[Uluru]

He must give a nod to Nikon because DigiRev sells tons of them. If they said how K-S2 is better, they would get tons of orders for K-S2, and Ricoh could not supply them enough. Classic problem. It sounds crazy, but it is most likely the sad truth. Even if one wants to buy Ricoh made camera, it is impossible to get it oftentimes.

Regarding video, and the kit lens, not taking anything of that seriously. Kai deliberately debilitates his videos with tons of utter rubbish talk. Any camera recording video should be properly mount on a tripod or on necessary video support system — well, even a firm chair will do — and any kind of sensor SR during video is a joke. You do video with brain fully used, or you don't do it but go to a video class to learn how it is done properly. You come there, and the class sees you holding a DSLR in movie mode and in hands, they'll slap you like a kid and send you to kneel in the corner.

Any today's DSLR is good for video, just use it properly, not monkeying around like total ignoramus. Or like Kai.

Regarding kit lens, I don't find it any worse than any previous kit lens. So if nothing else, K-S2 is a better choice for its WR and 100% view pentaprism. That alone would cost 50% of top of price of the Nikon, if Nikon were to implement that. But they don't and never will.

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Last edited by Uluru; 04-10-2015 at 05:30 AM.

[RonHendriks1966]

Based on this one, if I was a noob.....I would buy the Nikon.

[boriscleto]

Based on this one, if I was a noob.....I would buy the Nikon.

Good thing there are real reviews available...

[RonHendriks1966]

Good thing there are real reviews available...

The good question to this is wheater these youtube reviews are really making part of the decision for people to buy cameragear? Somehow I think they do to some degree.

[boriscleto]

The good question to this is wheater these youtube reviews are really making part of the decision for people to buy cameragear? Somehow I think they do to some degree.

If I want to find a video of a monkey washing a kitten I look at YouTube. If I want a serious review of a product I look somewhere else.

[kadajawi]

He must give a nod to Nikon because DigiRev sells tons of them. If they said how K-S2 is better, they would get tons of orders for K-S2, and Ricoh could not supply them enough. Classic problem. It sounds crazy, but it is most likely the sad truth. Even if one wants to buy Ricoh made camera, it is impossible to get it oftentimes.

Regarding video, and the kit lens, not taking anything of that seriously. Kai deliberately debilitates his videos with tons of utter rubbish talk. Any camera recording video should be properly mount on a tripod or on necessary video support system — well, even a firm chair will do — and any kind of sensor SR during video is a joke. You do video with brain fully used, or you don't do it but go to a video class to learn how it is done properly. You come there, and the class sees you holding a DSLR in movie mode and in hands, they'll slap you like a kid and send you to kneel in the corner.

Any today's DSLR is good for video, just use it properly, not monkeying around like total ignoramus. Or like Kai.

Regarding kit lens, I don't find it any worse than any previous kit lens. So if nothing else, K-S2 is a better choice for its WR and 100% view pentaprism. That alone would cost 50% of top of price of the Nikon, if Nikon were to implement that. But they don't and never will.

You haven't watched any movie in the last 15 years, have you? Sensor SR works, as long as you shoot wide enough. While moving I'd say 28mm FF equivalent is pretty much the limit, though 75mm _can_ work. Stationary 130mm or so is still ok. What is really disturbing is the kind of shake that introduces the jello effect. That is, fast movements that change direction all the time. That way the bottom of the frame wobbles left and right, sometimes the picture is compressed, etc. That is very irritating. And an electronic SR will basically place arrows around the effects that point towards the artifacts. It's ugly. On the other hand, Pentax' mechanical SR will not turn your camera into one set upon a tripod (which you sometimes may want), but it will give you a smooth enough image, one that doesn't wobble around. It will move, it will look handheld, but in a pleasing way. IMHO.

You Tube

You Tube

IMHO Greengrass may be one of the greatest directors alive, at least as far as the action genre is concerned. And his camera is never still. He pretty much never uses a tripod. It's always handheld/shoulder mount. And Pentax' sensor shift SR can give you that shoulder mount look. I find it pretty organic and pleasing, some cameras (Olympus for example) correct too much, though if you want a more gymbal/steadicam like look they will help you.

Under the right circumstances an iPhone will give you good video. But the Nikon will give you good video in circumstances where the Pentax will fall apart, quality wise. And the old K-5 will give you good video in circumstances where the Nikon will fall apart (though the Nikon will be sharper and have less aliasing). It doesn't matter to the K-5 how much detail and motion you throw at it, the codec won't show artifacts. And it stabilizes very well. Pentax had perfection with the K-5 (apart from heat/hot pixels, recording length and sharpness/aliasing/moire), and then threw that away. By using more modern sensors and CPUs those issues would go away... and Pentax could offer a great camera.

I'm not sure how DigiRev could come to their conclusion to recommend the Nikon. Yes, for video it is better, that's clear, and it's a shame because I'm sure Pentax could without much effort do better. But in every other sense... even if the new kit lens isn't as good... get another lens. The K-S2 is able to grow with you more than the D5500.

[thibs]

Could be wrong but I realky dont think Nikon does full sensor readout.

[Na Horuk]

I dunno, I tried some really simple video, nothing professional, and it was all jiggly and wobbly. Handheld, slowly panning, medium tele lens.. and the video was okay for sharing with friends, but it was not something i could ever show in a portfolio or to a potential client. Can Pentax cameras give acceptable video? Yes, but it requires knowledge, skill, and work. Some other brands give far better video on their DSLR cameras with much less skill and work required. And I think Pentax needs to improve the video modes, giving a better Auto video mode, and a second, actually manual video mode. Especially since Video mode is now prominently part of the On Off button (on K-S1 and K-S2)

[D1N0]

You really shouldn't purposely shake your camera when doing video. It's not an action cam with super wide angle. SR works for video on the K-5.

[kadajawi]

Could be wrong but I realky dont think Nikon does full sensor readout.

IIRC Nikon said the D5300 did it, or if not full sensor then at least more pixels than actually needed. So it would surprise me if the D5500 is a step down.

The K-5 could be shot handheld with a reasonably steady hand, or even while walking, as long as you don't insist on a completely smooth shot and long lenses. Some practice and good shoes (running shoes work well, forget sneakers, they are crap) help. Following a person walking, or filming him sideways or even walking backwards while shooting (be careful...) works.

For newer Pentaxes you have to use additional gear to lock down the camera or at least put it on a rig if you need to move it, and you need to deactivate the SR, because it only harms the video. Wider angle lenses are useful too, cause of that additional crop due to the SR. Shallow DoF helps too, as the codec then won't have to struggle with too much detail. The K-5 could work on a tripod or a rig, too, but it was just more flexible. Lack of manual controls, and the hot headed sensor hurt it. A cross between the K-3 and the K-5, maybe with newer sensors and processors would be great, and might even have sold a few cameras if they had advertised it right. Pentax was close, but ultimately missed it. Then they dropped what made that camera almost be great, and added the stuff that was missing.

[thibs]

Oh I don't deny the Video SR is crap. Don't even try to convince me I'm already (and happy with my K5).
That sensor reading though.. I'll dig around.

[zoolander]

Or maybe Nikon have improved their kitlens....

Here is a comparison with Nikon Canon and Sony. The Nikon looks pretty good.
Sony, Nikon and Canon kit lens shootout

When you compare it with the Welcome to Photozone! results (of the non collapsible WR version) and the nikon with stabilisation then you see the Nikon is sharper. The kit lens may be a bit outdated for the current sensors and the story that it is better than the Nikon or Canon Kitlens can be stored in the history file.

Yeah I took a look at what you're talking about, from the D200 and K10 catagories. The Pentax lens is the older non version 2 and is the sharper lens throughout the zoom range. Sorry gotta disagree with you. There nothing to compare in the 16mp camera category.

Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR - Review / Test Report - Analysis

Pentax SMC-DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL - Review / Test Report - Analysis

Ephotozine has a review of the Nikon lens which is version 4 and VRii, and its looking very good:

Pentax SMC-DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL - Review / Test Report - Analysis

Ephotozine has the Pentax 18-55mm version 2, its pretty good, but the next version needs to be a lot better:

Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm II f/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) Interchangeable Lens Review

Ephotozine reviewed the K-S2 and the reviewer did claim the new lens is slightly better than the previous version. But it is looking like that that Nikon 18-55 is very very good, and thats exactly where the Pentax 18-55 needs to be. I'm not saying that because of Nikon, I'm saying this because of Fuji lenses !

But this is all dependent on the forth coming lens reviews and whether they get a good copy ..... the usual bollony.

[clackers]

Based on this one, if I was a noob.....I would buy the Nikon.

They're both pretty good cameras. The noob will be happy either way. :-)

[monochrome]

A noob with a black and yellow strap to wear is happier than a noob with a black and red strap to wear.

That was true as far back as 1973 when my friends were showing off taking photos of bare trees with their fathers' cameras. The Nikon guys were the coolest, then the Canon, then the nerdy guy with the SP-F.

Well, the guy with the TLR and his own darkroom was actually the coolest - but he was too cool to be cool. Even today he's untouchable.

[D1N0]

There nothing to compare in the 16mp camera category.

Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR - Review / Test Report - Analysis
Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL WR - Lab Test / Review - Analysis