[Nicolas06]

Wanting an swivel screen is also hardly worth swapping brands over, and I don't care if I have to get a "beginner" camera to get it (whatever that means) when the features of it blow my current camera out of the water and fits my needs just fine. I don't understand the stigma behind not so upmarket bodies, if they perform they perform.

Because maybe I tried a few and got big difference between the bodies? I adviced entry level bodies from Pentax back in time to many friends and my father. That was K30. So out of 4 peoples, 2 got the apperture lever problem meaning their body failed. One got it under warrenty, the other not. Because he doesn't have so much money, it try to make do without the repear so shooting only wide open and on. 2 out of 4 is huge. And it is not only my friends. Personnally I think I failed my friends on that. Ironically the guy that didn't listen and brought a Nikon got something better...

I got huge, extremely huge improvement from K5 to K3 in term of AF, some are faster overall, likely something we have in K70, but other things are that the old safox 11 point AF has by design the off center points far too big. I know from experience that with this, you can't trust the camera on shallow dof. Either you do MF, either you miss many shots. That apply even to still shots for example on portraiture.

My father and myself we gone to higher end body so, and both we discovered it was nigh and day. So yes I tend to give advice I think that make sense. I'd hate to provide advice to buy a camera that doesn't last (because outside forum enthousiasts people think more to keep it 5-10 years than 1-2 years) and I'd hate to ask people to spend a lot on a recent mid/entry level body that is mostly about marketing and not reliabily and efficiancy.

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Last edited by Nicolas06; 03-24-2017 at 01:12 AM.

[ZombieArmy]

Because maybe I tried a few and got big difference between the bodies? I adviced entry level bodies from Pentax back in time to many friends and my father. That was K30. So out of 4 peoples, 2 got the apperture lever problem meaning their body failed. One got it under warrenty, the other not. Because he doesn't have so much money, it try to make do without the repear so shooting only wide open and on. 2 out of 4 is huge. And it is not only my friends. Personnally I think I failed my friends on that. Ironically the guy that didn't listen and brought a Nikon got something better...

I got huge, extremely huge improvement from K5 to K3 in term of AF, some are faster overall, likely something we have in K70, but other things are that the old safox 11 point AF has by design the off center points far too big. I know from experience that with this, you can't trust the camera on shallow dof. Either you do MF, either you miss many shots. That apply even to still shots for example on portraiture.

My father and myself we gone to higher end body so, and both we discovered it was nigh and day. So yes I tend to give advice I think that make sense. I'd hate to provide advice to buy a camera that doesn't last (because outside forum enthousiasts people think more to keep it 5-10 years than 1-2 years) and I'd hate to ask people to spend a lot on a recent mid/entry level body that is mostly about marketing and not reliabily and efficiancy.

Well I think the K-30/K-50 were freak incidents. The K-70 uses a different motor/mechanism there now.

Besides the mode dial falling off my K-01 has had no issue and it was arguably the same class of camera as the K-30/K-50.

[mikesbike]

If I were you I would consider waiting until later in the year to decide. By then the price of the KP will most likely come down to...? I believe that camera would be your best choice. The K-70 is offered with the DA 18-135mm DC WR as a kit, but I am not sure about the savings. The KP may later be offered with the same kit, which would be a very compact but versatile setup. The KP is modular in that it can be exceptionally lightweight for an advanced, full-featured DSLR having metal construction, around a quarter pound lighter than a K-3, and 2 oz lighter than a K-5 IIs, while at the same time, it can be expanded to become a different animal. Its battery is small with lower capacity, but it is easy to take along a spare to solve that issue. There will soon be an optional battery grip available, which will convert the KP to a beefier model when one wants this for additional battery capacity, better handling with larger lenses, etc. With its 3 body grips, and optional battery grip, the KP, with its advanced unique features and top-level performance, presents an extremely versatile and powerful camera.

However, depending on the use and condition, a K-5 IIs with a DA 18-135mm might present a very good deal. Excellent control layout and handling, top LCD screen, lighter than the K3, and if you do a lot of lower light shooting it has been shown as better in that respect than the K-3. I often shoot with that combo and am very pleased with the results I get. I am very happy with the very well-detailed images I get from the K-5 IIs, more depending on the lens I use rather than the camera, but I generally get very good to excellent results. I am satisfied with AF performance, even though I sometimes shoot indoor club roller-hockey with a fast f/2.8 screw-drive zoom lens. A faster aperture lens letting in more light also improves AF. AF was improved over the original K-5 I used before it. The 18-135mm lens is a great general purpose zoom, and its AF is among the fastest of Pentax lenses. But I have definite plans to buy the remarkable KP as well, while still keeping and using the K-5 IIs for its control layout and handling when I need that, along with its very satisfying image quality, ongoing into the foreseeable future.

I just re-read, discovering your need for astrotracer support. The K-5 IIs does not have this that i've seen in menu, maybe with a firmware update. I see some are successful using it with the optional GPS unit. If you are going to do a lot of burst shooting, the K-70 and the KP as well have smaller buffer capacities than the K-5 and K-3 series.

[jeffw]

Because switching brands is tedious and I lust for Pentax glass. Not a tough one to understand.

Wanting an swivel screen is also hardly worth swapping brands over, and I don't care if I have to get a "beginner" camera to get it (whatever that means) when the features of it blow my current camera out of the water and fits my needs just fine. I don't understand the stigma behind not so upmarket bodies, if they perform they perform.

Spot on! If the camera fits your needs it's the one for you. Many great pictures have been posted on this site shot with so called "BEGINNER" cameras. What today's photographers have forgotten in the digital age are the basics of good photography. We expect the camera to make all photos great or over process in post to make up for a lack of technical skills.

I am looking to upgrade from my K30 also and I don't care about what "level" the camera is as long as it suits my needs.

[MadMathMind]

Went from K-5IIs to a K-1. Aside from the obvious FF differences, the only I appreciate the most is the better white balance. K-5IIs would miss subtlety and it was very hard to correct the slight warm cast and off tint. K-1 is much, much better there. Saves hours and hours in editing.

[pres589]

Went from K-5IIs to a K-1. Aside from the obvious FF differences, the only I appreciate the most is the better white balance. K-5IIs would miss subtlety and it was very hard to correct the slight warm cast and off tint. K-1 is much, much better there. Saves hours and hours in editing.

Agreed; my K-5II usually runs a bit warm on the color balance and it can be hard to really correct well in post Thankfully I don't mind it too much. If I made money with the thing I might not be so okay with the situation.

Do you find the ergo's and hand grip situation off? I held a K-1 after running around for a week shooting with the K-5II a lot and the K-1 seemed odd to me.

[MadMathMind]

Do you find the ergo's and hand grip situation off? I held a K-1 after running around for a week shooting with the K-5II a lot and the K-1 seemed odd to me.

I have a battery grip (had it on K-5 as well) so I didn't have an issue with holding it. It did take me a bit to get used to having so many more dials but now I love them.