[Mlcinema]

As above. Should I get the K5 or the K30?

Thank you.

[Adam]

As above. Should I get the K5 or the K30?

Thank you.

Tell us something about your needs and photo experience, or read the K-30 review for a K-5 comparison:
Pentax K-30 Camera Review - Introduction - PentaxForums.com

[Mlcinema]

Well, I am new to DSLRs for photography. I have used a 5DmkII for my movies, but I have always used Pentax for photography. I don't know how to use a DSLRs to its full potential. Are the top LCD screens a must. What benefit do they offer? I want the camera to last me a very long time. I guess I'm just looking for any information I can get.

Thank you.

[kiwi_jono]

I would not say (personally) that the top LCD screens are NOT a must. I find they can be convenient to have while working on tripod but personally I could live without one.

As far as long life goes, the K-5 has the better build versus the K-30 and generally considered to be more rugged. Also the K-5 has better extension possibilities (optional grip, external microphone socket, tethering etc). On the other hand the K-30 has some new features that the K-5 does not have (like focus peaking in Live View and improved autofocus is low light).

[Khashoggi]

I would not say (personally) that the top LCD screens are NOT a must. I find they can be convenient to have while working on tripod but personally I could live without one.

As far as long life goes, the K-5 has the better build versus the K-30 and generally considered to be more rugged. Also the K-5 has better extension possibilities (optional grip, external microphone socket, tethering etc). On the other hand the K-30 has some new features that the K-5 does not have (like focus peaking in Live View and improved autofocus is low light).

That's personal indeed of course. For me it's needed when I'm on location without tripod or mono pod, so it's easier&quicker to watch for battery life&memory. But if it's really necessary, the K30 doesn't have one, so you end up with the K5.

As I haven't used the K5 that often as I would've liked, I loved it when I started with the camera, and still do, well, if I look what I had before, the K200 of Pentax. Less flash needed. Have no experience with the K30, but the K5 had even more then what I was searching for in the first place. But it had as said more then I needed but it had the main things I did need, for example a stronger batterygrip, and the store said I could've waited for the K30, but there were no possibilities for a batterygrip and the screen on top was missing. Didn't know anything about the K30 and only know things from this board, reviews and the stores. I haven't regret buying the K5. But the main problem was that the K30 wasn't really released yet here in the Netherlands when I bought the K5 at the beginning of July. So I couldn't test it.

[StephenHampshire]

I have a K5 and k30, The top LCD screen is a nice to have, but not essential. Pluses for the K30 are focus peaking (I have a lot of manual glass) and af is improved, seems faster generally and better in low-light compared with the K5. The K5 however is quieter, has a highr maximum frame rate and a much bigger RAW buffer (25 or 26 vs 7 or 8 shots)
I don't miss the battery grip on the K30 as I rarely use on on my K5 (although strangely I did on my K2O!) The standard batteryu on the K5 lasts an age, the K30's runs out a lot quicker. So if action photography is your thing, and you want to shoot RAW, the K5 would be my choice. If you use a lot of manual focus lenses, the K30 is probably a better bet.

[LeDave]

If you're going to use manual focus lenses, then I must say that the K-30 is a must! I thought Focus Peaking is absolutely amazing ever since I've seen a video of it in use. On the other hand you might be used to the big and heavy body of the 5DMK2 so I would say the K-5 might be a consideration with the battery grip.

You Tube

You Tube

[Lurch]

I'll keep this short; but when I went in to the local camera store - it came down to these two too.
The killer for me was top LCD and lack of battery grip.

[furryurry]

K-5:....14bit ....NO focus peaking ... Top LCD ...........AF ..........quiet shutter .....Grip compatibility ......D-LI90, AA's with grip .......MJPEG .AVI ..................PRIME II
K-30...12bit ......Focus peaking ......no top LCD ... faster AF .... not so quiet ............No grip ......................AA batteries ..........MPEG4 AVC/H.264 ......MOV PRIME M

for more info
Pentax Cameras | Pentax K-5 vs. Pentax K-30 vs. Pentax K-01 - Pentax DSLR Comparison - PentaxForums.com

[steve.rand]

I'm having the same dilemma.

I bought my istDL brand new and now i'm looking for a replacement. I want the option of AA's (because I can buy them anywhere when I run out of juice), I want a battery grip (or just grip, with shutter button), I would really like proper H264 video but at very least 30fps 720p, and a top LCD.

No Pentax has all that, and to make it worse noone sells Pentax cameras anymore (at least not in a retail shop). Pentax Australia are making it very hard for me to stay Pentax (which sucks, because I have some nice lenses!) but I have never EVER seen an ad for Pentax cameras on Australian TV. I have seen HEAPS for Canon and Nikon, and now Sony have DSLR's in the shops... so there goes some *more* market share. I asked a couple of retailers why they don't have any gear or don't keep it on the shelves, and they just said that Pentax is not as popular or are harder to sell or sit around too long. I like the idea of being an elitist or DSLR snob, but not at the cost of ending up with something that doesn't have what every other Joe Blow has for many hundreds of dollars less!

You know i'd jump all over a K-30 even though it has no top LCD (WHY!??) if there were a grip for it. The ratio of portrait vs landscape shots I take is almost 50/50.
The K-5 II looks really, really nice, but then it's gone backwards to a mono microphone, MJPEG compression, and doesn't have the basic K-30's 60fps 720p capability. Ontop of that, i'd be stuck with a proprietary battery pack that, if were to run out of power, leaves me stuck with a powerless camera.

So far i've gone without sensor-cleaning technology, shake reduction, weather-sealed bodies, video recording and i've put up with crappy PEF files for 7 years... I would really like to try all these new advances in DSLR tech but I just don't know what to do now... I *might* have a look at those other brands a bit more closely. =-[

[Mlcinema]

Decisions are hard.

[Khashoggi]

Decisions are hard.

Is there a shop near you who sell Pentax camera's? If so, go and try them both for a moment. Then you also have a feeling with how they are in your hand and how it works.

[sterretje]

I bought a K5 shortly after it came on the market. If however, at that time, the K30 would also have been on the market, I would have bought the K30. The K-r that was at the market at that time as the other Pentax camera did not suite my requirements, but the K30 does.

I will miss the top LCD but can live without it.

[steve.rand]

My update:

I've bought a Nikon D7000 with an 18-200mm lens. I've ordered a battery grip (which allows another lithium battery or 6xAA's).
I'll start selling my Pentax lenses and buying Nikon ones now. Sad to leave Pentax, but it seems that's what Pentax Australia wants me to do. =-[

[dcBear78]

Who in Australia buys stuff locally? Amazon and eBay are my suppliers so far.