Pentax K5 After Three Months. How's it been? With some of my favourite images captured so far.

[@TheJourneyAhead]

I've had my K5 since 2011. What I love most about the camera is that it feels indestructible. I have already taken several trips through the Sahara and West Africa with this camera and have never been too gentle with it. But it still works, even if mine no longer looks as new as yours. AF has never been a big problem for me as I mostly take photos with legacy lenses. But even with AF lenses, I never had any major problems. But I mostly use AF lenses outdoors.

[@stevieb7121]

I agree, I've never had a camera that felt so robust. The cheaper range of modern Pentax lenses feel fragile and completely out of place on such a 'strong' body! I think my biggest problem with the K5 focusing is that I've compared it with other camera brands (nearly all more modern). Thanks for watching and Happy New Year!

[@sdhute]

@@stevieb7121 some are budget lenses for the apsc line. The 20-40 limited 2.8-4.0 lens is built well and amazing. Right now for apsc I’d get the 20-40 limited and 55-300 plm. Those are more in line with the Pentax quality you are expecting. I mainly shoot street and an occasional street portrait and abandoned buildings.

[@mohnkern]

With Pentax the K-3 and K-1 are their models that really shine.

[@stevieb7121]

I may get back to Pentax to try the K-3 at some point. Thanks for watching!

[@CapitanFajardo]

I own a cousin of your K-5: the K-5 IIs, and honestly my complaint would be exactly the same than yours, the AF. The K-5 family are cameras that I find best suited on a tripod, doing some landscape work (which in my photography is something I do and enjoy). Even if its AF is not to the standard of any other camera system that I use, I still like the K-5 IIs quite a bit, it is a camera that feels just right in my hands, I find the ergonomics to be excellent, the raw files really sing when I develop them, the ISO 80 setting is truly fantastic. Overall, the camera gets the job done while inspiring me confidence, and that is all I care about. Long story short, I don’t see myself selling it anytime soon. Happy 2024!

[@stevieb7121]

Yeah, I agree completely. I love the handling of the camera. It feels superb and the ergonomics are much better than average. It's also beyond me that Pentax have managed such a straight-forward menu system where others brands struggle so much. Thanks for watching!

[@andrewmartin8739]

Used my K5 since 2013 , absolutely superb piece of kit

[@stevieb7121]

Considering how old they are (relatively), they don't feel out-classed by more modern kit at all. Still capable of delivering excellent results. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@shakenharem1755]

It's the best value camera you can buy today. Robust, WR lenses, fantastic battery life, superb sensor, great ISO range, fantastic dynamic range. Autofocus is a shortcoming I'm prepared to overlook given all the positives coupled with the price you can pick these up for today.

[@shakenharem1755]

Oh, and it has IBIS !!

[@stevieb7121]

Yeah, I'd agree with all of this and add the truly huge array of lenses to suit all budgets. Thanks for watching!

[@stevieb7121]

@@shakenharem1755 This is something that doesn't get enough mention. When you consider how well promoted the Olympus IBIS is in comparison, I feel the Pentax SR version is almost unknown!

[@terryjacob8169]

I love how the K-5 can shoot at ISO 80. Mine sits on a monopod and usually has either a Pentax-A 28mm f2.8 or a Pentax-A 50mm f1.7 attached to it.

[@stevieb7121]

There's no doubt the K-5 can still hold its own against newer cameras - particularly with regard to build and IQ ! Thanks for watching.

[@barryhiggott9458]

I’ve been with Pentax since since the days of the Spotmatic and I have to say I love them. All that said your issues with the K5:were the same in many of the early Pentax DSLR,s, nowadays it’s totally different, pick up the K3iii and it’s a revelation especially with a PLM lens attached. As for the viewfinders they are now superb.

[@stevieb7121]

Everyone says the K3iii is amazing but, for me, it's too expensive at the moment. I may come back to it later..... I certainly appreciated a lot of the good points the K5 had to offer. Thanks for watching!

[@keithdoyle6535]

Its funny what we get use to with modern camera's. In the 80s everything was manual and you had to really think about focusing, aperture and iso for every shot. This led to a practice of really considering the next picture. I kinda love it so for me the K5 looks like a great fit.

[@stevieb7121]

Yeah, I completely agree. It's well worth spending the time to think through the whole process. That's part of the joy. Thanks for watching.

[@takuan650]

Interesting conclusions and I have to say I pretty much agree with everything. I have the K5IIs and the K3 for over 10 years now with 5 ltd. lenses. I liked the compactness, the built and the image quality a lot. I still like it and use these cameras from time to time also because of the 'shooting experience'. It brings me back to basics. Focussing is indeed problematic with Pentax cameras and that's why I left the brand. Focussing is like dealing with a moody bride. Sometimes it works sometimes not and wondering why. I never felt safe on shooting missions. When it works the images are great and have character. I'll keep them just for giggles.

[@stevieb7121]

Thanks for commenting - it's good to hear other people's perspectives. And, thanks for watching!

[@actionimagesphotography]

Coming from Canon I find I'm loving the legacy lens I've had over the years as well as choosing all the profiles you can access. I also find the colours straight out of the camera are more to my taste than the other cameras I use for work. Right now I'm looking for a Pentax KP ( reasonable price :-) to add to my kit.

[@stevieb7121]

Yeah, I agree. The KP looks like a great camera and one I'd like to take a close look at. I probably need to borrow one to see how I'd get on with it. Thanks for watching and Happy New Year!

[@jimschmidt7303]

The K-5 is my 3rd Pentax. I agree on all points and they are universal for all my Pentax. I bought a K10D to try some of the M42 lenses people were raving about. I have been thrilled with the Pentax colors compared to the Panasonic GH2 and the Nikons I have. I am a hobby photographer and have been buying budget gear. I did finally figure out how to improve the Nikon colors. I will be looking though your videos to see if you have any tips for the cool colors of my Panasonic. Thanks for the video.

[@stevieb7121]

I'd certainly agree the Panasonic colours are different but I quite like the cooler blues in the sky. Some of the 'presets'(?) in Silkypix are worth a look as starting points - I sometimes use 'fine street' for urban images and adjust that to my preferences. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@jimschmidt7303]

@@stevieb7121 Thanks for the advice on Silkypix. I have been using the raw processors for Lumix, Pentax and Nikon which, like you said helps once you get used to the menus and tool locations. I believe all 3 are based on Silkypix.

[@bgoode2903]

16 Megapixels is my sweet spot, the Nikon D7100 was a camera I really enjoyed working with it too works with Nikon legacy lenses…I was actually at the Minolta 7000 event that introduced autofocus to the photographic community and have never been a fan of the trend, I always shoot in manual focus mode with AF lenses or use manual lenses…shooting in manual focus increases my battery life by around 3 times…so if you’re on a shoot in a remote location and could be doing with extra battery then switch off the AF…lol…Nice Review, Great Shots…thanks for creating the content…keep it coming..! 😇

[@stevieb7121]

Thank you for your kind comments. I agree about MF. I love a fully manual lens! Coming from the era when there was only film, it just seems natural to "focus". What I'm not so keen on is the way that some AF lenses focus manually - fully electronic and nothing tactile.

[@physicstutoronline5603]

I find the colours from my K3 and K70 to be wonderful compared to my M43 cameras, very noticeable with greens in particular. The ergonomics are great for me and their camera bodies are typically very robust, the fact that you are using a 10 year old K5 is testament to that.

[@stevieb7121]

Robustness and all round general competence are very good - regardless of their age. Along with some great, and unique to Pentax, features. I think the K5 is still very relevant today. Thanks for watching!

[@camerarover7124]

Enjoyable video Stevie. Always wondered what the K5 was like to use. I’ve tried several other models. For me, Pentax always seem a little lacking when used in comparison with other systems. I guess if you’ve always known Pentax, it wouldn’t be a problem. Happy New Year to you.

[@stevieb7121]

I think to develop a true love of Pentax I would have needed to come to it before other systems. Now that mirrorless has come so far, a DSLR would have to offer something truly different/better to tempt me. Thanks for watching and a Happy New Year to you and yours too.

[@sbcwinn]

Hi Stevie, thanks for the video. I have a K-5 and many lenses for it. I am wondering if your camera has a focusing problem. I rarely have a problem with finding focus, even with long lenses. Just asking.

[@stevieb7121]

Hi, it's possible although it certainly seemed to perform better/more reliably with some lenses than others. My biggest frustration was failing to achieve really accurate manual focus without resorting to live-view. The K5 is an amazing camera for its age though. Thanks for watching!

[@jamesmlodynia8757]

😂 my first DSLR when I started digital photography 15 years ago was a Pentax K100D super, it was a very straightforward camera that was well built and easy to use and learn, my next was the K10D, kr, k5 MKII, Kp, K3 MK1,II AND III.lastly t K1 MKII. I photographed events for over five years with the K5mkii and k3 and that is why I added the K1 MKII. I use a variety of Pentax and Sigma glass, latter on i added cameras from Panasonic, Olympus, Fujifilm and Nikon.

[@stevieb7121]

That sound like quite a journey! My first DSLR was a Nikon D300 and I used that for many years before moving to M43 and then Fuji. With the K3 iii being the apex of the APS-C Pentax line-up, was that also your favourite? Thanks for watching!

[@machalostm7607]

Czy Sigma 18-250mm F3,5-6,3 DC OS będzie dobre szkło do K5?

[@cgriggsiv]

Also with the K5 the one that you are holding in your hand you might want to try the 18 to 135 that focus is quite quickly And so does the 28-105 Lens choices are very difficult for a fast walkaround So yes a 35 mm macro special edition works quite well Or the 18-135 kit lens which is actually my go to lens but I'm trying to make that go up to the 18-270 that would be a perfect walk around lounge

[@stevieb7121]

Yeah, there's always the compromise of size, quality and range for a walkaround. Nowadays I'm erring more towards primes to simplify matters. I rarely seem to feel as if I'm missing out. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@sdhute]

I like how Pentax give a dng for raw Ricoh too

[@stevieb7121]

Thanks for watching and sharing!

[@michelk5]

I had the K5 back in 2010 and it was very good at that time for many things, but as you said it was a pain to focus legacy lenses. I went to Fujifilm in 2015 with xpro1 and later xt1 and never came back!

[@stevieb7121]

At the moment, for me, Fuji have the best balance of image quality, flexibility and joy to use. I'm pretty committed to the EVF though, which is why I sold my X-Pro1 and moved to the X-E1. Thanks for watching and a Happy New Year!

[@michelk5]

@@stevieb7121 happy new year!

[@michelk5]

@@stevieb7121 you may consider the Xt1, the EVF is huge and excellent for manual focusing. I use my xt1 for vintage lenses. Love my xpro1 but it is too difficult to manual focus old lenses with the focus peaking in white color only.

[@stevieb7121]

@@michelk5 Happy New Year to you too!

[@cgriggsiv]

The Pentax k5 is a very good camera as you said But with the 55-300 Redband lens is more suited for the k70 That being said the 55- 300 PLM is also well food for the KP the k70 the K3 Mark III or the K1 Mark II So you might want to try finding a lens that was more suited for the K5 and the K5lls With the extended battery holder that will actually help focus faster You might also want to try the Sigma 18 to 300 for that camera you might be quite surprised

[@stevieb7121]

Thanks again for your tips.

[@treelee8485]

Thanks for this - v reassuring after struggling with the AF just yesterday. Am I right in concluding that the problem is in the actuator control loop, ie. the camera signals 'in focus' correctly but doesn't take the necessary action ? The problem may well be tolerable as I have some older manual lenses - if the camera can signal focus correctly all will be well ...

[@stevieb7121]

I seemed to struggle most with fully manual lenses - if I relied only on the focus confirmation icon, I was potentially missing focus. Strangely, when I activated the 'beep' for focus confirmation, I had more success! It's really difficult to say how much of the issue was me versus the camera but others have confirmed issues with the focusing too. AF I found just a bit slow and it was necessary to take a couple of bites at getting the focus point to lock in the desired place sometimes. Well worth taking time to experiment to find what works best for you. Thanks for watching!

[@ivardahl-larsen]

Most lenses are coated and handle flare superbly. I do not understand your af problems though.

[@stevieb7121]

The whole subject of AF I find quite interesting given half my photographic life was spent before such technology even existed! In comparison, the K5 AF doesn't hold up well against any of my other cameras. Thanks for watching!