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04-30-2011, 06:03 PM   #1
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I finally got my K7! I upgraded from the Kx and I LOVE IT!

I had my Kx for a little over a year and it has been a great camera. The sensor rocks and the high iso is insane for the entry level price. I have more experience in photography now (I shoot portraits) and wanted a more professional body. I read and read about how the K7 high ISO is horrible and I was scared at first to make the jump but I decided since I don't shoot high iso often enough I should try out the K7 (in case anyone is wondering, I didn't buy the K5 because I wanted the K7 and a nice lens instead).

I got the K7 today and I LOVE IT VERY MUCH! When I picked up the camera, right away I felt the difference, it feels more pro (which I read online before) and there are sooo many more buttons for quick access to settings (metering, AF Mode, AF select), it has 2 dials, the top LCD, the higher res screen, the HDMI port. Oh and the option for a battery grip is nice. I bought one and it's on its way in the mail. I have large hands so it will be nice to have a better grip on the camera.

Another thing is the build quality is awesome. Pressing the buttons on the K7 felt verrrry nice, it has a push back that screams quality. It's hard to explain but it just feels like it should, the Kx felt cheaper.

Lens focus adjust with memory!!! This is huge for me! I have a FA 50mm f1.4 that back focused a lot and I was able to use a hack for the Kx to adjust my focus but it didn't save the settings for specific lenses so if I used my Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 my focus would be way off because of the setting saved for the FA 50mm (this would be a disaster if I was on a shoot and forgot to change the settings back for my Tamron because all my shots would be out of focus) . The K7 saves my setting for my 50mm when I slap that lens to the camera I know the focus will be correct because I adjusted it, when I put my Tamron on there the setting is back to normal for that Tamron because the K7 remembers the adjustment.

ISO TEST - This is the part everybody talks about most with the K7. Is the Kx better than the K7 in High ISO? Yes, there is no question BUT the K7 is not that bad. I did comparison tests using RAW files with no noise reduction applied and I can honestly say I felt comfortable with the ISO on the K7 up to ISO 3200. ISO 6400 is horrible and I would probably never use it but ISO 3200 is fine with my if I need it. I was scared about the K7 because of the bad High ISO I heard about but I am pleased to say that it is not that bad and for what I need my camera for, 95% of my shots can be done without needing ISO 6400, I have no problem using ISO 3200.

Dynamic Range - The K7 doesn't have the dynamic range of the Kx at High ISO's, you can tell the difference but it's not that bad to where you can use the image. I think you have more leeway with exposure in Lightroom when using the Kx. I will usually adjust the exposure on my pictures maybe 2-3 stops MAX, I try to get my exposure right in camera to avoid the post editing on exposure so it's not a big problem for me that the K7 dynamic range isn't as good. At ISO 1600 and ISO 3200, the dynamic range drops a lot but that is for shadow areas mostly that I saw, not a deal breaker.

So there you have it, my quick review of the K7. Overall I rate it very highly and I will not be going back to my Kx. After handling the K7, it just won't feel right holding the Kx. It's like going from a Honda to a Mercedes for me.

Thanks jlstrawman (fellow Pentax Forums member) for the great buy!

04-30-2011, 10:15 PM   #2
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Interesting, I went from the K-7 to the K-x (and then the K-r and now the K-5). Good luck with your new camera. =)
04-30-2011, 11:03 PM   #3
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Looking forward to your first images with it.
05-01-2011, 06:34 AM   #4
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Glad to hear that you are happy with your K-7. I made the same transition and had similar feelings about the K-7 compared to the K-x.

05-01-2011, 09:08 AM   #5
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Glad your are happy with your K-7. It is a more than capable camera and probably the best value on the market. The K-5 is a better camera, but its just not $1,000 better IMHO.
05-01-2011, 02:49 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Winder Quote
Glad your are happy with your K-7. It is a more than capable camera and probably the best value on the market. The K-5 is a better camera, but its just not $1,000 better IMHO.
And a big +1 to everything he said. That they can be picked used with low mileage for $600 really underscores best (make that extreme) value.
05-01-2011, 02:58 PM   #7
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Congrats - yes the K-7 is a real pleasure to use. I love mine too.

05-01-2011, 03:03 PM   #8
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Well done. I am delighted for you. The K-7 is a great camera and I strongly agree that it one of the best value for money dSLRs on the market right now.

I think that the discussion on high-ISO was often too narrow with not enough focus on the real applicationsL i.e, low ligh conditions.

Yesterday I shot over 300 photographs of volleyball in a very poorly lighted indoor hall with my K-7. Using the right lenses, I got close to 1/3rd of good shots, and most discarded shots were blurry, because I chose wrong settings (mea culpa): human errors, not camera issue.
05-01-2011, 03:21 PM   #9
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I think the high-ISO issue is a little overblown for MOST application. 3200 is pretty much the limit for the camera, but if properly exposed even 3200 is usable for some applications. If you are a zone system photographer the K-7 is a solid performer. The combination of control, build quality, price, & performance is just about perfect for a small carry around DSLR.

If you don't nail exposure then the K-7 lacks the latitude of some other cameras when it comes to recovering the image.
05-01-2011, 04:29 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Winder Quote
I think the high-ISO issue is a little overblown...
I think it is exceedingly overblown... if you think about it, the K-7 is far more capable than any camera from the era of film at high ISOs.
05-01-2011, 05:10 PM   #11
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Thanks guys. Yup, it's great camera. The fact that it doesn't have as good high iso and leeway of the Kx, Kr, or K5 I think is better for me. It will make me focus more on exposing the shot right instead of getting lazy and hoping to fix it in LR and PS.

I bought a Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 yesterday, I'm gonna get it next week. Can't wait to see how it performs on the K7!
05-01-2011, 05:47 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by crossover37 Quote
Thanks guys. Yup, it's great camera.

I bought a Sigma 50-150mm f2.8 yesterday, I'm gonna get it next week. Can't wait to see how it performs on the K7!
Where did you find the lens and how much was it? Do you know if they have any more?
05-01-2011, 07:28 PM   #13
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I bought it from a private seller here on PentaxForums for $660, I jumped on it as soon as I saw the post. Those are hard to find and is an equivalent alternative to the DA* 50-135mm f2.8 without the SDM issues from what I've heard. I'm pretty excited to get it.
05-02-2011, 11:02 AM   #14
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Even on k-x, I rarely shoot over ISO 800, so high ISO is not an issue. However, DR is entirely different game. I compared against friends K-7 and k-x DR is definitely better compared to k-7 even at lower ISO.
05-02-2011, 06:33 PM   #15
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Here’s just a few of the advantages the K-7 has over the K-x…

- weather sealing
- better AF accuracy
- faster AF
- more FPS
- more accurate exposure
- much quieter shutter
- better AWB
- bigger (100%) and brighter viewfinder
- superior LCD
- direct control buttons
- magnesium alloy body
- spirit level
- 77 segment meter vs. 16 segment meter

As an owner of both cameras there is no comparison between the two. The K-7 is a semi professional camera and K-x is an entry level camera - which feels like a toy by comparison.
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