A brief note on the new Pentax K-5

The new Pentax K-5 has been getting a lot of atenttion these days. Excellent sensor evaluation by DxO labs, reports of very low noise at high ISO sensitivities, quiet shutter... I did not buy the K20D because I thought it was not that much better than my beloved K10D. I did not buy the K-7 either, because, besides having a few new bells and whistles, it was not something I really needed. But finally, looking at the performance reports for the K-5, I would consider buying it today. If only... I hadn't meanwhile gotten an electronic-viewfinder-interchangeable-lens-mirrorless-compact-camera (we need a definitive acronym for these).

My Olympus E-P2 is far from perfect, but the concept makes a lot of sense to me. Sure, most current DSLRs have faster focusing and better reactivity. But they are bigger, bulkier, heavier. And the E-P2's performance is fine for what I do. Faster focusing is pointless if I leave the camera at home because do not bother carrying it. Being able to shoot candid portraits indoors at ISO 20.000 is useless if the subjects are made uncomfortable by the presence a conspicuous camera. This is all subjective, of course, but I wonder how many amateur EVIL (that's the most popular acronym) users actually feel the need to own/use a DSLR. I know I haven't been using my K10D since I got the E-P2!

If only there were a MILC (another often used acronym) with the well designed ergonomics, interface and build quality that characterize Pentax DSLRs... Well, by the way, there is a "61 to 80 % chance" rumour that Pentax will announce it's own DILS (yep, another one) on February 2011!

In the mean time, I leave you with a photo taken with my K10D that was forgotten in the bottom of the pile.

Pentax K10D + Zeiss Planar 50/1.4