Pentax 16.3MP K-5 With Weather-Seal DSLR Review by ePhotoZine With Rating 10/10

"The K-5 features a setting which allows you to control the degree of noise reduction (Low, Medium, or High) for each ISO setting, as well as completely disable it. You can also leave the setting on "Auto" and let the camera choose what it thinks is best. In our tests of this system, we took a photo for each of these settings (except for "Medium") at all full-stop ISOs between 80 and 51200 (inclusive). According to these results, it looks like when the High ISO Noise Reduction option is set to "Auto", the camera typically disables Noise Reduction for ISO 80, 100, and 200, and chooses between "Low" and "Medium" for ISOs above that. It does not seem to ever apply the "High" setting on its own, likely because this setting results in loss of detail. Thus, we can recommend the "Auto" setting for the typical JPEG shooter, as seems to pick the optimal NR setting for each scenario. More advanced users may want to shoot in RAW and use a noise-reduction program when post processing to handle the noise instead: this should yield the same, if not better results, but will be more time-consuming than using the in-camera option. Since the K-5 does a great job of handling noise in general, the loss of detail due to in-camera NR may not be an issue for most users. Another important thing to note is that if you're using Noise Reduction, there's a huge drop in image quality from ISO 12800 to ISO 25600 (as you enter the expanded ISO area). Thus, ISOs above 12800 shouldn't be used when you're looking to preserve details in your images.

The K-5 has set many firsts for Pentax, and has already gotten the Pentax brand mentioned alongside the industry-leaders, Nikon and Canon, all over the web. It is a fantastic DSLR with exceptional image quality, fast autofocus, high sensitivity, a compact and lightweight design, weather-sealing, and shake reduction backwards-compatible with old lenses even from the screw-mount era. We highly recommend it for three groups of photographers: serious amateurs who have sufficient experience with DSLRs to be able to take advantage of all the K-5's features, outdoor photograhpers who frequently travel and are looking for a complete weather-resistant DSLR system, and professionals who are looking for a camera with high image quality but are on a budget. If you fall into any one of these groups, we feel the K-5 will be the perfect match for you! In a nutshell, this camera is state-of-the-art. We hope that it sets a precedent for Pentax, and that it continues selling out among retailers, marking the success of Pentax innovation and giving it the recognition it deserves."... [Source]

A great upgrade!, Randy J. Baumgartner "RB" - Apr 17 2013
My first DSLR was a Pentax Kx which is a great camera, but the K5...wow. This camera is amazing! If you are looking at Canon or Nikon DSLR's you owe it to yourself to look at this camera before you buy. In my opinion there is no better camera value!...

Picture quality, LAMYL H. HAMMOUDI - Apr 12 2013
I just received my camera and I'm not sure about the quality of the pictures, they mostly noisy blurry, The lens would probably be the problem since it is just a basic cheap 55mm lens. Not sure if I need to return it or not , Though I've read good reviews about this camera...

Get This Camera!, C. Johnson "C. Johnson" - Apr 05 2013
Beautiful photos! Lots of options! Love the TAv button! Intuitively designed to change settings easily and logically. Ruggedly built, solid, weathered sealed! Took photos on a snowy day and it performed easily in cold weather! Lenses for this camera have a nice feel, are beautiful, anything but flimsy. Performs well in low light! I have not been disappointed! You would pay nearly twi...

Pentax K(ing)-5, Ankit - Mar 21 2013
I have always wondered why Pentax isn't considered as seriously as it deserves. Most of my peers don't even know about the brand! Yes, they have a zero market visibility in India, and that's another thing I wonder about :P My father being a photographer, I am glad I was exposed to Pentax from an early age. Very glad! K-5 is one classic camera that brought to people's n...