I got word that my special order K5 arrived straight from Japan only days prior, but was bogged down at customs before clearance.
I only picked it up yesterday evening and a few hours later, I was out and about looking for complex lighting situations to really test its worth...
Everything about it speaks game changer.
1. A more dampened shutter, it's so quiet and smooth it speaks of highest Qualtiy and Finesse. K5/K7 and DA pancke limiteds can be quite a street shooter's kit.
2. The high ISO is the real deal. Finally iso 5000+ and beyond that is actually useful straight out of the camera. Never in my wildest dreams would i shoot above iso 2000, and now with new technology, I can achieve shots never before imagined. (candlelit action shots to paint a better picture of what i mean)
3. More accurate AF, a bit more swift with less hunting. (I welcome the ability to set priority on Speed vs. AF -those who shoot a lot of tracking subjects will appreciate this)
4. I didn't have time to update the firmware, but the burst rate worked fine for me. The FW update that increases the raw burst to 20 will be a helpful, although not necessary for my style of shooting (I don't spray and pray)
5. The LCD text fonts are a little different revealing info detail like day date and time that lines the bottom of the info screen during playback. (the reason i mentioned that was because they were more eye catching on the K5, that i had never noticed them before on the K7)
6. Thank god it is the same form factor as the K7. no need for me to make another specialized water housing.
The Cleanest High ISO I have ever seen from an APS-c Camera, and possibly any DSLR for that matter. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...
Pentax K5, DA* 55 f1.4, ISO 5000, 1/200 f2.2
Pentax K5, DA* 55 f1.4, ISO 5000, 1/200 f2.2
Pentax K5, DA* 55 f1.4, ISO 5000, 1/200 f2.2
*The Annoying roving red spotlight cast a tint to the flesh tones, but did not adversely affect the K5's ability to focus in mixed color temperatures. The AF performance is well improved and worked efficiently to ease my workflow during the evening.
