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This is the Pentax K-5 II, the replacement for the K-5, and in an interesting move by
Pentax will be available in two models.
This, the standard K-5 II, and the II S, which like Nikon's D800E has no anti-aliasing filter
to improve image sharpness, making it a camera that could be of real interest to landscape
and portrait photographers.
Externally there’s little difference between the K-5 and K-5 II, with design and button
layout being identical, in fact, aside from the addition of the II in the name the only
other exterior update is the improved LCD. It also has the same 77-seal weather proofing
and magnesium alloy body and stainless steel chassis, so the new camera retains the usual
high quality that we expect from Pentax.
Internally the differences also seem subdued, with an improved sensor and new SAFOX X autofocus
system, which Pentax claims improves AF accuracy and speed. However despite an improved sensor
it retains the same pixel count and sensitivity range.
The LCD has been upgrade to a 921,000 dot panel, equipped with an internal resin layer
between the outer glass and the LCD screen to reduce reflections.
Sure enough the quality of the screen is excellent and the resin layer really does seems to work,
On the back here is a dedicated button to access the effects modes giving plenty of
choice and control over the look of your images. I like the fact that these effects can be
applied to both JPEG and RAW files.
With the design and layout matching the K-5, handling is unchanged, and whilst the buttons
are responsive prior to taking a shot, on occasion you find that you need to let the
The K5-II specification might look the same as the K-5, with a 16.3MP CMOS sensor with
a sensitivity range of ISO 100-12800, but in our lab tests the new camera proved to
have a slight improvement in low light noise performance. It also has a good two stops
better dynamic range at the lower end of the sensitivity scale and good 1 stop at the higher
end.
The big change is the auto focus system, which despite retaining the 11 AF points, 9 of which
are cross type. Pentax claims this improves accuracy and focus speed. In practice the
new system does live up to this claim, and is able to focus almost instantly even in
quite dark environments, and in many instances does so without the aid of the AF assist lamp.
Switch to Live View mode and, unlike many DSLRs, the K-5 II still delivers fast auto
focus and gives you the option to choose from three AF methods depending on your subject.
In camera image processing has also been improved with greater choice over automatic chromatic
aberration and distortion correction, however having these switched on slows the camera
down so that it takes a second or two to process each shot.
More interesting and usable, however, is the Dynamic-range expansion feature, which does
a great job of significantly brightening shadow areas whilst maintaining highlight detail
for more balanced exposures. If you want to take this a step further and shoot straight
HDR images then there is also an extensive multi-shot HDR feature with four preset strengths
plus an automatic mode. Unfortunately this is only available for JPEG shooting and again
processing times are lengthy.
Although it's no great improvement over its predecessor, the K-5 II's performance is still
excellent and a worthy match for the competition. The robust build quality should ensure it
survives sustained abuse and the in-camera Shake Reduction system works with any compatible
lens.