Pentax K-5 II

The K-5 II is a 2012 APS-C DSLR from Pentax, built around a 16.3 megapixel CMOS sensor and the Pentax KAF lens mount, so lens choice stays within Pentax's own system.

Two features shape daily use. The body is weather sealed for outdoor work, and stabilisation sits inside the body itself, so its shake reduction applies with any lens fitted.

At 760 grams and 131 x 97 x 73 mm it is a solid mid-sized body. Ownership stays simple: a single SD card slot, a fixed 3-inch screen and no USB charging, so the battery cannot be topped up in-camera over a cable.

The Prime II processor handles output from the APS-C CMOS sensor, and the resolution on offer leaves latitude for cropping. The optics score of 60 lands around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

In-body stabilisation is the defining strength. It reduces camera shake with every lens attached, including unstabilised glass, which helps when shooting handheld. Framing happens through an optical pentaprism viewfinder, which gives a direct through-the-lens view that suits stills work.

For movement, the maximum burst is 7 fps and the shutter reaches 1/8000. The fast shutter is useful in bright light and at wide apertures, while the burst rate covers short sequences, provided you treat it as a maximum rather than a promise of sustained shooting.

The limits are focus coverage and sensitivity. Eleven autofocus points keep placement options narrow, and the ISO range runs from 100 to 12800, which caps how far you can push in very dark venues. Neither stops good work; both just ask a little more planning.

Video is a secondary feature here, and the modest score of 57 sets expectations correctly. Recording tops out at Full HD, and the fastest frame rate available is 25 fps, so footage suits casual use rather than demanding production.

Clips are recorded as Motion JPEG, which stores each frame as a separate image. That keeps the file structure simple, and files can add up quickly when you record extended sequences, so plan card space accordingly.

The built-in intervalometer is the standout video tool. Set it running and the camera fires at set intervals, giving you frames to assemble into a timelapse afterwards. Anyone wanting moving images alongside their stills gets a workable setup, as long as Full HD quality is enough.

Framing happens through the optical viewfinder or live view on the 3-inch LCD. The screen is fixed in place, so low or overhead angles mean adjusting your position rather than the display, but its 921,000 dots give a detailed view for checking focus.

For outdoor photographers the sealing matters most: the body is weather sealed against dust and moisture, though that is not the same as waterproof. A built-in flash covers fill light in a pinch, and an external flash can be fitted when you need more power.

Wireless options are absent: there is no GPS, WiFi or Bluetooth. Without wireless links there is no built-in location tagging, and transferring files requires a physical connection. The modest features score of 54 reflects the missing touch screen and Bluetooth above all, since weather sealing and live view earn full points.

A single slot takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, so high-capacity options are supported. The catch is redundancy: with no second slot there is no in-camera backup, so a card failure costs whatever was on that card.

The D-LI90P battery is rated at 980 shots. Treat that as a rating rather than a promise of real-world endurance, but it is generous headroom for typical stills shooting.

Charging is the main weakness. There is no USB charging, so the battery cannot be topped up over a USB connection. The storage and battery score of 43 reflects the single slot and missing USB charging most, since the battery life itself earns most of its points.