Two Yet Unresolved Major Issues of the K-5

See what the PF has told us lately:-

http://www.pentaxforums.com/Good-news-for-K-5-owners

To avoid any reading problem that may arise as a result of deletion of the page later on by the the PF guys for whatever reason(s) of their own as they did it for many times before, I have immediately captured the page for our future reference! :-D =V=



So, the really "good news" is that 26% of the K-5 units purchased in February 2011 in the survey still had the sensor stained. Yep, what a "good news" it is!? :-o >:-(

Frankly and IMHO, for such fatal quality issue and factory defect, I would regard 1% of the defect is simply too much! 26% a "promising results"? My Pardon, Adam?! What?

As for the confirmed K-5 AF lower light out-focusing issue (and actually exactly the same happens to the K-r as well), now PF tells that a new firmware is to be released. I have no doubt about the trustworthiness of this "rumour" as PF is actually very close to official Pentax source (i.e. the Pentax Imaging) to know it. But the big doubt is whether Pentax will be able to cure all those problems simply by a software solution and update. IF Pentax was able to do it, they did it long ago and had done it right for the first time in the beginning. Anyway, I don't think it is purely a software issue, but should be a latent design problem after all.

As for the PF website nowadays, it is not surprised to see Ads are anywhere at their pages. But the funniest thing is that it advertises Nikon and Canon gear at the side bar. Oh, this must be the ultimate goal of the Pentax Forums by now, I bet, i.e., to promote the gear of other more popular and famous brands and to earn more money as possible! :-D (As undoubtedly those C and N gear will have more sales and hence there will be more clicks and then more Ad revenues!)

When we look back when the PF was established and what was told by its founder for its goal and nature, it is really very rather ironic after all! >:-[


Read Also:-

Search for "K-5 Sensor Stains" and Issue at RiceHigh's Pentax Blog (Google Search)

(Alexa) Traffic Ranking of Pentax-Theme Websites

Nearly All "Recent" Pentax DCs are Actually Using the Same Lens!

Yet once again, the lens is the same:-

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1103/11030220pentaxs1.asp



To recall the memory, it would not be difficult to spot that Hoya has been using this "28" to "140mm" lens since the Pentax Optio H90, which was launched back to January 2010, followed by various Pentax DC models like Optio I-10, W90, M90, RS1000, NB1000 and LS1000 and etc.

The lens of this new DC has no SMC neither, i.e., the treasure of a true Pentax lens!

Yet once again, this new Pentax DC has nothing special. It is just too mediocre after all. Really bad! True disappointment here. :-(

The 645D Does "Sport"! ;-p

Came across this post in which the "boxing" photos were taken with a 645D and two Pentax 645 prime lenses:-

http://www.dchome.net/viewthread.php?tid=997822&extra=page%3D1
(in Chinese, Google Translation in English Here)

Most of the photos are really nice and I like the above two most. But in fact, they are actually still photos taken with a studio setup lit by studio bulbs. The girl is not a real boxer but just a model. So, I think we have to wait next time for real world sport photos made by the 645D, if there will be any! I hope that the camera and system would be fast enough~ ;-)

The National Geographic Photo Contest Online

A reader of mine has dropped in an email to me about the following competition:-

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/chasesapphire/



And her entry:-



(URL: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/contests/chase-sapphire/entries/gallery/chase-finalists/#/32453_0_600x0.jpg)

She told me that she is solely a Pentax user and the photo was taken with an *ist DS camera. Below is the additional brief introduction about herself that she sent to me also, quoted:-

"Jamara Knight's photograph and an entire exhibit called Watoto Wanapiga Picha was displayed in galleries in North Carolina and Arizona. The exhibit highlights Jamara's trip to Tanzania where she volunteered with children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She received a grant and collected used cameras to teach the children photography. The exhibit was a collection of images created by the children and some of Jamara's own images.

She's in second place as of a few minutes ago--voting ends March 10th. Please cast your vote TODAY and help fullfill Jamara's dream of working to better humanitarian issues."

I have quickly browsed through the finalist photos as well as many of the "Editior's Weekly Picks" (Direct links at the right hand side). I found most of the photos are great. If you really like any of them, I encourage you to vote. Do note that voting requires registration at the NG website of the contest. Whilst you can use your existing Google/Yahoo/Facebook etc. accounts to log-in (by passing your login data to the NG server - your consent will be sought), you will still be asked for additional private information before you could complete the registration.

It's always delighting to see some real world photos and support those great photographers. Act now, if you have the time and wish to do so! :-)

Pentax K-r Rilakkuma Limited Edition

1,000 Pieces; July 8th; 94,500 Yen (~ 1150 USD)..

http://www.camera-pentax.jp/k-r/news/20110301.html
(in Japanese, Google English Translation Here)

Whilst I do like the variety of different choices of the K-r with different appearances, I really hope that Pentax should make their DSLRs to perform more accurately and with better/higher reliability than what it is now for those latest Pentax DSLRs, namely, the K-r and the K-5. Just for example I do really love my Limited Gold K-r for its appearance, but its high AF error level and the total unreliability just let me down completely. It is indeed utmost annoying and undoubtedly any user will be too frustrated to get OOF (Out Of Focus) photos under typical indoor environments with actually reasonably adequate illumination.

All in all, what I think is just: When Pentax/Hoya concentrates more and more on the outsides of their DSLRs and lenses and marketing, they should put more efforts and do something more for the inside! Really..


Related:-

Pentax K-5 / SAFOX IX+ Lower Light AF Accuracy Measurbated & Compared

Magnified AF Errors of the SAFOX IX than the SAFOX VIII !?

SAFOX IX Tungsten/Yellow Light Front Focus Issue Fully Investigated

The World's Ugliest Camera! (Feb. 7th, 2011)

K-x Rainbow (Limited Edition)

Practical Solution to the Issue of Few Colour Options of the K-x outside Japan

Star Wars Stormtrooper K2000W LE ?

645D Vs EOS 1Ds Mk III - A Comparison Review

Have a look on this:-

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-645d-canon-eos-1ds-mark-iii-comparison-15653

Quite interesting..

Why Should a Pro SLR Not Have a Built-in Flash??

(Image Source Page: http://product.pchome.net/dc_nikon_d800/picmore-265747-3956555.html)

via the latest Nikon D800 Rumour and Specs at the Chinese PCHome:-

http://product.pchome.net/dc_nikon_d800/param_265747.html
(Google English Translation Here)

If the rumour is really true, I just wish to ask: Why NOT?? >:-(


(Source Article: The World First / Pentax First: My (Obsolete) Pentax Collection)

At least the excellent and well-built Pentax MZ-S had one. But then one may say that the MZ-S is not a true pro cam anyway! :-o :-(


(Source Article: "Film is Dead"! ;-))

Colour Inaccuracy of the K-5?

This K-5 user has consistently complained about the colour inaccuracy and gloominess of the K-5 of his. He posted various comparison shots and tried to illustrate the problem:-

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=37834071

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1036&thread=37840634

I won't "spoil" his results this time. Go read and judge yourself for the "issue".

As for the colour accuracy and response of my K-r, what I want to say is that I am satisfied. It is really good. That says it is yet slightly better than the K-x and my Cantax K5D Full Frame, obviously better than my Sony NEX. Enough said.

I don't know if the K-5 would be (much) different. But at least for those gloomy pictures that the user complains about should be an underexposure / exposure inaccuracy issue, instead of a colour inaccuracy problem, I believe.

New Version of the PK Tether is Out

http://www.pktether.com/new-version-0-4-5

What's New:-

Release version 0.4.5 PK_Tether – changes:

- added drive mode changing

- added white balance changing

- added flash mode and compensation changing

- added extended ISO detecting

- added zoom functionality

- added support for k-m/k2000 and maybe Samsung GX10

- reworked user interface

- fixed bugs

If you really need such a tethering software, which Pentax had dropped the support of the "Remote Assistant" software since the *ist Dx days, this one is for you. At least it will work with the K-x and the K-m, possibly with the K10D/GX-10 also.

Update (3-3): In the main page of the PK Tether, it is now told that it supports Pentax K-x, K-7, K-5, K-r, K20D, K10D and K200D.


Previous Related:-

Tethering Software for the K-x (3rd Party Freeware)

Tethering the Current Pentax DSLRs?

Pentax K-5 / SAFOX IX+ Lower Light AF Accuracy Measurbated & Compared

See what Falk Lumo had carried out and found:-

http://falklumo.blogspot.com/2011/02/lumolabs-pentax-k-5-low-light-focus.html

Full test report / technical paper here:-

http://www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5focus/index.html (in html format / online reading)

http://www.falklumo.com/lumolabs/articles/k5focus/K5Focus.pdf (in pdf format / offline reading)

I made a comment at Falk's blog previously, see:-

http://falklumo.blogspot.com/2011/02/lumolabs-pentax-k-5-low-light-focus.html?showComment=1298563006076#c5284422552664200059

And his responses:-

http://falklumo.blogspot.com/2011/02/lumolabs-pentax-k-5-low-light-focus.html?showComment=1298568951525#c6672564042501017507

http://falklumo.blogspot.com/2011/02/lumolabs-pentax-k-5-low-light-focus.html?showComment=1298569542930#c5929203098959810618

Whilst it is concluded that the AF reliability and accuracy of the K-5 / SAFOX IX+ could drop drastically for low light EVs, at or below EV8 (i.e., 1/60s at f/2.8 at ISO200, say for example), I found that the major limitation of his test is that the results are actually affected much by the optical defects of a lens. That says the test would yield more accurate and ideal results for a perfectly aligned lens (i.e., no de-centering of any) with perfect optical performance/design and deficiency (no CA and with very high central resolution, etc.).

With the de-centering defect that is commonly found in the Pentax lenses produced nowadays, similar FF or BF effects and thus deviation values could be derived as a result. See the following illustrations in Falk's technical paper:-


[Above: Back (Left) and Front Focused (Right) Images]

..which can be compared to the de-centered shot crops of the very similar chessboard chart taken by the Photozone earlier (which had all been deleted by Klaus anyway).

What I want to say is that Falk's method not only measure the AF errors, but also more so on the optical defects of a lens, which could be more noticeable and take more effects when the lens is wide opened.

Also, I think that mixing the results of various different lenses with which test shots were made under various conditions and present them in a single chart may not be a good enough idea. Yes, I think it is an "overall picture" that has certain reference value. But then presenting the test result lens by lens and one by one will surely reveal even more things and has even better reference value, I believe. Furthermore, to do a truly scientific and systematic test, the variable factor should be even limited to one at a time. I knew this would be extremely time-consuming and huge efforts are required, nonetheless.


Related:-

Magnified AF Errors of the SAFOX IX than the SAFOX VIII !?

SAFOX IX Tungsten/Yellow Light Front Focus Issue Fully Investigated