Pentax K-5 Digital Camera Review

Recording Options

Video encoding is restricted to Motion-JPEG compressed .AVI files, with no options for AVCHD or H.264 video compression, techniques which could’ve allowed for smaller file sizes. Video is recorded at a maximum resolution of 1920×1080 at 25 frames per second. The signal may also be downsampled to 1280×720 at 30 or 25 frames per second, or further downsampled to a sub-HD 640×480 at 30 or 25 frames per second. At any resolution, encoding quality can be set from one to three “stars” depending on the desired level of compression. Find out how the performed in our video image quality test./r:link_to_content

Video Controls

Control is very limited during video shooting. The K-5 does not allow control over shutter, aperture, ISO, or auto-focus while a recording is active. Focus adjustments must be made manually with the lens’ focus ring, while the camera’s metering system does its best to automatically adjust other settings for the proper exposure.

The world of SLR video has come a long way since the days of say, the K-7. In the past, these failings would’ve been glossed over, but today they stand out.

Auto Controls

Automatic Mode is therefore the only mode for shooting video. For what it's worth, the light metering system does a fine job keeping subjects properly exposed. Automatic white balance also reacts fairly quickly. But without an automatic focus, we can hardly call this an "auto mode" at all.

Zoom

Digital zoom controls are not available at all during video shooting, the lens' zoom ring is your only option. Before recording, the camera's contrast detection system does use a 6x digital zoom to achieve focus and, even more puzzling, a manual 6x digital zoom is available by pressing the "info" button, but again only before recording--not during.

Focus

Again, focus is limited--rather pathetically--to the manual focus ring. Meaning that for everything except stationary shots, pulling focus by hand will require the skills of a professional videographer which, we dare say, lie outside the target audience of this camera.

Exposure Controls

None, none, and…yes, none. At least not while shooting. Before pressing record, the K-5 does allow for manual adjustment of the aperture only, where it will remain locked during recording. Otherwise, a menu option allows for fully automatic aperture adjustment too. None of these settings can be altered or manually adjusted after beginning a recording.

Other Controls

Manual ISO control is also missing. A shame considering the K-5's strong low light performance. Shake reduction can be turned on or off in the movie menu, and this preference will remain independent of your still shooting selection, but that's pretty much it in terms of video control. This camera is no slouch when it comes to actual video performance, and it's a shame to see this paired with a feature set capable of little more than YouTube schlock.

Audio Features

The K-5 features a built-in monoaural microphone, which is functional in a pinch but for clean sound you’ll need to take advantage of the external stereo microphone terminal, located under a rubber flap below the mode dial. Here again, control is extremely limited. Sound recording may either be set to on or off, no other customization or level metering is available.