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Pentax K-5 was announced in 2010 and is an APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) DSLR camera with 16.3 Megapixel CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 80 to 12,800 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode. The camera has a Fixed 3.0" screen with 921k dot resolution and built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a built-in Sensor Shift in body image stabilization.
Pentax K-5 can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.
In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax K-5.
And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:
Here we are comparing Pentax K-5 to its predecessor K-7 and displaying the major changes.
| UPGRADES | Pentax K-5 | vs | Pentax K-7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Sensor Resolution | 16.3 Megapixel | vs | 15 Megapixel |
| Lower Native ISO | 80 | vs | 100 |
| Higher Native ISO | 12,800 | vs | 2,000 |
| Higher Boosted ISO | 25,600 | vs | 6,400 |
| Max Image Resolution | 4928 x 3264 | vs | 4672 x 3104 |
| Higher Bit Depth | 14-Bit | vs | 12-Bit |
| Center Autofocus | vs | ||
| Tracking Autofocus | vs | ||
| Higher Max Continuous Shooting | 7.0 fps | vs | 5.2 fps |
| Higher DxO Low Light ISO | 1162 | vs | 536 |
| Higher DxO Color Depth | 23.7 | vs | 22.6 |
| Higher DxO Dynamic Range | 14.1 | vs | 10.6 |
| Higher DxO Overall Score | 82 | vs | 61 |
| Higher Video Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | vs | 1280 x 720 |
| Lighter | 740 g (1.63 lb / 26.10 oz) | vs | 750 g (1.65 lb / 26.46 oz) |
For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pentax K-5 vs K-7.
In 2013 Pentax K-5 was replaced by Pentax K-5 II. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Pentax K-5 and its successor.
| UPGRADES | Pentax K-5 II | vs | Pentax K-5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Boosted ISO | 51,200 | vs | 25,600 |
| Higher DxO Low Light ISO | 1235 | vs | 1162 |
| Higher DxO Color Depth | 23.8 | vs | 23.7 |
| DOWNGRADES | Pentax K-5 II | vs | Pentax K-5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Native ISO | 100 | vs | 80 |
| Built-in Microphone | Mono | vs | Stereo |
| Heavier | 760 g (1.68 lb / 26.81 oz) | vs | 740 g (1.63 lb / 26.10 oz) |
For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Pentax K-5 vs K-5 II.
Pentax K-5 has a 3.0" Fixed screen with 921k dot resolution.
Camera has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.92x (0.61x 35mm equivalent) magnification.
Pentax K-5 features a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 372.1 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 12,800 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode.
Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how Pentax K-5's APS-C sensor compares with other types of sensors:
| Sensor | Dimensions | Area | Aspect Ratio | Crop Factor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Medium Format | 44 x 33 mm | 1452 mm2 | 4:3 | 0.79x |
 | Full Frame | 36 x 24 mm | 864 mm2 | 3:2 | 1x |
 | APS-H | 27 x 18 mm | 486 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.3x |
 | APS-C | 23.7 x 15.7 mm | 372.1 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.5x |
 0.webp) | APS-C (Canon) | 22.3 x 14.9 mm | 332.3 mm2 | 3:2 | 1.6x |
 | Micro Four Thirds | 17.4 x 13 mm | 226.2 mm2 | 4:3 | 2x |
 | 1-inch | 13.2 x 8.8 mm | 116.2 mm2 | 3:2 | 2.7x |
 | 1/1.7-inch | 7.44 x 5.58 mm | 41.5 mm2 | 4:3 | 4.7x |
 | 1/2.3-inch | 6.17 x 4.55 mm | 28.1 mm2 | 4:3 | 5.6x |
Camera is equipped with PRIME II processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 3936 x 2624, 3072 x 2048, 1728 x 1152 with 3:2 aspect ratios.
Pentax K-5 has Pentax KAF2 lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor its crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.
The camera has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.
Pentax K-5 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is an HDMI connector for video signal output.
Pentax K-5 comes with D-LI90 battery pack with battery life of 980 shots.
The camera has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.
Pentax K-5's shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps.
Pentax K-5 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or Wireless connection. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec.
Pentax K-5 has dimensions of 131 x 97 x 73 mm (5.16 x 3.82 x 2.87"). It weighs 740 g (1.63 lb / 26.10 oz) which is neither heavy nor lightweight.
131 mm (5.16")
97 mm (3.82")
97 mm (3.82")
73 mm (2.87")
Pentax K-5 dimensions
We give scores to the camera for different type of photography based on its features and specifications. Let us see how Pentax K-5 is suitable for six different types of photography.
Pentax K-5 gets a score of 81 and is GOOD choice for Landscape photography.
Pentax K-5 gets a score of 73 and is GOOD choice for Sports photography.
Pentax K-5 gets a score of 69 and is AVERAGE choice for Wildlife photography.
Pentax K-5 gets a score of 81 and is GOOD choice for Portrait photography.
Pentax K-5 gets a score of 82 and is GOOD choice for Street photography.
Pentax K-5 gets a score of 81 and is GOOD choice for Travel photography.
We evaluate Pentax K-5 and give score of 72 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 69 for Sensor parameters.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 78 for Photo parameters.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 45 for Video parameters.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 80 for Focusing parameters.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 73 for Screen and Viewfinder parameters.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 78 for Connectivity parameters.
We give Pentax K-5 a score of 70 for Battery, Storage and Physical parameters.
For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:
