K5 seems very quiet

[ricardovaste]

<p>What is Pentax's trick here? I had a play with one for the first time, only briefly, in a shop last week. It's a conventional camera, with mirror and shutter right? Seems really quiet and smooth. Love the handling of it too, I bet it's terrific for candids with the 70 or 77 mm Pentax lenses.</p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>The K-5 is probably the highest-rated of all camera models with this size sensor, which is the most common size for a DSLR. Yes, it is of the traditional SLR design. Top imaging performance, along with extraordinary build quality and features. I don't have one yet, but own the K-20D which is 2 models back. The K20D is a great camera, but the K-5 would offer upgrades advantageous to me in numerous ways. </p>

<p>The Pentax 70mm Limited is an extremely fine lens, of exceptional compact design. The 77mm Limited, which I do have, I chose for its extra stop of speed, superb bokeh, extra focal length, designed for film bodies as well, and also being very compact.</p>

<p> </p>

[miserere_mei]

<blockquote>

<p><em>What is Pentax's trick here?</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>Fairy dust.</p>

[trw]

<p>My suspicion is that they use a micro-stepping controlled stepper to smoothly accelerate & decelerate the mirror, rather than the usual full-speed slap. This is merely conjecture based on the way it feels though and I have no inside knowledge.</p>

[tord_s_eriksson]

<p>I just love my K-5, but noise-wise the K-7 is just as good. Don't know what trick the Pentax guys (and dolls), use but it sure works well! My K-x's shutter/mirro box noise, on the other hand, frighten birds if I'm close enough!<br>

The only improvement I can think of, when it comes to my K-5, is better HD features, and possibly an articulated display.</p>

[stemked]

<p>I agree with Tord, the K-7 is likewise incredibly quiet. I had to use my K-10 for some work and the difference is pretty remarkable.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Pentax has been using a dedicated motor to operate the mirror for years, at least back to the ZX/MZ series of autofocus film cameras. (Indeed, a poorly chosen gear that shrinks and splits is the primary Achilles heel of those otherwise very nice cameras.) In those older cameras, it's a simple DC motor.<br>

It wouldn't be necessary to have a variable-speed motor to have the mirror have a controlled speed profile such that it lands quietly at each end. All that's needed is a clever cam-and-follower, such that a fixed motor speed winds up with a fancy speed profile for the mirror. Heck, even fully mechanical cameras were designed such that the mirror slows down as it approaches the cushion at the focusing screen.</p>

[mountainvisions]

<p>The same fairy dust they've always used to make lenses a little smaller, or ergonomics a little better, or a little more value for the same price point.</p>

<p>I haven't used the K-5 but I assume it's equally quiet to the K-7. The only thing I can think of is the higher frame rate cameras cannot use the dampening that Pentax must use.</p>

<p>Nikon's typically have very loud shutters but also higher frame rates for similar level cameras.</p>

<p> </p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>I wonder if they could sprinkle some of that magic dust on a P67? ;-)</p>

<p>I guess why I found it so remarkable was because I had a NEX5 next to me as well, which obviously has no mirror, yet it was clearly louder when pressing the shutter release. Tried an A900 whilst I was in there for comparison too.. Jeez, enough to give someone a heart attack ;-). I wish Sony had put this fairy dust into the A900!</p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>I haven't fired a K-x, but it seems Pentax must have improved the noise factor in the K-r. While my K-r is not as quiet as my K20D or my K200D, it is definitely better than the K100D, which has a very pronounced "clunk". The description of the K-x's sound by various users reminds me of the K100D. </p>

<p>I have read numerous remarks as to the exceptionally quiet operation of the K-5 and K-7. </p>

[c_wyatt]

<p>I shoot candids with the K-7, and the quietness is one of the reasons I use Pentax. It seems quieter than a standard Leica M9. Playing around with the K-5 in a shop, K-5 seemed a bit quieter than the K-7. Picking up any other advanced DSLR makes them feel very chunky and loud. Fine for some work, but I hope the compact, quiet Pentax designs continue, for my own stuff.</p>

[charles_wood]

<p>I noticed immediately how quiet the K-5 is when it replaced my 5D2. By medium format standards my 645D is also quiet, certainly the quietest contemporary medium format camera available, so the Pentax engineers obviously understand a thing or two about designing mirror boxes. Even my older Pentax 645n was decently quiet. Not so my Pentax 67 which was my original MF system. The SONY a900 reminds me of the noise my 67 made. Unnerving at times.</p>

[ricardovaste]

<blockquote>

<p>The SONY a900 reminds me of the noise my 67 made. Unnerving at times.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well said! :)<br>

(OT: I wish Pentax would introduce some faster lenses for the 645 system to match the cropped sensor...)</p>

[trw]

<p>Yes, you could build a mirror box with a sophisticated cam system to control the mirror speed profile, but it would probably be cheaper to assemble, smaller, and more reliable with a stepper motor.</p>

[charles_wood]

<p><em>(OT: I wish Pentax would introduce some faster lenses for the 645 system to match the cropped sensor...)</em></p>

<p>I'm not trying to hijack this thread but it's worth relating a personal experience. I once worked for an audio technology company that was acquired by a much, much larger public company. We were in the midst of several projects where we had passed the point of no return when our acquisition took place. So much had been invested in product development, tooling for manufacture, etc., that it would have represented a huge loss if the projects had been terminated. Fortunately, the new owners decided to press forward after weighing the pros and cons of pulling the plugs.</p>

<p>I think Pentax likely faced a similar situation when Hoya acquired them. There was an existing base of legacy 645 lenses that generally perform well with the 645d and certainly enough to allow Hoya to test the waters, and recover their investment in completing the project to bring the camera to market. It's quite likely the previous owner of Pentax took the major hit on monetary loss.</p>

<p>My 645d has a serial number of around 3400 and likely thousands more will be sold during the life of the product, particularly as the camera gathers some momentum in the market place. Canon and Nikon have no easy response to the 645d in terms of addressing it's capability as a field landscape camera. Their only immediate option is to develop higher megapixel 35mm size sensors but that isn't a real solution. Assuming that Hoya is making a reasonable amount of margin beyond the cost of parts and assembly/test, then it's fair to assume they're looking at many millions of dollars of return from the launch. Let's hope they decide to continue development with new lenses and sensors. Hoya is in a unique position if they pursue it. They are a company experienced in both medium and small format DSLRs as well as optics. Neither Nikon or Canon is experienced in the medium format arena. Just as they have used the processing power and many bits and pieces already developed for the K-7 and K-5 to bring the 645d to market, future MF improvements may trickle down to enhance Pentax's smaller format DSLRs.<em> </em></p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>If the NEX is noisy then it's not just the mirror mechanism that's responsible for noise--clearly focal plane shutters themselves (Leicas too) contribute a non-negligible amount of sound. More than just framerate, I wonder whether the noise might also be a side-effect of higher x-sync speed, requiring a faster curtain rate. Higher shutter speeds can be produced by narrowing the 'slit' between the two curtains and is more a matter of precision.<br>

The K-7 and K-5 remind me of the MZ-S which sounds a little similar, though it has both a larger shutter and also has the film advance motorization.</p>

[michael_kuhne]

<p>The MZ-S sort of reminds me of the whispered metalic sound of scissors as the barber snips your hair.</p>

[mountainvisions]

<blockquote>

<p>Fine for some work, but I hope the compact, quiet Pentax designs continue, for my own stuff.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Well, you know we agree on this. Other than QC going down, I'm very happy with my equipment for my needs, which these days is a sprinkling of sports, portraits, commercial work, and then of course landscapes (urban and natural).</p>

<p>Size, speed, ergonomics (including weather sealing) and price point really suit my genres. Obviously, if I was just shooting sports this isn't the best brand (though usable for sure) and if I was just shooting portraits or commercial, size of my kit probably wouldn't matter, but when all are put together, this is the best kit for me.</p>

<p>I guess I still think, even with the MILCs and EVILs on the market, that Pentax is the brand to beat for a pro grade kit that is rugged and compact, and most of all produces the highest quality images possible from it's 2 sensor formats!</p>