Pentax K-5 review

IMAGE RESOLUTION: 16.3-megapixels
LCD: 3in (921,000 dots)
STORAGE: SD (SDHC/SDXC)
WEIGHT: 660g (without battery and card)
PHONE: 0870 736 8299
www.pentax.co.uk

The dominance of Canon and Nikon in the DSLR market is particularly strong in the enthusiast-level sector, where 
the likes of Canon’s EOS 60D and EOS 7D and Nikon’s D300s and D7000 account for a major chunk of sales. Pentax entered this arena in 2009 with the release of the K-7, a 14.6-megapixel beauty that proved highly impressive, joining the elite with a test score of 90%. It’s still available despite the arrival of the K-5, which provided an upgrade in key features. Aiming at the advanced photographer and packing plenty into a compact and robust shell, Pentax has high hopes for its latest model.

Handling & ease of use  23/25
Like its older stablemate, the K-5 is a relatively compact DSLR, proving significantly smaller than rivals including the Nikon D7000 and Canon EOS 60D. Its well-thought-out design ensures it balances beautifully in the hand, while the body, built around a magnesium alloy chassis, feels robust and solid. This blend of smaller size and tough shell turns out to be a winning combination, as in terms of handling, the K-5 proves to be one of the finest in its class. This impression is further reinforced by the excellent control layout, which in truth is little changed from the K-7. While there are a fair number of control buttons on the body (in particular on the rear), the K-5 never proves intimidating to use. All the buttons are flush from the body and a decent size, so are easy to depress, while the icons and text are large and legible, which aids ease of use. The position of the exposure compensation and ISO buttons behind the shutter button is particularly useful, as is the metering pattern lever beneath the exposure mode dial, which features a lock facility to prevent accidental movement. To the right of the LCD monitor is a cluster of buttons that handle a number of key functions, including the AF system and White Balance, all nicely marked and easy to use. However, the right control on the four-way pad handles the picture style settings, which seems quite a prominent location for a feature that isn’t high on the list of many advanced photographers’ needs – I’d certainly have preferred another option here, such as setting image quality. The only other niggle worth noting is the lack of a dedicated movie record button – while the K-5 has a LiveView button, unlike the clever system employed on recent rival models, 
it doesn’t double up for the movie mode, with this being set via the mode dial instead.There are no complaints with the viewfinder, which provides a bright, clear image and 100% coverage. The 3in LCD monitor is excellent too, with a high resolution screen producing a bright, sharp display and a clean, easy-to-follow menu system.

With the advantage of a smaller size without any noticeable loss in build quality and a neat control system, the K-5 scores highly for handling and ease of use.

Features  23/25
The K-5 doesn’t offer a huge number of differences to the K-7, but the changes in specification it has made are in significant areas. Firstly, it has a new CMOS sensor that offers a high resolution of 16.3-megapixels, compared with the 14.6-megapixels found on the K-7. The improved resolution also stretches to the HD video facility, which now offer 1080P Full HD recording at 25 frames-per-second. The sensitivity range of the sensor is far better than the K-7’s (and any of its rivals too in fact), with a nominal range of 100-12800 that can be expanded up to 51200 if required. It’s also worth noting that the continuous frame rate has been increased too, to an very impressive top speed of seven frames-per-second.
The 11-point AF system is newly developed and is claimed to be faster and more responsive than the K-7. As with the recently introduced medium-format 645D, the K-5’s AF boasts the SAFOX IX+ designation, which indicates that it takes the light temperature into account to offer a more precise AF performance, as well as claiming improved AF in low light. Nine of the AF points use the more sensitive cross-type sensor and as well as having all points active or selecting an invidual sensor, it can be set to have only five AF points active at a time.
The metering system offers the choice of a 77-segment multi-zone pattern, as well as spot or centre-weighted, and is backed up by exposure compensation and AE-Lock. As with other enthusiast-level Pentax DSLRs, the K-5 offers a comprehensive range of creative modes. As well as the core four of program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual, it offers its Sv and TAv modes, which both involve ISO as a variable. The mode dial also offers X-sync (X) for studioflash shooting, Bulb (B) for long exposures, a Green mode for full auto, the movie setting and user-definable modes, where you can set variables to your preferences for common shooting situations.
Flash photography is also well catered for, with forced-on/on with red-eye; slow-sync/ slow-sync with red-eye; rear-curtain sync and wireless modes available.
A variety of in-camera image manipulation facilities have been added to the K-5. As well as the usual picture styles such as Standard, Landscape, Portrait and so on, there are now Bleach Bypass and Reversal Film options. Eighteen digital filters are included, such as Sketch and Posterization, for those looking to really experiment with their creativity, while cross-processing and HDR functions can also be selected. More practical experimentational modes are also available in the form of multiple exposures and interval shooting. Pentax has certainly catered for literally every creative option for those who want to play around with in-camera manipulation for instant effects.

Other features worth noting are the sensor-cleaning facility, the built-in shake reduction system that means every lens used with the K-5 benefits from stabilisation, a mirror lock-up facility to minimise shake and, finally, a feature that is appearing on most new DSLRs: an LCD electronic level for preventing uneven horizons.

Performance  22/25
The K-5 continues Pentax’s trend for delivering DSLRs that can compete with the very best. Regardless of the conditions, the K-5 consistently delivered great results. The autofocus system is excellent and it was noted that in low light, it met Pentax’s claims about improved response. One niggle with the controls: set the AF to Selective mode and it’s not possible to use the self-timer unless you’ve set it before moving the AF lever to SEL. The LiveView facility is much improved too, with the contrast-AF proving much faster and more accurate than on the K-7.  The multi-zone metering system turns in a high level of consistency and so can be trusted for most shooting situations. However, with scenes with a large expanse of sky, we found it unexposed more than expected. This problem was compounded by the fact that when shooting outdoors, you may well need to turn up the LCD monitor’s brightness, as review images appeared dark and suggest underexposure. Only by checking the histogram can you be certain if the images are correctly exposed.
Image quality is excellent in all areas. Noise isn’t an issue at until ISO 1600 and even images at ISO 6400 proved usable. At low ISOs, noise is virtually eliminated. The sensor delivers high levels of detail and, as always, you can pull extra detail from Raw files. If you buy the K-5 with the 18-55mm you’ll get very good results, but upgrading the lens will allow you to enjoy the benefits on offer from the sensor. Those shooting video won’t have aperture control or AF while shooting movies, but quality is excellent. For those concentrating on using the K-5 for still images, there is little to criticise as it proves to be a superb all-rounder. 

Overall verdict:
The Pentax K-5 deserves to be a major success as it’s a model with many strengths and few weaknesses. Pentax users looking to upgrade their DSLR won’t have any regrets opting for the K-5. It’s without doubt good enough to compete with rival models and is worth serious consideration by anyone looking for a DSLR in this price point. Its smaller size could prove a major benefit to many and doesn’t hinder its handling at all. 
The specification, along with the performance, has much to offer and there are enough decent optics from Pentax and independents to ensure decent system back-up. However, for it to enjoy the sales success that it deserves, its guide price needs to be cut to give it a competitive edge. A deserved Best Buy.

Handling & ease of use: 23/25
Features: 23/25
Performance: 22/25
Value For Money: 22/25
Overall: 90/100

To see more images taken with the Pentax K-5, buy the April 2011 issue of Digital SLR Photography

In the box: The Pentax K-5 is supplied with the following: Li-ion battery (D-LI90), battery charger (D-BC90), wide strap, USB & AV cables, body cap, finder cap, software CD and instruction manual.

Supplied software: The Pentax K-5 comes with Pentax Digital Camera Utility 4, which merges its Photo Browser and Photo Laboratories applications into one bundle. As well as raw editing, there are a number of sophisticated functions such as perspective correction, but the software isn’t the fastest or easiest to use.