[stevebrot]

What bothers me is the lenses are noisy and focusing is hit or miss.

Not my experience. I shoot alongside my Canon and Nikon friends and my keeper rate is the same or better. BTW...they are always complaining about missed focus.


Steve

[tvdtvdtvd]

You're familiar with this guy from the future?

That soda keg is just frightening. Can't say I have any interest in the lens itself, but I am glad
it will appease the punters. Once done, they can get to work on something truly interesting and
useable, like a fast limited ultra-wide.

[gaweidert]

Have you tried your Ricoh 50mm lens on your K5-IIs? I have a Rikenon 50mm f2.0 that works great on mine. Tack sharp. You just manually focus and go from there. I also have the Sigma 17-70 and like it a lot too.

[Ptr_Mrtn]

Definitely check out the Samyang/Rokinon 8mm Fisheye! It's amazing for skateboarding

I would disagree. The distortion is too panoramic and pleasing to the eye. For skateboarding you generally want a more dramatic distortion in the corners like the Pentax 10-17mm.

---------- Post added 12-04-14 at 10:56 AM ----------

The main issue with shooting Pentax and skateboarding is that the flash sync is slower than the competitors. The flash sync is very important in keeping the ambient blur down when lighting with flashes during the day. Not only does a slower sync kill less of the ambient light, it makes it more blurred as well! Hopefully Pentax will come out with a camera that has 250th sync in the future..

[ChristianRock]

So Pentax is basically a shortstop before moving to Sony?

Well I hope you enjoy your stay, and maybe, depending on what Pentax releases next year, you might end up staying

I'd have to say that the K-5 IIs with the Tamron 17-50 2.8 will probably make a killer setup for skating shots. Relatively compact and light, too. The thing with going to Sony FF is that once you have a 2.8 zoom on it, it's no longer nice and light...

[Venom3300]

welcome to the forum.

I too was a long time canon user. I shot a film rebel GII from 2003-2009. Then a rebel xxi from 2009-2013. 50D 2013-2014. and now a K-5.

Im in college and on a budget, but not that I have learned a lot of basics I look for a lot bang for the buck out of a system. I shoot a lot of wildlife, and high ISO is important. That is something canon is behind in big time. While the 7DII has improved that, its way out of my budget, and it still lacks dynamic range. I realize its a sports and wildlife camera where DR isn't supper important... but Im not a pro so I need a do it all camera.

After looking around, I rented a k-5 to compare side by side to my 50D. The rest is history.

[Sportsgal501]

welcome to the forum.

I too was a long time canon user. I shot a film rebel GII from 2003-2009. Then a rebel xxi from 2009-2013. 50D 2013-2014. and now a K-5.

Im in college and on a budget, but not that I have learned a lot of basics I look for a lot bang for the buck out of a system. I shoot a lot of wildlife, and high ISO is important. That is something canon is behind in big time. While the 7DII has improved that, its way out of my budget, and it still lacks dynamic range. I realize its a sports and wildlife camera where DR isn't supper important... but Im not a pro so I need a do it all camera.

After looking around, I rented a k-5 to compare side by side to my 50D. The rest is history.

I went out to the Central Park Zoo yesterday for some "real" test shots, I'm totally pleased with my decision to switch.

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[Ptr_Mrtn]

I shoot skateboarding

Post skate photos to my new thread "Skateboarding Photography"! Just search for it!

[ChristianRock]

I went out to the Central Park Zoo yesterday for some "real" test shots, I'm totally pleased with my decision to switch.

That's a cracking picture. I've always loved the colors from the "Rodney Dangerfield" of Pentax lenses, the 50-200. It gets no respect probably because it's cheap... but I think it's a pretty good lens for what it is! And its big sister the 55-300 is faster at similar focal lengths in general, and just a bit sharper, so it's always the favorite child (as far as kit lenses go)...

[Medomare]

Nicely done photo! I mysalef am on the same track of switching from Canon to Pentax, I just need a robust field camera and am confident that the K-3 will do the job.

Marko

[Nicolas06]

I would disagree. The distortion is too panoramic and pleasing to the eye. For skateboarding you generally want a more dramatic distortion in the corners like the Pentax 10-17mm.

---------- Post added 12-04-14 at 10:56 AM ----------

The main issue with shooting Pentax and skateboarding is that the flash sync is slower than the competitors. The flash sync is very important in keeping the ambient blur down when lighting with flashes during the day. Not only does a slower sync kill less of the ambient light, it makes it more blurred as well! Hopefully Pentax will come out with a camera that has 250th sync in the future..

Maybe I don't get it, but if you want less ambiant light on a flash shoot, you just lower the isos or close the apperture. If you want to keep shallow deph of field and there far too much light, I have the impression you need a high end flash that can do high speed sync and so allow you to shoot at 1/2000 if necessary.

I mean, between 1/180 & 1/250, there only 0.5stop, that not a big difference. But going high speed synch would allow you to get 5.5 stops up to 1/8000.

[MSmith1915]

Hi!

I had been shooting with Canon since 1998-2014 my first Canon was the Rebel G 35mm film camera.
When I graduated from 8th grade (Catholic School) my parents bought me a Ricoh KR-5 Super which I used from 1979-1998,so I'm not too much of a stranger to Pentax. After three months of researching and comparing, going to Photo Plus Expo than lifting and messing with buttons. I finally picked up a Pentax K-5IIs DSLR.

I didn't think changing cameras would be such a big deal but it was, it pretty much boiled down to the Canon 7D,7DMarkII,Nikon D7100,Pentax K-3 and the Pentax K-5IIs.I wanted to stick with Canon because I didn't want to start purchasing new lens, but I also wasn't too thrilled with the choices I had and the budget I wanted to stay under. The clear choices would be the 7D (five years old) or the newer version 7D Mark II, even with it's minimum upgrade it is still a stellar camera. Until you pick it up, their cameras are getting heavier my 50D is already heavy enough.
Cons: Heavy, poor battery life, Heavy

I scribbled Canon off the list, Nikon D7100 was next, light weight, ergonomically nice in my hands but 6FPS too slow, I shoot skateboarding and was currently shooting 6.3 I needed something a little faster or about the same speed. Nikon gets scribbled off the list, which leave me with Pentax. I liked the weight of the k-5IIs,DxO gave the sensor (Sony) a grade of 82 which is right up there with the Canon 1Dx and 5D Mark III. DPreview gave it a gold star which made picking this camera no brainer.

I'm glad to be back with Pentax/Ricoh!

Welcome to the Pentax Family. You will not be disappointed.

[Sportsgal501]

Welcome to the Pentax Family. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you for the warm welcome so far I'm pleased with my Pentax.

[polur101]

Welcome to the forum. One thing that i like about the Pentax menus is how intuitive it is. Some people think it is sub par but for me it works fine. Canon also had a nice user interface. I did not care much for the Nikon UI.

I switched form Canon too. My last camera was a 6D which was an amazing camera in low light. My first Pentax was a K5iis then the K3. If you want the faster frame rate, k3 is your camera.

Pentax is lacking in a couple of key lens areas. The one I miss the most is the a pro-level fast focusing 70-200. I guess they are coming up with one soon. If you need the range and can find the latest Sigma 70-200. Get it. It is fast and has excellent glass.

K3 tracking is not that great. Nikon is the king when it comes to motion tracking. My Canons sucked too in that department. Maybe I need to do more exploring to the get it right with K3. I tried the K3 at a wedding and the church tracking shots were 90% off which was a bummer. I was using the FA limited lenses. Perhaps that had something to do with it as the lenses are old style, screwdriver system.

Let us know how it turned out with moving subjects and tracking. I would be curious to know if there is routine or technique that works so I can also use it for better tracking shots.

"Pentax is lacking in a couple of key lens areas. The one I miss the most is the a pro-level fast focusing 70-200."

That is unfair. Canikon 70-200 is a full frame lens. Pentax DA star 50-135 gives the same angle of coverage in a 1.5x cropped frame. Pentax bet the farm on cropped sensor on DA line of lenses. I doubt if they will ever make 70-200 without a full frame in mind. It is a tough market out there for camera makers. Smartphones are eating their lunch. Pentax (my love) has been like a foster child, going from house to house shunted by child protection agency. Pentax needs a home, loving parents and this child can do wonders.

[Nicolas06]

"Pentax is lacking in a couple of key lens areas. The one I miss the most is the a pro-level fast focusing 70-200."

That is unfair. Canikon 70-200 is a full frame lens. Pentax DA star 50-135 gives the same angle of coverage in a 1.5x cropped frame. Pentax bet the farm on cropped sensor on DA line of lenses. I doubt if they will ever make 70-200 without a full frame in mind. It is a tough market out there for camera makers. Smartphones are eating their lunch. Pentax (my love) has been like a foster child, going from house to house shunted by child protection agency. Pentax needs a home, loving parents and this child can do wonders.

True maybe but I own the 50-135... and it is nowhere fast.

Beside, the next lens is likely to be a 70-200, with or without FF intentions, many are thinking that an indicator for sure... But if the AF is really good this may interrest APSC shooters as well.

For me it is too big and I think I would have prefered maybe a 50-135 f/2.8-4 but 200g lighter and less than 10cm long ! But everyone has its own needs