Up-grade to K5 Could owners please advise me.

Hello!

Would any K5 users be able to advise me.
I am thinking of up-grading to a K5 and currently
use a K10d camera.
My problem is that I am severely sight impaired and I
have great difficulty seeing information in the viewfinder. Any suggestions

about how I could overcome this problem would be grateful received. I have already
tried the usual methods.
Also, I have read that the auto-focus system has been improved on

the K5. As I cannot use manual focusing, this is very important to me. Is there a significant difference compared to the K10d. Many of you have said that the K10d
underexposes. How much better is the K5?

I would very much like to read your comments. I have a reasonable knowledge about
photography, as I have been interested for quite some time.

Thank you.

Hurst said:

My problem is that I am severely sight impaired and I
have great difficulty seeing information in the viewfinder. Any suggestions

about how I could overcome this problem would be grateful received. I have > already tried the usual methods.

Click to expand...

You have tried the Pentax magnifying loupe? This accessory magnifies the viewfinder.

Hurst said:

Also, I have read that the auto-focus system has been improved on
the K5.

Click to expand...

Yes, that is true. It is faster and more sensitive.

Hurst said:

Many of you have said that the K10d
underexposes. How much better is the K5?

Click to expand...

Have you found your K10D to underexpose? I haven't found my K10D to do it.

--
Take care
Raphael
http://www.flickr.com/photos/raphaelmabo/

Live view on the k5 would be beneficial for you, with the ability to zoom in for manual focusing/composing the photo. I use it all the time on my k20d, and its much more sophisticated on the k5. My k5 is getting delivered today, and im very excited!
--
My PPG

http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/home#section=ARTIST&subSection=7472316&subSubSection=0&language=EN

Unfortunately I can't speak to the viewfinder problem, but the K5 AF is much, much better than the K10D. I gave up on the K10D's AF and installed a katz eye ground glass so I could manually focus. I haven't even thought about doing it with the K5. It is night and day. I've had some issues with the AF backfocusing slightly in low light (such as shooting concerts in dimly lit clubs) but otherwise it is very fast and consistent.

The live view AF also works great. The camera shows a magnified view of the focus area (which you can move) as it racks the lens back and forth. It's quite speedy, though I haven't used a contrast-detect-based camera extensively in a few years so I can't comment on how it compares. Would live view be better for your eyes?

As for underexposure, I haven't noticed anything. With the K10D I had to dial in +0.5 EV comp after installing the katz eye screen. If the camera is consistently underexposing (as my modified K10D was) you can just set the EV compensation to, well, compensate for it.

For ordinary shooting using the OVF the information strip is no more legible on the K-5 than the K10. I doubt whether any camera would do any better.

However, the K-5 shows the current shooting information on the rear LCD. It is often visible automatically but if not you just press the INFO button. You have to take the camera away from your eye but it's a good way of seeing your settings. You can see how this looks on the DPR review of the K-5.

You can set Live View to have an information overlay. The text isn't as big as on the INFO screen but you can see it at the same time as you compose the shot. This is on the DPR review too.

Once you set up on a tripod life gets easier. If you compose through the VF you can then stand back and use the INFO screen to check settings. In LV it doesn't look any different from hand-held, except that you can zoom in for manual focus. This shot is at 8X magnification (the camera will go to 10X)



Here's the actual shot



It's a long time since I sold my K10 so I can't compare AF directly but the K-5 is certainly pretty fast and accurate (except for the extreme low-light problem discussed in other threads). In LV it focuses much faster than the K20 and K-7.

The K-5 has an option for large text size, which I think came in with the K20, but unfortunately it works only for each menu item as you look at it. However, the way things are shown on the K-5 makes them easier to read than on the K10. You can customize the Fn view for different colour schemes, which might help if you have difficulty with particular colours.

--

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Gerry


First camera 1953, first Pentax 1983, first DSLR 2006
http://www.pbase.com/gerrywinterbourne

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for taking the trouble to reply. Your comments
have been very helpful.
To answer one of the questions, I do use the magnifying loupe on
my camera but it is not nearly strong enough for my needs. All the
positive comments have encouraged me to up-grade to the K5. I have
read many of the reviews but it is always nice to hear from those
who actually use the camera.

Thanks again.

I don't know why there are so many complaints regarding the K10d's AF.

Mine focuses really and allows me to shoot speeding boats using the AF-c and getting sharp pics!

THe K5's AF is obviously improved but the K10d's is no slouch ( have you seen a thread a few months ago of a guy shottinf Formula 1 with his K10 ? )

Now, you get more with the K5 in high ISO performance and so many other things.

What keptme from pulling the trigger is the FF/BF issues under tungsten lights. I don't have those issues with my K10, so.....( and I don't often shoot in poor light either).

At the end of the day, it's always a balance of what you wan ( and can afford) VS what you need..

Regards,
--
Younes ( Paris, FR)
K100D,K10D,D40 + lenses

Thank you for your reply.

Perhaps I gave the wrong impression about my K10.
It is a very capable camera and I have been pleased with
the results. Since buying that camera, my eyes have deteriorated
dramatically and I am looking for a way to continue my hobby.

I would like to read your comments about using 'live-view' to focus.
I sometimes have to use a Low vision aid to take photos. Not an easy
thing to do!

I hope that you enjoy your new K5. How exciting to have such a lovely camera. I am saving hard!

Thank you for replying to my questions.

I was very interested in your comments about using 'live view' and better magnification
levels would also be very helpful.

Thank you for sending such a detailed reply. This was just the information that
I was hoping to receive. I shall be buying a K5 in the near future.