K5 or K7 for baseball?

ncinshore · 06-10-2011, 06:54 AM

I currently have a kx, and am looking to upgrade. It feels a bit small in the hand, and I will need two bodies this summer, and the kx will serve as a back-up. I will be shooping little league baseball, what camera is the best choice. I will be shooting from on field at the sidelines, any lens recommendations? thanks

RonHendriks1966 · 06-10-2011, 07:05 AM

Hi,
well the K-5 is better for this job then the K-7 (for wich you can also make good sportspictures).

For lenses that is always difficult. How much light is there and how much distance do you really want to stretch out over the field with your lens without having the little leage as little dots on the screen.

I have for indoor purpose FA*85mm/f1.4 and for outdoor either DA*50-135mm/f2.8 or DA*60-250mm/f4. So having some reach is nice. If you want to go cheaper then 55-300mm is one lens to think about.

In other brands there are lenses like 70-200mm/f2.8 used often for sports or for longer reach, but at cost for light to choose something like 150-500mm or 120-400mm or 70-300mm.
Wich lenses do you already have?

**Aristophanes** · 06-10-2011, 08:02 AM - **1 Like**

For baseball?!

Glove, bat, ball. Not a camera. You'd likely get beaned or leave glass everywhere.

dmc · 06-10-2011, 08:08 AM

Originally posted by Aristophanes

For baseball?!

Glove, bat, ball. Not a camera. You'd likely get beaned or leave glass everywhere.

Good one, you made my day!

jake14mw · 06-10-2011, 12:20 PM

The K-5 is definitely the way to go for baseball. I had a K-x for a little while, and it was too small for me as well. I'm dying to upgrade to the K-5, and I hoping the size is big enough to keep my hand from cramping up.

I have taken a ton of LL Baseball pictures. The ideal lens in my opinion is the Sigma 100-300 f4. It's discontinued though, and I don't know what your budget is. You could try one of the 70-200 2.8 lenses, I've tried using them, but it's usually not on the camera very long before the 100-300 goes back on. It simply doesn't have the reach necessary to fill the frame shooting accross the field. There are plenty of times when I want more than 300 too.

If you're on a tighter budget, then the Pentax 55-300 is a nice lens for the money. I used a Tamron 70-300 for a while, and that served me well for the price, but I quickly wanted more out of a lens.

KxBlaze · 06-10-2011, 03:29 PM

The K5 is better for every single photography job known to man. The camera is just that much better than the Kx or K7 so definitely go with the K5.

But I will say that the Kx does a great job for shooting sports. I have shot football and baseball and have had really good success. I used my 70-300 Tamron but if I could afford it I would go with a much better zoom lens, maybe the Bigma or something similar.

InlawBiker · 06-10-2011, 04:19 PM

I shoot a lot of my kids playing sports, baseball among them. I used a K200d and now have a K-7 on the way (bought off the market here), mostly for speed and larger burst buffer. Baseball is the easiest of the sports to shoot because there's ample light. I use the 50-200mm WR almost exclusively for outdoor stuff. I really like this lens, it's probably my most used of all I've ever owned. People with kids playing sports will know why.

As far as which camera to choose they will all take good photos in outdoor light and a good lens. There is nothing wrong at all with the Kx for this purpose, it takes close to 5fps and good movies if you're into that.

I'm struggling a little to figure out exactly how much better the K-5 would be than the K-7 at shooting outdoor baseball. Using the same exact lens I would say- not much difference.

But of course the K-5 is a better camera in every way that counts, so if the roughly $700 price difference is not a big deal I would just get a K-5. Anybody who buys a K-7 will inevitably end up with a K-5 anyway. Personally I'm just choosing to wait a while.

hcc · 06-10-2011, 04:36 PM

The key issue with the OP is: daytime baseball or nightitme?

For daytime, the K-7 is an excellent choice. +1 with Inlawbiker. For nighttime, the K-5 may work better. Ultimately the lens selection is probably more important.

JHD · 06-10-2011, 05:17 PM

Originally posted by hcc

The key issue with the OP is: daytime baseball or nightitme?

For daytime, the K-7 is an excellent choice. +1 with Inlawbiker. For nighttime, the K-5 may work better. Ultimately the lens selection is probably more important.

That is the issue.

Chaos_Realm · 06-10-2011, 07:56 PM

Originally posted by KxBlaze

The K5 is better for every single photography job known to man. The camera is just that much better than the Kx or K7 so definitely go with the K5.

I agree with this as well. I have the K-7 and have shot some indoor basketball and I felt I was being limited by the camera ISO. I don't like the K-7's noise above ISO 800 and I resorted to shooting with my FA77 f/1.8 and was still having to push the ISO to 1600 to reach a compromise between motion blur and ISO noise that I could handle. But this scenario is tough with any APS-C sensor. Ideally a FF camera matched with fast glass would be what you would use.

Originally posted by hcc

Ultimately the lens selection is probably more important.

I think your right on the money. As Halving the f stop gives the same result as quadrupling the ISO from memory. So if you shot a scene with a f/5.6 at ISO 1600 you could shoot the same shutter speed with a f2.8 lens at ISO 400. Huge benefit in Noise. Or from another perspective you could get a lot more flexibility with Shutter speed.

But At the end of the day It all boils down to how much money your willing to throw at it.

ncinshore · 06-10-2011, 09:31 PM

Thanks for the help! Most of the time it will be daytime, but every now and then a game drifts in to the evening. As far as lenses, I have the 55-200, but I definitely think I need a lens that can stop down further.

To respond to getting clobbered on the side-line, I will be getting nailed with baseballs as often as the base coaches do....hardly ever....haha

I won't need an awful lot of reach, since I will be shooting from say, 1st or third base-ish to the plate. Thanks again for the help!

Nowhere Matt · 06-11-2011, 04:59 AM

It sound like you hope to upgrade and performance really does not have to be an issue. I think you want an upgrade based more on comfort of the camera in hand and the security of having two bodies.
What has been brought up here and well should be is that the camera you have, and in fact many Pentax dslr cameras would be capable of the task you expect. If your main goal is to work taking photos during little league. You already have a good camera for that and you should perhaps be thinking about lens options instead.
On the other hand it seems to me that you are somewhat disappointed by the physical size of your K-x. Whether that is a perceived insecurity or the thing has somehow shrank since you bought it.
Or, you are hoping to take pictures and collect fees or have taken the responsibility of capturing still images of game play and any downtime for camera repairs would be unacceptable. Hence a desire to have at least a working body for every game.
If you are upgrading just because you have the income available, there is no reason not to get a K-5. If you are upgrading cause you think your K-x is not capable of delivering great images, consider your lenses instead.

Northern Soul · 06-11-2011, 05:09 AM

I have a K-7.

There is no doubt in my mind that the K-5 is the better camera for everything - but it costs more.

Only you can decide if the extra cost is worth it to you. If you're a multi-millionaire it almost certainly will be. If you're as skint as I am, it won't be.

freddykrueger · 06-11-2011, 06:09 AM

Definitelly get the K-5 because of the better and faster AF performance. Of course you also need a good lens.

**andre-mz5** · 06-13-2011, 03:08 AM

If you have and can spend the $$$ then the K5 is defintely the best option, due to it's better and faster AF system and higher FPS rate. When the game drifts into the evening the execellent sensor will help because you can raly use that high ISO with the fast shutterspeed.
I think that the DA 55-300 would be your best choice as it hast the best price/performance in my opinion of all the Pentax zooms. When you will be behind 3rd base the DA 55-300 will be a nice lens to capture home and the actions at 1st and 2nd base. Behind 1st base that would be home, 3rd and 2nd.

06-10-2011, 06:54 AM	#1
ncinshore New Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 16	K5 or K7 for baseball? I currently have a kx, and am looking to upgrade. It feels a bit small in the hand, and I will need two bodies this summer, and the kx will serve as a back-up. I will be shooping little league baseball, what camera is the best choice. I will be shooting from on field at the sidelines, any lens recommendations? thanks

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06-10-2011, 07:05 AM	#2
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Hi, well the K-5 is better for this job then the K-7 (for wich you can also make good sportspictures). For lenses that is always difficult. How much light is there and how much distance do you really want to stretch out over the field with your lens without having the little leage as little dots on the screen. I have for indoor purpose FA85mm/f1.4 and for outdoor either DA50-135mm/f2.8 or DA*60-250mm/f4. So having some reach is nice. If you want to go cheaper then 55-300mm is one lens to think about. In other brands there are lenses like 70-200mm/f2.8 used often for sports or for longer reach, but at cost for light to choose something like 150-500mm or 120-400mm or 70-300mm. Wich lenses do you already have?

06-10-2011, 08:02 AM - 1 Like	#3
Aristophanes Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Photos: Albums Posts: 3,948	For baseball?! Glove, bat, ball. Not a camera. You'd likely get beaned or leave glass everywhere.

06-10-2011, 08:08 AM	#4
dmc Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Calgary, AB Canada Posts: 76	Originally posted by Aristophanes For baseball?! Glove, bat, ball. Not a camera. You'd likely get beaned or leave glass everywhere. Good one, you made my day!

06-10-2011, 12:20 PM	#5
jake14mw Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Connecticut, USA Posts: 977	The K-5 is definitely the way to go for baseball. I had a K-x for a little while, and it was too small for me as well. I'm dying to upgrade to the K-5, and I hoping the size is big enough to keep my hand from cramping up. I have taken a ton of LL Baseball pictures. The ideal lens in my opinion is the Sigma 100-300 f4. It's discontinued though, and I don't know what your budget is. You could try one of the 70-200 2.8 lenses, I've tried using them, but it's usually not on the camera very long before the 100-300 goes back on. It simply doesn't have the reach necessary to fill the frame shooting accross the field. There are plenty of times when I want more than 300 too. If you're on a tighter budget, then the Pentax 55-300 is a nice lens for the money. I used a Tamron 70-300 for a while, and that served me well for the price, but I quickly wanted more out of a lens.

06-10-2011, 03:29 PM	#6
KxBlaze Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,602	The K5 is better for every single photography job known to man. The camera is just that much better than the Kx or K7 so definitely go with the K5. But I will say that the Kx does a great job for shooting sports. I have shot football and baseball and have had really good success. I used my 70-300 Tamron but if I could afford it I would go with a much better zoom lens, maybe the Bigma or something similar.

06-10-2011, 04:19 PM	#7
InlawBiker Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Seattle, WA Photos: Gallery Posts: 123	I shoot a lot of my kids playing sports, baseball among them. I used a K200d and now have a K-7 on the way (bought off the market here), mostly for speed and larger burst buffer. Baseball is the easiest of the sports to shoot because there's ample light. I use the 50-200mm WR almost exclusively for outdoor stuff. I really like this lens, it's probably my most used of all I've ever owned. People with kids playing sports will know why. As far as which camera to choose they will all take good photos in outdoor light and a good lens. There is nothing wrong at all with the Kx for this purpose, it takes close to 5fps and good movies if you're into that. I'm struggling a little to figure out exactly how much better the K-5 would be than the K-7 at shooting outdoor baseball. Using the same exact lens I would say- not much difference. But of course the K-5 is a better camera in every way that counts, so if the roughly $700 price difference is not a big deal I would just get a K-5. Anybody who buys a K-7 will inevitably end up with a K-5 anyway. Personally I'm just choosing to wait a while.

06-10-2011, 04:36 PM	#8
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	The key issue with the OP is: daytime baseball or nightitme? For daytime, the K-7 is an excellent choice. +1 with Inlawbiker. For nighttime, the K-5 may work better. Ultimately the lens selection is probably more important.

06-10-2011, 05:17 PM	#9
JHD Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,406	Originally posted by hcc The key issue with the OP is: daytime baseball or nightitme? For daytime, the K-7 is an excellent choice. +1 with Inlawbiker. For nighttime, the K-5 may work better. Ultimately the lens selection is probably more important. That is the issue.

06-10-2011, 07:56 PM	#10
Chaos_Realm Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,251	Originally posted by KxBlaze The K5 is better for every single photography job known to man. The camera is just that much better than the Kx or K7 so definitely go with the K5. I agree with this as well. I have the K-7 and have shot some indoor basketball and I felt I was being limited by the camera ISO. I don't like the K-7's noise above ISO 800 and I resorted to shooting with my FA77 f/1.8 and was still having to push the ISO to 1600 to reach a compromise between motion blur and ISO noise that I could handle. But this scenario is tough with any APS-C sensor. Ideally a FF camera matched with fast glass would be what you would use. Originally posted by hcc Ultimately the lens selection is probably more important. I think your right on the money. As Halving the f stop gives the same result as quadrupling the ISO from memory. So if you shot a scene with a f/5.6 at ISO 1600 you could shoot the same shutter speed with a f2.8 lens at ISO 400. Huge benefit in Noise. Or from another perspective you could get a lot more flexibility with Shutter speed. But At the end of the day It all boils down to how much money your willing to throw at it.

06-10-2011, 09:31 PM	#11
ncinshore New Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 16 Original Poster	Thanks for the help! Most of the time it will be daytime, but every now and then a game drifts in to the evening. As far as lenses, I have the 55-200, but I definitely think I need a lens that can stop down further. To respond to getting clobbered on the side-line, I will be getting nailed with baseballs as often as the base coaches do....hardly ever....haha I won't need an awful lot of reach, since I will be shooting from say, 1st or third base-ish to the plate. Thanks again for the help!

06-11-2011, 04:59 AM	#12
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362	It sound like you hope to upgrade and performance really does not have to be an issue. I think you want an upgrade based more on comfort of the camera in hand and the security of having two bodies. What has been brought up here and well should be is that the camera you have, and in fact many Pentax dslr cameras would be capable of the task you expect. If your main goal is to work taking photos during little league. You already have a good camera for that and you should perhaps be thinking about lens options instead. On the other hand it seems to me that you are somewhat disappointed by the physical size of your K-x. Whether that is a perceived insecurity or the thing has somehow shrank since you bought it. Or, you are hoping to take pictures and collect fees or have taken the responsibility of capturing still images of game play and any downtime for camera repairs would be unacceptable. Hence a desire to have at least a working body for every game. If you are upgrading just because you have the income available, there is no reason not to get a K-5. If you are upgrading cause you think your K-x is not capable of delivering great images, consider your lenses instead.

06-11-2011, 05:09 AM	#13
Northern Soul Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The North of England Photos: Albums Posts: 494	I have a K-7. There is no doubt in my mind that the K-5 is the better camera for everything - but it costs more. Only you can decide if the extra cost is worth it to you. If you're a multi-millionaire it almost certainly will be. If you're as skint as I am, it won't be.

06-11-2011, 06:09 AM	#14
freddykrueger Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Czech Republic Photos: Gallery Posts: 80	Definitelly get the K-5 because of the better and faster AF performance. Of course you also need a good lens.

06-13-2011, 03:08 AM	#15
andre-mz5 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Eindhoven Photos: Gallery Posts: 268	If you have and can spend the $$$ then the K5 is defintely the best option, due to it's better and faster AF system and higher FPS rate. When the game drifts into the evening the execellent sensor will help because you can raly use that high ISO with the fast shutterspeed. I think that the DA 55-300 would be your best choice as it hast the best price/performance in my opinion of all the Pentax zooms. When you will be behind 3rd base the DA 55-300 will be a nice lens to capture home and the actions at 1st and 2nd base. Behind 1st base that would be home, 3rd and 2nd.