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04-17-2011, 01:36 AM   #1
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K-5 better than both Nikon and Canon Flagship Cameras?

Snapsort.com, in comparisons, shows the Pentax K-5 to be better than both Canon's and Nikon's Flagship / Top of the Pro cameras.. WOW.. and at half the cost. Why isn't Pentax more popular? Geesh!

04-17-2011, 01:49 AM   #2
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The only camera I can compare the K5 to is the 5D MkII and although it does not blow it away I think the 5D has better IQ but like you said it is 2x more than the K5. So taking into consideration $ then yes the K5 might be better than either Canon or Nikon (although I have never used the Nikon flagship)
04-17-2011, 02:31 AM   #3
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Hrm Snapsort says the image quality of the K-5 is better than the Canon EOS-5D Mark II--also look at the dynamic range.. More noise at higher ISO though with the K-5. From the snapsort.com site:

Last edited by geekette; 05-01-2011 at 07:43 AM.
04-17-2011, 02:40 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by geekette Quote
Why isn't Pentax more popular? Geesh!
Massively simple answer, retailers make more profit on Canon and Nikon because they have distribution and reselling deals with Canon and Nikon. So it's in their interest to sell these to consumers for their own profit rather than selling lower priced goods on which they make less.

04-17-2011, 02:49 AM   #5
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Someone told me Pentax is REALLY popular in Japan compared to USA. I wonder what percentage of sales they get in Japan versus Nikon and Canon. I wonder how Pentax fares in other countries besides US and Japan.
04-17-2011, 02:50 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by geekette Quote
Snapsort.com, in comparisons, shows the Pentax K-5 to be better than both Canon's and Nikon's Flagship / Top of the Pro cameras.. WOW.. and at half the cost. Why isn't Pentax more popular? Geesh!
There are lots and lots of reasons to buy an EOS 5d Mk2 over a K-5. It's not all about paper figures, but indeed the whole system that needs to be taken into consideration. A lot of Pentaxians need what the K-5 gives them and don't care for full-frame and what the 5D Mk2 has to offer. Similarly, the Pentax systems falls short in a lot of areas for a lot of photographes - it really depends on your needs and requirements.
04-17-2011, 03:42 AM   #7
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The Nikon 3Ds is really great if you don't mind paying for it! It will be better overall, but both body and lenses cost more.

Of course, by then you may also be considering the 645D!

04-17-2011, 03:52 AM   #8
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Big G, so with full frame, I guess there isn't a crop factor and the older lenses work better with that body? I guess this makes sense if the photographer already has a large selection of older full frame 35mm slr lenses.
04-17-2011, 04:22 AM - 1 Like   #9
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It boils down to what you need out of a camera system, full-frame or not full-frame.

With regards to the 5D Mk2 (which is over two years old and due for replacement), there are some very specialist lenses such as dedicated tilt and shift which are supremely sharp and excellent for distortion correction in wide angle landscape photography and especially in architectural photography. Other benefits (one of the reasons I invested in a Canon body to sit alongside my Pentax) are access to super telephoto lenses upwards of 300mm which Pentax don't produce, so your hand is forced into other manufacturers. Tethered shooting in the studio also appeals to the professional market and is a big plus to have out of the box. Another big pain in backside was Zeiss' eventual discontinuation of lenses in the ZK mount. Given that the Distagon is a favourite amongst landscapers, I'm not sure I would want to be without Zeiss options.

All that said, you may not care for this. As I said, you pick a camera system with what fits your needs. There is much more to a camera setup than a review sites "pros and cons" and you'd be foolish to base your choices on that alone.

The 5D Mk2 was absolutely superb when it came out in late 2008 and still holds it's head very high. Given that the K-5 is a brand new camera, you would expect it to give it a signicant run for it's money. The K-5 had to be good.

Oh, small correction, the 5D Mk2 is not Canon's flagship camera.
04-17-2011, 04:29 AM   #10
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There are reasons to go full frame over APS-C and that is really the question here. Full frame allows for more narrow depth of field shooting, larger viewfinder, better high iso shooting. Up till recently, it also allowed for more dynamic range at equivalent isos, although the new Sony sensor in the K5/D7000 is really killer in that respect.

APS-C can be a smaller package, but in general with makers like Canon and Nikon it hasn't been, since they design their upper end lenses for 35mm sensors, both with regard to focal lengths and image circle.

Obviously most of the people here appreciate Pentax, but if Hoya would spend a little in marketing, I think they have some winning cameras that people would be interested in.
04-17-2011, 04:57 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Big G Quote
Oh, small correction, the 5D Mk2 is not Canon's flagship camera.
Yeah I know. The Canon EOS-1ds Mark III is. But the Canon EOS 5d Mark II is rated higher than it on that snapsort site.

But it makes sense to me now what you said.. lens availability and what not. For my needs or potentially semi pro needs later, I think the K-X will suffice even
04-17-2011, 05:01 AM   #12
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Don't like that website comparisons anyway.

It's only good for the first glance and for comparing technical details. But they don't tell the real life performance of a camera.
04-17-2011, 05:01 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by geekette Quote
Big G, so with full frame, I guess there isn't a crop factor and the older lenses work better with that body? I guess this makes sense if the photographer already has a large selection of older full frame 35mm slr lenses.
Unless you have a lot of experience with 35mm film photography, I recommend you forget you ever heard the words "crop factor". Those words generally only cause confusion and mean nothing to someone who doesn't have the reference point of 35mm film photography. (imho, of course)

You can use virtually any lens Pentax has ever made on a Pentax dslr, although some require an adapter. All of Pentax's bayonet mount lenses fit on Pentax dslrs without and adapter and work just fine.
04-17-2011, 05:16 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Big G Quote

Oh, small correction, the 5D Mk2 is not Canon's flagship camera.
Another small correction, the K-5 is not Pentax's entry-level camera. (As stated at the bottom of the snapsort.com screenshot.)
04-17-2011, 05:43 AM   #15
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MPrince, yeah snapsort doesn't know what they are talking about.. at a minimum the K-5 is professional.. maybe not professional enough though to be compared to the top of the line Nikon and Canons due to lens availability, tethering etc.. I'd day the K-5 is better than semi-pro.
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