I had to replace my Pentax K20d, which I liked a lot, because of a thief who broke into my car. I really wouldn't have considered spending the money to upgrade to the K5 without this prodding, but although I would gladly consign the thief to jail, I admit to feeling like I wound up winning with the new K5! This camera is so much more of an upgrade to the K20d than I expected.
First, the CCD sensor is getting a lot of praise for its high ISO capabilities, which was one of the K20d weaknesses. I would do everything that I could to avoid going beyond ISO 800 on the K20, but I have taken shots at 6400 on the K5 that easily rival 800 on the K20d! Why is this important? Because I can shoot in low light conditions that I couldn't have even imagined trying with the K20d. A lens that was marginal in low light now becomes remarkably useful, so a wider range of lenses can be considered, including some lower priced lenses that I might have skipped over because they were not fast enough. A definite win!
Then there is the output quality. I really liked the K20d, but the color saturation seemed a bit dull at times and needed to be pushed either in camera or via software later. Not so with the K5 and using the same lens. Colors are crisper and more vibrant, which means less tweaking needed later.
On the K20d, I found the 'Live View' function to be of very limited use. But with the resolution of the 3" screen on the camera and the ease of switching into Live View with just a push of a button, I use Live View routinely. Want to shoot with the camera held above your head? Touch the live view button and do it!
Others have commented on the focusing improvement and I can confirm that with the same lens, the focus seems a bit faster but more importantly, hunts far less and locks onto targets the first time almost all of the time. Focusing in low light is remarkably improved. So shots that I may have missed before are more likely to be captured.
I really loved how the K20d felt in my hand so I was a bit worried that the K5 would be a letdown since it is smaller, but the K5 feels solid and yet comfortable because of the grip ergonomics and the textured finish. I recently picked up a used Pentax 60-250mm lens that is over 6"long and 2 1/2 lbs, but while it is a heavy combo, it feels balanced and is remarkably comfortable for such a big lens. It is easy to hold the K5 in one hand and reach all of the important functions. With the 60-250mm lens you would definitely want to use two hands after a while - the lens is great but it definitely adds a lot of weight - but taking one handed shots is possible because of the ergonomics of the K5, especially with the in-camera stabilization function.
Speaking of the anti-shake function, there are pros and cons to in-camera vs. in-lens stabilization, but I have to say that I prefer the in-camera version for three key reasons: First, every lens you mount on the camera becomes a stabilized lens; second, non-stabilized lenses are less expensive to purchase than stabilized lenses, and third, a stabilized lens more rapidly uses the battery charge than the in-camera stabilization because you are moving glass lens elements instead of a light CCD sensor. So while you cannot see the stabilization working via the viewfinder, I will sacrifice this slight advantage for better battery life, cheaper lens cost and always-available stabilization regardless of the lens you are using!
There is so much more I love about the K5, but I will highlight just one more thing. The menu system on the K20d was kludgy and a bit hard to work with. The menu on the k5 is much cleaner and easier to use. I can find what I am looking for more easily (and there is a ton of stuff you can do in the menus!)and making adjustments is fast and sure. More importantly, the things I use the most are directly accessed by the wealth of buttons on the camera, but for those occasions where I need to use a menu the K5 is a definite step up. And just for the fun of it, here are a few things in the menus that you can do, many of which you cannot do with the 'big name' brands:
* Fine tune focus adjustment for each lens you own. I checked and my 60-250 front focused just a little bit, but with about 20 minutes of work (using Live View), I was able to adjust this myself and lock in that adjustment for that particular lens. Mount another lens and this adjustment does not apply because the setting is saved as lens specific!
* In camera HDR capability, even hand held, lens correction (based upon the specific lens you are using!), dynamic range enhancement, etc.! (I haven't played with much of this yet, but there are some good comments on this on Pentax forums. And just the ability to have this at your fingertips gives you a lot more creativity to play with.)
* Shooting sports today and landscapes tomorrow? You can set up the camera to 'favor' speed or depth of field. Or you can set the camera to use the MTF scores of the specific lens mounted to the camera to keep the lens in its sweet spot for best performance (assuming you are using a Pentax DA lens). And you can set the range you allow the Auto ISO function to use AND how rapidly it adjusts to higher ISOs.
The K5 seems a bit pricy to some, but considering all of the above plus the weatherized body (and complete system when you use either the kit lens or another lens like the 60-250mm) and you would have to spend a ton more to get a truly competitive camera. The real decision, in my mind, is whether you are stuck on buying another brand because of their name or you already own a lot of their lenses. I can understand buying a 'Canikon' if you have an investment in lenses already, but if you are buying a 'Canikon' just because of the name on the camera strap, DON'T! Give the K5 a try and you will not be disappointed!
Pentax K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body Only)
4.3 | 203 ratings
Price: 799.99
Last update: 04-24-2025
About this item
16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor; 80-12800 ISO range with improved noise performance
Body only; lenses sold separately
Widescreen 1080p HD video at 25 FPS, with sound via built-in or external 3.5mm stereo microphone jack
6-7fps captures fast action shots; 11-point SAFOX IX+ autofocus system with dedicated AF assist lamp and light wavelength sensor
Large 3-inch LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution; fully weather-sealed and coldproof design
SDXC memory card compatibility (via firmware update)
Body only; lenses sold separately
Widescreen 1080p HD video at 25 FPS, with sound via built-in or external 3.5mm stereo microphone jack
6-7fps captures fast action shots; 11-point SAFOX IX+ autofocus system with dedicated AF assist lamp and light wavelength sensor
Large 3-inch LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution; fully weather-sealed and coldproof design
SDXC memory card compatibility (via firmware update)
Product information
Warranty & Support
Amazon.com Return Policy:Amazon.com Voluntary 30-Day Return Guarantee: You can return many items you have purchased within 30 days following delivery of the item to you. Our Voluntary 30-Day Return Guarantee does not affect your legal right of withdrawal in any way. You can find out more about the exceptions and conditions here.
Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ]
Feedback
Would you like to
tell us about a lower price?
Pentax K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body Only)
Share: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043M6F14
Found a lower price? Let us know. Although we can't match every price reported, we'll use your feedback to ensure that our prices remain competitive.
Where did you see a lower price?
Top reviews from the United States
MAS
Wonderful Camera
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2011
Robert Petkus
Finally!
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2010
Robert Petkus
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2010
I won't go into the specifications since those can be found elsewhere but I'll give my overall impression - what I like and what could be better:
+ Great ergonomics. Love the compact, solid body which is identical to the K7 save for a heightened knob and elongated AF lever. I was even able to use the same split prism focus screen I had purchased for the K7.
+ Fantastic high-ISO performance - clean and offering far more flexibility than the K7. I'd try never to breach ISO 800 on the K7 whereas the K5 is routinely pushed past ISO 3200. While I wouldn't give it equal footing to a full frame camera, it's arguably the best APS-C out there in this application.
+ Outstanding dynamic range -- shoot in RAW and leave your graduated ND filters at home.
-+ Improved auto-focus, especially AF-C compared to the K7, but not quite on par with either the D300s or 7D in AF-C.
+ User-friendly, easy to navigate menu system - white balance adjustments are a breeze.
+ Good WB and JPEGs "out of the box"
-+ Yes, 1080p video but at 25FPS vs. 24 -- surely a firmware update in the future
- Audio records at 32KHz sample rate
- Only has a single SD/SDHC slot - would prefer dual with Compact Flash
- Limited to 1/180 X-Sync speed - but this is ample in most scenarios
- Images shot in portrait don't autorotate on playback - but did on the K7(?) - again, a likely firmware update
+ Blissful near-silent shutter
+ Compatibility with all those great manual K-mount lenses of yore.
Although I'm a long time Pentax user, I considered and evaluated both the Canon 7D and Nikon D300s without bias. While both are outstanding DSLRs, I preferred the Pentax K5.
An all-around excellent camera and a joy to use. A noteworthy upgrade.
Images in this review
