K7 and why I love it

celetron · 07-21-2009, 11:39 PM

Last Thursday I got my k-7. Mainly I got the new camera because of its size and ergonomics. For me size, weight and ergonomics are very important factors when comes to photographic gear selection and after all that was why I got *ist DS in the first place. Now however, there were also 2 more choices out there: oly pen and pany gh1. However the lack of optical view finder turned me away from those options…

Last year I had to look for a new body since my DS died. So I got myself k20 last Christmas… What a disappointment!!! Great IQ, but huge and hard to use camera… I got the camera with DA*16-50/2.8 and DA*50-135/2.8. I shot some of my favorite photos the first month and then I never picked it up again…

So k-7 was my last hope… I picked that camera with DA21/3.2, FA43/1.9 and DA70/2.4 hoping to reduce dramatically size/weight while keeping high IQ standards… I was only worrying a bit about ergonomics…

Happily, I have to say that the camera seems to be the most enjoyable photographic tool I ever used (after MX)… I can curry it with me almost everywhere. I feel so comfortable with it that sometimes I forget I have it with me. And when I use it I just cannot get my eye from its viewfinder…

What would a camera worth if you couldn’t curry it with you anywhere you want to!?! I don’t mind if it is FF or not, if it shoots with 10fps or less, if it has noise at high ISO or not… I used to shoot children running around in dim light with my DS and 77 without any problem…
I just want to curry my gear everywhere I want to so I will have the chance to shoot when I feel to…

Here are a few photos with k7:
DA21/3.2

FA43/1.9

DA21/3.2

f5.6
1/10sec
ISO-1600
EV -0.7
CWA
Av
Auto WB
JPEG ***
Normal Seturation
Soft Sharpness
Strong High ISO Noise Reduction
Shake Reduction ON
shot from the deck of the ship while sailing from the port…

100% crop

DA21/3.2

DA21/3.2 (used a combo of digital filters like “toy camera”)

**spartan** · 07-22-2009, 04:42 AM

Very nice, I was particulary interested in your 1600 ISO picture of a Greek island as I see very little noise. Do you see any noise in the high res version of the photo?

By the way, what Island is this?

Nick

celetron · 07-22-2009, 05:02 AM

The second photo with the church is a 100% crop of the high res version on top. Actually, it is the church on the hill at the middle of the resized photo... That is all the noise you can get with that particular settings and the exposure I used under such lighting conditions. However you can additionaly reduce the already minimal noise at pp...

The island is called Syros...

Pentax_XTC · 07-22-2009, 08:06 AM

Thank you for the pictures! They look great! And thank you for the 100% crop. I was curious about the night time noise compared to my K10D at such conditions, and it appears the K7 blows it away!

SpartanWarrior · 07-22-2009, 09:46 AM

Gia sou patrioti

How would you compare the K20D to the K-7? especially with all this comotion that the K-7 is not as good as the K20D at high ISO.
very good pictures btw

Jonson PL · 07-22-2009, 10:00 AM

Great that you found what was right for you. And super pictures too.

Btw. to bring something along, is to carry it.
curry is a spice

celetron · 07-22-2009, 11:24 AM

I have to disagree with plp claiming that k20d has better noise control at high iso... It is just a bit different noise... You have to force the camera to use stronger NR and you will have better results with K-7. But anyway I do not believe that noise at high ISO (higher than 1600) is the only thing one would look for at a camera body. A system is a not only about noise. Other things are equally important such as details, colour rendition, ergonomics, portability, WB, AF, fps etc etc... Now IMHO K-7 is a completely different camera than K20D is. Just because they share almost the same sensor doesn't mean they are the same...

Would you pay the same amount for a car that has the same engine with another model but it doesn't come with all those extra features the other model has?

If you think that all these extra features k-7 offer are important for your shooting then k-7 is the camera for you. If not then I do not see why you should proceed with such an order... In any case I would recommend potential buyers to try the product before they order it…

ratjadi · 07-22-2009, 01:08 PM

Celetron, thanks for that insight. K-7 with these primes, yammi

Well, I just posted a question about AF here:https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/67430-some-k-7-real-world-images.html

Maybe you can also answer one question or another in that regard.

Thanks.

netuser · 08-04-2009, 09:10 AM

Very useful thread since I'm thinking of getting one.

Any issues with the camera so far Celetron ?

07-21-2009, 11:39 PM	#1
celetron Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Greece Photos: Albums Posts: 301	K7 and why I love it Last Thursday I got my k-7. Mainly I got the new camera because of its size and ergonomics. For me size, weight and ergonomics are very important factors when comes to photographic gear selection and after all that was why I got ist DS in the first place. Now however, there were also 2 more choices out there: oly pen and pany gh1. However the lack of optical view finder turned me away from those options… Last year I had to look for a new body since my DS died. So I got myself k20 last Christmas… What a disappointment!!! Great IQ, but huge and hard to use camera… I got the camera with DA16-50/2.8 and DA50-135/2.8. I shot some of my favorite photos the first month and then I never picked it up again… So k-7 was my last hope… I picked that camera with DA21/3.2, FA43/1.9 and DA70/2.4 hoping to reduce dramatically size/weight while keeping high IQ standards… I was only worrying a bit about ergonomics… Happily, I have to say that the camera seems to be the most enjoyable photographic tool I ever used (after MX)… I can curry it with me almost everywhere. I feel so comfortable with it that sometimes I forget I have it with me. And when I use it I just cannot get my eye from its viewfinder… What would a camera worth if you couldn’t curry it with you anywhere you want to!?! I don’t mind if it is FF or not, if it shoots with 10fps or less, if it has noise at high ISO or not… I used to shoot children running around in dim light with my DS and 77 without any problem… I just want to curry my gear everywhere I want to so I will have the chance to shoot when I feel to… Here are a few photos with k7: DA21/3.2 FA43/1.9 DA21/3.2 f5.6 1/10sec ISO-1600 EV -0.7 CWA Av Auto WB JPEG ** Normal Seturation Soft Sharpness Strong High ISO Noise Reduction Shake Reduction ON shot from the deck of the ship while sailing from the port… 100% crop DA21/3.2 DA21/3.2 (used a combo of digital filters like “toy camera”)

07-22-2009, 05:02 AM	#3
celetron Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Greece Photos: Albums Posts: 301 Original Poster	The second photo with the church is a 100% crop of the high res version on top. Actually, it is the church on the hill at the middle of the resized photo... That is all the noise you can get with that particular settings and the exposure I used under such lighting conditions. However you can additionaly reduce the already minimal noise at pp... The island is called Syros... Last edited by celetron; 07-22-2009 at 05:08 AM.

07-22-2009, 08:06 AM	#4
Pentax_XTC Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Duluth, GA Posts: 365	Nice... Thank you for the pictures! They look great! And thank you for the 100% crop. I was curious about the night time noise compared to my K10D at such conditions, and it appears the K7 blows it away!

07-22-2009, 01:08 PM	#8
ratjadi Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vienna / Austria Posts: 27	Question Celetron, thanks for that insight. K-7 with these primes, yammi Well, I just posted a question about AF here:https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/67430-some-k-7-real-world-images.html Maybe you can also answer one question or another in that regard. Thanks.

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07-22-2009, 04:42 AM	#2
spartan Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NJ, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 428	Very nice, I was particulary interested in your 1600 ISO picture of a Greek island as I see very little noise. Do you see any noise in the high res version of the photo? By the way, what Island is this? Nick

07-22-2009, 09:46 AM	#5
SpartanWarrior Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Sparta, Greece. Posts: 104	Gia sou patrioti How would you compare the K20D to the K-7? especially with all this comotion that the K-7 is not as good as the K20D at high ISO. very good pictures btw

07-22-2009, 10:00 AM	#6
Jonson PL Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Copenhagen Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,842	Great that you found what was right for you. And super pictures too. Btw. to bring something along, is to carry it. curry is a spice

07-22-2009, 11:24 AM	#7
celetron Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Greece Photos: Albums Posts: 301 Original Poster	I have to disagree with plp claiming that k20d has better noise control at high iso... It is just a bit different noise... You have to force the camera to use stronger NR and you will have better results with K-7. But anyway I do not believe that noise at high ISO (higher than 1600) is the only thing one would look for at a camera body. A system is a not only about noise. Other things are equally important such as details, colour rendition, ergonomics, portability, WB, AF, fps etc etc... Now IMHO K-7 is a completely different camera than K20D is. Just because they share almost the same sensor doesn't mean they are the same... Would you pay the same amount for a car that has the same engine with another model but it doesn't come with all those extra features the other model has? If you think that all these extra features k-7 offer are important for your shooting then k-7 is the camera for you. If not then I do not see why you should proceed with such an order... In any case I would recommend potential buyers to try the product before they order it…

08-04-2009, 09:10 AM	#9
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236	Very useful thread since I'm thinking of getting one. Any issues with the camera so far Celetron ?