Pentax K-3 SLR Camera - Body Only

Comment

I have waited a few weeks to review this camera to try and give it its proper due. I am coming from a Canon t4i which is a decent entry level camera but i wanted to really upgrade to better overall picture quality. Out of the box the camera is very very sturdy and feels well build and solid. I love the layout of the buttons overall minus the Trash Can button which is in a weird spot for me but that may be Im just use to Canon. The grip is fantastic for someone with larger hands like me and the body feels like a tank. The menu functions and are easy to scroll though and IMO are very user friendly. I really like the double scroll wheels location which for once allows me to use the manual setting and update Aperture and shutter speed while looking tough the eye. The back screen is lit up well and easy to read with the important info you want is larger then other items so you focus on it first. I would like some more info on what certain features do but this camera seems to be geared more to the advanced amateur then true beginner. Having 2 separate card slots has also turned out to be a huge plus The picture quality IMO is AMAZING. the amount of detail and sharpness i get from the pictures is truly awesome and is SO MUCH better then the cannon i had. I find myself doing far less after shot processing to correct exposure or saturation. As of now i have very very little complaints. if i had to have any it would be the autofocus is not as fast as some canons or nikons but it is acceptable for most all my shooting needs. The Live View focus is not up to Canon standard on something like the 70d but it works fine and I personally dont use the LV function very often if at all. The bottom line is this camera is easy to use for a advanced amateur and takes breath taking photos. I tried to post some examples but Amazon would not allow it.

Show more

Comment

I have a lot of experience with film SLRs, including developing and printing. Somehow, I never got into digital SLRs (in the beginning, they just couldnt compete with film) and in the past few years, Ive been mainly using my iPhone to take pictures because of the convenience factor. As good as iPhones are, they are quite limited when it comes to taking serious landscape shots. I did a ton of research and was at first going to go with something more entry level, like a Canon or a Nikon, until I stumbled across this offering from Pentax, a company that Ive long admired for building quality film SLR cameras. Im not going to list specs, as there are a million reviews online that go into those details. What I will say is that I was prepared to be disappointed since I didnt believe that digital could ever truly match the quality of film. This camera really made me rethink my stance. While there are still some types of shots where digital just cant match film, this camera is definitely trying to narrow that gap. When I first got this camera, it took me a while to understand that even when in aperture priority mode, I was better off relying on the autofocus feature rather than trying to manually focus (which is what I was used to with SLR lenses). There are multiple ways to set up autofocus, and once you know how to adjust it, you choose the AF mode you want and the camera does a magnificent job focusing. The lens is not bad - at some point I will probably invest in much better macro and telephoto lenses, but for now this one is adequate. I was initially thinking that 18-135mm would cover all bases, but I occasionally find that I either want to focus a little closer on something small or I want to zoom in a little more from a distance. As with film, no one lens can do EVERYTHING, but I think this lens is a good place to start. The only negative thing (and this was an issue for me with film cameras as well, and its not the fault of the camera) is that it is a bit heavy and annoying to travel with. I often find myself choosing between bringing this camera to have the possibility of taking a seriously awesome shot, should one present itself vs. ditching the extra bulk/weight and relying on my iPhone. For someone who loves photography, this camera is a really excellent choice. I started out with a bias against digital cameras and I ended up loving this Pentax. It is definitely more complex than the Nikon/Canon you are probably considering, and if you dont know much about the mechanics of photography (composition, aperture, shutter speed, lighting, etc...) I definitely recommend starting with a simpler camera. If you also dont know much about digital cameras in general, I would still recommend a simpler, more entry level camera unless you are either a quick learner who thrives on challenges (not many tutorials on how to use it online) or you know someone who has some experience with this cameras settings and can give you some pointers. However, if you already have solid grasp of these concepts, this camera will allow you to do some great stuff. If you have any questions let me know, Im happy to help. If you found my review useful, please consider saying so below. I have noticed that several reviews I have written on items purchased through Amazon have had the "Verified Purchase" removed incorrectly and as a result are no longer visible, which is likely happening to other people as well. When you read reviews, be sure to sort by All reviews since there is obviously a bug in the system and many helpful and detailed reviews are now hidden.

Show more

Comment

The camera itself is solid. Nothing about this camera seems flimsy. Of the other cameras in the same level (intermediate enthusiasts) that I was looking for, this is the camera to go for. The interface and settings are easy to navigate. My only knock against it is the battery life - Ive had mirrorless cameras that have a longer life. But with a battery grip - the additional battery makes up the gap. You could probably go an entire day without worrying about loosing the charge. The FPS is great if your going for action shots. Does well well with night/low light shots. The picture quality is impressive with the RAW files, but keep them as DNG files if you want to edit them beyond Photos if you have a Mac.

Show more

Comment

I got caught by a Bait-N-Switch here on Amazon. I had made a search for a Pentax K-3II on Amazon and this camera-lens kit showed up. I saw the K-3II body for $800+, and this lens for $400+, and then I saw this camera/lens kit. I evidently clicked on it without fully reading what I was ordering. When I opened the box, I hit the roof and was about to send it back to Amazon. I already have a K-3 and various lenses, but not this lens. The reason that I ordered it was because I had dropped and broke my favorite camera and lens last week. A 2nd camera is always needed. This is a good camera. After cooling off, I have decided to keep it. Edited August 19, 2016 One thing has caught my attention. The 1st K-3 that I bought with 18-55mm lens and Battery Grip cost me about $700 from B&H Photo-Video. That was about a year and a half ago. Instead of gradually going down in price the way things normally work, this camera has gone up in price. This camera with a battery grip and 50 mm lens is now over $900 on B&H Photo. B&H does not seem to be carrying this lens, but this lens is selling on Amazon for over $400. With this deal, this lens is coming out to about $200. So, this is not a bad deal. (While I should have read the details closer, I still consider this a Bait-N-Switch.) Update Aug. 20, 2016 Apparently the only warranty on this camera body comes from Amazon and the vendor. I could not register the purchase of a K-3 with the U.S. Ricoh-Pentax website. In the drop-down list of cameras that could be registered, the K-3 was not there. This lens was there. The K-3II body was there. But not the K-3 body. So I suspect that the only warranty on this camera body comes from Amazon and the vendor.

Show more

Comment

Great camera with more bells and whistles than I understand. I upgraded from K-20 and before that a *ist. Still have K-1000 and LX bodies in an old gadget bag. Learned on a Speed graphic and taught photography in college in the old days. I had a personal color darkroom before Photoshop. Im impressed and very happy with the K-3 in every way, including the kit lens. this camera is more advanced and will make better exposures than all the others Ive used combined and therein is the problem. It is so capable and sophisticated that I want something I can hold and read at my leisure and to have in the camera bag for reference when needed. I want an instruction manual and this came without one. I first bought a body only and when I could not find a manual in the box, I assumed it was a mistake. The vendor responded there was no manual and they could not get one but referred me to a web page with a PDF of the manual. I returned the body and ordered another K-3 with kit lens after reading Amazon member reviews which said a printed manual was included. It also arrived without the a manual. The vendor responded that it was included as a PDF on the enclosed CD. It was not. I now have two aftermarket manuals. One is a bound version of the web site PDF and adequate. The other is privately done, well illustrated and excellent.but is available only in electronic PDF. I am a mossback curmudgeon but reasonably proficient with my smartphone and similar substitutes for the printed word. But I want and this camera deserves a printed manual. I give it five stars anyway. It is that good, if you can figure out how to use it without turning pages.

Show more

Comment

I really love this camera! Previously I had owned the Pentax *ist DL, I had bought that when it first came out and was rather happy with it. Eventually though, I wanted something I could shoot video on as well. I had contemplated getting one of the many Canons but I just hated the idea that I would have to buy new lenses. But then I saw the K-3. I wont go into all of the features but, for me, I liked the idea that (with the right lens) the camera is weather resistant and I could still use my old lenses... plus since its a Pentax I can use any K-mount lens. So I got it along with a old Pentax manual 50mm 1.7 lens. I dont know why I had waited so long... this camera makes me want to take pictures! Everything I liked about the *ist DL, I love on the K-3! When I use it with my autofocus lenses it responds so much faster than my older camera. Plus flash pictures seem to be better balanced with the available light and not washed out. I am very happy with this purchase!

Show more

Comment

The Pentax K3 has received so many superlative reviews that it isnt worth repeating minutia. Simply do a web search for K3 reviews and youll have hours of reading material and virtually all positive. Since Ricoh purchased Pentax and got them out of the awful Hoya ownership, the brand has come alive again. Best of all the camera is designed for serious photographers with unique features that still are lacking in other DSLRs and mirror less designs from SONY, Nikon, Canon and all the others. Examples include a programmable anti-aliasing filter ranging in three steps from off to full on, optional GPS hot shoe gadget that controls the movement of the sensor to track the night sky for night photography, 7fps, extremely quiet shutter, weather sealed, allow body, and arguably the smallest size and weight of any professional grade APS body. Both Nikon and Pentax use SONY sensors and the 24 meg sensor in the K3 is exceptionally well implemented by Pentax. If you shoot RAW format instead of JPG, you can use software such as Adobe Light Room to process the files and achieve incredibly good dynamic range and recovery of shadow detail under low light conditions. The K3 is an exceptional camera for still photography. Its weakness is its video capability which is just OK, at best. But Pentax isnt alone in this area. Pentax, Canon, Nikon, all trail Panasonic and to a lesser degree SONY at this point in terms of video implementation. If you have a need for extremely high performance video in a still camera, the Panasonic GH4 trumps anything presently available from Pentax, SONY, Nikon or Canon, enabling everything from Ultra HD/Cine 4K to 720P. But if you prefer looking through a viewfinder and seeing 100% of what youre framing, and want an APS format camera that is simply as good as it gets, the K3 should be seriously considered.

Show more

Comment

I could go for a lengthy review about this camera, but at large I would be repeating a lot of things from previous reviews. But here is my take after working with this camera for about a week now, and I took about 500-600 shots with it in different scenes lights and surroundings. I have shot Pentax cameras for the last 30+ years, going from ME Super to SF10 to K100D and my most recent was the Kr 2 years ago. I have to say that this K3 is a significant step up from the Kr in the following respect: Going from 12 to 24 MP, the sharpness is amazing, and the JPEG photos look a lot better than with the Kr The layout of the buttons and controls is in my eyes a lot more logical on the K3, and the buttons on the camera that control menu items are indeed the ones I use most, AF settings for instance. The camera is quite a lot heavier than the Kr (especially with the battery grip) but it feels super solid and even rugged. For the first time I bought a sling strap, which I love, just had to get used to have this thing hanging up side down.... AF is fast and quiet, I did see some cases where it had a hard time, but overall I think the AF too is an improvement compared to older models. Also I am impressed with the way the shutter operates so quietly and smoothly, and 8 frames a second!! I dont miss all the shooting modes from the Kr, it works great in P mode and I even catch myself not using the green Auto mode anymore. I set my 3 user mode (right now) for Continuous, 5 shot bracketing and 3 shot bracketing. The 2 SD cards are set for JPEG on one and RAW on the other which I find convenient for quick viewing of the jpegs on my laptop when I am on the road, and when I come home I dont have to separate the files. One reviewer was complaining about how cumbersome it was to turn off the display while shooting. But once you turn it off thru the info button, it is easy to turn on with "info" for a quick adjustment and off again with "menu" All together the K3 is new, but I love what I see so far! The camera has a professional feel to it for sure, and may not be for the beginner. I personally am impressed with the design and the way the controls and menus are set up! I have added some photos and I worked with the 18 - 135 mm WR lens.

Show more

Comment

I did a lot of research before I bought this camera. Like most people Im not rich, so I want to get the best bang for my buck. The result is that I research EVERYTHING before I buy it. Without a doubt the Pentax K3 is the best camera out there for the price. With more features that the Canon EOS 5ii, for which you can still pay over $1,200 just for the body, you get a really nice camera. I also LOVE the fact that the body and lens is weather resistant!

Show more

Comment

I bought this Pentax K-3 as a replacement for my old Pentax K-10D. The new K-3s noise performance is light years ahead of the older model. I can now get good wildlife pictures at dusk and dawn (low light) using a 300mm telephoto lens with a fairly fast shutter speed by using up to ISO 6400. The higher 12800 and 25600 do contain visual noise though which is expected. The old K-10D showed unacceptable noise at ISO 1600. So Ive gained 3 more stops. Of course all of my old lenses work with this camera too. Also the old wireless remote control works with it. I would recommend this reasonably priced DLSR to any one.

Show more