Pentax 14.6 Megapixels K-7 Review by TrustedReview With Rating 9/10
2009-09-03 23:41 | Tag: Pentax Rating Megapixels Review With | SourceAverage Camera Review Rating [9 reviews]
Currently priced at $1,179 (drop from $1,299 about 2 weeks ago), the Pentax K-7 is a 14.6 megapixel sensor-shift
image stabilized DSLR that features automatic horizon correction, a large 100% coverage viewfinder, a 3-inch LCD with 921K pixels, ISO up to 6400, 5.2 FPS continuous shooting, live-view and a number of unique photographic controls and image parameters. The Pentax K-7 has a weather-sealed body that makes it more suitable
for rough environments and extra resistant to cold temperatures.
This DSLR is currently the smallest DSLR to have a viewfinder
with 100% coverage and the second smallest, behind the Pentax K200D,
to have a weather-sealed body.
The Pentax K-7 also records 720p HD movies and larger 1536x1024 3:2 aspect-ratio ones as well, either with a built-in mono mic or an external stereo one. However, there's no AF in movie shooting so may be difficult to shoot moving subjects. TrustedReview has recently published a review of the Pentax K-7 and here is the summary of the review:
"In live view mode the K-7, like most other live view DLSRs, is limited to contrast detection AF, which is not as fast or as reliable. It is still effective, but I found that it was usually a better idea to pre-focus and then use the live view to compose the shot. In terms of shooting speed, in single-shot mode it can shoot as fast as you can press the button. In continuous shooting mode it can manage 5.2fps. This is a little slower than the EOS 5D (6.3fps) and Nikon D300 (up to 8fps), but it is slightly faster than the Sony A700 (5fps). However it can maintain this shooting speed even in Raw + JPEG mode for up to 10 frames. In JPEG-only mode it can shoot 40 frames before it has to pause for breath. It can also shoot at this speed in live view mode with the mirror locked up.
Another major improvement for the K-7 is the sensor-shift image stabilisation system. I was able to take shake-free shots at shutter speeds as low as 1/8th of a second using the 18-55mm kit lens, vindicating Pentax's four-stop claim. Also improved over the K20D's already impressive performance is the image quality. The benchmark for IQ in this class is the Canon EOS 50D, and in my opinion the Pentax K-7 matches or surpasses it in every criterion. It produces roughly the same levels of high-ISO image noise, i.e. not much, and has superior dynamic range and colour depth. The overall level of detail is excellent, and exposure, colour reproduction and focusing were reliably accurate even in extremely awkward lighting conditions. The Pentax K-7 is a superb camera, and really puts the cat among the pigeons at the top of the APS-C DSLR market. It has rugged weatherproof build quality, superb handling and offers every creative feature you could possibly want and more besides. Performance and image quality are a match for anything else in its class. It's a tempting package for any keen amateur or semi-pro. "
Pentax K-7 Camera Reviews Roundup
Pentax K-7 Camera Recent User Reviews
DSLR Photography Latest Posts
Currently priced at $1,179 (drop from $1,299 about 2 weeks ago), the Pentax K-7 is a 14.6 megapixel sensor-shift
image stabilized DSLR that features automatic horizon correction, a large 100% coverage viewfinder, a 3-inch LCD with 921K pixels, ISO up to 6400, 5.2 FPS continuous shooting, live-view and a number of unique photographic controls and image parameters. The Pentax K-7 has a weather-sealed body that makes it more suitable
for rough environments and extra resistant to cold temperatures.
This DSLR is currently the smallest DSLR to have a viewfinder
with 100% coverage and the second smallest, behind the Pentax K200D,
to have a weather-sealed body. The Pentax K-7 also records 720p HD movies and larger 1536x1024 3:2 aspect-ratio ones as well, either with a built-in mono mic or an external stereo one. However, there's no AF in movie shooting so may be difficult to shoot moving subjects. TrustedReview has recently published a review of the Pentax K-7 and here is the summary of the review:
"In live view mode the K-7, like most other live view DLSRs, is limited to contrast detection AF, which is not as fast or as reliable. It is still effective, but I found that it was usually a better idea to pre-focus and then use the live view to compose the shot. In terms of shooting speed, in single-shot mode it can shoot as fast as you can press the button. In continuous shooting mode it can manage 5.2fps. This is a little slower than the EOS 5D (6.3fps) and Nikon D300 (up to 8fps), but it is slightly faster than the Sony A700 (5fps). However it can maintain this shooting speed even in Raw + JPEG mode for up to 10 frames. In JPEG-only mode it can shoot 40 frames before it has to pause for breath. It can also shoot at this speed in live view mode with the mirror locked up.
Another major improvement for the K-7 is the sensor-shift image stabilisation system. I was able to take shake-free shots at shutter speeds as low as 1/8th of a second using the 18-55mm kit lens, vindicating Pentax's four-stop claim. Also improved over the K20D's already impressive performance is the image quality. The benchmark for IQ in this class is the Canon EOS 50D, and in my opinion the Pentax K-7 matches or surpasses it in every criterion. It produces roughly the same levels of high-ISO image noise, i.e. not much, and has superior dynamic range and colour depth. The overall level of detail is excellent, and exposure, colour reproduction and focusing were reliably accurate even in extremely awkward lighting conditions. The Pentax K-7 is a superb camera, and really puts the cat among the pigeons at the top of the APS-C DSLR market. It has rugged weatherproof build quality, superb handling and offers every creative feature you could possibly want and more besides. Performance and image quality are a match for anything else in its class. It's a tempting package for any keen amateur or semi-pro. "
Pentax K-7 Sample Photos on Flickr
Pentax K-7 Camera Reviews Roundup
| AlphaMountWorld: "In continuous tracking, the A700 held up pretty well against the K7 but the K7 definitely seemed more eager to stay focused on moving subjects (such as flying birds etc) overall, like a turbo charged version of the A700's AF system had been put in it. Target acquisition generally is faster with the K7, from standstill to locked AF on any of the main 9 AF double cross AF points, including the center cross point...." - May 13 2010 More » | |
| Steve Huff: "My thoughts on the K7's image quality. One word. Superb! For the money, under $1000, this is one of the best DSLR's out there, if not the best. I already have talked about the tank like build, the weather sealing, the great ergonomics, and hinted about the battery life, which is up there with the Nikons. I shot a load of images and video and never drained my 1st charge. As I write this I still have charge left..." - Mar 21 2010 More » | |
| RegHardware: "As with most cameras, there are limitations when operating in the video mode, for example, you can't adjust the aperture once recording has started. Despite all the options available - and we've not even scratched the surface when it comes to digital filters and picture effects - the K-7 is a delight to use and we reckon most users would have few problems getting to grips with it. Albeit sluggish in Live View m..." - Jan 18 2010 More » | |
| Photocrati: "At the most commonly used ISO levels, the K-7 provides very high resolution and excellent JPEG quality at the Premium setting. Most users will be happier after setting in-camera sharpness to a +1 level. Photos made at ISO 100 to 400 with premium-grade DA* lenses exhibit excellent resolution. At higher ISO settings, it's worth switching to RAW capture. When using the Pentax Utility or another versatile RAW converter..." - Nov 30 2009 More » | |
| LetsGoDigital: "There is no other camera in this class that offers the same level of control on how a picture will turn out, as the Pentax K-7. As a user, you are really in charge of the camera and of how the end result turns out. Within the limits of technology that is, because you have no control over the sensor quality. In itself, the sensor is fine, although not groundbreaking. Up to ISO 1600 can be used without a problem, at h..." - Oct 30 2009 More » | |
| Luminous Landscape: "I have a confession to make. I found the Pentax K7 to be a competent camera. That's a confession? Well, it is in a way because it goes toward explaining why I don't have a lot to say about the K7's image quality or its overall appeal. It's a competent camera and does a lot of things well and not too many poorly. Image quality is fine, but not exceptional, and maybe a bit noisier than some. But therein..." - Oct 13 2009 More » | |
| CNET: "This is a tough, compact and very well-thought-out camera, with genuinely useful features that its rivals don't have. But it does have two significant drawbacks. The first problem is that the K-7 feels quite lumpy and crude compared to rival cameras from Canon, Nikon and Olympus, although it does have the edge over Sony's dSLRs. The detail in our charts doesn't look any sharper than you'd expect from a com..." - Oct 03 2009 More » | |
| DigitalCameraResourcePage: "The Pentax K-7 isn't just an excellent midrange digital SLR -- it's also an incredible value. It may not have the fastest burst rate or lowest noise in its class, but it offers more features per dollar than anything else out there. It has very good image quality, stellar build quality, snappy performance (in most situations), more manual controls than you'll need, unique exposure modes, an HD movie mode, and lots mo..." - Sep 30 2009 More » | |
| ImagingResource: "Build is solid and tight, yet small and light. The grip is excellent, and the small size combined with the extensively weather-sealed body makes the Pentax K7 a very good outdoor camera. Our review of the 17-70mm lens on SLRgear.com show that lens to be a particularly good companion for the Pentax K7, a lens whose sharpness is a nice complement to the 14.6-megapixel sensor. AF speed is improved, except in low light..." - Aug 21 2009 More » | |
| Pocket-lint: "Colour, white balance and detail below ISO 800 are all good, however - and despite some rather soft JPEGs at the default three star setting (you get one, two three and four star compression modes to choose between) - there's loads of detail to eek out as can be seen when processing the RAW files. Highlight and shadow detail are also good at lower ISO's plus there's the highlight and shadow optimiser settings to..." - Aug 11 2009 More » | |
| Neocamera: "The Pentax K-7 is a DSLR with an incredible feature-set, no other camera does everything this one does. Its wealth of features, many of them unique or uncommon, helps users take better pictures. The combination of automatic horizon correction, 100% viewfinder and built-in stabilization gives relief to the photographer, letting him compose and frame with greater ease. Image quality is very good with generally low..." - Jul 31 2009 More » | |
| PhotoReview Australia: "Pictures taken with the test camera were acceptably sharp and had natural-looking colours, although outdoor shots in bright sunlight were a little contrasty when the Bright Custom Image setting (the default) was used. In indoor shots, the colour balance was a little warm with this setting. The Natural setting produced shots in which overall contrast was slightly lower and the colour balance closer to normal. Vi..." - Jul 17 2009 More » | |
| infoSync: "The K-7 was one of the most feature-rich DSLRs we've ever tested, with an interface that made shooting much more enjoyable than the average bear. We felt as though the well never ran dry when it came time to compose our shots, and we're sure there are still a few untapped features lying within the K-7 that we just didn't have time to discover during the course of our photographic adventure. RAW image quality w..." - Jul 16 2009 More » | |
| British Journal Of Photography: "On the movie side, excellent quality clips were obtained, but as always with these types of device, the addition of an external microphone port is a godsend. Audio quality using the camera's microphone is captured in mono from all directions; the intrusive noise of a low flying aircraft, for example, has a tendency to drown out more local sounds, such as when doing an open air interview.But in other respects,..." - Jul 10 2009 More » | |
| PhotographyBLOG: "The Pentax K-7 is the best-ever Pentax DSLR camera and a real challenger to the relative giants of Canon and Nikon. Pentax have seemingly decided to include every "must-have" feature in one camera, with the K-7's specifications reading like a keen photographer's wish list. Thankfully most of those features are very well-realised, with only a few duds to spoil the party... The K-7's image quality is ve..." - Jun 25 2009 More » | |
| Wired: "The K-7's new processor allows you to make HDR images in the camera by snapping off three frames in fast succession and then merges them for you, eliminating the need to own costly post-production software. Our results were not as refined as Photoshop or Photomatix can produce, but the savings in time and money make a big difference. It's good to note that if you intend to use the HDR feature a lot, keeping things s..." - Jun 15 2009 More » | |
| Photography Press: "It's fair to say that the camera is feature-packed. When we first saw the initial release, we compared it to the 500D and the D5000, as the video element threw us a little, now we've had a good chunk of time to play with the Pentax K-7 and talk to the chaps at Pentax in the UK, it's is fair to say that this DSLR is gunning for higher ground - i.e., the D300 and 50D. The feature set is very impressive. The wea..." - Jun 05 2009 More » | |
| OK Pentax: "I'm happy to say that to my satisfaction the new SAFOX VIII Plus auto focusing system is now more accurate and speedy, especially indoors and with artificial light. And yes, the Face Detection feature works just as you've come to expect it on point-and-shoots...I found the K-7 to be delightful to use (and quiet!) and I only wish that I had the chance to post-examine the pictures we were taking. However, this wa..." - May 29 2009 More » | |
| Demystifying Digital: "Though I can't pass any official judgment on the still images or the video quality because of the camera's pre-production status, I have to say I was impressed with what I saw even from this early version of the K-7. The lenses I tested with he K-7, particularly the Pentax DA* 55mm f/1.4 SDM ($700) and Sigma 24-70mm, f/2.8 IF EX DG ($899) were top-notch, and made me remember how much I used to enjoy shooting w..." - May 25 2009 More » |
Pentax K-7 Camera Recent User Reviews
Best Pentax to date. Offers features that would cost you twice as much., Kalison - Aug 25 2010
I would like to echo E. J Tastad's review. He basically nailed every point you can make about this camera. Its a wonderfully small compact body, that allows use of any of the millions of Pentax lenses built to date. This is a huge advantage especially since there are a lot of legendary Pentax lenses out there that still shoot with the best of today's glass. This also can ease your...
Pro Features & Quality at a Consumer Price, R. Haag - Aug 12 2010
Pro: Features & quality per dollar, you may not find a better value than the K-7. This DSLR provides extensive features and options of a camera that would cost more. Cons: ISO performance is noisy at the high end. This in turn limits quality low light shots unless you are capturing stationary subjects....
K-7 Review, Gary - Aug 07 2010
I did not buy my K-7 here but I did buy the K-x. I am a daily shooter and own the K-20, K-7, K-x. The build quality is the best I have ever seen. Ease of use is really greatttt. The problem is the images. The K-20 and especially the K-x is superior in every way. In image quality. If you do any cropping you will need to run it thru a noise fixer even on ISO 200. It is absoutly the wors...
Review after 9 months of use, Erik Pettee - Jul 27 2010
Before the K7 I owned a K20D for many months, so the K7 is not my first Pentax body. I replaced the K20D with this K7 for one, main reason - size and shape. The K7 fits amazingly well in your hands. I am so confident carrying it that I almost never use a strap. I even walk up to a mile or two around my neighborhood holding they camera with one hand without any concern for dropping it....
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