Useful Tips

Pentax K-5 Review (Part 1)

INTRODUCTION

The Pentax K-5 is a digital SLR for hobbyist enthusiasts and professional photographers. Magnesium alloy chassis, dust and waterproof design, improved sensor (16 megapixels), ISO sensitivity range 80 - 51200, display 921000 pixels, image stabilization based on sensor shift, burst speed of 7 fps, HD video shooting up to up to 1920x1080p 25fps, in-camera RAW processing and HDR shooting.

The Pentax K-5 is the company's top model in the entire line of digital cameras, not including the medium format 645D. Retaining the concept of the previous model (K-7) and almost the same appearance, the new K-5 camera turned out to be a major upgrade in terms of functionality - almost all areas were not left without attention, and were improved.

First, the changes affected the new matrix. In terms of size and resolution, it corresponds to the matrices used in Nikon D7000 and Sony Alpha A-55 cameras - an impressive 16 MP resolution, the maximum frame format is 4928x3264 pixels. The new matrix has a built-in ADC (analog-to-digital converter), which allows achieving a better signal-to-noise ratio along the entire path and increasing the light-sensitive range to a stunning value - ISO 51200, which is currently a record for APS-C matrices. In addition, the Pentax K-5 now has an interesting feature - for each ISO value, you can set an independent value for the intensity of noise reduction.

The autofocus system has also undergone an update - the 11-point SAFOX IX + module borrows the best qualities of the SAFOX VIII + module from the younger model and the SAFOX IX module (K-r model). Focusing in low light has been improved, as is accuracy in difficult lighting conditions (just like the K-7, a dedicated wavelength sensor is used for this).

The "rate of fire" has increased and is up to 7 frames per second (versus 5.3 for the Pentax K-7), and video recording is now possible in Full HD resolution of 1920x1080p (unfortunately, the speed does not reach 30 and is 25 frames / second). The aperture value can be changed, during video shooting it is possible to use some digital filters, as well as a connector for an external stereo microphone.

The HDR function has been improved to expand the dynamic range (High Dynamic Range). With burst shooting, HDR shots taken quickly one after another are automatically superimposed before further folding, that is, HDR shooting can be carried out without a tripod, which was not taken into account in the K-7, where a tripod was needed. In addition, the intensity of the HDR effect can be changed. New options for digital processing have also been introduced - Cross-process, Whitening.

The electronic level of the Pentax K-7 worked in one plane, now you can control the camera tilt both left / right and forward / backward. Image stabilization based on matrix shift with three degrees of freedom - in addition to linear shift along two axes, rotation relative to the optical axis of the lens is also worked out. In a company with an electronic level, this enables the camera to perform horizontal alignment while shooting.

K-7 accessories are fully compatible (batteries, battery grip, remote controls) with the Pentax K-5, which allows K-7 owners to save money when upgrading to a newer model

DESIGN AND CONTROLS

The appearance of the Pentax K-5 is almost indistinguishable from the K-7 model. The device is just as compact - atypical for a camera of such a high level. The "miniature" is spinning in my head - but this, of course, will already be an exaggeration. Pentax K-5 - durable, small, high-quality performance. The camera turned out to be heavier than it might seem at first glance when you take it in your hand - but this feeling is very biased, in fact, the K-5 is lighter than its opponents.

Front control dial mounted at a slight angle. In my opinion, this arrangement is very convenient, since, when gripping with the right hand, it is very convenient to control with the right finger. And the shape of the handle itself is very ergonomic.

An infrared receiver for remote control is located at the bottom of the handle.Like the previous model, it is duplicated on the back, which deserves attention, because in most cases it is convenient to remotely control the camera from the back - for example, at night, and in almost all cases, during tripod shooting, the remote control is used to get blurring in moment of pressing. For example, when shooting with a camera installed near the habitat of some kind of animal, you can press the "shutter button" from afar.

The photo above clearly shows the similarity of the K-5 and K-7 models. The only distinguishing feature that catches your eye is the shooting mode dial (top left), it has become larger, it seems to be a slight improvement, and it has become more convenient to rotate it ... There is a retainer in the center of the disc to prevent accidental rotation. I'm not a big fan of using clamps, the need to press a button at every turn prevents me, but, nevertheless, some professional cameras use clamps - apparently, many photographers find them convenient.

Under the mode dial, coaxially with it, there is a lever for switching the exposure metering mode (there are three options to choose from - center-weighted, spot and multi-segment). The exposure metering system is 77-zone, and nothing has changed compared to the K-7. The lever is a little stiff and protrudes poorly - when working with gloves, for example, in winter, the lever can be very uncomfortable.

On top of the camera there is a display, which displays a little information about the current settings of the device. In general, it is quite informative.

The "shutter release" button is in a convenient place, the half-press is clearly fixed. It is surrounded by a lever, a stirrup of non-fixed positions for turning on and off the power and a third position, which is intended to take a picture that will not be recorded on the memory card.

Below the place where the index finger is, there are two more buttons for adjusting the exposure compensation and white sensitivity. The principle of their setting is very simple - first, press the button, and then turn the wheel.

The photo above shows how the process of adjusting the photosensitivity occurs. Areas in blue highlight the currently active settings, as well as the corresponding controls. In this case, changing the current ISO value is carried out by rotating the rear dial, and the "Green" button located directly under the wheel is used in a typical Pentax way - it allows you to reset the setting and immediately go to the "safe" parameter, here it is ISO AUTO.

The control dial on the back of the camera is used to adjust the parameters, and navigate through the menu, in the photo view mode, it is used to zoom (this is indicated by the blue tab).

On the right is the AE-L button, it can not only fix the autoexposure - its function can also be set in the menu. In general, the configuration of the controls is very flexible, the buttons can have different functions in different modes.

The controls for autofocus modes are located under the "Green" button. Using a tight turn signal, you can select the autofocus mode. To choose from:

  • 1 point in the center (illustration on the left),
  • 1 point each user-selectable SEL (bottom left),
  • automatic AUTO mode (bottom).

The familiar buttons on the Navipad, in most cases, are responsible for controlling four different functions, and are also designed to select the AF point. Switching "submodes" is carried out by the middle button of the navipad - OK. In practice, everything is much clearer and simpler. Below the AF switch is the LV button, you guessed it, it is responsible for the live view mode.

Then the navigation keys follow. In shooting mode, the button

  • Left - White balance
  • Up - for shutter modes
  • Right - select a picture style
  • Down - flash mode.

I will return to them later. Well, below the navipad there are two buttons - INFO and MENU.

INFO switches modes for displaying information on the display, the status screen with the basic settings (as in the picture above, we are already familiar with it), the control panel (below), and an electronic level, with which you can achieve a strictly horizontal position of the camera - and along two axes (tilts left / right and forward / backward). The fourth mode - the monitor is off.

A few important control buttons are located on the left side of the camera.

The RAW button, you guessed it, switches the file format of the saved images. There are three options to choose from: JPEG, RAW (PEF, or DNG) and RAW + JPEG. In the menu, you can configure the order of switching between them when you press the RAW button, in the same place you can configure whether a change will be made to the format by one frame or before the button is pressed again.

Compared to the K-7, the RAW button is programmable, the Fx inscription is visible next to it (for the models of the previous series of K-5 samples, Flex was written here, which indicated the "flexible" purpose of this button).

Slightly below, there is a button for switching the standard focusing mode - single-shot AF.S, continuous C or manual MF.

MODES

Like other Pentax DSLRs, the K-5 offers many different shooting modes. First, of course, there is the usual PASM set - the only thing is that the aperture and shutter speed priorities are indicated not by A and S, but by Av and Tv.

Separately, the ISO priority mode is highlighted (it is denoted by Sv - you choose the ISO value, and the camera itself will select the shutter speed and aperture - just like in the P mode). More unusual is the opposite mode, denoted by TAv, you choose the shutter speed and aperture, and the camera controls the ISO value.

Exposure (letter B, from the word (Bulb) - slow shutter speed; the shutter will be open as long as the shutter release button is held down. There is a limitation on the ISO value, and is 1600.

The "green" mode, indicated by a green rectangle on the disc, imposes a limitation on some of the available settings. Most of them are left to the discretion of automation, and for those that you can still customize, there is a "green motif" in the design. Functions switchable by hardware (type of metering, autofocus modes) have a green mark of a more "safe" option (multi-zone exposure metering, automatic AF point selection), and the virtually controlled parameters on the display can be reset to the initial (safe) ones set by the automation, as you already guessed by pressing the green button. In other words, if a novice user is confused about manual settings, pressing the green button will reset exposure compensation, fine-tuning the white balance to zero, the ISO value will be set to "Auto", and so on. Information about the possibility of pressing the green button is displayed on the monitor.

The USER mode is custom, you can save the current camera settings and restore them by turning the dial. There can be 5 similar user settings, and not 1, as in the younger model.

The red letter X on the mode dial is the X-sync flash mode, and the movie camera icon, respectively, the video recording mode.

In the menu, you can set the type of program line. For those who do not know what it is, I will explain. With a change in illumination from minimum to maximum (of course, with the opposite movement), the automation of any camera selects the exposure values, opening the aperture and reducing the shutter speed. But the order in which the camera does this - first, only the aperture, or only the shutter speed, or alternately both - just depends on the shape of the program line. In our case, there are 6 possible options for program lines for different photography conditions.

The Sport option tries to set a fast shutter speed, the Depth of Field Priority is Dahl (in other words, Landscape) - providing the maximum depth of field, and the Depth of Field Priority Near (like a Portrait) - on the contrary, uses an open aperture.Option MTF, in other words "Priority of sharpness" - as it selects such a value of the aperture, at which the lens is as sharp as possible (data on the current focal length is used, since the characteristics of the lens change as it changes). Normal - normal default setting, AUTO - camera chooses the most suitable option.

The LV button switches the camera to Live View mode. Exposure parameters, exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, etc. are displayed. There is also a histogram in real time, level, grid, overexposures (the display of all these parameters can be disabled in the menu). The control of various parameters still works, with the corresponding setup screen overlaid on top of the displayed one.

The contrast-type autofocus has become much faster than before, although everything is also noticeably slower than the phase one. Formally, there are two types of contrast AF - regular and Face Detection. The AF zone can be moved around the screen manually using the navipad, while first pressing the central OK button.

  • In Live View, zoom can be increased by pressing the INFO button and then rotating the command dial.

When the mode is selected with the dial to the Video position, the “live view” mode is activated, and the camera is ready for video recording (start and stop are selected by the shutter release). Video recording can take place in HD resolution, up to 1920x1080p (unfortunately, the frequency will be 25 frames / second, not 30). There is also a 1280x720p 30fps option. Recording is in Motion JPEG (.avi) format. The maximum recording time is limited to 20 minutes or 4 GB.

Let me remind you that the K-7 model shot video at a lower maximum resolution (1536x1024 pixels), but the frequency was 30 frames / second.

The sound during video recording is monaural, however, there is a connector for a standard 3.5 ”mini-jack, which allows you to connect an external stereo microphone.

Autofocus and aperture cannot be changed directly during movie recording. If necessary, they must be completed before recording. In my opinion, this is not so significant, since for some opponents, who actually surpass K-5 in this parameter, autofocusing during recording leads to a noticeable "yaw" of focus, so the profitability of its use is in fact rather arbitrary.

The quality of the recorded video of the K-5 is quite acceptable. Soft image, pleasing to the eye. You will see a slight swinging vertical effect, but this is a common point for all video recording DSLRs. With a lack of light, the K-5 wins, the image is relatively quiet. A small depth of field, it can be provided by a large, in comparison with amateur video cameras, matrix. More attention is required to control the depth of field.

PICTURE STYLE CONTROL

When the navipad buttons are not used to manually select an AF point, they are responsible for controlling 4 important aspects of the camera's capabilities - Flash Mode, Frame (or Shutter) Mode, Picture Styles and White Balance.

The corresponding parameters on the status screen are highlighted in blue.

The Up button selects Frame Mode. Besides single shooting, there are a couple of burst shooting options - Fast (7fps) and Slow. In the first case, the length of the series consists of 22 fast frames (moreover, according to the test results, regardless of the format - both in JPG and in the RAW + JPG bundle), after which the speed drops sharply.

The self-timer, remote control, exposure bracketing, and mirror up are also included here. For each change, both control dials are actively used, the navipad buttons, the OK button. The work is very convenient.

The left navipad button controls the white balance, from the possible options - Auto, Shade, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent (four options), Incandescent, Flash, Color temperature setting and Pattern (3 options).For each "white balance" there is a fine adjustment, along two axes: Green-Magenta and Blue-Amber and. The green button resets the settings to their original state.

The Down navigation key is used to set the flash mode.

The Right button changes the style of the image. There are nine styles in total - Vivid (set in the camera by default), Portrait, Art, Natural, Landscape, Fade, Whitening, Slide and Monochrome. For some of them, you can adjust the following image settings on a conventional scale of +/– 5 steps: Hue, Saturation, High / Low key, Contrast, Contrast in shadows and Sharpness, Contrast in highlights. The monochrome style has a slightly different set of settings, instead of hue and saturation, the Color Filter and Toning are applied. When changing the settings in relation to the factory settings, the corresponding "sliders" change color from green to yellow, and the standard position is marked with a green dot. On the right side there is a vector diagram that displays the color space in six coordinates (RGB and CMY), clearly showing the color rendition of the desired style.

Compared to the Pentax K-7, two new styles are Slide and Whitening. However, the translation of the latter is not entirely correct, it is not about bleaching, but on the contrary, about passing the "bleaching" phase in the process of developing a color film (Bleach Bypass). Under the influence of such a deliberate violation, the colors become duller, the photo latitude decreases (details in the highlights and shadows disappear), but the contrast and graininess of the picture increases.

Below is an example of what a snapshot looks like with different Picture Style options. The values ​​of all parameters are set by default.

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