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Author Topic: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"  (Read 14238 times)

marcmccalmont

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Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« on: April 24, 2011, 06:13:05 pm »

In the past I've had my share of small (APSC and smaller) travel cameras and have never been happy with the image quality.
Until now, I absolutely love my Pentax K5 and the 18-135. I actually look forward to using this camera.
A few shots from a park in Fukuoka.
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2011, 07:39:17 pm »

That's a lovely set of photos. Nice bokeh, too.

I wish Pentax had gotten into the digital game seriously a lot sooner. I waited and waited and finally sold all my beloved old Pentax gear and started over with Canon.

The way you talk sounds just like the way I used to feel about my film Pentaxes. My Canons have done well for me but not with that kind of excitement, and it would be too expensive for me to switch back now.

Keep on enjoying it!

Eric
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tsjanik

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2011, 08:49:00 pm »

Very nice shots Marc.
What's your impression of the 18-135mm?  A number of posters at Getdpi love the lens and yet it was hammered in a recent Photozone review.

Tom
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ErikKaffehr

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2011, 11:44:02 pm »

Marc,

Nice to hear you are happy with your Pentax K5. It's also weather proof as far as I understand it.

How are things in Japan?

Best regards
Erik


In the past I've had my share of small (APSC and smaller) travel cameras and have never been happy with the image quality.
Until now, I absolutely love my Pentax K5 and the 18-135. I actually look forward to using this camera.
A few shots from a park in Fukuoka.
Marc
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marcmccalmont

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2011, 07:41:30 pm »

The lens yes the corners are soft and vignetted but Ill wait for the DxO lens module due out next month before I draw any pixel peeping conclusions. One of my favorite lenses is my Canon 24-105 4.0 IS and I find my copy is superb but many have poo poo'd this lens too, same for my Mamiya 35mm. So when DxO has the lens module available Ill let you know.
Japan, Tokyo is returning to normal most grociery stores etc are fully stocked now and life goes on.
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

marcmccalmont

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2011, 06:48:33 pm »

Just a quick shot of a pattern with the 18-135, no DxO module yet, the corners are poor but the rest of the lens is good
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

eriktorpolsen

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2011, 10:41:12 am »

I'm drooling over a K5, as I was never happy with the image quality of my Nikon D50 and Nikon D3000.
Then I did the next best thing;-buying a Pentax K20D. After the K20D all my medium format analog gear
has not been used at all. The detail, sharpness and IQ of the K20D is very good, but the K5 I know is even better.
Good luck with the K5.
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Michael LS

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2011, 02:16:51 pm »

One of the reasons your K5 produces such beautiful images is due to the amazing amount of dynamic range
it has, courtesy of the new Sony sensor design, and of course, the user being a good photographer  :) !
After using my D7000 more, I'm finding the high DR to be the most satisfying element. There is a whopping
2.7 stop diff in the D7000, and my previous D80, so the difference in print quality is extra schweet 'n tasty.
Even though both these cameras share the same sensor, DXO shows the K5 to have .2 EV more DR.
Congrats have to go to the Pentax engineers here. Nikon did a fine job, but the Pentax guys edged 'em
out this time around. Nevertheless, DR makes both these cameras a joy to use.
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marcmccalmont

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2011, 05:44:03 pm »

Yes I am finding myself in situations that I can have my cake and eat it too!
like the flowers hand held, I bumped up the iso to 3200 which compressed the DR but there is plenty left to capture the scene and ettr!
It is better than my P45+ in this respect. It will be interesting to see how phase one did with the IQ180 once Dxo tests it!
Any suggestions on a lens better than the 18-135?
Marc
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Michael LS

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2011, 10:10:43 pm »

I assume your lens question is for anyone who can help- I cannot, as I know nothing about Pentax lenses,
except to state the obvious, which is that primes are necessary if you wish to extract every last bit of detail.
Of course, as we all know, primes only work in certain situations.
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Paulo Bizarro

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2011, 06:03:01 am »

Yes I am finding myself in situations that I can have my cake and eat it too!
like the flowers hand held, I bumped up the iso to 3200 which compressed the DR but there is plenty left to capture the scene and ettr!
It is better than my P45+ in this respect. It will be interesting to see how phase one did with the IQ180 once Dxo tests it!
Any suggestions on a lens better than the 18-135?
Marc

Hi Mark, I have also purchased the K5 recently, after 20 years with Canon EOS. I will not dwell on the reasons for the change, but I think the K5 is already a "classic". One of the reasons to use Pentax is their fantastic collection of Limited lenses. I have settled with the 15 f/4, 31 f/1.8, and 70 f/2.4.

So the answer to your question is, yes, there are better lenses than the 18-135, but better for what? In the zoom category, the 16-45 and the 16-50 f/2.8 come to mind, if you like the range. The latter belongs to the DA* category, which means like the "L" lenses from Canon, for example. If you like good zooms, you can couple the 16-50 f/2.8 with the 50-135 f/2.8, or the 60-250 f/4.

tsjanik

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2011, 07:13:32 am »

Marc:

Here's good database:
http://www.pentaxforums.com/lensreviews/

I will say the 31mm f/1.8, 43mm f/1.9 and 77mm f/1.8 are very highly regarded.

Tom
« Last Edit: May 13, 2011, 08:05:28 am by tsjanik »
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pgsimmons

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2011, 12:05:06 am »

Agree. I recently upgraded from an istDs to the K5. Also bought the DA35 Macro and the FA77 Limited Lens. I used these two lenses about 90% of the time on a recent trip to Indonesia. The sharpness, bokeh and low light ability of these lenses and K5 was truly amazing.
Some test shots of the K5 with the FA77 lens can be seen at:
http://petergsimmons.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/pentax-fa-77mm-lens-part-3/
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tsjanik

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2011, 03:08:51 pm »

In the past I've had my share of small (APSC and smaller) travel cameras and have never been happy with the image quality.
Until now, I absolutely love my Pentax K5 and the 18-135. I actually look forward to using this camera.
A few shots from a park in Fukuoka.
Marc

Well Marc, you and a few  others over at Getdpi convinced me to try the K5. It arrived only yesterday, but what a fabulous little camera; big improvement over previous models.  Here are a couple test shots in the backyard with an old Super Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (early eight element version) @f/2 and 1.4.  Really nice out-of-focus blur.

Tom
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marcmccalmont

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #14 on: June 18, 2011, 06:08:05 pm »

Tom
I'm also happy that DxO now has a module for the 18-135mm
This is the best walk around/travel camera I've owned
I'm glad you are pleased. the  sensor is so good I reguarly  shoot at iso 3200 and sacrifice nothing
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

tsjanik

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #15 on: June 18, 2011, 10:30:37 pm »

Marc:
I’m very impressed with this camera and it’s allowed me to rediscover the 50mm Super Takumar.  I’d forgotten its amazing bokeh.
A few more examples of the same flower/plant.  No PS, it’s what the camera recorded (first a f/2, others at f/1.4).
 Thanks,

Tom
« Last Edit: June 18, 2011, 10:56:28 pm by tsjanik »
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marcmccalmont

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #16 on: June 18, 2011, 10:57:46 pm »

Now thats a great lens! Is that a M42 mount? how are you adapting it?
Marc
« Last Edit: June 18, 2011, 11:06:17 pm by marcmccalmont »
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fredjeang

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2011, 10:43:37 am »

Now thats a great lens! Is that a M42 mount? how are you adapting it?
Marc
Pentax mount is probably the most versatile mount in today's dlsrs. (except the micro 4/3 but they aren't dslrs)
You can mount almost everything and keeping the A mode in many series. M42 adapters abund in ebay but genuine ones are difficult to find.
There are a few russian exact copies of the genuine Pentax adapter that are better than the chinese cheap replicas.

If you use a genuine or russian copy, you won't need tool to remove the adapter and your lenses will have the engraved indications aligned on the top where they should be. Chinese versions will work but
you'll need a tool (provide with) and you aren't sure your lens indications will be aligned. If you can't have infinity focus, a little peice of aluminium paper and you're done.

Beware of the Ricoh or Pentaflex, KR bayonet  because they are Pentax mount compatible but have a little additional contact that can be very problematic if you do not know the right procedure and wich one has to be removed. You'd have issues to take-off the lens. If it happens, don't force anything, just switch several time your MF-AF button while turning gently the lens but the best is just avoid them. (and they aren't good optics anyway)

Using M42 you are totally manual, it's good for a slow style of photography but remember that you actually see in the viewfinder your real aperture wich is difficult to focus if you stop-down but with live-view...things are simple.
M42 Pentax (and non Pentax) line IMO are highly recommended but use them with a good lens hood.

You can also mount old Pentax MF lenses with superb results. http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=pentax+6x7+to+K+adapter&_sacat=0&_odkw=industar+26+m&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313
 
« Last Edit: June 19, 2011, 10:50:09 am by fredjeang »
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tsjanik

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Re: Pentax K5 "I Love It!"
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2011, 12:03:08 pm »

Now thats a great lens! Is that a M42 mount? how are you adapting it?
Marc
Marc:

Really is a wonderful lens for bokeh.  Not sure what its MTF would be, but it does illustrate that resolution and contrast are not the only criteria for a good lens. The eight element 50mm dates from the 60s, when the Spotmatic was the largest selling SLR.  Rumor is Pentax was competing with Zeiss to produce the best fast 50mm and that the lens was so expensive to produce that Pentax lost money on everyone sold.  It was quickly replaced by a seven element version, which presumably was cheaper to manufacture.
Fred’s comments are correct, but I did purchase my genuine adapter from the Pentax web store a few years ago for $30 US.  The genuine adapter mounts in a K mount camera and in essence turns the body into M42.  I found that inconvenient so removed the pin which locks the adapter to the body and now leave the adapter screwed onto the lens, which in essence converts the M42 lens into a K lens.  The only disadvantage is the lens does not lock on the camera, so turning it will dismount the lens, but that hasn’t been an issue.

Tom
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