K5? Nope... K-r is the go :)

[kyteflyer]

Reposted some of my initial from my PF thread:
-----
K-5 is completely off my future agenda now, I had to think long and hard about what I really wanted.

1) 16MP? not really... I was happy with 10, and 12 will be just fine for my purposes.
2) Top LCD?... nice to have but I am simply going to have to get over it.
3) Weather sealed body?... again, nice to have, but my reality is that I am mostly a fair weather shooter and none of my lenses are sealed or even WR so... ha.
4) ISO to 52000? I don't really care much about that, I rarely shoot over 400 and most of the time choose to restrict to 200 and truly... I'm pretty sure that the K-r range will be MORE than adequate for me, with the ISO I do regularly use being better than ever.

What have I achieved in buying the K-r instead?
1) Lighter weight: The K200 is pretty hefty (though not as hefty as some) and when I was considering the K-5 I was forgetting how difficult I find even the K200 at times, because of my carpal tunnels, osteoarthritis and so on. Getting an even heavier camera made no sense.
2) Live view: I've managed without LV on the K200d but I find it a royal pain, using a tripod without live view. Yes, we all managed in the past with our film cameras but why continue to play like that when you don't have to. Will be very useful for macro too.
3) Focus lights: lack of these was one of the things that annoyed me about the K-x – the issue has been addressed now, and this is good.
4) Much faster AF than my K200: all good.
----
That was last week. I hadn't got out much until last night, but had a short opportunity after dinner with a friend, I had taken the camera just in case. You know how it is :)

I would have liked to be a tad earlier and in a slightly different location. I was using the K-r with the DA35Ltd.

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/1338/citydusk.jpg
ISO 200, f/4.5, 1/200
Did some post processing to lighten the buildings... everything in foreground is black in the original.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5949/carpark.jpg
ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/60

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/9090/fountain1.jpg
ISO 3200, f/7.1, 1/13

I'm amazed at how well the dark scenes render with little noise. Yes, there's still some there, you'd not expect to get away with none, but so much better than my poor old K200D.

After these few shots, I'm feeling very comfortable with the K-r already, its an excellent bit of kit, and I cannot see it meeting the same fate as the K-x I bought early in 2010 (onsold in under 6 months). It feels like a fairly significant upgrade from that, and from the K200D. No regrets about not getting a K5 :)

[old dog]

hey there. Glad that you are really happy with your gear. Plenty to shoot around Newy. Love the fountain shot the best and would love to see it at a much slower shutter speed. Might have a go at that myself after I get the nd400..soon. 2 doesnt do much for me but 1 is nice and I reckon I`d crop half the sky out probably between the two dark cloud areas on the left. Thats my .02`s worth.:th3:

[kyteflyer]

hey old dog... Thanks for the C&C... I was really only trying it out, not for any other reason than to see how it would perform under trying conditions. I would do the fountain again with a tripod (didn't last night because there were a bunch of drunken fools hootin' and hollerin' nearby), and I wouldn't shoot in the carpark at all <g>. Don't have an ND400 but REALLY want one, so many uses for it...

I just didn't have time to get over to Warners Bay or Belmont (was having dinner at SJs and didnt finish til almost 8pm) but might wander over tonight to see if there's anything worth shooting... last night would have been gorgeous, about 5-10 minutes earlier.

[Kym]

K-x or K-r are good cameras, and brilliant for the price.

If $$ was available from a tree I'd have a 645D.

[kyteflyer]

My Mum always said that I behaved as if there was a moneytree at the bottom of the garden. I haven't changed in all these years. I reckon...can't take it with you. I'd get one too, but its a monster. I'd need a trolley.

[davidbrewster]

Good list. Really the only thing that I would have like on my recent travels was weather sealing, but as you point out that would require WR lenses to be useful which would be restrictive. Rather spend the extra money on another lens or two methinks. The light weight of the K-r, even with the 100-300, makes it a dream for travel.

I'm finding myself limiting auto ISO to 3200 in poorer light. Generally at 3200 the noise is there but clean enough not to take away from the image without anything other than in-camera noise reduction. At 6400 the images are definitely usable after the Noise Ninja treatment. Obviously at this end of the spectrum we're not talking super sharp, but for travel/street that's not always the primary concern.

[kyteflyer]

Good list. Really the only thing that I would have like on my recent travels was weather sealing, but as you point out that would require WR lenses to be useful which would be restrictive. Rather spend the extra money on another lens or two methinks. The light weight of the K-r, even with the 100-300, makes it a dream for travel.

I'm finding myself limiting auto ISO to 3200 in poorer light. Generally at 3200 the noise is there but clean enough not to take away from the image without anything other than in-camera noise reduction. At 6400 the images are definitely usable after the Noise Ninja treatment. Obviously at this end of the spectrum we're not talking super sharp, but for travel/street that's not always the primary concern.

re lenses: agreed!! I have a DA15mm on the way from B&H and have plans to acquire all three pancakes. Probably begin with the 70, then 40 then 21.

ISO: yep, I did that last at 3200 just to see how it would go. I'll probably restrict mine to way less, but am looking forward to almost noiseless shots by comparison with my K200d and any/all compacts.

[stillshunter]

Nice to hear some hype away from the K5. ...well that and the moaning about the first batch stained sensors.

I was THIS close to upgrading the K20 to the K-r.....still on the cards, but my thoughts are now between upgrading my dSLR or trading it all in for a Leica RF.

BTW: DA35 is a great lens and you've flexed its muscle very nicely here.

[kyteflyer]

As you probably all know, I have now bought a K5 as well as that 15mm (which I love) and an FA43 which I ended up choosing over the DA40, for its f/1.9. Its now become my "always on the camera" lens. However, when I bought K5, I didnt get the kit, just the body, and as the weather turned foul in Newie over the past day or three (that is, always threatening rain but rarely actually delivering) I decided that having WR lenses was de rigeur. So I bought the 18-55 and the 50-200. Yes, I know the 18-135 might have been a better choice but B&H had the others dead cheap and I think once we are having foul weather, it probably won't matter that much. I've avoided going out in stormy weatehr because of the lack of WR lenses. Now, I won't have an excuse (and will enjoy it!).

As some of you know, I've put the K-r up for sale, but TBH I won't mind at all if it doesn't sell because there are bound to be times when I just want a small and light cam with me, and that will be perfect. And, its a brilliant bit of kit. I still think its one of the best out there.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/2040/422011bii.jpg
Taken with the K-r and the DA15mm (6 seconds, f/11 and ISO100)