How fast is the K7 really

Jomy · 11-15-2009, 05:09 AM

Hello together,

untill now i shoot only landscape, old houses, stills and sometime people for many years.

As from now i will shoot fast horses and somtime playing dogs too. Our horses are young stallions, they jumps to and fro very fast.

Its all but impossible to capture a sharp and really good picture of them with my K10D, all the same i use a Da 17-70 SDM

Now i have seen the AF (C) System of Nikon, i must say very very fast.

I sometimes think i will buy a second system only for that. Otherwise i will stay by pentax and the K7 is a very good cam

and such motifs are infrequently.
A second system is expensive too.

Everybody experiance of that?

Is it possible exclusive of problems to catch pictures from fast motif with the K7? Pentax say the new AF of the K7 is fast, faster as a K10 and K20.
Is it so fast as a Nikon AF (D300/D300s)??

Witch lens are good for this in connection with the K7?

Thank you

excuse me my english!!

Last edited by Jomy; 11-15-2009 at 05:17 AM.

flyer · 11-15-2009, 05:53 AM

As far as I can see, the AF on the K-7 is not as fast as Nikon or Canon, but it's really close. It is a big improvement on the K-10/20D. That said, my niece is doing horse jumping competition, and I've done a lot of pictures for her with the K10D and K20D, and the results where very good. Using manual focus and presetting on a point where the horse will be and using an aperture of around f:8 gives enough depth of field to get everything sharp. When backing up to include the scenery, I found the AF to be fast enough to get the horses sharp 95% of the times.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to try the K-7 yet for horse shooting, but it should be better than the K10D.

Arpe · 11-15-2009, 04:51 PM

My experiance shooting rugby pictures with a Sigma 70-200 EX and 1.4x TC and using auto-focus:
With the K20 I was shooting about 70-80 pictures a game on average. Keeping about 30.
With the K-7 I'm shooting about 80-90 (because of faster frame rate but I don't often use it) and keeping about 50.

I could do a whole lot more than this but usually I am only shooting one team, not both.

Class A · 11-15-2009, 06:10 PM

Originally posted by Jomy

Is it so fast as a Nikon AF (D300/D300s)??

Have a look at the tests your 'neighbour' falconeye performed.

According to his findings, the K-7 AF performance was comparable to that of the D300. Note that this may only be true for this particular setup (object approaching with the same speed). In other circumstances, the results may be different.

Last edited by Class A; 11-15-2009 at 09:26 PM.

**Rondec** · 11-15-2009, 08:23 PM

Falk also did a second test, where he had a woman run around and he took photos of her with the kit lens. Found that the K7 performed 70 percent better at this auto focus than the K20. He did not compare it to the D300 in that particular test. Auto focus is definitely decent, although I don't know that it is quite at the D300 level (not at the D300 cost either).

Class A · 11-15-2009, 09:28 PM

Originally posted by Rondec

Falk also did a second test, where he had a woman run around and he took photos of her with the kit lens.

That one is here. Note that the K-7 is a significant improvement over the K20D, which in turn is a lot better than the K10D.

therion · 11-16-2009, 04:57 AM

I was testing K-7 with Pentax 50-135/2.8 SDM photographing running dog, very fast. K-7 performed very good. AF-S mode was faster than AF-C, also selection of AF point to center point helped. Also Tamron 90/2.8 was focusing pretty fast.
Sigma 100-300/4 Ex was slow. Ihave read about Sigma HSM lenses, which are also pretty fast, especially 70-200/2.8 HSM II.
I think K-7 AF is acceptable, but You must have also fast lens.

kenyee · 11-16-2009, 08:24 AM

Originally posted by Jomy

Is it so fast as a Nikon AF (D300/D300s)??

The D300 and D700 probably have the fastest AF and AF-C on the market right now except for Canon's 1DmkIII. It won't be that fast

Jomy · 11-16-2009, 12:12 PM

Hello together,

thanks for your answers and tips. It is not easy to find an determination. I now, that the K7 ist faster than the K10/20.
I think also, that the K7 ist fast enough for some pictures of fast subjekts, but i am not to be sure.
I need fast lenses too, wat for lenses has pentax for that??

Im not enthusiatic for Sigma or tamron.

I am at a loss what to do??? Perhaps i should prefer to wait.
And i try it again with my K10 and will to better myself. If i have better results with training, than perhaps i can try a K7.

krypticide · 11-16-2009, 12:22 PM

Is the K-7 AF smarter? With my K20D, AF-C often jumps wildly between focus distances. I've heard that Canikon has better predictive tracking, and I'm wondering if the K-7 is better in that regard.

kenyee · 11-16-2009, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by Jomy

I need fast lenses too, wat for lenses has pentax for that??

Fast in focusing speed or in letting light in?

There are plenty of fast big aperture lenses (f/2.8), but no super tele 400mm+ which cost $5K+

Focusing speed wise, the 50-135 is slowwww (long throw) but it has great image quality...

Jomy · 11-16-2009, 01:35 PM

Originally posted by kenyee

Fast in focusing speed or in letting light in?

There are plenty of fast big aperture lenses (f/2.8), but no super tele 400mm+ which cost $5K+

Focusing speed wise, the 50-135 is slowwww (long throw) but it has great image quality...

In speed! The motifs are not far from me. I use a Pentax DA 17-70 SDM its enough. But it must be faster.
The horses are very fast. They jump and bucking over the paddock. They jump on left side....and a second later it is on the right side. You never know where is it, in the next second

**volley** · 11-16-2009, 01:50 PM

Gruss aus Niedersachsen nach Bayern

A fast AF and a high burst rate may help, but I think knowing the subject you plan to shoot is (at least) equally important. Young stallions are not an easy - but their behaviour can be quite predictable as well. I shoot a lot of horses and sport events, nearly all with manual lenses ... sharp pictures of fast horses did exist well before the invention of AF

11-15-2009, 05:09 AM	#1
Jomy Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany; Bavaria N 48`21,269 E 010`46,915 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12	How fast is the K7 really Hello together, untill now i shoot only landscape, old houses, stills and sometime people for many years. As from now i will shoot fast horses and somtime playing dogs too. Our horses are young stallions, they jumps to and fro very fast. Its all but impossible to capture a sharp and really good picture of them with my K10D, all the same i use a Da 17-70 SDM Now i have seen the AF (C) System of Nikon, i must say very very fast. I sometimes think i will buy a second system only for that. Otherwise i will stay by pentax and the K7 is a very good cam and such motifs are infrequently. A second system is expensive too. Everybody experiance of that? Is it possible exclusive of problems to catch pictures from fast motif with the K7? Pentax say the new AF of the K7 is fast, faster as a K10 and K20. Is it so fast as a Nikon AF (D300/D300s)?? Witch lens are good for this in connection with the K7? Thank you excuse me my english!! Last edited by Jomy; 11-15-2009 at 05:17 AM.

11-16-2009, 01:35 PM	#12
Jomy Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany; Bavaria N 48`21,269 E 010`46,915 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12 Original Poster	Originally posted by kenyee Fast in focusing speed or in letting light in? There are plenty of fast big aperture lenses (f/2.8), but no super tele 400mm+ which cost $5K+ Focusing speed wise, the 50-135 is slowwww (long throw) but it has great image quality... In speed! The motifs are not far from me. I use a Pentax DA 17-70 SDM its enough. But it must be faster. The horses are very fast. They jump and bucking over the paddock. They jump on left side....and a second later it is on the right side. You never know where is it, in the next second Last edited by Jomy; 11-22-2009 at 10:12 AM.

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11-15-2009, 05:53 AM	#2
flyer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ste-Anne des Plaines, Qc., Canada Posts: 2,013	As far as I can see, the AF on the K-7 is not as fast as Nikon or Canon, but it's really close. It is a big improvement on the K-10/20D. That said, my niece is doing horse jumping competition, and I've done a lot of pictures for her with the K10D and K20D, and the results where very good. Using manual focus and presetting on a point where the horse will be and using an aperture of around f:8 gives enough depth of field to get everything sharp. When backing up to include the scenery, I found the AF to be fast enough to get the horses sharp 95% of the times. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to try the K-7 yet for horse shooting, but it should be better than the K10D.

11-15-2009, 04:51 PM	#3
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	My experiance shooting rugby pictures with a Sigma 70-200 EX and 1.4x TC and using auto-focus: With the K20 I was shooting about 70-80 pictures a game on average. Keeping about 30. With the K-7 I'm shooting about 80-90 (because of faster frame rate but I don't often use it) and keeping about 50. I could do a whole lot more than this but usually I am only shooting one team, not both.

11-15-2009, 06:10 PM	#4
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Jomy Is it so fast as a Nikon AF (D300/D300s)?? Have a look at the tests your 'neighbour' falconeye performed. According to his findings, the K-7 AF performance was comparable to that of the D300. Note that this may only be true for this particular setup (object approaching with the same speed). In other circumstances, the results may be different. Last edited by Class A; 11-15-2009 at 09:26 PM.

11-15-2009, 08:23 PM	#5
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	Falk also did a second test, where he had a woman run around and he took photos of her with the kit lens. Found that the K7 performed 70 percent better at this auto focus than the K20. He did not compare it to the D300 in that particular test. Auto focus is definitely decent, although I don't know that it is quite at the D300 level (not at the D300 cost either).

11-15-2009, 09:28 PM	#6
Class A Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wellington, New Zealand Posts: 11,251	Originally posted by Rondec Falk also did a second test, where he had a woman run around and he took photos of her with the kit lens. That one is here. Note that the K-7 is a significant improvement over the K20D, which in turn is a lot better than the K10D.

11-16-2009, 04:57 AM	#7
therion Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: SLovakia Photos: Gallery Posts: 141	I was testing K-7 with Pentax 50-135/2.8 SDM photographing running dog, very fast. K-7 performed very good. AF-S mode was faster than AF-C, also selection of AF point to center point helped. Also Tamron 90/2.8 was focusing pretty fast. Sigma 100-300/4 Ex was slow. Ihave read about Sigma HSM lenses, which are also pretty fast, especially 70-200/2.8 HSM II. I think K-7 AF is acceptable, but You must have also fast lens.

11-16-2009, 08:24 AM	#8
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Originally posted by Jomy Is it so fast as a Nikon AF (D300/D300s)?? The D300 and D700 probably have the fastest AF and AF-C on the market right now except for Canon's 1DmkIII. It won't be that fast

11-16-2009, 12:12 PM	#9
Jomy Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany; Bavaria N 48`21,269 E 010`46,915 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12 Original Poster	Hello together, thanks for your answers and tips. It is not easy to find an determination. I now, that the K7 ist faster than the K10/20. I think also, that the K7 ist fast enough for some pictures of fast subjekts, but i am not to be sure. I need fast lenses too, wat for lenses has pentax for that?? Im not enthusiatic for Sigma or tamron. I am at a loss what to do??? Perhaps i should prefer to wait. And i try it again with my K10 and will to better myself. If i have better results with training, than perhaps i can try a K7.

11-16-2009, 12:22 PM	#10
krypticide Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,079	Is the K-7 AF smarter? With my K20D, AF-C often jumps wildly between focus distances. I've heard that Canikon has better predictive tracking, and I'm wondering if the K-7 is better in that regard.

11-16-2009, 12:24 PM	#11
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	Originally posted by Jomy I need fast lenses too, wat for lenses has pentax for that?? Fast in focusing speed or in letting light in? There are plenty of fast big aperture lenses (f/2.8), but no super tele 400mm+ which cost $5K+ Focusing speed wise, the 50-135 is slowwww (long throw) but it has great image quality...

11-16-2009, 01:50 PM	#13
volley Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Springe Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,693	Gruss aus Niedersachsen nach Bayern A fast AF and a high burst rate may help, but I think knowing the subject you plan to shoot is (at least) equally important. Young stallions are not an easy - but their behaviour can be quite predictable as well. I shoot a lot of horses and sport events, nearly all with manual lenses ... sharp pictures of fast horses did exist well before the invention of AF