Pentax K-5 vs K-30: does the older K-5 still offer any real advantages?

Asked 5/28/2012

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I was planning to buy a Pentax K-5, but the newer K-30 has made me reconsider. Aside from the K-5 being about 1 fps faster, are there any meaningful reasons to choose the older, more expensive K-5 over the K-30?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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As you can see from a side-by-side feature comparison, the K-5 has a few advantages — 14-bit processing, somewhat faster shutter, a few more modes on the dial. It has a top LCD screen, and it has a magnesium-alloy body. On the other hand, the K-30 has some improvements of its own. Whether these things are compelling to you is a personal decision, but as Digital Photography Review says in their hands-on-preview:

... we can't imagine Pentax expects to sell many K-5s once the K-30 reaches shop shelves.

The K-5 is basically over as a new model, and of course the speculation is rampant on what will replace it. Pentax will surely release something at the K-5's former over-$1000 price point *, and given how exciting the K-30 looks, that will be another hard decision all over again if you wait another few months. (Waiting for that is not my recommendation — my suggestion is to buy a camera and start using it, as the advantages of a real camera in the hand beat two fantasy cameras in the bush every time.)

You may want to consider a used K-5 — it's likely a lot of those will be coming on the market as the technology-generations dance plays out, and the close comparison with the low-priced K-30 will probably mean those are quite affordable. You might even go for a used K-7, which has most of the same features but an older (capable but more noisy) sensor, and spend your budget on lenses.


* I'm leaving this as-is because it's inherently a point-in-time question, but for what it's worth, the K-3 replaces the K-5, and now the rumor mills are on to speculating about what might replace that. It's a never-ending game.

Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1943

14y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes. Based on the feature differences mentioned, the K-5 still has some advantages over the K-30: 14-bit processing, a somewhat faster shutter, a few more mode-dial options, a top LCD panel, and a magnesium-alloy body. Those are the kinds of things that may matter if you want a more premium body design and extra direct controls.

At the same time, the K-30 is newer and was seen as strong enough that many expected it to reduce demand for the K-5 significantly. So the decision really comes down to priorities:

  • Choose the K-5 if you value the tougher magnesium body, top LCD, and its higher-end feature set.
  • Choose the K-30 if you want the newer model and its updates, and you don’t specifically need the K-5’s more advanced body/features.

In short, the K-5 does offer real advantages beyond 1 fps, but whether they justify the extra cost is a personal decision.

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14y ago

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