my shooting which is 90% non-action the K-7 was not an upgrade for me. My hands also preferred the K20D grip (with battery grip, which I could not try when I was trying out the K-7, so...).

Marketing wants you to think as you are. The next dSLR is superior. Truth is although the K-5 high ISO shots are great and this will probably be the one I get (I will still keep the K20D as a backup) its ISO3200 pics are not of the same quality as ISO400 it seems. There is noise and NR will reduce detail.

OK look at it this way. The 645D does 1.1fps, can't do ISO1600 anywhere near as good as the K20D, K-7 or K-5. Is it better or worse than the K-5? It depends on the photographer and their needs.

This chart sums it up nicely. Your paying for high ISO which you may or may not need, and tons of JPEG features. There was performance improvments such as the metering. Many shoot RAW as me. IS the K-5 a step up, yea this one seems to be. But was the K-7 superior to the K20D, not when I tried them for my needs. Thats why I waited. I got the 3 year warranty for the K20D, still have 17 months of warranty on my K20D .

None of those cameras in USA English is superior to the other, it depends on the photographer. The chart is non-subjective and just shows you what you are really paying for. I don't get OOF shots with my K20D for my type shooting! I don't need ISO6400 unless its as clean as ISO100. Same with 645D buyers the IQ has to be the best for every pic.

Once you start thinking each camera that comes out is superior to the previous you are locked into the upgrade game of the manufacture. And you forget you can get equal pics from both except BIF I hope with the K-5 I hope it can track much better. But other than that, and high ISO shooting. The pics are up to the Photographer not the camera. Its designed to get into your wallet. A technology upgrade game.

[ChrisJ]

Low noise high ISO shots opens up a whole range of benefits, you can photograph interiors without flash and still have little noise, good for wedding photographers, faster shutter speeds when using long lenses in less than perfect light etc., all with little noise penalty. Think of the saving you make not having to buy wide aperture lenses. OK I know they have DOF and selective focus advantages.

I shoot a lot of bracketed shots for HDR, low light shots have always been a problem, now I can leave ISO on Auto with a maximum of 1600 and the camera will bracket shots using ISO and won't slow the shutter speed until it has too, this means, with the help of 7 fps, I can rattle off 3 exposures +/- 2 stops in less than a second even in low light, few problems with ghosting, no pre treatment of the images for noise required.

And I haven't mentiond the much increased Dyanmic Range, the K5 is not just a 'cosmetic' upgrade, in my view it's a paradime shift.

Chris

[Bailchaser]

Thanks for this chart.

[dosdan]

[K-5] its ISO3200 pics are not of the same quality as ISO400 it seems

No camera's ISO3200 setting is as good as its ISO400 setting. Let's assume that we take a "well exposed" shot at both ISOs. There are 1/8th the number of photons in the ISO3200 shot as in the ISO400. Since this is "well exposed" shot, photonic shot noise (a property of light itself) will be the dominant noise source. (Read noise is present in the shadows, not in the well exposed parts of the image, and is very low in the K-5 anyway.) The shot noise rises at the square-root of the number of photos. So while there is more shot noise in the ISO400 shot (8x the number of photons as in the ISO32000 shot, so 2.8x more shot noise), the ratio of Signal to Noise is 8:sq-root(8) = 2.8:1 better. So the ISO400 shot will always look cleaner than ISO3200 on any decent camera.

While above ISO1600 on the K-5 has non-defeatable NR at the raw level, remember that high ISO in any DSLR is achieved by digital multiplication, not analogue gain. (The digital-gain switch-over point varies from model to model: ISO800-ISO1600 is typical. The D7000, although using the same sensor as the K-5, only appears to use digital gain at all ISO levels.) So an ISO1600 shot, shot at -1EV Comp and boosted +1EV in PP, will have the same rendered brightness as the ISO3200 shot, but no raw NR, and it will have more clipping headroom. (Since the ADC input level was -1EV lower, the possibility of specular highlights being clipped in the raw file itself from ADC clipping is also lower, and if using raw, you can apply a different tone response curve, when applying the +1EV in PP, so reducing the likelihood of highlight clipping in the final rendered image.)

Be aware though, that raw NR, since it is applied before demosiacing, should be less visibly destructive than NR applied after demosaicing i.e. to a 16-bit TIFF file.


Dan.

[Piscator]

Dan,

I only followed about 50 percent of your post because math makes me sleepy. Are you suggesting that a high-ISO image from my K-7 should look nearly as good after proper post-processing as one straight from a K-5, since the K-5 image's lack of noise is largely the result of in-camera processing (albeit pre-mosaicing)?

v/r,

Rick

[k5astro]

Would it be possible to add the K5-II? I'm thinking of upgrading from the K20D.

[Adam]

Would it be possible to add the K5-II? I'm thinking of upgrading from the K20D.

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