Pentax K-5

In summary

A sophisticated and keenly-priced DSLR camera with controls and functions for knowledgeable and creative photo enthusiasts.The K-5 replaces the K-7 (from which it has evolved) at the top of Pentax’s DLSR range. Little has changed as far as the camera’s body is concerned but beneath the surface lie some significant improvements. The most notable being a new 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, which supports a top burst speed of seven frames/second and the widest sensitivity range among current DSLRs. . . [more]

Full review

The K-5 replaces the K-7 (from which it has evolved) at the top of Pentax’s DLSR range. Little has changed as far as the camera’s body is concerned but beneath the surface lie some significant improvements. The most notable being a new 16.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, which supports a top burst speed of seven frames/second and the widest sensitivity range among current DSLRs.

Like the K-7, the K-5 uses SD and SDHC memory cards but also accepts the latest SDXC media. It is compatible with all K-7 accessories, including the D-BG4 battery grip, external flash guns (including a ring flash), viewfinder magnifiers, four interchangeable focusing screens and tethered and wireless remote controllers.
The K-5’s shutter mechanism is unchanged since the K-7 and is rated for 100,000 cycles. It provides a top shutter speed of 1/8000 second and supports a top burst speed of seven frames/second. The camera’s buffer memory can accommodate up to 22 high-resolution JPEG images or eight RAW files.

The review camera was supplied with the smc Pentax 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL kit lens, which we covered in our review of the K-7. Like the kit lenses supplied by Canon and Nikon with their high-end APS-C DSLR cameras, this lens has been built to a price, although overall build quality is good.

Build and Ergonomics
The K-5’s body is essentially the same as the body of the K-7. The high-rigidity stainless-steel alloy chassis is clad with lightweight magnesium alloy and all dials, buttons, joints and retractable parts have been engineered to be dust-proof and water-resistant.
The front panel layout on the new model is largely unchanged and the grip is the same as the K-7’s with a self-timer lamp near its lower edge. It’s large enough to be comfortable for users with large hands without being difficult for more petite photographers to hold.

The front panel of the Pentax K-5, shown with the pop-up flash raised. (Source: Pentax.)
The RAW/FX button on the left hand side of the lens mount can now be programmed to control other camera functions. The default setting is the one-push file format swap inherited from the K-7. Other options are controlling exposure bracketing and displaying the digital preview, electronic level or composition adjust screen.

Functions that can be assigned to the RAW/FX button.

In addition, the focus mode lever has been redesigned to make it easier to switch focusing modes with the tip of a finger. Three options are provided: AF-S, AF-C and Manual.

The rear panel control layout is identical to the K-7. A 3-inch, 921,000-dot LCD monitor covers roughly half of the area, with most controls clustered to the right of the screen. The viewfinder is also unchanged since the K-7 and is large and bright with 100% coverage of the sensor’s field of view.

The rear panel of the Pentax K-5. (Source: Pentax.)

Like most sophisticated cameras, the K-5 displays status indicators when it’s switched on, toggling between a general graphic screen (reproduced below) and a screen that’s specific to the selected shooting mode. Both are unchanged from the K-7.

The general status screen.
No changes have been made to the top panel, either. The mode dial is located to the left of the flash housing with a push-down locking button to prevent accidental resetting. The metering mode lever below it is used to select from three patterns: multi-segment, centre-weighted average and spot.

The top panel of the Pentax K-5, shown with the 18-55mm kit lens fitted. (Source: Pentax.)

With so few changes to the overall layout, photographers upgrading from the K-7 should feel right at home. So, is there any reason to upgrade?
What’s New?
The 11-point SAFOX IX+ AF system, which first appeared in the 645D, has been ported into the K-5. With 11 sensors, nine of them cross-type, this system includes ambient lighting in its calculations to increase autofocusing accuracy. Pentax claims it also provides more stable autofocusing, particularly in low light levels.

The AF system also offers a choice between focus priority and release priority in the AF.S (single) advance mode or focus priority and speed priority in the AF.C (continuous) advance mode. An LED AF-assist lamp is available for use in poorly lit locations.

Also acquired from the 645D is the dual-axis level gauge, which displays both pitch and roll, whereas the K-7 provided a single-axis roll gauge. Information on the camera’s orientation is displayed by both an electronic level and a tilt confirmation tool.

The Extended Bracketing function enables users to take a three-frame sequence across different levels of exposure, white balance, hue, saturation, contrast, sharpness and high- and low-key adjustment. All three frames are saved for each shot. For white balance bracketing, users can select the blue/amber or green/magenta axes.

Extended Bracketing options on the K-5.

Pentax has updated the HDR function to enable HDR recording to be used when the camera is hand-held. This setting records three frames in quick succession, the first under-exposed by 3EV, the second at the metered exposure and the third over-exposed by 3EV. These frames are combined in the camera to produce a single composite image.

Options provided in the HDR sub-menu.

HDR capture is only available for JPEGs and for single-frame shooting. The self-timer and remote control cannot be used and digital filters and cross processing are unavailable. The Auto Align setting in the menu is used to engage shake reduction during HDR capture. Otherwise shake reduction defaults to off.

The K-5’s D-Range Setting sub-menu on page three of the shooting menu provides adjustments for highlight and shadow correction. Highlight correction can only be switched on and off but three levels of shadow correction, increasing in strength, are available. In both cases, the adjustments are quite subtle but provide an expanded brightness range in contrasty lighting.

The D-Range Setting sub-menu.

However, the benefits come at a small cost. When highlight correction is engaged, the minimum ISO defaults to 200. This can be expanded to ISO 160 by switching on Expanded Sensitivity in the Custom Setting (page 1/3).

Another significant upgrade is the expansion of the new camera’s ISO range, which topped out in the K-7 at ISO 6400. The K-5 supports a normal ISO range of 100 to 12800 but offers expansion to ISO 51200, also via Custom Setting 1/3. This is the highest available on a current DSLR.

High-ISO noise-reduction settings.

High-ISO noise-reduction processing options have been expanded with six settings in the sub-menu: Auto (the default), Off, Low, Medium, High and Custom. The Auto and Custom settings are new additions, the latter providing the ability to fine-tune processing. Three settings are available for long-exposure noise-reduction: Auto, Off and On. Dark-frame subtraction is the method used in this mode.

Slow shutter speed noise reduction options.

The Cross Processing shooting mode, which was introduced with the K-r in September 2010, is only available for JPEG capture but can now be used for movie recordings. The default setting is Off but the K-5 provides three pre-sets with different colours and contrast levels. Examples are shown below.

Some of the Cross Processing effects. Top row from left: Random, Blue/Green; bottom row: Orange/Yellow, Red/Blue.

There’s also a Random setting that varies the processing each time a photo is taken. When the camera produces one you like you can save the processing settings in one of three Favourite memories.

The Cross Processing sub-menu showing the four settings and Favourite memory banks.

Other effects ported across from the K-r include the Bleach Bypass effect, which is one of finishing tones in the Custom Image sub-menu. These settings are accessed by pressing the right hand arrow on the arrow pad. (The remaining arrow pad buttons access the drive, flash and white balance settings.)

The default Custom Image setting is Bright, with other options including Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Muted, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film and Monochrome. The Bleach Bypass setting replicates the effect of a black and white image over a colour image and produces reduced saturation plus increased contrast and graininess. The Reversal Film setting aims to emulate slide film by increasing contrast and saturation slightly.

All these settings are adjustable, with adjustments depending on the nature of the setting. For example, contrast is not adjustable when Reversal File is selected and hue and saturation controls aren’t provided for the Monochrome setting.

Digital filter effects accessed via the menu include Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Extract Colour, Soft, Starburst, Fish-Eye, Custom and Colour. As in the K-7 all are adjustable, often across a few parameters. The Colour filter lets you choose from six hues and three tones, providing 18 options in all.

The Live View menu.

The addition of a Golden Section option brings the grid overlay options up to three. These are only available in the Live View mode and the settings must be applied via the Live View sub-menu.

The K-5 also supports multiple exposures, allowing up to nine shots to be combined with the option of automatic exposure adjustments as exposures are amalgamated. There are also facilities for time-lapse shots, with a highly-adjustable interval timer.

Interval timer adjustments.

Compared with….
As far as build quality is concerned, the K-5’s main competitors are the Canon EOS 7D and Nikon D300S. The table below compares key features of all three cameras.

	Pentax K-5	Canon EOS 7D	Nikon D300S
Effective resolution	16.28 megapixels	18 megapixels	12.3 megapixels
Sensor size	23.7 x 15.7 mm	22.3 x 14.9 mm	23.6 x 15.8 mm
Storage media	SD, SDHC, SDXC	CF Type I & II	Dual slots: CF & SD
Max. image size	4928 x 3264 pixels	5184 x 3456 pixels	4288 x 2848 pixels
Raw file format	PEF or DNG	CR2	NEF
Max. movie	1920 x 1080 pixels		1,280 x 720 pixels
AF points	11 (9 cross type)	19	51 (15 cross type)
Metering segments	77	63	1005 pixels
ISO range	ISO 100-12800 (expandable to ISO 80 & ISO 51200)	ISO 100-6400 (expandable to ISO 12800)	ISO 200 to 3200 (expandable to ISO 100 & ISO 6400)
Shutter speeds	30 to 1/8000 sec. + Bulb
Max. burst speed	7 frames/second
Exposure compensation	+/- 5EV
Flash GN	13	12	17
LCD monitor	3-inch, 921K dots	3-inch, 920K dots	3-inch, 921K dots
Dimensions (wxdxh)	131 x 97 x 73 mm	148.2 x 110.7 x 73.5 mm	147 x 114 x 74 mm
Weight (excl. battery)	660 grams	820 grams	840 grams
RRP	$1849	$2399	$2199

We felt it could also be worthwhile comparing the K-5 to two other cameras with identical sensors (see below), Sony SLT-A55 and Nikon D7000. The main differences between these three models are highlighted in the table below.

	Pentax K-5	Sony SLT-A55	Nikon D7000
Storage media	SD, SDHC, SDXC	SD, SDHC, SDXC or MS Pro Duo	Dual slot for SD, SDHC, SDXC
Max. image size	4928 x 3264 pixels	4912 x 3264 pixels	4928 x 3264 pixels
Raw file format	PEF or DNG	CR2	NEF
Max. movie	1920 x 1080 pixels
AF points	11 (9 cross type)	15 (3 cross type)	39 (9 cross type)
Metering segments	77	1200	2016 pixels
ISO range	ISO 100-12800 (expandable to ISO 80 & ISO 51200)	ISO 100-12800	ISO 100 to 6400 (expandable to ISO 25600)
Shutter speeds	30 to 1/8000 sec. + Bulb	30 to 1/4000 sec. + Bulb	30 to 1/8000 sec. + Bulb
Max. burst speed	7 frames/second	10 frames/second	6 frames/second
Exposure compensation	+/- 5EV	+/- 2EV	+/- 5EV
Flash GN	13	10	12
Viewfinder	Optical	EVF with 1,440K dots	Optical
LCD monitor	3-inch, 921K dots
Battery/capacity	D-LI90 / 980 shots	NP-FW50 / 370 shots with EVF; 430 with LCD	EN-EL15 / 1050 shots
Dimensions (wxdxh)	131 x 97 x 73 mm	124.4 x 92 x 84.7 mm	132 ø— 105 ø— 77 mm
Weight (excl. battery)	660 grams	441 grams	690 grams
RRP	$1849	$1249	$1999

Sensor and Image Processing
Like the K-7, the K-5 sports a CMOS sensor, which is marginally larger than the sensor in the K-7. It’s been suggested that this sensor is the same as in the Sony SLT-A55 and Nikon D7000, which makes sense as Pentax doesn’t manufacture silicon chips.

However, Pentax has managed to extract a maximum sensitivity of ISO 51200 with assistance from the PRIME (Pentax Real Image Engine) II imaging engine that is found in the latest K-series models as well as the 645D. This processor also takes advantage of the chip’s faster image data readout to support continuous shooting speeds of up to seven frames/second.

Image formats are essentially the same as in the K-7 and users can choose between the Pentax proprietary PEF and ‘open’ DNG raw file formats or access four JPEG sizes, each with four compression ratios. Typical image sizes and compression ratios are shown in the table below.

Image size	Quality	Premium (1:2.8)	Best (1:4.5)	Better (1:8)	Good (1:16)
4928 x 3264	RAW	36.6MB
	JPEG	16.0MB	9.8MB	5.5MB	2.8MB
3936 x 2624	JPEG	10.0MB	6.3MB	3.6MB	1.8MB
3072 x 2048	JPEG	6.2MB	3.8MB	2.2MB	1.1MB
1728 x 1152	JPEG	2.0MB	1.3MB	0.7MB	0.4MB

Video recording capabilities have been upgraded to Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 25 frames/second, although the camera continues to record in the comparatively inefficient AVI Motion JPEG format. The default setting is 720p HD at 30 frames/second. As in the K-7, the mode dial must be set to the movie mode and Live View capture must be used. Recording starts and stops when the shutter button is pressed.

The K-5’s movie menu.

The camera can record video continuously for up to 25 minutes with a clip length limit of 4GB. Audio is recorded monaurally via a built-in microphone, although users can connect a stereo microphone to the 3.5mm diameter terminal on the camera if they want stereo soundtracks. The table below shows typical capacities for an 8GB SDHC card.

Mode	Pixels	Frame Rate	Aspect Ratio	Best	Better	Good
Full HD	1920 x 1080	25 fps	16:9	10 m. 55 s.	14 m. 21 s.	20 m. 03 s.
HD	1280 x 720	30 fps		17 m. 35 s.	26 m. 57 s.	37 m. 23 s.
		25 fps		21 m. 04 s.	32 m. 10 s.	44 m. 37 s.
VGA	640 x 480	30 fps	4:3	51 m. 52 s.	78 m. 18 s.	106 m. 25 s.
		25 fps		61 m. 56 s.	92 m. 13 s.	125 m. 46 s.

Maximum file size for video clips is 4GB or approximately 20 minutes. Autofocusing is not available while a clip is being recorded. As in the K-7, you can’t adjust sound levels during recording, although you can opt to record movies without audio.

Only two shooting modes are available: Program AE and Aperture-priority AE. In both, the lens aperture and shutter speed settings are fixed at the start of each clip. Users can take advantage of the following digital filters: Cross Processing, Toy Camera, High Contrast, Extract Colour and Colour.

Playback and Software
The K-5 provides the same image playback settings as the K-7 but adds some new in-camera effects. Up to 20 filter effects can be applied to a single image including: Toy Camera, Monochrome (red/green/blue and infrared filter plus 7 levels of blue/amber toning), Retro, High Contrast, Soft, Colour, Extract Colour, Starburst, Sketch, Watercolour, Fisheye, Pastel, Slim, Miniature, HDR, Posterisation and Base Parameter Adjustment.

Most of these filters can be customised to the same degree as in the K-7. However, the Starburst filter adds four new shapes, the Miniature filter provides seven positions, three widths, four angles and three degrees of blurring and the Extract Colour can extract two colours instead of just one. You can retrieve the adjustment parameters for an image to which filter effects have been applied and ‘recreate’ the effect on other images.

Pressing the down button on the arrow pad in playback mode accesses a mode palette which contains the following settings: Image Rotation, Digital Filter, Resize, Cropping, Slideshow, Save as Manual WB, RAW Development, Index Print, Image Comparison, Protect, DPOF and Movie Editing.

In-camera raw file development allows users to convert raw files to TIFF or JPEG format. Batch processing is supported and users can adjust a wide range of image parameters, including image size/quality, white balance, sensitivity, Custom Image setting and colour space and apply high ISO noise reduction, distortion correction and shadow correction.

The image comparison function lets you view two images side-by-side and check focus and exposure levels. You can engage blinking highlight/shadow alerts and magnify shots up to 32x. You can also extract a single frame from a movie clip and save it as a JPEG file. The resolution of the saved image is dictated by the resolution of the movie frame.

The software disk contains Pentax’s Digital Camera Utility 4, which combines a browser with a raw file conversion ‘Laboratory’ based on Silkypix Developer Studio, a popular third-party converter. The version provided isn’t the latest, which was released on 27 April and supports PEF files from the K-5. (It can be downloaded from http://www.isl.co.jp/SILKYPIX/english/.)

If you use the DNG raw file format the raw files from the K-5 can be opened in most popular file conversion applications, including Adobe Camera Raw. And you don’t need the latest Adobe software to support the DNG files.

Performance
Pictures taken with the test camera were sharp and the colour balance in shots appeared very close to the observed scene with the default Bright Custom Image setting. The Natural setting reduced overall contrast slightly and delivered more subdued colour rendition.

The review camera’s dynamic range appeared able to handle most types of lighting with the default settings. The default level of sharpening appeared low (a judgment backed by our Imatest tests), minimising the incidence of sharpening artefacts and providing scope for post-capture adjustments.

It was impossible not to be impressed by the camera’s performance at high ISO settings, regardless of exposure lengths. Little noise could be seen in indoor shots in low light levels at sensitivity settings up to ISO 1600, where noise was only evident when images were magnified to 100% on-screen.

Thereafter, noise became gradually more obvious at this magnification, although shots taken with the highest ISO setting (equivalent to ISO 51200) where able to be printed at A4 size with minimal noise visible. (Sharpness was very slightly reduced.)

Long exposures at night were almost noise-free up to ISO 6400, with a gradual increase in the visibility of noise thereafter. Interestingly, although noise was obvious in exposures of between four and eight seconds at ISO 51200, image quality was no worse than we have seen from many cameras at ISO 6400.

Imatest confirmed our subjective assessments and showed only a slight decline in resolution as sensor sensitivity was increased, particularly with raw files. JPEG resolution fell off more sharply but the difference between the ISO 25600 and ISO 52100 settings was less than we found with raw files at the same sensitivity settings. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests.

Imatest also showed resolution to be slightly below expectations for a 16-megapixel camera. This was true for both JPEGs and DNG.RAW files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw with no additional processing. Slight edge softening was detected across the kit lens’s aperture and focal length range. Best performance was between f/5 and f/8 for shorter focal lengths and around f/6.3 at the longer end of the zoom range. The graph below shows the results of our Imatest tests.

Lateral chromatic aberration remained consistently within and below the ‘low’ band and we found no obvious coloured fringing in test shots. In the graph below, showing the results of our Imatest tests for chromatic aberration, the red line marks the border between ‘insignificant’ and ‘low’ CA, while the green line shows the edge of the ‘moderate’ CA band.

Long exposures were more noise-affected than flash shots, regardless of noise-reduction processing. Dark-frame subtraction processing roughly doubles image capture times when slow shutter speed noise reduction is engaged and users have no control over the degree of processing applied.
Flash performance was generally very good and the built-in flash provided even illumination of an average-sized room throughout most of the camera’s ISO range, with only shots taken at ISO 51200 showing slight over-exposure. Exposure balance for the remaining ISO settings was consistently accurate.

Auto white balance adjustment was above average with shots taken under fluorescent lighting showing no evidence of colour casts. The slight orange cast in shots taken in incandescent lighting was easily correctable with even basic image editors. Both pre-sets came close to neutral colour rendition and there’s plenty of scope for in-camera tweaking of colour balance.
Autofocusing was fast (although not spectacularly so) and accurate under most conditions although there was a noticeable slowing down in the movie mode. The lens was moderately flare-resistant, despite the lack of a lens hood (a necessity for strong backlighting).

Video quality was significantly better than we found with the K-7 but, again, not spectacular. The camera defaults to the Natural Custom Image setting in this mode, which reduces contrast and saturation slightly. Users who prefer ‘punchier’ video clips can select any of the other options by pressing the right button on the arrow pad.

We found no instances of the ‘rolling shutter’ effect that is common with CMOS sensors and no signs of the coloured banding encountered with the K-7. Soundtracks were surprisingly clear, given the tiny, single-hole microphone. However, they lacked ‘presence’ and wind noise was picked up in outdoor recordings. (You can attach a stereo microphone to rectify these deficiencies.)

Our timing tests were carried out with a 32GB SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-1card, one of the fastest on the market. The review camera powered up in just over half a second. Shot-to shot times averaged 0.7 seconds without flash and 1.15 seconds with. Flash recycling times averaged 2.25 seconds.

We measured an average capture lag of 0.1 seconds when the camera was set for autofocusing using the auto area (11 points) mode and shots were taken in the normal viewfinder mode. In Live View mode the average lag time was 1.4 seconds with phase-detection autofocusing and 1.3 seconds when contrast detection was used. Pre-focusing eliminated the lag in viewfinder mode and reduced it to less than 0.2 seconds for Live View mode.

It took 0.8 seconds on average to process each Large/Premium JPEG image, 2.4 seconds for each raw file (DNG and PEF) and 3.2 seconds for each RAW+JPEG pair. In the continuous shooting mode, the review camera was able to capture 11 frames in 1.8 seconds using the high-speed setting, which is slightly slower than the seven frames/second maximum claimed in the camera’s specifications. It took 5.1 seconds to process this burst.

And, although the specifications claim a buffer limit of eight frames for continuous raw shooting, the review camera was able to record 12 DNG.RAW frames in 1.9 seconds before capture rates showed signs of slowing. It took 16.3 seconds to process this burst. Eleven RAW+JPEG pairs were recorded in 1.8 seconds but the camera took 21.2 seconds to process this burst.

The K-5 also provides a low-speed continuous shooting mode, which records at a little over two frames/second. Each frame is processed as it’s recorded.

Buy this camera if:
– You’re seeking a capable DSLR with a wealth of creative in-camera adjustments – including some innovative filter effects.
– You require superior high-ISO performance and a high sensitivity range.
– You want a wide range of post-capture, image adjustments including in-camera raw file conversion to TIFF or JPEG format.
– You’d enjoy shooting the occasional HD video clip.
Don’t buy this camera if:
– You’re upgrading from a digicam and want a simple DSLR camera.
– You don’t have a suite of Pentax-compatible lenses.
– You want autofocusing while shooting video clips.
– You’re not interested in in-camera processing to obtain special effects with JPEG files.

IMATEST GRAPHS
JPEG image files

Raw image files converted into 16-bit TIFF format with Adobe Camera Raw.

SAMPLE IMAGES

Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.

Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.

30-second exposure at ISO 800; 35mm focal length, f/4.5.

10-second exposure at ISO 6400; 35mm focal length, f/5.6.

4-second exposure at ISO 25600; 35mm focal length, f/11.

4-second exposure at ISO 51200; 35mm focal length, f/16.

Flash exposure at ISO 100; 55mm focal length, 1/100 second at f/7.1.

Flash exposure at ISO 6400; 55mm focal length, 1/100 second at f/7.1.

Flash exposure at ISO 25600; 55mm focal length, 1/100 second at f/7.1.

Flash exposure at ISO 51200; 55mm focal length, 1/160 second at f/9.

Flash exposure in total darkness, ISO1600, 55mm focal length, 1/25 second at f/5.6.

Interior shot at ISO 100; 26mm focal length, 1/8 second at f/4.

Crop from the above image enlarged to 100%.

Interior shot at ISO 3200; 38mm focal length, 1/160 second at f/5.6.

Crop from the above image enlarged to 100%.

Interior shot at ISO 51200; 38mm focal length, 1/800 second at f/11.

Crop from the above image enlarged to 100%.

Stabiliser test at ISO 100: 55mm focal length, 1/4 second at f/9.

ISO 400; 26mm focal length, 1/8 second at f/8.

18mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/500 second at f/8.

55mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/400 second at f/11.

Close-up; ISO 400; 42mm focal length, 1/400 second at f/4.5.

Close-up; ISO 100; 42mm focal length, 1/200 second at f/7.1.

Flare with strong backlighting; 55mm focal length, ISO 160, 1/250 second at f/10.

18mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/50 second at f/3.5.

18mm focal length, ISO 100, 1/20 second at f/3.5.

Still frames from 1920 x 1080-pixel video clips.

Still frames from 1280 x 720-pixel video clips.

Still frames from VGA video clips.

 

Specifications

Image sensor: 23.7 x 15.7mm CMOS sensor with 16.93 million photosites (16.28 megapixels effective)
Image processor: PRIME II
A/D processing: 14-bit
Lens mount: Pentax KAF2 bayonet
Focal length crop factor: 1.5x
Image formats: Still: RAW (PEF, DNG), JPG (EXIF 2.21); Movie (compression): AVI (Motion JPG)
Image Sizes: Stills – 4928 x 3264, 3936 x 2624, 3073 x 2048, 1728 x 1152; Movies: 1920 x 1080 at 25 fps; 1280 x 720, 640 x 480 at 30/25 fps with monaural audio (stereo via optioal microphone)
Image Stabilisation: Sensor-Shift Shake Reduction with rotational compensation (4 stops max)
Dust removal: Dust Removal II mechanism (sensor vibration)
Shutter speed range: 1/8000 to 30 seconds plus Bulb
Exposure Compensation: +/- 5 EV (1/3 and 1/2 steps)
Exposure bracketing: 2, 3 or 5 frames across +/- 0.3, 0.7, 1.0, 1.3, 1.7 or 2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps or +/- 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 EV in 1/2EV steps; Extended bracketing of 3 frames for white balance, saturation, hue, high/low key adjustment, contrast and sharpness.
Self-timer: 2 or 12 seconds delay
Focus system: SAFOX IX+ TTL phase-difference 11 point (9 cross) wide autofocus system with light wavelength sensor
Focus modes: AF Single (w focus lock, focus/shutter priority selectable), AF Continuous (w focus/FPS priority selectable), Manual Focus point adjustment: Auto 11 Point, Auto 5 Point, User-Selectable, Centre AF assist
Exposure metering: TTL open-aperture 77 segment metering with Multi-segment (77 segments), Centre weighted and Spot modes
Shooting modes: Green (simplified auto), Hyper Program (P), Sensitivity Priority (Sv), Shutter Priority (Tv), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter & Aperture Priority (TAv), Metered Manual, Bulb, X-Speed, USER (5 presets), Movie
Picture Style/Control settings: Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Muted, Monochrome, Reversal Film, Bleach Bypass
Colour space options: sRGB, Adobe RGB
Custom functions: 27
ISO range: Auto: ISO 100-12800 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), expandable to ISO 80-51200, Bulb mode up to ISO 1600
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE Manual (3 manual and 3 Kelvin temperature presets), WB fine adjustment available in all modes
Flash: Retractable P-TTL popup flash; GN 13 (m/ISO 100); Flash modes: On, Redeye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync + Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync
Flash exposure adjustment: -2 to 1 EV (1/2 steps)
Sequence shooting: Max. 7 frames/second (22 JPEG, 8 RAW)
Storage Media: SD/SDHC/SDXC cards
Viewfinder: Pentaprism with 100% FOV coverage, 21.7 mm eye relief; 0.92x magnification (with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity); interchangeable focusing screens, dioptre adjustment: -2.5 to +1.5 dpt
LCD monitor: 3-inch TFT colour LCD with 921,000 dots
Live View modes: Contrast detection AF (with Face Detection0, Phase matching AD, Standard and magnified views (AF mode: 2x, 4x, 6x), MF mode (2x, 4x, 6x, 8x, 10x); Grid overlay (4×4, Golden Section, Scale); Bright/Dark area warning, Histogram
Data LCD: Yes
Playback functions: Shot (no data, basic data, full data, colour channel histogram, bright/dark indication, copyright info), Multi Image Display (4, 9, 16, 36, 81 thumbnails), Calendar Filmstrip, Folder, Magnification, Select & Delete, Movie Playback (no data, basic data, full data), Save RAW Data From JPG (if available in buffer memory)
Interface terminals: USB 2.0 hi-speed, AV out, HDMI out, DC in, cable switch, 3.5mm stereo microphone, X-sync socket Video out: HD (via HDMI), NTSC, PAL
Power supply: D-LI90 rechargeable lithium-ion battery; CIPA rated for approx. 980 shots without flash; 740 shots with 50% flash
Dimensions (wxhxd): 131 x 97 x 73 mm (body only)
Weight: 660 grams (body only); 740 grams with battery and card

 

Retailers

 

CamBuy

 

www.cambuy.com.au
Digital cameras, lenses and accessories with 100% genuine Australian manufacturer’s warranties.
Ph: (02) 9029 2219

Camera House

 

www.camerahouse.com.au
Ph: 133 686
The largest speciality photographic retail chain in Australia.

Camera Pro

 

www.camerapro.net.au
CameraPro Pty Ltd
Suite 607, 180 Queen St, Brisbane 4000
Tel: 07 3333 2900
Australian owned and run company based in Brisbane.

Camerasdirect

 

www.camerasdirect.com.au
Retailer of digital camera equipment and more.
Secure online shopping and delivery across Australia.
Ph: 1300 727 056

Camerastore.com.au

Camerastore.com.au
Ph: 1800 155 067

Camera-Warehouse

 

www.camera-warehouse.com.au
Comprehensive range of digital cameras and accessories online (www.camera-warehouse.com.au) and an online print service (www.royalexpress.com.au).

Digital Camera Warehouse

 

www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au
174 Canterbury Road 367 High Street
Canterbury Northcote
NSW 2193 VIC 3070
Ph: 1300 365 220

Electronics Warehouse

 

www.electronicswarehouse.com.au
1300 801 885
Australian retailer of Vapex rechargeable batteries offering factory direct prices and fast, free shipping Australia wide.

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Photographic Equipment & Supplies – Retail & Repairs. Click here for list of stores.

Ted’s Cameras

 

www.teds.com.au

1800 186 895
Big range of cameras and photographic products with stores in most states and online.

Rating

 

RRP: $1,849 (body only); $1,999 with 18-55mm lens; $2,499 with 18-135mm lens

Rating (out of 10):

• Build: 9.0
• Ease of use: 8.3
• Autofocusing: 8.5
• Still image quality: 8.5
• Video quality: 8.5
• OVERALL: 9.0

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