Welcome to the Pentax world! I shoot with all brands: Fuji, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, but Pentax is now my main brand. I prefer the OVF for the enjoyment of photography but EVFs are more efficient. The K-5 is a great camera especially for one that is almost 15 years old but it is slow, especially the live view. I do recommend the K-50, K-30, and other entry mid-level camera bodies especially if you are quite a handyman. The aperture block takes 15 minutes to fix for anyone who has tiny screw drivers. First time I did it, it took 20 minutes. If one can afford, the K-3 / K-3 ii are the ones to go for. I sold most of my Fuji gear, bought a K-1 and bought the best film era lenses (still sharper than modern fuji primes mostly) for less than my Fuji kit. Although I still have 1 fuji body and lens, I will never sell my Pentax gear especially the lenses. Because I bought film-era AF lenses, all of them have aperture rings so I can use them with my Sony full frame. There's also an AF adapter but I have no need for it.
The manual mode on the Pentax is the best in the market because it has the green button. Imagine just pressing one button and it will meter and set the ISO, aperture, shutter speed automatically then you can then adjust manually. TAV is like Manual mode but with auto ISO which is also quite handy too.
@@ShutterKnack Yeah, I was really surprised just how 'flexible' the modes are! It makes you wonder why other brands haven't developed something similar. It gives the impression that Pentax have really thought hard about what will be most useful to photographers.
Thanks for the in-depth comment, that's useful info. I feel I may need an updated body at some point and, I have to admit, I was a bit shocked by the prices of the latest K3 iii. Thanks for watching!
@@stevieb7121if you have chance, give try to K1 / K1ii - no small boi, but I really enjoy it myself. Serious overkill considering my skill level, but it's such nice camera to use.
There are a few things that Pentax have got very right and other manufacturers just don't seem to have bothered with. Feels like some companies are a bit "that'll do"....
I've been shooting Pentax for dozens of years, with K5 for more than 10 years, as well as 5 - 6 other bodies. I do yield other brands -before and after finding Pentax, but I always consider myself a Pentaxian, perhaps because this brand gives such a deep connection to things I consider what photography really is.
Yes, even though the K5 is quite old, I feel it has given me back something I may have lost along the way with other cameras. It's made me more considered in looking at light and the right settings to make the most of the conditions. Thanks for watching!
I bought a K5 last year around this time. There are so many older autofocus lenses for sale for the K5 that I bought quite a few for under $50 CAD! There are tons of vintage lenses for sale. I love the camera. It makes beautiful images. BTW the Pentax SR system is as good as my om5 mk111. It is a beautiful camera. Enjoy!
The K5 is a really capable camera that's stood the test of time far better than many of its rivals. IQ and usability are still fantastic. Thanks for watching and sharing.
> BTW the Pentax SR system is as good as my om5 mk111. That is very interesting. I consistently get astonishing results from my EM5.3 and happen to have some old Pentax glass.
@@stevieb7121 might do, quite happy with G80 and E-M10 II for both stills and video. Need to get the archives sorted first and organize some commented slide shows. Keeping the Pentax bodies btw :)
@@KelvinSchwartzGrunlicht It's always nice to have a selection of cameras. I often just pick one up that I've not used for a while and, all of a sudden, I'm inspired to get out and shoot!
Nice video Stevie! I bought mine a few months ago, to replace my Nikon D300s, i call it the camera that Nikon D400 should have been. It works for my professional work as a photojournalist on a budget, takes easy video on automatic 1080p, and its responsive as it needs to be to take hardnews photos. The thing is, as small is the body, as it dense it is, its a heavy camera, but have a really nice aps-c line up of lenses, i have the 16-50 and the 50-135 here, and looking to find the 150-450 i think. I tried the Fuji XT2 to replace my camera, but find that unresposive to do my work, but maybe in the future i get one XH2 to do that.
One of the things I like most about the K5 is the solid feel. It feels very dependable and robust. This is now the camera I always pick up when the weather is wet. I recently bought the DA 55-300 and have been surprised how good the lens is optically for the price. Great value. The biggest disappointment is the AF but that's one area where newer cameras from all manufacturers have shown dramatic improvement. Thanks for watching!
Pentax is underrated I love the image quality. It’s slowly becoming a luxury brand. That 20-40mm lens is the reason alone to get Pentax. Currently debating on getting a new k3iii or k1 ii both are the same price new
They are lovely cameras but I'm probably too invested in other brands to warrant the move to a really good quality lens line-up with Pentax. Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@stevieb7121👍 for me the OVF helps me break things up in our overly digital world. After staring at a computer screen all day grabbing the OVF of a Pentax is a good choice
I don't have one, but it's interesting to see large RUclipsrs like Jared Polin and to a lesser extent the guys from PetaPixel and others denigrate and downright make fun of Pentax. Yet from what I can see, anyone who owns a Pentax loves them. Go figure.
Yeah, I don't really understand it. May be I'll find out but, from my use so far, Pentax seem good for what I look for in a camera. Perhaps they have less "trendy" new features than some other brands? Thanks for watching!
Funny that’s how I ended up buying one. Ordinary film maker was mentioning it. I thought how bad can it be. I purchased a new k70 with 18-135 lens. My first dslr ever since I previously shot mirrorless. After the first picture I took I was HOOKED. I love the pics right out of camera. Amazing colors and the Pentax bodies can be addictive.
❤ *PENTAX* Absolutely best value for quality imaging... Weather sealed (WR) with IBIS and all that beautiful glass especially the manual only Takumar M42 lenses Pentax system is a treasure chest waiting to be found by photographers needing pixie dust on a budget. Great video, thank you and longtime Pentax user here, video message approved 👍
I have a K-1 and a K-3, but I also have two K-5 bodies. I particularly like shooting B&W with them, making full use of the K-5's extra sensitivity options, namely ISO 80/100/125/160. Used for portraits, one routinely mounts a Pentax DA 40mm f2.8, the other a Pentax DA 70mm f2.4
Shooting on primarily " Olympus Micro Four Thirds " bodies right now , but I DO still love my old Pentax Lenses !! With a cheap adaptor you can get some beautiful results !
Yeah, I confess the vintage lenses are better than I was expecting. I'm also experimenting with these on M43 at the moment and now also have an adapter for Pentax to Fuji. Thanks for watching!
Enjoy the K-5, it's a delightful camera. Having used Pentax DSLRs from the *ist-d in 2005 through to the K-3 II, I've always been impressed with them. Video aside, photographically, Pentax cameras should never be underestimated. I traded in my K-5 for the K-3 Prestige edition because I got fed up with the anti-aliasing filter and the extra work it was causing me with my architecture shots. A week ago I migrated to the dark side and have gone completely over to Micro Four-Thirds with the OM Design OM-1, which I just love. IQ is to die for and it's very much like the K-3 in its design and handling. The only niggle I have is that I just can't seem to get the colours right and given that people rave about the quality of colour from Olympus/OM Design cameras, I realise it's a fault with me. Still, it's early days yet and I'm sure I'll have a 'lightbulb' moment when it'll all fall into place!
Yeah, I think most of the camera systems are so good that a lot comes down to preferences in the way we set them up and use them. I can't see me giving up M43 any time soon.... Thanks for watching!
Interesting video Stevie. I’m sure us photographers find any excuse possible to try every camera and lens combo available. We have to be sure we are not missing out on something special 😅
I had this camera for a few years and I liked it a lot. I had some of the beautiful limited lenses and a 50-150/2.8 + some vintage pentax lenses. If I remember right, the shake reduction was quite good. I sold it to buy a Fujifilm xpro1 back in 2015. Overall the K5 was a very good and solid camera! Enjoy!
Yes, the camera feels really solid - very unlike some of the more plastic cameras. In some ways I wish I'd found Pentax earlier but I will try to make up for lost time now! The Limited lenses may have to wait a while though.... Thank you for watching!
The first K5 was definitely a bit dodgy (and I returned it to MPB who were good about replacement). The second camera was good and I had no real issues with it other than my inability to nail sharp focus with manual lenses without using the LiveView. I think that was as much me as the camera.....
I had a Pentax K-5 when it was first released. Even then I thought the AF was horrendous especially in low-light. I later bought a K-3 and gave the K-5 to my brother. I still have the K-3, but have moved on to Fuji these days. I can see why people make fun of Pentax and why it fell on hard times. I would never buy another Pentax with so many better cameras on the market.
Yeah, completely agree. I even find the focus confirmation "challenging" when using MF lenses! The difference when trying the same MF lenses on the X-T2 (albeit a much newer design, etc.) is a world apart. I understand the K3iii is much better re AF but my mint condition X-T2 cost me less than £250 and it probably does an awful lot of what the K3iii does.... It's a shame for Pentax as we really need all the brands we can hold onto in the camera world. Thanks for watching!
@@stevieb7121 yeah, totally agree. It would be sad to see them gone, but I also feel they are in the dark ages when you look at today's offerings. My xt3 must be 4 or 5 years old but so easy and pleasurable in use.
@@BikeLife154You should compare apples to apples though. own a Fuji XT3 and a Pentax KP. Both of the same age (the XT3 is in fact almost a year newer). I find the KP to be a better cam on almost all categories except AF. (My second complain is actually not really Pentax's fault and has to do with 3rd party lenses).
@@XXX-vy6xvPentax k20d, k70, k1ii user here - I frankly don't know the usage of the camera could be much better. Sure they've updated it smoother over the years, but even the old k20d I've got very little to complain. The physical ergonomics are imho great and the UI is logical. No regrets splurging on the k1ii. Anyway depending how you look at it, Pentax is either the camera for hasty photographer to learn to slow down or kryptonite ;). Fingers crossed well get awesome k1iii, though Im not sure do we really need much improvement besides maybe af actually. Anyways DSLRs aren't mirrorless, so it bugs me bit when people do certain complaints about it. It's like complaining your car isn't a motorbike - it's different and great for that reason.
Welcome to the Pentax world! I shoot with all brands: Fuji, Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, but Pentax is now my main brand. I prefer the OVF for the enjoyment of photography but EVFs are more efficient. The K-5 is a great camera especially for one that is almost 15 years old but it is slow, especially the live view. I do recommend the K-50, K-30, and other entry mid-level camera bodies especially if you are quite a handyman. The aperture block takes 15 minutes to fix for anyone who has tiny screw drivers. First time I did it, it took 20 minutes. If one can afford, the K-3 / K-3 ii are the ones to go for.
I sold most of my Fuji gear, bought a K-1 and bought the best film era lenses (still sharper than modern fuji primes mostly) for less than my Fuji kit. Although I still have 1 fuji body and lens, I will never sell my Pentax gear especially the lenses. Because I bought film-era AF lenses, all of them have aperture rings so I can use them with my Sony full frame. There's also an AF adapter but I have no need for it.
The manual mode on the Pentax is the best in the market because it has the green button. Imagine just pressing one button and it will meter and set the ISO, aperture, shutter speed automatically then you can then adjust manually. TAV is like Manual mode but with auto ISO which is also quite handy too.
@@ShutterKnack Yeah, I was really surprised just how 'flexible' the modes are! It makes you wonder why other brands haven't developed something similar. It gives the impression that Pentax have really thought hard about what will be most useful to photographers.
Thanks for the in-depth comment, that's useful info. I feel I may need an updated body at some point and, I have to admit, I was a bit shocked by the prices of the latest K3 iii.
Thanks for watching!
@@stevieb7121if you have chance, give try to K1 / K1ii - no small boi, but I really enjoy it myself. Serious overkill considering my skill level, but it's such nice camera to use.
There are a few things that Pentax have got very right and other manufacturers just don't seem to have bothered with. Feels like some companies are a bit "that'll do"....
I've been shooting Pentax for dozens of years, with K5 for more than 10 years, as well as 5 - 6 other bodies. I do yield other brands -before and after finding Pentax, but I always consider myself a Pentaxian, perhaps because this brand gives such a deep connection to things I consider what photography really is.
Yes, even though the K5 is quite old, I feel it has given me back something I may have lost along the way with other cameras. It's made me more considered in looking at light and the right settings to make the most of the conditions.
Thanks for watching!
*PENTAX* is photography......
I bought a K5 last year around this time. There are so many older autofocus lenses for sale for the K5 that I bought quite a few for under $50 CAD! There are tons of vintage lenses for sale. I love the camera. It makes beautiful images. BTW the Pentax SR system is as good as my om5 mk111. It is a beautiful camera. Enjoy!
The K5 is a really capable camera that's stood the test of time far better than many of its rivals. IQ and usability are still fantastic.
Thanks for watching and sharing.
> BTW the Pentax SR system is as good as my om5 mk111.
That is very interesting. I consistently get astonishing results from my EM5.3 and happen to have some old Pentax glass.
Truly a pleasure how youtube enables sharing of stories like these, thanks Stevie. Happy New Year from another unexpected pentaxian.
Thanks for watching! Had you thought about posting some of your own footage? I see you have a G80, which is a perfect camera for video.
@@stevieb7121 might do, quite happy with G80 and E-M10 II for both stills and video. Need to get the archives sorted first and organize some commented slide shows.
Keeping the Pentax bodies btw :)
@@KelvinSchwartzGrunlicht It's always nice to have a selection of cameras. I often just pick one up that I've not used for a while and, all of a sudden, I'm inspired to get out and shoot!
Nice video Stevie!
I bought mine a few months ago, to replace my Nikon D300s, i call it the camera that Nikon D400 should have been. It works for my professional work as a photojournalist on a budget, takes easy video on automatic 1080p, and its responsive as it needs to be to take hardnews photos. The thing is, as small is the body, as it dense it is, its a heavy camera, but have a really nice aps-c line up of lenses, i have the 16-50 and the 50-135 here, and looking to find the 150-450 i think. I tried the Fuji XT2 to replace my camera, but find that unresposive to do my work, but maybe in the future i get one XH2 to do that.
One of the things I like most about the K5 is the solid feel. It feels very dependable and robust. This is now the camera I always pick up when the weather is wet. I recently bought the DA 55-300 and have been surprised how good the lens is optically for the price. Great value. The biggest disappointment is the AF but that's one area where newer cameras from all manufacturers have shown dramatic improvement.
Thanks for watching!
I love to have a walk out with my K-5. Really nice camera & probably another overlooked camera from that time period.
yeah, the K5 is definitely far better than you'd imagine for a camera from 2010.
I've enjoyed watching plenty of your videos Lee!
Thanks for watching.
Pentax is underrated I love the image quality. It’s slowly becoming a luxury brand. That 20-40mm lens is the reason alone to get Pentax. Currently debating on getting a new k3iii or k1 ii both are the same price new
They are lovely cameras but I'm probably too invested in other brands to warrant the move to a really good quality lens line-up with Pentax.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
@@stevieb7121👍 for me the OVF helps me break things up in our overly digital world. After staring at a computer screen all day grabbing the OVF of a Pentax is a good choice
I don't have one, but it's interesting to see large RUclipsrs like Jared Polin and to a lesser extent the guys from PetaPixel and others denigrate and downright make fun of Pentax. Yet from what I can see, anyone who owns a Pentax loves them. Go figure.
Yeah, I don't really understand it. May be I'll find out but, from my use so far, Pentax seem good for what I look for in a camera. Perhaps they have less "trendy" new features than some other brands?
Thanks for watching!
Funny that’s how I ended up buying one. Ordinary film maker was mentioning it. I thought how bad can it be. I purchased a new k70 with 18-135 lens. My first dslr ever since I previously shot mirrorless. After the first picture I took I was HOOKED. I love the pics right out of camera. Amazing colors and the Pentax bodies can be addictive.
❤ *PENTAX*
Absolutely best value for quality imaging... Weather sealed (WR) with IBIS and all that beautiful glass especially the manual only Takumar M42 lenses Pentax system is a treasure chest waiting to be found by photographers needing pixie dust on a budget.
Great video, thank you and longtime Pentax user here, video message approved 👍
I've been very pleasantly surprised just how good the Pentax-M lenses have been. Real bargains. And built to last.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@stevieb7121 👍⭐💯
I have a K-1 and a K-3, but I also have two K-5 bodies. I particularly like shooting B&W with them, making full use of the K-5's extra sensitivity options, namely ISO 80/100/125/160. Used for portraits, one routinely mounts a Pentax DA 40mm f2.8, the other a Pentax DA 70mm f2.4
That sounds like a great set-up!
Thanks for watching and sharing.
We ALL have too many cameras....😊
Very true - I have several up for sale at the moment but I know this isn't going to help in the long run.....
Shooting on primarily " Olympus Micro Four Thirds " bodies right now , but I DO still love my old Pentax Lenses !! With a cheap adaptor you can get some beautiful results !
Yeah, I confess the vintage lenses are better than I was expecting. I'm also experimenting with these on M43 at the moment and now also have an adapter for Pentax to Fuji.
Thanks for watching!
Enjoy the K-5, it's a delightful camera. Having used Pentax DSLRs from the *ist-d in 2005 through to the K-3 II, I've always been impressed with them. Video aside, photographically, Pentax cameras should never be underestimated. I traded in my K-5 for the K-3 Prestige edition because I got fed up with the anti-aliasing filter and the extra work it was causing me with my architecture shots. A week ago I migrated to the dark side and have gone completely over to Micro Four-Thirds with the OM Design OM-1, which I just love. IQ is to die for and it's very much like the K-3 in its design and handling. The only niggle I have is that I just can't seem to get the colours right and given that people rave about the quality of colour from Olympus/OM Design cameras, I realise it's a fault with me. Still, it's early days yet and I'm sure I'll have a 'lightbulb' moment when it'll all fall into place!
Yeah, I think most of the camera systems are so good that a lot comes down to preferences in the way we set them up and use them. I can't see me giving up M43 any time soon....
Thanks for watching!
The K3 has an AA filter simulator.
@@ShutterKnack Never used it. For architectural shots the last thing I want is any degree of softening.
Interesting video Stevie.
I’m sure us photographers find any excuse possible to try every camera and lens combo available.
We have to be sure we are not missing out on something special 😅
You are so right!
Thanks for watching.
I had this camera for a few years and I liked it a lot. I had some of the beautiful limited lenses and a 50-150/2.8 + some vintage pentax lenses. If I remember right, the shake reduction was quite good. I sold it to buy a Fujifilm xpro1 back in 2015. Overall the K5 was a very good and solid camera! Enjoy!
Yes, the camera feels really solid - very unlike some of the more plastic cameras. In some ways I wish I'd found Pentax earlier but I will try to make up for lost time now! The Limited lenses may have to wait a while though....
Thank you for watching!
Yes the limiteds are expensive but I bought them used. Small, all metal and glass and beautiful quality.
That K5 needed to be returned to MPB. It sounded broken. They are good cameras even now.
The first K5 was definitely a bit dodgy (and I returned it to MPB who were good about replacement). The second camera was good and I had no real issues with it other than my inability to nail sharp focus with manual lenses without using the LiveView. I think that was as much me as the camera.....
Shake reduction is excellent as is the f70-200.
Ahead of its time when it came out, and strangely underrated.
Thanks for watching!
I had a Pentax K-5 when it was first released. Even then I thought the AF was horrendous especially in low-light. I later bought a K-3 and gave the K-5 to my brother. I still have the K-3, but have moved on to Fuji these days. I can see why people make fun of Pentax and why it fell on hard times. I would never buy another Pentax with so many better cameras on the market.
Yeah, completely agree. I even find the focus confirmation "challenging" when using MF lenses! The difference when trying the same MF lenses on the X-T2 (albeit a much newer design, etc.) is a world apart. I understand the K3iii is much better re AF but my mint condition X-T2 cost me less than £250 and it probably does an awful lot of what the K3iii does.... It's a shame for Pentax as we really need all the brands we can hold onto in the camera world.
Thanks for watching!
@@stevieb7121 yeah, totally agree. It would be sad to see them gone, but I also feel they are in the dark ages when you look at today's offerings. My xt3 must be 4 or 5 years old but so easy and pleasurable in use.
@@BikeLife154You should compare apples to apples though.
own a Fuji XT3 and a Pentax KP. Both of the same age (the XT3 is in fact almost a year newer).
I find the KP to be a better cam on almost all categories except AF.
(My second complain is actually not really Pentax's fault and has to do with 3rd party lenses).
@@XXX-vy6xvPentax k20d, k70, k1ii user here - I frankly don't know the usage of the camera could be much better. Sure they've updated it smoother over the years, but even the old k20d I've got very little to complain. The physical ergonomics are imho great and the UI is logical. No regrets splurging on the k1ii. Anyway depending how you look at it, Pentax is either the camera for hasty photographer to learn to slow down or kryptonite ;). Fingers crossed well get awesome k1iii, though Im not sure do we really need much improvement besides maybe af actually.
Anyways DSLRs aren't mirrorless, so it bugs me bit when people do certain complaints about it. It's like complaining your car isn't a motorbike - it's different and great for that reason.