Editor's Note: I am delighted to publicly welcome Iaio Atamian, new collaborator of the Photographer's Blog. He will contribute weekly to the blog sharing his experience, love and passion for photography.
Today more and more companies are launching to offer their products in the digital photography market. Each of them offers us innumerable models with even newer features that can make even the most experienced doubt when choosing the camera that best suits their needs.
It is in this context where Pentax with its K-5 II, forces us to ask ourselves a new question. A year has passed since its launch, so it is time that we from the Photographer's Blog put it to the test and share our appreciation with all of you.
DESCRIPTION
As previously stated when the latest Pentax camera models were introduced , the K-5 II is a beastly all-rounder that comes to compete with models like the Nikon D7000 or Canon 7D, but at a more affordable price and with fewer features. to envy these.
The K-5 II positions Pentax on another level in the digital photography market. Its high resolution CMOS sensor, its autofocus systems, noise and dust reduction added to its pentaprism viewfinder and magnesium alloy body, make this camera a worthy option to consider when updating our equipment.
WHO IS THE PENTAX K-5 II FOR?
The K-5 II is a robust and feature-packed camera, designed to take the spotlight off its main competitors. Just by taking a quick look at its features, we will notice that some of these could be more assimilated to a professional camera, although the size of the sensor and the number of focus points, for example, remind us that this is a team designed for those fans. that require a more complete camera.
If you are starting out in the world of photography, this camera may be a bit advanced for this stage of learning, in addition to the fact that the K-5 II is still a semi-professional team.
OUTSTANDING FEATURES:
- APS-C CMOS sensor (23.7 x 15.7mm) with integrated image stabilizer.
- Pentaprism viewfinder that allows 100% coverage of the field of vision.
- ISO 80 – 12800 sensitivity expandable to 52100 (boost) with an advanced noise reduction system.
- Color depth of 8 bits in Jpg and 14 bits in RAW per channel.
- Video recording in Full HD (1080p) at 25 fps.
- 11 autofocus points.
- Shooting speed of 1/8000.
- Continuous shooting at 7 frames per second.
- Sealed magnesium alloy body to protect it from the elements of the environment.
- 980 shot battery life (manufacturer standard).
- Optional accessories: External microphone and GPS.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Beyond the impressive features incorporated into the Pentax k-5 II I have to highlight the following:
- Shutter speed: thanks to its minimum shutter speed (1/8000), it will no longer be impossible to freeze those moments that pass so quickly that it is not possible to see them with the naked eye, but that after freezing them in a photograph we are all amazed.
- Battery life: to those who have never had the perfect photo framed at the precise moment, and when they press the shutter button, the camera does not respond. It seems that enough has happened to the people at Pentax that they have decided to incorporate a battery that is capable of taking 980 photos (750 firing the flash at 50% capacity) with a single battery.
- Continuous Shooting: With an impressive 7 frames per second the K-5 II is capable of taking 7 pictures in the blink of an eye. The PRIME II processor it comes equipped with seems to do its job very well. Let's imagine how long it takes our computer to open a RAW photograph and then multiply by 7 to have a real dimension of what this little chip is capable of doing.
- Size: Thanks to its magnesium alloy body, which protects it from adverse weather conditions, and its ergonomic design, the K-5 II is very comfortable, light and compact. Its weight is around 600 grams, 100 less than its direct competitors. Ideal for working outdoors as well as in the studio and indoors.
And despite the fact that it is difficult to find weak points in this camera, here I highlight some of them:
- Focus points: This must be the weakest point when analyzing it, especially if we take into account that the cameras in its segment have at least 39 focus points. The K-5 II only has 11 which would limit us when it comes to composition using autofocus. Despite this, the autofocus system of this model is outstanding, fast and reliable.
- Sensor stabilization: For many, having included this feature as a disadvantage may be incomprehensible and although there are many positions around this issue, many tests show that lenses that have a built-in stabilizer compensate stabilization up to 4 stops better than those cameras in where the sensor is the one who is stabilized.
- Limit to video recording: it can be interpreted either as a limitation or as a security measure to protect the integrity of the sensor. The video recording time of the K-5 II cannot exceed 24 minutes to avoid overheating.
- Available lenses: currently the company has a wide variety of lenses but it is not excellent. Pentax makes 90 available lenses available to us, a figure much lower than what Nikon and Canon offer.
- Support: Although Pentax is a brand of Ricoh, a multinational printer and copier giant, it doesn't have much of a presence in the digital photography market. Pentax, beyond the fact that it has been improving its market share thanks to models such as the K-5 II in recent years, has still not made the leap to position itself among the main ones in the sector, although according to the latest surveys, photographers who use Pentax are the most satisfied with their equipment.
PRICE AND COMPARISONS
As soon as the Pentax K-5 II was launched on the market, its price was around 1400 Euros for the body alone, but as we have already advised in the Photographer's Blog , waiting a few months after its launch, today it is possible to acquire this impressive camera in shops for approximately 1100 Euros. In Amazon Spain you can get it for just over 900 Euros(target included). If we take into account that the price of a Nikon D7000 is around 1100 Euros (18-200mm included in the package), the price difference is not as abysmal as it would have seemed at first. In the same way, the price should not be a fundamental factor to make this type of decision, but rather another of the many factors to take into account.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Some photos taken with the Pentax K-5 II, as a sample:
FINAL OPINION
In the world of photography, not everything is Nikon or Canon. There are other brands that can satisfy our photographic needs in the same or better way, as in the case of the Pentax K-5 II, the cameras that they offer us have nothing to envy to these giants of the industry.
It seems that in recent times Pentax is determined to gain ground over its competitors in the market, launching a wide variety of cameras that target all segments, time will tell us if these teams are really as promising as they seem.
Until now and according to the latest surveys published by JD Power Associates, in 2012 those photographers who have opted for Pentax cameras are the most satisfied with the product obtained from all brands, surpassing even industry benchmarks.
