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08-30-2012, 07:40 PM   #16
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I feel for you, the AF BF/FF issue on the K5 took up a good part of the afternoon for me when I figured out what BF/FF is... I find that 2.8 and slower lenses are a bit of a pain to use in low light. But I shoot full manual and I test my exposure by checking the photo and then adjusting as the light meter usually tells me something different (ie over exposed) Focus has not been a huge issue for me once I setup all my lenses properly. I do a lot of live band shoots, they are my bread and butter, and the K5 does handle them perfectly, but I also have had a lot of practice and have figured out what lenses and what aperture/shutter settings to use to get the best results at each venue.

As for the comparison to the K30. Well more and less of the same actually.. The K30 did need setup for all of my lenses, but differently... For example, the FA 77mm limited needed -5 BF on my K5, needs +2 FF on my K30.

I haven't done a live band yet, but low light with the DA*55mm 1.4 has been a bit of a snake... its constantly hunting. outisde no problem. but lower light environments where there's a lot of contrast it starts hunting like crazy. however, when it locks it locks nice and tight, and with normal lighting I find it locks faster.

08-30-2012, 08:34 PM   #17
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I have both the K-30 and K-5 and had FF issues with all lenses with the K-5. After I purchased the K-30 and found it flawless in this regard I sent the K-5 in for a service and correction.... now both cameras are spot on.
08-30-2012, 11:28 PM   #18
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My k30 definitely has FF issues. my kit needs -8, my 40mm limited needs -4, and my Tamron 90mm needs -7 and is now floating. I am about to send it in, because I am really really tired of messing with the AF tuning. The lenses work OK for a while, then start to go unfocused again. Even when they work well, clear shots are not the norm. Gotta take it back in for testing/exchange...
08-30-2012, 11:47 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by TJWest Quote
My k30 definitely has FF issues. my kit needs -8, my 40mm limited needs -4, and my Tamron 90mm needs -7 and is now floating. I am about to send it in, because I am really really tired of messing with the AF tuning. The lenses work OK for a while, then start to go unfocused again. Even when they work well, clear shots are not the norm. Gotta take it back in for testing/exchange...
No happiness in the world...

08-31-2012, 06:22 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Nicks Quote
That's exactly how my K-5 behaves....The adjustment floating used to drive me crazy but I lived with it for more than a year. Every day I have to take a few test shots to check if the focus is good with any lens, pentax or third party. It was not a very big problem with outdoor shots but now that my little kid gives me so many shooting opportunities it gets annoying to miss some great shots because the focus is not the same as it was yesterday.....That's why my K30 is on it's way and looking forward to finally rely on my camera.
That sounds like backlash in the screw drive mechanism. Assuming you're using screw drive lenses of course.
09-02-2012, 09:55 AM   #21
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DA* 55 is the only AF lens that I've used on my K-30 so far, since then, I've discovered focus peaking and the only lens that I've been using for the last couple of days are the A 50 2.8 Macro and Tokina SD 80-200 2.8.
The DA* 55 seems to focus accurately, but I still have DA 40 ltd, DA* 50-135, and the kit 18-55, which I have not tried yet.
09-03-2012, 12:22 PM   #22
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ogl, I own both and my K-30 is much more reliable than my K-5. This is true of both the review K-30 unit I tested, and the one I bought for myself. No BF/FF observed thus far, with any of my FA or DA Limiteds.

09-03-2012, 08:57 PM   #23
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Thank you!....Wait for new cameras at Photokina and will decide what to do.
09-04-2012, 04:56 AM   #24
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Ogl, just a quick update for you...I got my K30 this morning and, after 600 shots, I can say without a doubt that k30 is MUCH more reliable in low light than my k-5. I've tested with my fastest lenses, Pentax AF 50mm 1.4, Sigma 30mm 1.4 and Tamron 17-50 2.8 and, after the initial AF corrections (-4 for Pentax and +1 for Sigma), the focus was spot on in 90% of the pictures under bright sunlight, shade, fluorescent light and VERY dim incandescent light. The focus speed is not faster than k-5's in low light but definitely more precise. I would only get around 50-60% correct focus with k-5 under the same low light. Pentax k30 is definitely a keeper for me!
09-04-2012, 04:57 AM   #25
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ogl, the APS-C format is probably below the K-30 (K-300) and above the K-30 (K-5n) ,ff=????
09-09-2012, 02:05 AM   #26
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In researching another issue (the curse of LED stage lighting), I came across the old thread below and thought of ogl's thread here:

AF accuracy affected by color temperature? - Photo.net Nikon Forum

I suspect that issues of AF, low-light and colour temperature are not going to go away with the K-30, even though the K-30 has taken some explicit steps to deal with those issues. If D700's can struggle, so too will K-30's.
09-09-2012, 02:19 PM   #27
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Both of my K-30s perform better than any K-5 I ever tried.
09-09-2012, 08:49 PM   #28
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Agree with Zafar Iqbal.. I own both and my K30 beats K5 easily in focus accuracy race. If I have to choose between K5 or K30, I would definitely choose K30.
09-11-2012, 12:13 PM   #29
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Sold K-5. Happy with K200D now. Relaxing. Think - what to buy? K-30, K-5II or maybe we will see K-3?
09-17-2012, 03:20 PM   #30
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I've had a k-30 for a few weeks and a K-r for just over a year.

With the K-r the AF was quite off such that I had to set the fine adjustment between -8 and -10 (that is all the way to the limit).
With the K-30 it is absolutely spot on, and that with all the autofocus lenses I have tried it with:
- Tamron 18-250
- Sigma 150-500
- Tamron 10-24
- Tamron 90mm Macro
- Pentax 18-135 WR

It is also spot on when doing AF confirm with manual lenses, of which I have tried some old film camera lenses - a Cosina 50mm F1.8, a Tokina 28mm F2.8 and a Vivitar Series-1 70-210. It even worked fine with an 800mm F8 Samyang mirror lens .

It also seems not to have a problem focusing in tungsten light though I haven't checked that out thoroughly - just a few handheld photos, one of them attached.

This one is ashot of the Windows security sticker on my PC, it is a 100% crop. It was shot from about 6 metres distance with a Sigma 150-500 at 500mm and full aperture. No corrections are applied to the autofocus and the light is a tungsten spotlamp. No post processing is applied apart from the cropping. It is handheld by the way, which also tells you something about the in-body stabiliser.

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