Photo answers review
Photo answers rating 
It’s been a little while since we’ve seen a new enthusiast offering from Pentax, with the award-winning K-7 setting new standards last year. The latest offering is the rather impressively specified K-5, which raises the bar to a new level in several ways.
Master of the night To start with, the K-5 has a new generation 16.3MP CMOS sensor that has been paired up with a PRIME II Image Engine processor to deliver high-resolution, low-noise and true-to-life image reproduction. This may all sound a bit technical, but the combination allows this Pentax DSLR to manage noise levels better and offer a wide sensitivity range of ISO 80-51,200, both of which make the K-5 ideally suited to low light work. Another factor that will appeal to users who like to shoot handheld in low light is built-in Shake Reduction (SR) technology. This clever sensor shift system gives you image stabilisation, regardless of which lens you have attached to the camera. The Sv (Sensitivity priority) shooting mode allows you to make good use of the large ISO range, and along with the sensor and image processor, plus the Shake Reduction technology, the K-5 provides you with the recipe for success in low light.
Hard-wearing & hard-working The K-5, like the K-7 before it, is blessed with lots of weather seals, so you can rest assured that the camera will survive a brush with the most inclement of British weather. Some 77 seals can be found across the camera body, so dust and water will not find their way into the camera’s internal areas. It is also resistant to the cold, being rated down to -10ºC. Clearly, weather sealing is not the same as waterproof though, so don’t expect to take the K-5 snorkelling with you. The body is made from a magnesium alloy with a chassis made from stainless steel. This ensures the K-5 has robust protection from physical use, as well as the weather.
The K-5 has a continuous drive speed of 7fps, which is a fast frame rate for an enthusiast model and ideal for when you need to capture some action. The autofocus is provided by the new-generation SAFOX IX+ system (as used in the Pentax 645D). There are 11 sensor points, of which nine offer cross-type sensors for increased accuracy by measuring both horizontally and vertically. In Live View, the AF point can also be moved around the 3in LCD screen on the back of the camera, which is a neat facility when your subject is off-centre.
Features As mentioned, the LCD screen is a 3in panel with a useful 921k-dot resolution and 170º viewing angle (both vertical and horizontal). The screen is blessed with Live View and this also provides a great platform for using the HD movie mode. You get full HD recording on the K-5 (that’s 1960x1080p/25fps), which is very useful, and you can record at a 16:9 ratio that’s ideally suited for modern TV playback. You don’t have real time AF, as found on some other DSLR models with video, so it’s manual focus only, which is a shame. The K-5 has an optical viewfinder that provides 100% viewing coverage, making it great for wide-angle fans as you won’t go cutting off the edges of your shots. On the inside, there are plenty of creative tools, including some quite funky filters. These include an in-camera cross-processing tool, fisheye effect and more traditional options like monotone and colour adjustment filters.
Performance As we’ve already mentioned, the K-5 has a fast drive speed at 7fps, while the buffer can store 22 JPEGs before slowing down. The AF isn’t, however, the fastest element of this camera’s performance, and it’s a tad noisy in operation too. The tracking focus isn’t bad, but it lacks the speed that a serious sports enthusiast may desire. The handling is good, but there’s something about the camera that doesn’t quite feel right. Some of the buttons lack the quality feel of other models in this price bracket, and they almost feel ‘cheaper’. Having said that, the actual feel of the body is chunky and solid, which, along with the weather-sealing, means that this is a very durable camera. Exposure-wise the K-5 puts in a very credible performance, with some very accurate metering on some quite difficult lighting. The colours are vibrant and you can alter these to suit your desires using the menus or by shooting RAW. The focusing is sharp and accurate, albeit noisy, and not the most rapid system you’ll find. As for the video side of things, full HD is great, but without AF it has limited appeal. We don’t see many videographers buying this camera, so for the enthusiast photographer it’s best to concentrate on photography elements.
Final verdict Despite a few minor niggles the K-5 is a very interesting camera, as it’s well built, well protected and delivers a high quality image. The handling is good, but focus is noisy and slow. Pentax has delivered its easy-to-use menus once again, and ensured the K-5 user is blessed with plenty of creative shooting options. The sensor and processor combination are well suited, and give the camera a strong performance in low light. The SR stabilisation works very well, and is most welcome.
www.pentax.co.uk
Key spec Street price (body only) £1069
Effective resolution 16.3MP
Sensor type 23.7x15.7mm CMOS
Crop factor 1.5x
Lens mount Pentax KAF2
Metering TTL open-aperture 16-segment
ISO range 100-12,800 (expanded to 80-51,200)
Shooting speed (max.) 7fps
Card type SD/SDHC
LCD size 3in 921k dot
Video 1960x1080/25fps
Live View Yes
Built-in stabilisation Yes
Weight/size (wxhxd) 740g/131x97x73mm