steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>I'm still a bit jittery in my belly, but excited for sure.</p><p>I just hit the buy button on a K-5, a second OEM battery, and a 16gig class 10 Transcend memory card. With 2-day air from UPS it will be in my hand on Wednesday.</p><p>(Oh, what have I done? I hope my K20D doesn't hold this against me.)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidmantilla Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Awesome! Congrats!!! I sometimes feel the same way about my k10D -- we made some great pictures together, but the noise levels at 1600 would drive me crazy (and still do)... k5 is totally different, excellent results and amazed at the results through ISO 6400 (and beyond)! </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy_corbin Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Well if ya'lls K10s and K20s decide that it's time for them to be on their way out of pure jealousy of their new siblings, you can tell them that I would provide a loving home for them. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Thanks, guys. Jeremiah, I've not yet decided what to do with the K20D, to sell it or dedicate it to a particular task. Maybe now that I've got two camera bodies I can start offering one-on-one photography instruction. Hmmm... a way to fund such purchases?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>And my friend that owns my prior K100DS just moments ago hit the send button for the same order, plus the 18-135mm WR lens.</p> <p>Today is a good day for Pentax.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrickwells Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>I'm jealous. I have been trying to justify the money yo upgrade from my istdl. I have not decided which to upgrade to. K5 is out of question right now if I want to stay married</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Patrick- I'd been setting aside my monthly "fun money" allotment for several months now, otherwise there would have been no way today's purchase would have happened. Not without a winning lottery ticket, anyway. I had the funds saved up, but I did buy it via Bill Me Later via the retailer. Adorama and B&H both participate in Bill Me Later. The arrangement was 6-months financing with no interest due as long as it's paid off in those 6 months.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgredline Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Steve congrats on the new purchase. I look forward to seeing how you like it. Also let me know if it has the stained sensor when you get it. I suspect it will not. Since I will not be buying the Fuji X100, The money I had set aside for it will go to a K-5, but want to be sure no stains. Also I would like to know where you ordered yours so I can do the same. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_b._baiamonte Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Steve, congrats on the new camera. I don't have (yet) a K-5, but it is the same body style as the K-7 I do have. I think the handling of the 2 is about the same. I kept my K20D, and mostly use it with the zoom lenses (16-45 and 55-300).</p> <p>If you think you're excited now just knowing that the camera is on its way to you, just wait until you try it with some of the DA Limited lenses.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Thanks Javier- I bought from B&H, and so did my friend who ordered today as well. No particular reason why, B&H, Adorama, and Amazon (as long as it is shipped from Amazon and not from a questionable 3rd party retailer) have all gotten my photographic business in the past. Nobody local to me was selling in a store, so online it was.</p> <p>You can count of me going through that camera with a fine tooth comb. Sensor stains, flash/metering behavior issues (if I recall that one properly), low light focusing... I want to make sure this puppy is healthy. Before ordering, I called B&H and they assured me that they are not going to send me a previously used camera, I'll be receiving a factory fresh unit (better be!). I'll check the shutter count and all packaging/included items upon arrival, too. Doing a bit of research between here and Pentaxforums.com, it looks like people are getting good cameras with serial numbers at 3865xxxx and 3870xxxx. It took some folks at PF 2, 3 or more bodies to get a good one, but some of them were buying since last fall. Same as you, I'm out for the X100, so I put the coin toward the camera that really would be more useful to me, although I'm working hard at not thinking about the X100...</p> <p>B&H also had it listed for $1450 today, same as Amazon, with Adorama at $1468 (which I'm sure they'd drop to match). I've been watching that $1468 price since what, around Christmas or so? $1523 (camera, card, OEM battery) with 2-day air UPS shipping, I should have it Wednesday.</p> <p>Frank, thanks, but don't get me thinking about starting down the path of Limited lenses. If that happens, my wife may have me institutionalized! (I'll wait a few months...)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_price1 Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Congratulations, the IQ from the K5 looks fabulous. I'm jonesin' for some of that high ISO goodness myself, I love my K200D but it is not in the same league as the K5 for high ISO shots. The K5 has equal or better IQ than a number of full-frame cameras currently on the market. The <a href="http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/dxomark_sensor_for_benchmarking_cameras.shtml">Luminous Landscape has an article that shows this pretty convincingly.</a></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Oops, I meant to say serial numbers 3965 and 3970xxxx (the 9 being the operative digit there).</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shots worth sharing Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Congratulations, Steve! It's hard to part with $1.5K but I think you'll really like the camera. I kept my K20D as 2nd body & back up. There are times when it really helps to carry two bodies. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgredline Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Dave, did you keep your K-7 as well?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrickwells Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>Steve<br> I am extremely happy for you. I just hope to get a k5 before they are obsolete. We are trying get out of debt. another year or so should see that. Then I can start on the K5 funds.<br> I hope you enjoy the new camera and hope to see the photos here.<br> All the best Pat</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shots worth sharing Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <blockquote> <p>Dave, did you keep your K-7 as well?</p> </blockquote> <p>Nope, I gave that to Abe for Christmas (he's diggin' it.)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgredline Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 <blockquote> <p>Nope, I gave that to Abe for Christmas (he's diggin' it.)</p> </blockquote> <p>Now this is cool :) The reason I asked is because I know quite a few people who went the path of the K10D, K20D, K-7 and now K-5 and when chosen to get rid of one, most kept the K20D's and got rid of the K-7's. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 <p>I'm liking the idea of keeping my K20D to use as a "buddy camera", to share with others who may have a passing interest in learning to take a better-than-snapshot photo with a more serious camera than a el cheapo P&S or cell phone. Especially folks of the generation(s) behind me who have really known nothing of photography other than their cell phone. We'll see what happens.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shots worth sharing Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 <blockquote>I know quite a few people who went the path of the K10D, K20D, K-7 and now K-5 and when chosen to get rid of one, most kept the K20D's and got rid of the K-7's.</blockquote> <p>That's an interesting observation, Javier. Maybe that's because they needed to sell something to cover the price of the K-5 and could get more for a K-7 than a K20D. The advantage of keeping the K-7 would have been battery interchangability but Abe had expressed interest in the K-7 and I <em>do</em> like my K20Ds.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtlwdwgn Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 <p>Congrats Steve. Can't wait to see some images from your new toy.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 <p>Thank, Steve. Me, too!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebs Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 <p>I'm not partial to AData or Trendnet SDHC cards.<br> I just picked up a 32GB RiData Class 10 for $43 at NewEgg with free shipping. I know Meritline had the 16GB RiData Class 10 for $21 with free shipping today as well.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_kuhne Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 <p>Wow, Steve- you know far more details about the production aspects than I do!! I too own the K20D, which is a very fine camera, and am looking forward to a K-5. The K20D is such a good workhorse, wth fine IQ and good handling, especially with larger lenses, I believe I will still use it after having the K-5 for times when the lighting will be good and the larger body will be advantageous.</p> <p>Congratulations, and your reasoning is understandable for those who know what is going on. <br> Talk about a quality larger/ smaller combo! Imagine having the K-5 in this combo, even well more advanced over the K20D, but amazingly about the same size as the K100DS, yet built like a battleship!! Yes, some months down the road I can see your sporting a Limited lens on it! Maximum portability, maximum IQ, maximum build quality. Matching concepts, indeed. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_t.1 Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 <p>This is what I just emailed to my friend who also bought the K-5 on my initial impressions (minus the dust spec issue I just posted in that other message thread I started)-<br> <br /><br /><em>I think I'm really going to like this little gem. I'd imagine it's right about the same size as your K100DS, right? (</em>He's got my old K100DS.<em>) I'm guessing it is, because it is just a bit smaller than my K20D, more-so in left to right width (-1/4"), and a wee bit in height and front to back depth. I really like the ergonomics of the grip, much better fit in my hand than the K20D, my fingers wrap around that grip very nicely. I'll have to play with it, but the shape of the grip allowing a better registration of my fingers may negate the need for an accessory battery grip for vertical shots. Weight wise, it feels just about the same as the K20D, which means it's built like a tank. A compact tank. I like that it isn't bigger than the K20D, the size suits me just fine, thank you. </em><br /> <br /><em>The functional buttons are a whole new animal for me, those will take some getting used to, as will the on-screen menu functions. Some buttons are no longer here vs. the K20D, and some new ones are present instead. I think that live view is going to be pretty nifty as well. I also like how all the info in the top LCD display can also be shown on the back display between shots by hitting the info button (</em>seems a better, more usable version than how the K20D did the similar thing<em>).</em><br /> <br /><em>The thing that really shocked me, with a big smile, was how fast it processed the image. When I was testing it for stains/dust, a couple of the shots I took needed to be over 10 seconds long (F/22 trying to grab the light of a light bulb), and on the K20D, and I think yours as well, if the shutter was open 10 seconds, the camera then took at least 10 seconds to process that data and write it to the card before you could take the next pic. Not anymore. I'm sure it's the improved brain in the camera working along with the class 10 memory card, but as soon as that 10 second shutter closed, it was ready for the next shot, no waiting another 10 seconds. Now, that was just grabbing JPEGs, don't know if it would be slower for RAW. Well, probably no slower for RAW, maybe faster, because with RAW there's no internal manipulation of the image, it goes to the card as shot. This feature will be VERY nice for night photos.</em><br /> <br /><em>I'm jacked, I can't wait to get out there with it. Seeing that I haven't heard from you tonight, maybe you're already out crawling around with yours filling up that memory card!</em><br> <br /> <br />Too early to tell (I just unboxed it!), but I think/hope this could be the beginning of a long relationship.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_hathenbruck1 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 <p>A K200D and a K20D and a video cam, I'm throwing whatever money I can save at good GLASS. The box is great but a good eye and a K20D with a quality lens...you can't go wrong. It's a great camera without all the video garbage. However If someone gave me a K5.........? Well...<br> Dean H</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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