Pentax K-5 II

[Hoges]

Very happy chappy! on a recent trip to the UK, was able to pick up a Pentax K-5 II with the std 18-55 WR lens. 70GBP cashback plus VAT refund (20% ) made it worthwhile. This my 3rd Pentax... started in 1979 with a MX, bought an Optio 750Z (7MP) in 2005. The lenses I had for the MX work beautifully with the K-5 albeit they are x1.5 the focal length of the 35mm format...but no matter. Still coming to terms with it ... !
what stunned me however was the top quality of some of the shots I got with the 8 MP camera on my Samsung Galaxy S2 phone... I'd always shied away from smart phones...but now...
I'll find a couple to "show"...
cheers

[p38arover]

Good stuff!

I have:

Pentax film
Z-10
SF7
SFx (bought in '89)
(my Spotmatic bought in '68 was stolen a few years ago)

Pentax Digital
*istD
K100D
K-7
K-5
Q

Don't ask about lenses or other brands of digital cameras.

[p38arover]

So we can expect to see you over at Pentax Forums - K-5, K-30, K-01, 645D - The Largest Pentax Camera Forum, News, and Review Site ?

[clubagreenie]

I still love my Spotmatic, especially with Ilford B&W media.

[Disco_owner]

Great choice , I have K-5 and a K-5 IIs.

Pentax DSLR cameras are great value for money.

I have an 18-135 WR lens and up until a few weeks ago it was my Most used lens for seascape / Landscape photos until one of the Lens Elements became de-centred , it very uncommon but it has happened. now being repaired.

[Hoges]

So we can expect to see you over at Pentax Forums - K-5, K-30, K-01, 645D - The Largest Pentax Camera Forum, News, and Review Site ?

You will now! Amazing! they're as one-eyed about Pentax as AULRO is about LR!! (cos they're squinting through the viewfinder I suppose)
cheers & thanks
A.

[p38arover]

You will now! Amazing! they're as one-eyed about Pentax as AULRO is about LR!! (cos they're squinting through the viewfinder I suppose)

Well, they know they are better - Canikon is the equivalent of Land Cruiser/Patrol and Pentax = Land Rover...

[Disco_owner]

You will now! Amazing! they're as one-eyed about Pentax as AULRO is about LR!! (cos they're squinting through the viewfinder I suppose)
cheers & thanks
A.

Funny you mentioned Squinting through the Tiny View Finder of the K5 , That is one thing I find most Annoying about the K5. but I absolutely love the ergonomics and Button Placements on the camera , may be because I have shot with pentax and No other DSLR camera , The VF on K5 is a Bit like the Handbrake on a Defender , it's there and it annoys you but you Live with it .

[vnx205]

Well, they know they are better - Canikon is the equivalent of Land Cruiser/Patrol and Pentax = Land Rover...

I am beginning to think that comparison is remarkably accurate.

I have often thought I should invest in a DSLR, but until reading this thread I had not done any serious research. I still own the Pentax ME Super that I bought in the very early 1980s and last used it about four years ago, so I often wondered how good the new Pentax cameras are. However, it seems that all most people talk about are Canon and Nikon.

I very much like the look of the K-30 and the more I read about it, the more your comparison with a Land Rover seems appropriate. Pentax, like Land Rover have in the past been associated with innovation and it seems that is still the case.

Just about every review I have been able to find is full of praise for the K-30, with the biggest criticism related to the video performance and the lack of a HDMI output for use with videos. That seems to me to be a bit like criticising a Defender because it doesn't perform as well on the highway as some other 4WDs. I didn't buy my Defender for its highway performance and I don't plan to buy a DSLR for its video capabilities.

All DSLRs are improving, but it appears that Pentax are continuing to lead the way in the same way as Land Rover. They might not be as popular as some of the other brands, but like the Defender, they seem to have the features I want and they seem to do the important things better than some of the opposition.

The K-30 might not have all the features of the K-5, but it has the features I want and there are some areas where the K-30 has been improved over the K-5.

The best price I have been able to find so far is $549 with the Pentax 18-55 WR lens. I know a lot of people rubbish kit lenses, but maybe I can use some of my lenses from the ME Super if I really want to get a better result.

EDIT
I notice some reviews say that the shutter sound and the auto focus are noisy. After 23 years driving a Series III and 7 years in a Defender, I doubt that I will notice that.

[p38arover]

The K-30 has been discontinued.

Pentax K-30 Discontinued: A Tribute - Pentax News - PentaxForums.com

Try a K-50