Pentax K-5 IIs Pro Reviews

Bearing all that the K-5 II does minus an optical low-pass filter, the K-5 IIS is a specialized camera made for those who want a little more detail and know how to handle the resulting artifacts. Its weatherproof design and small, tight build make it ideal for landscape photographers, as well as anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors.

The K-5 IIs' image quality is outstanding, producing noise-free images all the way from from ISO 80-800. Noise starts to become apparent at ISO 1600, with a little more noise and smearing of fine detail at the higher settings of 3200 and 6400, while the fastest speeds of 12800, 25600 are suitable for smaller prints. The incredible headline-grabbing top-speed of 512000 is frankly unusable - Pentax should have followed Nikon's lead and stopped the range at 25600. Still, as with the D7000, very impressive results for a 1.5x sensor, further enhanced by the removal of the anti-aliasing filter. So if you don't mind paying a little extra, the Pentax K-5 IIs delivers better image quality than the standard model whilst remaining good value when compared to its main rivals, firmly making it one of our favourite prosumer DSLRs.

This was clearly an interesting proposition and I was keen to see for myself what difference, if any, the removal of the AA filter would make. The conclusion was quite obvious as soon as the images were examined. Removing the AA filter lends an incredible clarity to the detail in images. Shoot carefully on a tripod, use good lenses and the benefits will definitely be worth it. Architecture, landscape, still life, studio work, all will benefit from the IIs variant. However, to be fair, the II version is £130 less and delivers excellent results in its own right. If we shoot holiday pictures, family, people and other general hand-held shots then the K-5 II will deliver perfectly well. Printed at small sizes the advantages may not be so clear. But for the enthusiasts, the camera club competitions, commercial work and professional use the K-5 IIs definitely gets my vote. It does make a difference, that difference is quite clear, and the extra £130 is well worth paying.

This review was started as a journey of discovery, hoping for the answer to the basic question – does it make a difference and is it worth the difference in cost? The camera is basically well established – compact, efficient, rugged, weather resistant, all of which amounts to an excellent performer and an Editor's Choice. The only caveat with the K-5 II over the original K-5 was as to whether the improved low light AF performance made an upgrade desirable. There is no doubt that it was desirable as an upgrade from an earlier model or as a new buy-in to the Pentax system. So we look at the K-5 IIs and now find not only the II improvements, but a new, totally impressive level of detail in the images. A clarity. It is visible clearly on screen. To have that quality, the lenses are up to it, but a tripod where possible, or at least attention to making sure that camera shake does not take the edge off again, are essential parts of the process. Moire does not seem to be a problem, so a higher price than the II is all that remains as a barrier. Put it against the alternative though and it looks rather an amazing bargain. So does it make a difference? Yes, a significant difference. Is it worth the difference in price? Yes.

The Pentax K-5 IIs omits a low-pass filter in order to capture extremely fine image detail, but its video capture capabilities are behind the times.

The Pentax K-5 IIs omits a low-pass filter in order to capture extremely fine image detail, but its video capture capabilities are behind the times.