Measurebated: K-7 is NOT a Machine Gun! :-(

In the current issue of a Hong Kong local printed magazine, e-zone, a shootout on the continuous shooting and AF capabilities of the K-7, Canon 50D and Nikon D300 is made. The lens mounted on the K-7 is the DA* 16-50/2.8 SDM whereas the Tamron 17-50/2.8 is mounted for both the Canon and the Nikon.

Five tests were carried out and the results of each test are as follows:-

1. The first test is to focus two objects at different distances under EV1. The time required to achieve AF was measured. They repeated the test for three times and the best figures are published:-

50D: 0.58 sec., D300: 0.84 sec., K-7: 0.92 sec.

The focusing accuracy of the 50D is the best which produces the sharpest image, as judged by the cropped images. The D300 is not as good, one crop is sharp and the other is somehow out of focus a little bit. The K-7 images are both out of focus, one crop is the blurrest and ther other is similar to that of the D300 out focus shot.

So, the K-7 loses in both focusing speed but also accuracy! :-( Oh, no..

2. For the second test the cameras were put into Continuous Hi frame mode and Continuous AF with single Central AF point selected. A running Thomas toy Train was shot at close distance at about 0.5m and the cameras were fired for 3 seconds. The test for each model was repeated 3 times and the best results are published. The K-m was also tested for reference:-

50D: 11 Frames taken, Accuracy 90%, D300: 12 Frames taken, Accuracy 100%, K-7: 5 Frames taken, Accuracy 100% (All photos taken are published also), K-m: 4 Frames, Accuracy 100%.

So, the K-7 loses once again, the effective frame rate is only 5/3 = 1.67 fps! Oh, noooo!!

3. The third test was carried out outdoor with a girl model running towards the cameras at constant speed. The cameras were put into Continuous Hi mode and Continuous AF with single Central AF point selected. The cameras were fired for 3 seconds and repeated 3 times for the test and the best results are published:-

50D: 16 Frames, Accuracy 100%, D300: 19 Frames, Accuracy 95%, K-7: 8 Frames, Accuracy 95% (All photos taken are published), K-m: 4 Frames, Accuracy 100%.

Disappointing once again! The effective frame rate of the K-7 in this test is 8/3 = 2.67 fps (Only).

4. The fourth test is similar but the tester let the cameras to select the AF point by themselves. The test targets were trams on the road with similar (slow) speed and each test was repeated two times and the best results are published:-

50D: 16 Frames, Accuracy 95%, D300: 17 Frames, 100%, K-7: 7 Frames, Accuracy 95% (All photos taken are published), K-m: 3 Frames, Accuracy 100%

5. The fifth test is about the system time lag. An object was dropped from the hand of the model and the number of shots was counted before the object fell out of the frame. Each test was repeated several times as well and the best results are published:-

50D: 4 Frames, D300: 4 Frames, K-7: 3 Frames (The editor notes that the K-7 test was repeated more than those of 50D and D300!), K-m: 2 Frames.

Now, the Conclusion? K-7 is not a fast camera and it is NOT a machine gun! Despite on paper it has a frame rate of 5.2 fps - BUT it does NOT work well with the AF system, as it is obvious that the AF system does not work fast enough! :-( As the bottle neck *is* now the *AF system*, practically the camera cannot perform faster. If one compares to the K-m results, then this conclusion sounds very solid (as the K-7 is not much better than the K-m, despite that its specified frame rate is much higher!)

Well, if you are at Hong Kong, I highly recommend that you should buy the E-Zone to read and view this thoughtful test and professionally written article and report in full by yourself, before next Thursday when the next issue comes. Although the final results obtained are all that disappointing from a Pentaxian point of view, I must say again that it is just a good test performed and the magazine has done a good job, systematically and objectively.

Honestly speaking, I have been just so naive to think that the K-7 is a machine gun camera, but, SAFOX VIII+ is STILL a SAFOX VIII - the added "+" (Plus) suffix won't help! And, SDM is still SDM = Sloooow Driving (AF) Motor!! (For Evidences for how Slow the SDM could be, Search Here.)