I bought a mint Pentax K-5 about 8 mths ago for 200 euro as I always wanted to give it a spin. After 2 weeks with it , I sold my Fuji X-T3 and the Pentax K5 and bought a Pentax KP and some lenses. Pentax is a wonderful system and blows away the Fuji images. Yes it's not as compact but the images more than make up for it.
KP unfortunately lacks top display, hi-end 1/8000 mechanical shutter, proper hi-capacity battery and has tiny buffer... If only they just used K3 body with KP sensor and image processor instead of doing KP....
She can! I have used my K5 for years in Motorsports. She even did F1! So yes it's great for the matter. Is the K3-III better? Way better. But, can you photograph F1 or any other motorsports with a K5? Yes‼️
Lee Of course it can shoot sports I say it's your skill that makes it work which you have. I've done bird photography with my Pentax K100D and a Tamron 75-300 screw drive zoom lens and taken good pictures it just requires more work and less keepers. The newer cameras and lenses make it easier to get acceptable results.
Ahh that's much appreciated! Yeah that's true, the modern cameras have so many great features that aid in capturing the shot. It's still fun using old DSLR's though ❤!
Another great video Lee! I think B. has summed it up well, the photographer makes the image. All I know is that if I tried this, even with the newer K70, I'd probably get a maximum 2 in focus and that's after 30 years practice!! The only cleaner Pentax DSLR I've ever seen is mine!!!
Cheers Mark! Well I think I'll get found out when I eventually get around to making my "Pentax TH-camrs Autumn Photo Battle" video, I'm going to have a go at something other than action for that one. Haha yeah your not wrong on that one, that silver K-5 you had was clean as a whistle!
Not bad at all for a 2010-vintage Pentax DSLR that is supposed to suck at capturing sports & action, huh? Obviously, there are limitations to the camera's responsiveness, but they can be overcome to a large extent with skill, and the 55-300 PLM is capable modern glass that shines even wide open. As always, great video, Lee. Looking forward to the follow-up more focused on the editing experience.
I remember ages ago (2000s) a photographer I followed was getting irritated about all the claims that you need a fancy camera with fast AF to shoot action. He shot an airshow with a Zenit E just to prove a point. lol Sure it is easier, but it doesn't mean you can't do it with a simpler camera. If most of the stuff you read online was true it would have to make you wonder how photographers shot the Olympics with TLRs and 4x5s back in the day.
Amazing work as always, Lee. I would love to see you shoot birds in flight and hear your tips on that. That and kids running around close to me have been my biggest challenges, camera has a hard time keeping up. Indoors I throw on a flash and shoot at f/8 and that helps a lot. Birds I've gotten pretty good at unless they are flying quickly towards me. I still think I'm the limiting factor though, not the gear. I know I could get a Sony or something and the camera will do all the thinking for me but I don't want that. Just like I prefer a manual transmission. Just more fun to have that control and more connection with the machine. :)
Thanks mate. I'll admit that I don't shoot much BIF at all, but I would think similar techniques are involved as the ones used for general sports photography. Running kids would be fun to try! I've shot plenty of dogs in action, the main challenge is they are unpredictable in which direction or speed they will go, so lots of practice is key! I totally get your take on the camera doing all the work for you being less fun, it's very comparable to driving with manual transmission vs fully auto in many respects!
great test of the K-5 in sports freeze-action photography ... if you have K-5's latest firmware installed (last one, which is quite old by now anyways) and use really fast / compatible storage cards too, its burst mode of nearly 36 FPS works fine enough ... but even with the fastest cameras offering highest burst modes (film or digital) it's more the photographer's skills in clicking the shutter button at the right time that does the tricky job of capturing the 'desisive moment' correctly, rather than relying on the camera's automated burst mode to do it for us ... and that's simply because no matter how fast a camera's burst mode, its 'best shots' might not coincide exactly with the 'precisely right moments' we wish to capture really ...
Thanks. I'll have to check which firmware version my K5 is running, if I remember correctly it it the latest, I had a Sandisk extreme pro 95mbs card in for this test. I agree, it's best to learn how to shoot without all the bells & whistles first.
@@LeeIveson hi again and thanks for your 'hearty' response! 🙂 here's what i have learned via extensive years of experience about memory / storage cards, used in computers (laptops etc) and/or cameras: DO NOT TRUST the info on the memory modules or storage media per se! i'm not saying they are lying, NO, NEVER! what i'm saying is, until i haven't checked a storage media's performance when actually installed and working in a device i wouldn't go ahead and say the camera's storage buffer is too slow or something! yes, i know newer cameras do better in that department (comparing my old / trusty K-5 to my latest / not too old / and trusty KS-2 for example) or some of my very old half-dead 'slow' SD cards that still work perfectly well and speedy on some of my ancient Bridge or Pocket cameras, while some newer 'famous' top of the line ones don't work very well or fail to work at all on the mentioned cameras or other ones ... (FYI, here are the DSLR Pentax cameras i own right now: K-7, K-x, K-5, two oldie but goodie K10-D bodies, and a KS-2 ... also a first generation Canon EOS-1, an old lovely Nikon D-1, plus some small Bridge / Pocket models from various brands ranging from Pentax to Canon to Panasonic and Fuji or Olympus etc ... which, believe it or not, i do use them at times and even prefer them for certain 'easy' jobs, to my hefty more difficult to carry around and operate DSLR ones, even the 'tiny' ones like the K-x or KS-2 ... and of course a number of smartphones too ...) long story short, i have just tried and tested and then marked which SD cards work best on what camera! 🙂of course i very rarely use any of these cameras in burst mode due to reasons already said in my first comment, as well as, i don't want to 'waste' my camera's shutter mechanisms and prefer to let them work for me for longer years to come even though i'm too old to have any real hopes on that ... ;-) the other thing which i'm sure you're already well aware of is that no matter how good an SD card or similar media on computers for example, they usually have a limited lifetime anyways! so, they start to gradually 'degrade' in performance, going slower as they age, behave erratically and so on, so, one has to replace them with new ones after say, maybe 10`000 shots, give or take a few hundreds ... (i do have SD cards that have served me well more than that though ... and not all of them are of well-known brands really!) the other thing is battery life and performance on the camera itself ... for example, to the best of my knowledge, most rechargeable AA size batteries don't work very well on a digital camera that is supposedly designed to work best with its dedicated battery, preferably made by the original manufacturer and set for the specific camera model ... this is particularly true about 1.5V AA size Lithium or Alkaline batteries vs the 1.3V AA size batteries ... the latter might and can damage the camera if cheap batteries are used for example, while some slightly more expensive / better ones do work well and more reliably as well as lasting much longer ... (i may have somewhat damaged my K-x after using rechargeable batteries in it for a long time, especially after using some not so good ones ...) c u around ... 🙂
I shot a lot of actions with my old trusty K-5 over 10 years when it was my primary camera.. but to be honest, K-3 is a bit better. Best results usually just using AF-S, keeping the square on subject and shoot using shutter button right when the lens focused, sometimes even before it beeps. With quite good keeper ratio. AF is OK on good light. With Sigma 70-200/2.8 HSMII it was able to hit AF on swallows flying 20-30cm above grass. Also Sigma 100-300/4 can refocus very quickly on K-5 which I used a lot on various airshows and bird shootings. DA18-135/3.5-5.6WR also is quite fast focusing lens on that body thanks to DC motor. It can refocus on cars moving towards you 60-80km/h on a road fast enough to catch it in DOF. Did that during multipe vintage car uphill races. But sometimes I used to prefocus on some spot on road where that car will pass. Then the keeper rate is well over 95%.
K-5 is a great camera, it’s writing speed is quite slow though. I presume you’d need to frame your shot, prefocus and wait in order to get the best results
It is a lovely camera. Yes I atcually picked up on this in the video, this was the first time I've used the K-5 for shooting action & also the first time using it in AF.C! It's apparent that the buffer is an issue shooting this way. I didn't have to pre focus to be honest as the 55-300 PLM AF speed is just as fast on the K-5 as on my K-3!
@@xmeda very true buffer capacity is better than the K70 and KP but the recovery time is pretty slow. The write speed doesn’t bother me personally for how I use the K5
My K-7 is as clean as your K-5. Take that! I baby my things so bad, but I do take them out in the rain and I don't care about the conditions, I just don't bang/knock/drop my stuff, ever! ...and clean after use. 😂 The K-7 and K-5 body is my favourite, I actually prefer the knobs and buttons access/options on those than on the newer K-3. K-3 compromised stills quick access knobs and buttons for some more video accessible commands, which I don't care for at all. They say we don't change metering modes all that much. I tend to disagree! I'm pretty strong-handed in my use of switching modes depending on the subject and lighting. I like WHERE it is on those bodies. I actually shoot the K-7 with the main LCD panel off and only use it for reviewing shots. I'm thinking of eventually adding the K-5 IIs to the collection. I actually prefer the feel of the K-7/5 in hand than the K-70 as well (although the articulated screen has become kind of handy, and live view is way better on the K-70). Nice vid.. goes to show, when we blame gear for the lack of this or that.. we simply aren't trying hard enough!
Haha well I knew someone would have the same OCD as myself when it comes to keeping their gear clean! I do love the feel of the K-5 it's a great piece of camera engineering with the photographer in mind. I'd personally rate it a close second to my K-3 & ahead of the K-70, but they feel great in hand that's for sure!
Agree.. especially the LV button on K5 is more ergonomic than the small red button near viewfinder on K3. It took me a while to change my hand memory when I switched from K5 to K3. But previous switch from K20D to K5 was worse :D
@mipmipmipmipmip Didn't know the K-5IIs upgraded the screen from the K-7. K-7 already has 920,000 dot, does the K-5IIs have like the K-70, over 1,000,000 dots or something?
Hello Lee I think with Pentax it all comes down to how good a photographer you are , and that is not in doubt with your skills and knowledge because your photographs speak for themselves Sir. Just a wee side note , but on the Snapiness channel he says that the KP is every bit as good as his K3 mk 3 as he has both. The K3 is a beautiful piece of kit but man the price is off putting, where as you can get some great second hand deals on the KP.
Ah your being to nice 😂I've looked at the KP a few times, it has some features that my K-70 didn't have (neither do my K-3 & K3ii). But the ergonomics of the KP don't look that appealing to me personally, for shooting action all day I need something nice & comfy to hold which the K-3 defiantly is! The K-3iii is out of the question for me at the moment, it's probably the best fit for me shooting action with Pentax, but the price kills it for me.
I don't think he ever said that. I believe he said the IQ is every bit as good, as is the high ISO performance. But the autofocus is quite a bit better on the K-3iii.
I believe it isn't software related, but hardware. The extra contacts aren't present on the "older" bodies that the KAF4 mount has. So there is no way to control aperture.
@@LeeIveson Contacts are same, but cameras prior to K3 have no idea how to control aperture without aperture lever. HW controller for that functionality is not there.
I can’t really comment as I’ve never owned a K5 but as I’ve said before put a Pentax camera in the right hands and the results will,speak for themselves.
Ah that's a shame, i'm sure you would have loved the K-5! I'm amazed every year by the Pentaxians yearbook, there's plenty of the "right hands" in that book for sure!
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I bought a mint Pentax K-5 about 8 mths ago for 200 euro as I always wanted to give it a spin. After 2 weeks with it , I sold my Fuji X-T3 and the Pentax K5 and bought a Pentax KP and some lenses. Pentax is a wonderful system and blows away the Fuji images. Yes it's not as compact but the images more than make up for it.
KP unfortunately lacks top display, hi-end 1/8000 mechanical shutter, proper hi-capacity battery and has tiny buffer... If only they just used K3 body with KP sensor and image processor instead of doing KP....
@@xmeda true but doesn't impact my style of shooting
Welcome to the club dude! ❤
The f series lenses i love on my K-50.
Just shows how underated Pentax cameras and lenses are !
Well that just means all the more enjoyment that comes from shooting them for us crazy Pentaxians! 😜
Very reassuring as I too have an immaculate K5! Great work!
She can! I have used my K5 for years in Motorsports. She even did F1! So yes it's great for the matter. Is the K3-III better? Way better. But, can you photograph F1 or any other motorsports with a K5? Yes‼️
Lee
Of course it can shoot sports I say it's your skill that makes it work which you have. I've done bird photography with my Pentax K100D and a Tamron 75-300 screw drive zoom lens and taken good pictures it just requires more work and less keepers. The newer cameras and lenses make it easier to get acceptable results.
Ahh that's much appreciated! Yeah that's true, the modern cameras have so many great features that aid in capturing the shot. It's still fun using old DSLR's though ❤!
Great job. I have a K5 IIs and I love it. Auto focus is great but you can also learn tricks to get good shots no matter how simple you camera is.
Thanks mate. Yep, plus we all know that learning those tricks and techniques is really fun!
Another great video Lee! I think B. has summed it up well, the photographer makes the image. All I know is that if I tried this, even with the newer K70, I'd probably get a maximum 2 in focus and that's after 30 years practice!! The only cleaner Pentax DSLR I've ever seen is mine!!!
Cheers Mark! Well I think I'll get found out when I eventually get around to making my "Pentax TH-camrs Autumn Photo Battle" video, I'm going to have a go at something other than action for that one. Haha yeah your not wrong on that one, that silver K-5 you had was clean as a whistle!
Not bad at all for a 2010-vintage Pentax DSLR that is supposed to suck at capturing sports & action, huh? Obviously, there are limitations to the camera's responsiveness, but they can be overcome to a large extent with skill, and the 55-300 PLM is capable modern glass that shines even wide open. As always, great video, Lee. Looking forward to the follow-up more focused on the editing experience.
True, there was even another youtuber that used the K5 for wildlife photography... Skill really is king!
I remember ages ago (2000s) a photographer I followed was getting irritated about all the claims that you need a fancy camera with fast AF to shoot action. He shot an airshow with a Zenit E just to prove a point. lol
Sure it is easier, but it doesn't mean you can't do it with a simpler camera. If most of the stuff you read online was true it would have to make you wonder how photographers shot the Olympics with TLRs and 4x5s back in the day.
Great stuff .....long time K5 user here
Thanks Andrew! The K-5 still rocks in 2022!
which one is better K5 or K70?
@@akhilvarmadantuluri5602 The K-70 has more options than the K-5 as its a newer camera, I suppose it comes down to what you want from a camera.
Amazing work as always, Lee. I would love to see you shoot birds in flight and hear your tips on that. That and kids running around close to me have been my biggest challenges, camera has a hard time keeping up. Indoors I throw on a flash and shoot at f/8 and that helps a lot. Birds I've gotten pretty good at unless they are flying quickly towards me. I still think I'm the limiting factor though, not the gear. I know I could get a Sony or something and the camera will do all the thinking for me but I don't want that. Just like I prefer a manual transmission. Just more fun to have that control and more connection with the machine. :)
Thanks mate. I'll admit that I don't shoot much BIF at all, but I would think similar techniques are involved as the ones used for general sports photography. Running kids would be fun to try! I've shot plenty of dogs in action, the main challenge is they are unpredictable in which direction or speed they will go, so lots of practice is key! I totally get your take on the camera doing all the work for you being less fun, it's very comparable to driving with manual transmission vs fully auto in many respects!
great test of the K-5 in sports freeze-action photography ...
if you have K-5's latest firmware installed (last one, which is quite old by now anyways) and use really fast / compatible storage cards too, its burst mode of nearly 36 FPS works fine enough ...
but even with the fastest cameras offering highest burst modes (film or digital) it's more the photographer's skills in clicking the shutter button at the right time that does the tricky job of capturing the 'desisive moment' correctly, rather than relying on the camera's automated burst mode to do it for us ...
and that's simply because no matter how fast a camera's burst mode, its 'best shots' might not coincide exactly with the 'precisely right moments' we wish to capture really ...
Thanks. I'll have to check which firmware version my K5 is running, if I remember correctly it it the latest, I had a Sandisk extreme pro 95mbs card in for this test. I agree, it's best to learn how to shoot without all the bells & whistles first.
@@LeeIveson hi again and thanks for your 'hearty' response! 🙂
here's what i have learned via extensive years of experience about memory / storage cards, used in computers (laptops etc) and/or cameras:
DO NOT TRUST the info on the memory modules or storage media per se!
i'm not saying they are lying, NO, NEVER!
what i'm saying is, until i haven't checked a storage media's performance when actually installed and working in a device i wouldn't go ahead and say the camera's storage buffer is too slow or something!
yes, i know newer cameras do better in that department (comparing my old / trusty K-5 to my latest / not too old / and trusty KS-2 for example) or some of my very old half-dead 'slow' SD cards that still work perfectly well and speedy on some of my ancient Bridge or Pocket cameras, while some newer 'famous' top of the line ones don't work very well or fail to work at all on the mentioned cameras or other ones ...
(FYI, here are the DSLR Pentax cameras i own right now: K-7, K-x, K-5, two oldie but goodie K10-D bodies, and a KS-2 ... also a first generation Canon EOS-1, an old lovely Nikon D-1, plus some small Bridge / Pocket models from various brands ranging from Pentax to Canon to Panasonic and Fuji or Olympus etc ... which, believe it or not, i do use them at times and even prefer them for certain 'easy' jobs, to my hefty more difficult to carry around and operate DSLR ones, even the 'tiny' ones like the K-x or KS-2 ... and of course a number of smartphones too ...)
long story short, i have just tried and tested and then marked which SD cards work best on what camera! 🙂of course i very rarely use any of these cameras in burst mode due to reasons already said in my first comment, as well as, i don't want to 'waste' my camera's shutter mechanisms and prefer to let them work for me for longer years to come even though i'm too old to have any real hopes on that ... ;-)
the other thing which i'm sure you're already well aware of is that no matter how good an SD card or similar media on computers for example, they usually have a limited lifetime anyways!
so, they start to gradually 'degrade' in performance, going slower as they age, behave erratically and so on, so, one has to replace them with new ones after say, maybe 10`000 shots, give or take a few hundreds ... (i do have SD cards that have served me well more than that though ... and not all of them are of well-known brands really!)
the other thing is battery life and performance on the camera itself ... for example, to the best of my knowledge, most rechargeable AA size batteries don't work very well on a digital camera that is supposedly designed to work best with its dedicated battery, preferably made by the original manufacturer and set for the specific camera model ...
this is particularly true about 1.5V AA size Lithium or Alkaline batteries vs the 1.3V AA size batteries ... the latter might and can damage the camera if cheap batteries are used for example, while some slightly more expensive / better ones do work well and more reliably as well as lasting much longer ... (i may have somewhat damaged my K-x after using rechargeable batteries in it for a long time, especially after using some not so good ones ...)
c u around ... 🙂
I shot a lot of actions with my old trusty K-5 over 10 years when it was my primary camera.. but to be honest, K-3 is a bit better. Best results usually just using AF-S, keeping the square on subject and shoot using shutter button right when the lens focused, sometimes even before it beeps. With quite good keeper ratio.
AF is OK on good light. With Sigma 70-200/2.8 HSMII it was able to hit AF on swallows flying 20-30cm above grass. Also Sigma 100-300/4 can refocus very quickly on K-5 which I used a lot on various airshows and bird shootings. DA18-135/3.5-5.6WR also is quite fast focusing lens on that body thanks to DC motor. It can refocus on cars moving towards you 60-80km/h on a road fast enough to catch it in DOF. Did that during multipe vintage car uphill races. But sometimes I used to prefocus on some spot on road where that car will pass. Then the keeper rate is well over 95%.
I've read good things about the Sigma 100-300mm f4. Does that lens have any level of weather sealing?
K-5 is a great camera, it’s writing speed is quite slow though. I presume you’d need to frame your shot, prefocus and wait in order to get the best results
It is a lovely camera. Yes I atcually picked up on this in the video, this was the first time I've used the K-5 for shooting action & also the first time using it in AF.C! It's apparent that the buffer is an issue shooting this way. I didn't have to pre focus to be honest as the 55-300 PLM AF speed is just as fast on the K-5 as on my K-3!
Writing speed might be slow, but you have quite good buffer for 3-4 sec of high rate 7fps RAWs. RAW+JPG(HQ) is a bit worse, but still can do a lot.
@@xmeda very true buffer capacity is better than the K70 and KP but the recovery time is pretty slow. The write speed doesn’t bother me personally for how I use the K5
Lee - do you ever use a monopod, or do you find it limiting?
I've never tried using one, but it would be a pain to take it around the track I think.
My K-7 is as clean as your K-5. Take that! I baby my things so bad, but I do take them out in the rain and I don't care about the conditions, I just don't bang/knock/drop my stuff, ever! ...and clean after use.
😂
The K-7 and K-5 body is my favourite, I actually prefer the knobs and buttons access/options on those than on the newer K-3. K-3 compromised stills quick access knobs and buttons for some more video accessible commands, which I don't care for at all.
They say we don't change metering modes all that much. I tend to disagree! I'm pretty strong-handed in my use of switching modes depending on the subject and lighting. I like WHERE it is on those bodies. I actually shoot the K-7 with the main LCD panel off and only use it for reviewing shots.
I'm thinking of eventually adding the K-5 IIs to the collection. I actually prefer the feel of the K-7/5 in hand than the K-70 as well (although the articulated screen has become kind of handy, and live view is way better on the K-70).
Nice vid.. goes to show, when we blame gear for the lack of this or that.. we simply aren't trying hard enough!
Haha well I knew someone would have the same OCD as myself when it comes to keeping their gear clean! I do love the feel of the K-5 it's a great piece of camera engineering with the photographer in mind. I'd personally rate it a close second to my K-3 & ahead of the K-70, but they feel great in hand that's for sure!
Agree.. especially the LV button on K5 is more ergonomic than the small red button near viewfinder on K3. It took me a while to change my hand memory when I switched from K5 to K3. But previous switch from K20D to K5 was worse :D
@mipmipmipmipmip Didn't know the K-5IIs upgraded the screen from the K-7. K-7 already has 920,000 dot, does the K-5IIs have like the K-70, over 1,000,000 dots or something?
@mipmipmipmipmip Aah, yeah, I get what you mean. Those details, that once you've tasted, ain't going back!! 🤣
Hello Lee I think with Pentax it all comes down to how good a photographer you are , and that is not in doubt with your skills and knowledge because your photographs speak for themselves Sir. Just a wee side note , but on the Snapiness channel he says that the KP is every bit as good as his K3 mk 3 as he has both. The K3 is a beautiful piece of kit but man the price is off putting, where as you can get some great second hand deals on the KP.
Ah your being to nice 😂I've looked at the KP a few times, it has some features that my K-70 didn't have (neither do my K-3 & K3ii). But the ergonomics of the KP don't look that appealing to me personally, for shooting action all day I need something nice & comfy to hold which the K-3 defiantly is! The K-3iii is out of the question for me at the moment, it's probably the best fit for me shooting action with Pentax, but the price kills it for me.
I don't think he ever said that. I believe he said the IQ is every bit as good, as is the high ISO performance. But the autofocus is quite a bit better on the K-3iii.
I wonder if a firmware update would solve the 55-300mm issue.
I believe it isn't software related, but hardware. The extra contacts aren't present on the "older" bodies that the KAF4 mount has. So there is no way to control aperture.
There is no software update for the K5 to support the 55-300 PLM lens
I think it's a contact issue on the actual mount? I could be wrong though.
@@LeeIveson Contacts are same, but cameras prior to K3 have no idea how to control aperture without aperture lever. HW controller for that functionality is not there.
nice camera
I can’t really comment as I’ve never owned a K5 but as I’ve said before put a Pentax camera in the right hands and the results will,speak for themselves.
Ah that's a shame, i'm sure you would have loved the K-5! I'm amazed every year by the Pentaxians yearbook, there's plenty of the "right hands" in that book for sure!
Well. I think your great shots prove you can't shot sports using a Pentax! 😂
Cold as ice! 😂
You thinking about the K3iii? YOU of all the Pentaxians would benefit the most. Slap that 55-300 PLM on it and bob's your uncle!
I've looked more than once believe me! But it's just not an option for me at the moment. Who knows maybe in the future.
@@LeeIveson the Ebay market is starting to get reasonable.
Center focus only 😂
Yeah that's a shame