Pentax K-3II Pentax DSLR (Body Only)

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About 25 years ago, I received my first SLR camera. It was a Vivitar V-2000 camera. It was a 35mm clone of the Pentax K1000, which was the standard for hobbyist photographers almost from its first release in 1976. Roughly ten years ago, I was looking to get into the digital SLR game. I had two options, and I chose the Pentax K10D over the equivalent Canon at the time. That K10D served me well. The fact that I could use my old Vivitar lens with the new camera was just icing on the cake. Over the last decade, Ive gotten more and more serious about my photography. Im still a hobbyist, mind you, but that doesnt mean Ill settle for less than the best. I have about a dozen lenses of various powers and speeds. When my phones camera had the same number of megapixels as my primary digital camera, I realized it was time to upgrade. I like Pentax cameras and I love Pentax lenses, so I quickly narrowed it down to the K-3 and the K-3II. There are a host of small differences between the two, but the most important difference is the flash vs the GPS. The K-3 has a little pop-up flash. The K-3II replaces that with a GPS logger. If youre just getting started and dont have an external flash already, you may still want to consider the K-3. If youre getting this for family photos at holiday gatherings, you may want to consider the K-3. But if youre serious and are buying the camera as a tool instead of as a toy, then I can without hesitation recommend the K-3II. But Id still suggest you take a look at the K-3 to see if it does what you need it to do. Remember also that the lens you choose will make a significant different for you, as well. I was surprised at how well the autofocus was able to find (and focus on) my black cat. The K10D would focus and refocus and refocus over and over as it tried to find the cat. This had no problems at all. The attached photos were taken with the Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR Cameras . I threw the aperture wide open and used autofocus and auto white balance just as a test. Im very pleased with the results.

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My second Pentax. The first was a 1968 Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic, that I loved so much Ive now paid more than sanity to have it refurbished to shoot wildlife and scenery. The K3II came after a number of other pocket-sized digitals. I love the K3II. With telephoto lenses, it weighs about the same as the Spotmatic, but feels less bulky and feels balanced. Like most people, I suspect, I use only a few of functions, I like the layout of the controls. Rumor has it that a K3 III is in the works. The best endorsement I can give the II is that when the III comes out, Ill buy it, subject to Ricoh fixing the minor deficiencies noted next. Why take away one star? The Pentax remote. Despite the claims, the range on the rear is only about 4". I dont know if the problem is the remote (now returned) or the camera. It doesnt matter -- it didnt work. Infrared is so 1990s. Bluetooth or even built in WiFi makes more sense in the period it was designed. Also, the Pentax-branded WiFi card specs (Ive not bought one) look anemic and overpriced. Having said that, would I buy a K3II again. YOU BET! Canned Squirrel for Lunch. Thats an anti-squirrel can for our bird feeders.

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I LOVE this camera! True, it is my first DSLR (background in film SLR however so I was able to pick up most functions of this camera pretty quickly) but this thing is amazing. I actually bought a used one from here on Amazon, a stressful experience considering how much money was involved. I could not be happier with my purchase, and getting this level of camera at the price I was able to find it here was pretty amazing. This also allowed me to pick up the 18-135mm zoom lens. In hindsight, I wish I would have opted for the 50mm and 28mm primes first. They are faster (larger aperture = more light coming in = more versatile lens for low light and such). I have since picked up the f1.8 50mm, also a great find. I was looking for a camera that would allow me to grow with it. This absolutely fits that bill. Unless you are looking to shoot a full frame, this camera will probably do far more than what you need. I highly recommend it.

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I have a Pentax k1 and I decided to Buy a back-up for it. So I started to look at other Camera bodies to see which was a good match for it. It turns out that Pentax makes one (and except for a few things, like it is a bit smaller than the k1) Its a prefect match. The Pentax K3 ll, and it will do (as far as I can tell) EVERYTHING the k1 will do. There are some differences to be sure,, k3 ll is a alp-c sensor of 24mp, The K1 is a full 35mm sensor 36mp The k1 has built in WI-FI but if you want it on the K3 you need to add a Flucard, But the k3 ll will do 8.3fps while the k1 will only do 4.3fps. As I said, There are only a few differences between these cameras And I just told you the main ones (other than size) And I can say for a certainty that if I had not have bought the K1, I would have bought the K3 ll anyway, (it is just that good)

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This was an upgrade from the K5 and the improvements incorporated into this model are superb. I am a semi-pro photographer and find the image quality to be excellent and the low light performance as well as focus accuracy to be outstanding. Focus peaking at high magnification in live view has been a real treat for me as well, enabling me to nail focus every time. I have been using the GPS via the )GPS1 accessory for several years and having the device built into the camera was a brilliant idea.

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Excellent prosumer digital camera. One of the best camera bodies you can buy with an APS-C sized sensor. Lightning fast operation, excellent automatic white balance, excellent automatic exposure that seems to handle even complex scenarios, high dynamic range. Really liking it so far.

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My parents bought me a Pentax K1000 for graduation back in the 80s and Ive been using Pentax ever since. I bought my first digital camera in 2008 the Pentax K20D. I have upgraded to the new Pentax K-3II. Like with most Pentax cameras it is loaded with extra features compared to other brands of the same price range. Some of the biggest pros for me are 1. Shake Reduction: Superior to others cameras that my friends use(Nikon) . No problem shooting at 1/30 freehand. 2. Raw vs. JPEG: Camera takes excellent pictures in both. Vibrant colors. Very little photo editing needed. 3. Solidly built: The camera is tough Cons: 1. Compared to other Pentax Cameras the users manual doesnt cover everything. The manual only touches on the features. Doesnt really explain how to use them. But you can find help online and in the Pentax community. 2. I am not a professional photographer. I am just a hobbyist. The loss of the built in flash is a small annoyance to me. The ease of the old pop up flashes was convenient. Overall I love this camera and I give it 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone at any skill level. The easily navigated menus make the camera easy to set up and adjust at any time.

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Upgraded from the K-50 and absolutely love this camera. It is far less forgiving than the K-50 was and I wouldnt say it would be a good camera for a beginner. I purchased it for hiking, I carry this plus a few small primes or a small zoom depending on the hike. The solid build quality and weather resistance means I am not worried about the equipment when I am hiking. Pair this with some good lenses like the DFA 100 Macro and the 15 limited and you have a killer set. I plan on taking this along with 3 primes on a 200 mile hike in the Sierras this year.

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Outstanding camera! Wonderful low-light photography thanks to the improved built-in shake reduction. Superb clarity and extremely low noise! I was a fan of the K3 and am a BIGGER fan of the K3II!! Bravo Ricoh!!

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very please with the camera, i switched from Canon, this is my first Pentax and i like the camera very much, great outdoor capabilities, mostly i use it for outdoor photography and architectural photography, i have done also portrait photography and its just a very versatile, well made camera. It suits my needs. I have shot under rain and had no problems, great image quality, just be careful with high ISO with very little light, past 6400 you can see some noise showing, other than that its a perfect all around camera.

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