- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Pentax K-5
- 16.1 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Nov, 2010)Key new features include a greatly expanded ISO range of 80-51200, Full HD 1080p video at 25fps, 7fps continuous shooting, upgraded 11-point SAFOX IX+ AF system with wider coverage and faster speed, improved High Dynamic Range mode, and a bigger range of in-built digital filter effects.
Conclusion Check out the Pentax K-5
Features Key features of the Pentax K-5
16.1 MP
APS-C
Rated 83% by by DPReview (Dec, 2010)Specifically, the K-5's ISO and exposure compensation controls are very well-placed for quick adjustment, and changing AF points is quick and easy too, simply by jogging left/right/up/down on the rear controller.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24.2 MP    | 30 MP |
K-5 by Faxanadu (Jun, 2012)Frankly, I don't blow up my shots to life size, so I don't need 24 or 36 MP - more megapixels does not always equate to better photos - that is really up to the photographer.
K-5 by c|net (Nov, 2010)Pentax's 16.3-megapixel, $1,600 flagship camera also will face a new range of full-frame rivals for those willing to pay a significantly higher price.
sensor size
K-5 by DPReview (Dec, 2010)With its newly developed 16MP CMOS sensor, the K-5 is able to far surpass its predecessor's low-light abilities, to the point where we're confident in saying that it offers amongst the best image quality of any current APS-C DSLR.
K-5 by DPReview (Dec, 2010)The K-5's APS-C sensor gives you much more control over depth of field than you'll get from the vast majority of consumer video and digital compact cameras.
viewfinder size
K-5 by DPReview (Dec, 2010)The size of the viewfinder is a key factor in the usability of an SLR - the bigger it is, the easier it is to frame and focus your shots, and the more enjoyable and involving a process it is.
K-5 by DPReview (Dec, 2010)Most cameras at this level crop the frame slightly when you look through the viewfinder - in other words you get slightly more in the final picture than you see through the viewfinder.
body size
131 x 97 x 73 mm
127 x 75 x 54 mm
141 x 113 x 82 mm
K-5 by Radio-Man--yarns13 (Oct, 2011)The weight, the solid build, LCD, and all the buttons seem to be in the right place REALLY great.
K-5 by Photography Blog (Nov, 2010)The Pentax K-5 is the same size - 97(H) x 131(W) x 73(D) - and the same weight - 660g without the battery or memory card fitted.
focus points
| 0 | 49 | 50 |
K-5 by geridoc (Nov, 2010)User Selectable Focus points: these are standard in expensive cameras, nothing special if you have used such cameras before but for somone upgrading I quickly found out how convenient this was.
K-5 by John-Rhodes (Mar, 2011)I wish it had a couple of features that the Nikon 7000 has and a few more focus points (the nikon has 39).
Performance Real world tests of Pentax K-5
DxOMark image quality
K-5 by Casey-G.-Jones--Casey (Sep, 2012)The image quality is excellent, including great color and sharpness.
DxOMark low light performance
K-5 by Fasterthan-I.-LookLow light capability with this lens is good, and low light with some of my older manual glass is great.
K-5 by J.-Creitz--TV-Addict (Jan, 2012)So clear, so sharp, color-perfect, and you can almost shoot in the dark with this thing!
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 260 ms | 200 ms |
K-5 by DPReview (Dec, 2010)As we'd expect for a modern DSLR, shutter lag is so minimal as to be irrelevant (which is why we no longer include this test in our reviews) and in use, we never felt that the camera was keeping us waiting.
K-5 by Photography Blog (Nov, 2010)The shutter release action on the Pentax K-5 is much quieter than on the K7, which had a quite loud and mechanical actio, and therefore makes the K-5 a lot better suited to more close-up candid photography.
continuous shooting
K-5 by DPReview (Dec, 2010)The following timings were originally made with firmware version 1.0 - we have since re-tested the K-5's continuous shooting performance with firmware 1.0.1, and updated timings follow below.
battery life
740 photos
300 photos
410 photos
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
51,200 ISO -
Generic -
APS-C -
82.0 -
Gives you more flexibility when framing your shot -
104 ms -
Keep shooting in rain or snow -
14.1 ev -
Sensor shift -
1,162 ISO -
Opaque -
100% -
740 -
23.7 bits -
600 ms -
9 -
88.99% -
1/8000 s
cons
-
Sep, 2010 -
HD video -
The screen is fixed in place -
Won't have that film look -
16.1 MP -
Use buttons to access features and menus -
No automatic 3D -
No automatic stitching -
740 g
Reviews Word on the street
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|---|---|
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 | Rated by 127 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Nate-R. (Jan, 2011) Rated 100% by by P.-P.-Maholchic (Dec, 2011) Rated 100% by by Michael-A.-Shoemaker (May, 2011) |
Lens
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Robert-B.-Gillies (Aug, 2012)Two very nice lenses available for Nikon and not Pentax is the Tokina 11-16mm wide angle and the Tokina 100mm macro.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Faxanadu (Jun, 2012)When paired up with an ok lens (kit lenses) - the images are pretty darn good.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Fasterthan-I.-LookMy only real knock is that Pentax doesn't make enough lenses, and lenses from third party suppliers range from great to really not worth the money.
Sensor
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by S.-Vogt (Aug, 2011)I have experienced excellent noise performance up to ISO1600 but even ISO3200 is pretty respectable.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by thefarb (Jun, 2012)The JPEGs from the K5 look very good and many will not find the need to use RAW, but the DNG files are very good indeed and worth the extra effort for the micro-details.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Casey-G.-Jones--Casey (Sep, 2012)The higher ISO with minimal image noise is exceptional and is a very valuable part of this camera.
Focus
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Michael-McKee--mystic-cowboy (Nov, 2010)This is the fastest and most accurately focusing camera Pentax has ever built, easily in line with Canon and Nikon's offerings in the price range.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 83% by by DPReview (Dec, 2010)AF is not available during movie recording, and neither aperture nor shutter speed can be changed during recording either.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 83% by by DPReview (Dec, 2010)The K-5's AF system is new, and Pentax's claims that it is faster and more accurate than the system used in the K-7 are bourne out in our shooting.
Image quality
Pentax K-5 | Rated 83% by by DPReview (Dec, 2010)Detail capture is excellent (although you'll have to put some very good glass on the front of the camera to get the full benefit) and dynamic range is wide.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by geridoc (Nov, 2010)Low light: This is a camera that takes great low light pictures, you can push the ISO up pretty high and still get great pictures.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Faxanadu (Jun, 2012)They are awesome and make the experience just all that much better while giving you wonderful image quality.
Iso
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Vinny (Jul, 2011)Shutter, Aperture, EV Compensation and ISO all at your convenient finger tip in a weather sealed wonderfully ergonomic package that feels comfortable in your hand - truly a still photographer's camera.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 100% by by Michael-A.-Shoemaker (May, 2011)And you can set the range you allow the Auto ISO function to use AND how rapidly it adjusts to higher ISOs.
Pentax K-5 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Nov, 2010)The Pentax K-5 offers an incredible ISO range of 80-51200 plus Full 1080p HD movies, 7fps burst shooting and a large high-resolution LCD screen.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Pentax K-5 II Rated the best by consumers K-5 II vs K-5 |
 | 2 | Nikon D600 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark Nikon D600 vs Pentax K-5 |
 | 3 | Nikon D7000 Most shots per battery charge Nikon D7000 vs Pentax K-5 |
 | 4 | Canon EOS 5D Mark II Largest sensor Canon EOS 5D Mark II vs Pentax K-5 |
 | 5 | Pentax K-30 4-way tie: Highest resolution screen K-30 vs K-5 |
 | 6 | Pentax K-r 2-way tie: Fastest to start up K-r vs K-5 |
 | 7 | Fujifilm FinePix X100 Many more contrast-detection focus points Fujifilm FinePix X100 vs Pentax K-5 |
 | 8 | Nikon D5200 Has a flip out screen Nikon D5200 vs Pentax K-5 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
Nikon D7000 or Pentax K-5 or Canon 7D
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Video capablities first, but appreciate still image quality as well.
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I have just graduated from SCAD. Im looking for a good quality investment for my first camera that would be for work. Im shooting food so detail is important. Is the k-5 that much better than the...
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Unanswered Questions
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Would you use old Pentax lenses on K-5?
One of the attractive ideas of the K-5 is that it has built in vibration reduction, so this would make any old lens an IS lens . Is it a good idea to use older Pentax lenses, which are very cheap...
Portraits, travel..
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My name is Ben. I am looking at 2 cameras. The Nikon d7000 and the pentax k-5. But apparently the k-5 has been discontinued and the k-5II in its place. Seems like the new k-5 might be almost...
Community Find out what the Sortable community is saying about the Pentax K-5
75
people have recommended the
Pentax K-5Top Pentax K-5 experts at Sortable
- 16.1 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
I recommend the Pentax K-5: cheapest, best value for money, best raw quality, best low-light performance, lightest, smallest. Also weather sealed. Clear winner in this contest.
- 0 comments
- October 11, 2012
- Reply to: Nikon D7000 or Pentax K-5 or Canon 7D
You can never go wrong with a K-5. I shoot professionally for a living, and Pentax is one of the best systems in the world. For now, they seem to have skipped the full-frame camera completely the...
- 0 comments
- October 16, 2012
- Reply to: Where the product to buy
K-5 is superior in every aspect. - The Pentax has its own battery pack which increases your number of shots to a massive 1700 at the 50% standard (half of them with flash, half without.) The a...
- 0 comments
- September 14, 2012
- Reply to: Photos in the nature, sport photos
- 17.9 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
I recommend the Pentax K-5: cheapest, best value for money, best raw quality, best low-light performance, lightest, smallest. Also weather sealed. Clear winner in this contest.
- 0 comments
- October 11, 2012
- Reply to: Nikon D7000 or Pentax K-5 or Canon 7D
People are going to generally recommend the brand that they like and use. In this case, compelling case can be made for all three. To quote dpreview.com, a reputable camera gear review K-5...
- 0 comments
- July 18, 2012
- Reply to: Advice on sports camera
- 17.9 MP
- APS-C CMOS
- 3" LCD
I've used Canon 1000D, 1100D, 450D, 500D and Nikon D3100 respectively. Now i m using a pentax k-x. this camera is unbelievable. great image quality, has the most vivid colors, video quality is it...
- 3 comments
- May 15, 2012
- Reply to: Video capablities first, but appreciate still image quality as well.
