[CHaling]

What do you think is best for a beginner as I ruled out Canon and Nikon the Pentax K5 or K-r please adivse a newbie. Thank you

[aurele]

both are awesome DSLR, but each offer something a bit different :

the k-r is perfect for beginners, simple to use, but offer enough to progress a lot in all aspect of photography.

the K-5 target more the advanced photog or those you need a resistant body to mud, weather, humidity.

The price is not the same too.

As i said both are great, but you need to determine you need, and explain us if you have any kind of background in photo (either SLR, point and shoot, bridge, etc ...)


And BTW, change the title of the thread in something like "K-r or K5, help me choose". It's more catchy

[kenafein]

The K-r is better for a beginner, but get the K-5 and you'll grow into it. Just have someone knowledgeable check it out. I got a bad copy of the K-5 and had to return it.

[baro-nite]

aurele sums it up well. I would only add, while the K-5 has advanced capabilities and more options for manual control, it can still be used in automatic modes to act effectively like a point and shoot. So it's probably not a bad learner camera either.

[jatrax]

What do you think is best for a beginner as I ruled out Canon and Nikon the Pentax K5 or K-r please adivse a newbie. Thank you

That depends entirely on what you want to do with it. If you intend to really learn photography not just use it as a big point and shoot then the k-5 may be worth the investment. If you are going to put it into 'green mode' or 'auto' or use any of the various 'scene' modes then get the k-r.

Both the k-r and the k-5 can be used in manual modes such as M, Av, Tv but only the k-r has the 'user friendly' scene modes like 'snow' or 'food' or whatever. Both will give you great image quality and the ergonomics are similar except the k-5 is heavier and has more advanced controls.

I started with a k-x and it took me 2 years to learn enough to feel I could appreciate a k-5. Bought the k-5 on Cyber Monday sale.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

Both of them can be run in program mode from the start and can be used without any prior knowledge of DSLRs. Both of them offer much more and a long learning curve once you start to explore, the K-5 of course even more so than the K-r.

[kswier]

It all depends on what is important to you. When I was looking for a camera a few years ago, I was trying to choose between the k200D (the K-r of the time) and the k20D (the k-5 of the time). Since having my K200D, I have learned some things about what is important to me in a DSLR.

Some points to consider:
- Both cameras can take great photos, and great artistic photos (so can my 3 year old k200D). Do not make your decision based on picture quality.
- From pictures I have seen, both cameras are good enough at high ISO shooting (something I wish my k200D was better at).
- Basically, I do not think picture quality should be a deciding factor
- I don't buy into the idea of growing into a camera (as you mature as a photographer, you need a better camera). The k-r can do everything a k-5 can do (at least all the important functions). The rest comes down to ergonomics, build quality, and the bells and whistles that you find important.

Some differences:
- The k-5 is weather sealed (I found this feature helpful when hiking in the rain; my k200D was soaked but I did not have to worry)
- The k-5 has a quieter shutter (Something I will find important in my next DSLR, as I am self conscious when shooting in quiet places)
- The k-5 has a top screen
- The k-5 has more buttons and dials (I have never felt held back because my k200D has one dial, so I would not use this as a deciding factor, though others opinions may differ)
- The k-5 is more expensive!!! Would the money be better spent on a higher quality lens (that's the way to get better picture quality)?
- Does the k-5 have better auto-focus speed/accuracy than the k-r? ( I am unsure about this one)

When making my decision, I chose the cheaper model. My two reasons is that the cheaper model had enough IQ and I did not know what I wanted in a camera yet. At the time, I also figured that sensors were improving quickly and video modes were being added, thus I wanted a camera I would not feel bad selling in a few years (my k200D has a max ISO of 1600). In my opinion, the low light capability of cameras today is good enough. If I had to choose between a k-r and k-5 today it would be a k-5 because of its quiet shutter, weather sealing, and top LCD display (makes it easy to see settings). If I had to purchase a new system today, I would wait and see what mirror-less cameras were offered (because I value small size and a quiet shutter).

Also don't forget about resale value. When I purchased my k200D, it was an older model. I can now sell it for about $150 less than I purchased it for (3-4 years later). Have you thought of going with a used k-x while you figure out what aspects of a camera are important to you? If you decide you want a k-5 in a year, sell the k-x at minimal loss, and purchase a used k-5 (at a significant markdown). Put the extra money toward lenses.

Also, think though which lenses you may want to purchase. I almost purchased a DA* lens with my camera. Later I found out I valued small size. Thus I was happy I started with a kit and explored before making any large purchases.

Anyway, these are my thoughts. I hope they help you think through the camera buying process.

[Docrwm]

That depends entirely on what you want to do with it. If you intend to really learn photography not just use it as a big point and shoot then the k-5 may be worth the investment. If you are going to put it into 'green mode' or 'auto' or use any of the various 'scene' modes then get the k-r.

Both the k-r and the k-5 can be used in manual modes such as M, Av, Tv but only the k-r has the 'user friendly' scene modes like 'snow' or 'food' or whatever. Both will give you great image quality and the ergonomics are similar except the k-5 is heavier and has more advanced controls.

I started with a k-x and it took me 2 years to learn enough to feel I could appreciate a k-5. Bought the k-5 on Cyber Monday sale.

Agree 100% with the above. Went through the same process too (with a K-r thrown in the middle) and bought my K5 on CyberMonday as well.

[kswier]

That depends entirely on what you want to do with it. If you intend to really learn photography not just use it as a big point and shoot then the k-5 may be worth the investment. If you are going to put it into 'green mode' or 'auto' or use any of the various 'scene' modes then get the k-r.

Also, if you are just looking to use the camera as a fancy point and shoot, I would not recommend getting a DSLR. Instead, go for a quality point and shoot. You will save a lot of money and have a more portable camera.

I just have horror images from a conference I attended a couple of years ago. There were many people with DSLR cameras who where trying to shoot a landscape photo with flash (I am assuming they were in auto picture mode). The worse part is they did not realize that the flash would not help with this picture (multiple people were doing this). I was a bit horrified that there are people who could spend ~$1,000 on a camera and never learn how to use it.

I suppose my point is if you are going to spend money on a DSLR, please take some time to learn a bit about photography (at least enough to be dangerous; my current state). Any DSLR will produce wonderful images in the right hands (particularly if you use a good lens).