Pentax K7 review

Gavin Stoker enquires whether Pentax’s first DSLR to record high- definition video plus 14.6-megapixel stills offers the best of both worlds to high-end amateurs and enthusiasts

From the introduction of the initial *istD way back in 2003, Pentax has delivered a consistently good value and reliable run of DSLRs, even if it never has grabbed the headlines afforded by more pioneering brands, while a professional model has also yet to materialise. Slow and steady seems to be the manufacturer’s game. So, with the K-7, has it finally got something to challenge Canon and Nikon and uncharacteristically make a song and dance about?

On specification alone, the new APS-C-sized CMOS sensor incorporating flagship DSLR certainly suggests itself as Pentax’s best yet, packing semipro features into a relatively compact and lightweight magnesium alloy and steel chassis – rather than standard plastic or polycarbonate – that, combined with large well-labelled controls, spacious layout plus comfortably moulded grip, shouldn’t put off anyone upgrading from a bridge camera or starter DSLR. While appealing to a broad customer base makes commercial sense, it’s the price that at £1,200 body only will surely sort out the casual user from the dedicated, if an extra £30 for a kit that includes the 18-55mm zoom (used on test) seems a fantastic deal in comparison. If it appears expensive overall it’s perhaps because, despite its reassuring solidity, the SLR feels like a consumer-level model with regard to its dimensions and intuitive operation. But in fact it’s a veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Indeed, on this camera it's often what you don’t see that counts. This includes 77 weather- and dust-resistant seals so rain won’t stop play, a 100,000 shutter release lifespan, a newly developed shake reduction (SR) mechanism to minimise camera shake up to four stops, automatic horizon correction (if selected), plus a Prime II processing engine to quickly shift those 14.6 effective megapixel images. Also showing its semi-professional mettle is the fact that the K-7 can be used in temperatures as low as -10°C.

These attributes join its ‘sexier’ features, including HD video recording for the first time on a Pentax DSLR – selected via a familiar top-mounted Mode dial – plus the shooting of high dynamic range (HDR) images. In selecting this feature, three different exposures are captured in quick succession with a single press of the Shutter Release button and are stitched together in camera as a single file. How much of an ‘otherworldly’ appearance to images the user wants can be refined with a choice of ‘standard’ or ‘strong’ levels. Otherwise in terms of metering the user has the manual choice of spot, centre-weighted or multi segment (77 in all). Put these together with a 16-strong range of in-camera effects, and Pentax surely rivals Olympus’s ‘creative studio in a box’ claim for its most recent E-series DSLRs and E-P1. Including a ‘toy camera’ option on a DSLR costing £1000+, as Pentax has done, is so perverse it’s worthy of applause.

With the front of the camera looking clean and unfussy, at the back we find a busier layout. Most notably here we get a bright and clear viewfinder with a 100% field of view and comfortably padded eye relief, plus Live View, with thankfully its own ‘LV’ selection button on the camera back so the user doesn’t have to wade through menus to implement it, á la Canon. At the increasingly industry standard resolution of 920k dots, the image provided on the three-inch LCD is also on a par with its rival’s HD video shooting 500D and 5D Mark II, though price-wise the enthusiast targeted 50D’s more of a direct competitor. Using Live View not only aids composition from trickier angles and provides a larger means of checking critical focus, it also avoids your nose butting up against the screen and leaving greasy smears when using the optical viewfinder. In playback, a twist of the rear Command dial lets the user zoom into an image an equivalent of 32x, to really scrutinise detail.

When gripping the camera in both hands, falling to hand left of the lens mount is a RAW button that automatically switches capture file formats in the heat of the action – again, saving the need to tab through on-screen options. With the K-7, it’s a case of ‘think of a function’ and it’s at your fingertips, with no tortuous faffing around. So much so that you’re too busy taking photographs for it to sink in that it’s not always like this, until your memory card’s full and you’re back at base.

With a run of 980 images promised from a full charge of the supplied D-Li90 lithium-ion pack, flick the Power switch that handily encircles the Shutter Release button on the forward slope of the grip to ‘on’ and, keeping forefinger in place, you’re up and shooting almost instantaneously. The camera is impressively fast to respond; 11-point wide-frame AF locking on target in a blink of an eye and maximum-resolution JPEGs committed to memory in Single Shot mode with a wait of a second or so, rear screen momentarily freezing and displaying the captured image. RAW files take just a mere second longer. In terms of continuous capture the K-7 stretches to an impressive 5.2 frames per second for up to 40 JPEGs, again written to optional SD or SDHC media, a well-protected card slot with padded slide and flip-out cover situated on the camera’s right-hand flank (if viewing it from the rear).

Shooting HD video is simple on the Pentax: simply twist the Mode dial to the familiar movie icon whereby the rear LCD immediately switches to Live View mode, and press down on the Shutter Release button to begin and end recording. Up to 25 minutes of HD video and (mono) sound can be captured in a single take, with an external stereo microphone available as an optional extra for those more serious about making use of the feature. Creatively helpful is the fact that its picture style options can be accessed in video as well as stills modes, so if you want to film in moody black and white, vibrant or muted tones, you can. It looks good too; top HD resolution here is, unusually, 1536 x 1024 pixels at 30fps, rather the more conventional 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720, and we didn’t have any compatibility issues replaying clips in QuickTime on the desktop, the quality being smooth and jerk free, plus, of course, you’re getting the advantage of access to a wide range of K- and KAF-mount lenses for shooting video – another creative advantage. When hooking the camera up to a TV or monitor there’s an HDMI port provided on the side, though no connecting cable of any variety was included with our review sample.

Being arguably a semipro model, the Pentax K-7 offers a broad ISO range, running from ISO 100 through to a boosted ISO 6400 equivalent option, the latter expanded via custom menu. On our review sample, up until ISO 1600 shots taken in low light without flash proved impressively noise free. It’s not until ISO 3200 that you truly begin to notice image degradation, and, at a push – shooting, say, at a concert where flash was prohibited – we’d have been happy to live with results even at maximum whack ISO 6400. As an extra to this, Pentax informed us during our review period that its engineers were making a minor adjustment to sensor performance in time for the retail version, which it suggested was primarily to reduce noise further at higher ISO settings. Either way, those looking to shoot in low light have no cause for alarm.

In terms of shooting in daylight, photos straight out of the camera are for the most part evenly exposed, well saturated, warm and colourful, even when the Pentax K-7 is left on its default ‘natural’ style setting. They’re commendably crisp too, even with the standard zoom attached. The HDR feature is fun, results inevitably taking on that painterly ‘hyper realistic’ look on occasion – well, if you’ve got it, you may as well make the most of it – and along with its other filters and effects it helps differentiate the camera further from the crowd, which can only be praised. Only very occasionally, when shooting high-contrast scenes, did we notice slight pixel fringing, while converging verticals were inevitably evident when shooting architectural structures at maximum wide angle with the supplied lens.

Swift in operation and immediately responsive to each button press and dial twist, the Pentax K-7 nevertheless suggests itself as an excellent mid-range model for high-end amateurs and enthusiasts. It currently represents the pinnacle of its maker’s marque, having crammed a great deal into a compact and portable chassis. Those not already wedded to Canon and Nikon, and who can afford the outlay, would therefore be wise to sit up and take note. Incidentally, for those who want more juice, a battery grip is available as an optional extra that includes an additional Shutter button to ensure vertical shooting is a more comfortable and practical experience. Once again a solid showing from Pentax, in every sense of the word.

Please note:Before going to press we were informed that Pentax is making a few final tweaks to the production version of the K-7, so all test shots are technically to be considered as being from a pre-production model