These cameras have higher specs and more advanced features. They are intended for the serious amateur or semi-pro photographer.
Pentax K-5 - A Dark Horse With Great Specs
The Pentax K-5 is a serious camera with good specs and good features. It has some of the best specs in this group and it is a strong second or third in some of the other categories. It provides the best picture quality, the best high ISO performance, good low-light performance and good color depth (just .1 less than the leader). These are all key factors in choosing a camera at this level. It has a very respectable 7 frame per second burst rate, just one less than the best in this group. The weight at 748 g is quite reasonable and the price is right for a camera at this level.
Have a look at the comparison chart below or read the Summary
JQuery Tablify - Demo
Canon
7D
Nikon
D7000
Sony
A850
Pentax
K-5
Price
$1,699
$1,499
$1999 +$799
$1,579
Megapixels
17.9 mp
16 mp
24.4 mp
16.3
ISO Max
(with boost)
12,800
25,600
6,400
51,200
Sensor
22.3x14.9
APS-C
23.6x15.6
Full-Frame
35.9x24
APS-C
23.6x15.7
Video Mode
(highest)
1920x1080
30 fps
Supports 24 fps
1920x1080
24 fps
None
1920x1080
25 fps
Type
SLR
SLR
SLR
SLR
Standard
Lens
28-135mm
18-105mm
28-75mm
(lens is extra)
18-55 mm
Lenses
Available
162
169
62
82
Sample lens
cost
70-300mm
f4 - 5.6
Stabilized
$549
55-300mm
f4.5 - 5.6
Stabilized
$317
75 - 300mm
f4.5 - 5.6
(includes tripod)
$234.95
55-300mm
f4 - 5.8
$349
Viewfinder
(coverage)
Pentaprism
100%
Pentaprism
100%
Pentaprism
98%
Pentaprism
100%
LCD
3"
920K dots
Fixed
3"
920K dots
Fixed
3"
922K dots
Fixed
3"
920K dots
Battery Life
CIPA Test (shots)
(lcd/viewfinder)
220/800
?/850
?/880
?/740 shots
External (stereo)
Mic Jack
Yes
No
N/A
Yes
Auto Focus
(points)
19
11
9 point
11 point
Image
Stabilization
in-lens
in-lens
in-camera
in-camera
Image Quality
(DXO Mark)
66
80
79
82
Low-Light
(DXO Mark)
854 ISO
1167 ISO
1415 ISO
1162 ISO
Color Depth (bits)
22
23.5
23.8
23.7
Dynamic Range
11.7 EV
13.9 EV
12.2 EV
14.1 EV
Shutter speed
(max)
1/8000
1/8000
1/8000
1/8000
Burst Mode
8 fps
6 fps
3 fps
7 fps
Customer Rating
(From Amazon)
4.5
(210 reviews)
4.6
(46 reviews)
4.8
(9 reviews)
5
(9 reviews)
Weight
945 g
(with batteries)
713 g
(with batteries)
895 g
(without lens or batteries)
748 g
(with batteries)
Released
Sep 2009
Sep 2010
Oct 2009
Oct 2010
Warranty
1 Year
1 Year
(2 Years in Canada)
1 Year
1 Year
(2 years in Canada)
Comment
Good specs overall. Image quality and low light performance lags the others in this group. Heavy.
Good specs. Good image quality. Lacks 30 fps video.Lightest in this group.
Only full-frame sensor in this group with highest megapixel count, good image quality, best low light rating and most color depth. Lacks video, low burst rate, heavy and expensive.
Great image quality, very good specs overall. Good quality at high ISO. Video lacks 30 fps. Weatherproofed body and lens for outdoor use (unique feature). Best overall combination of features and specs.
