Pentax K-3 Full-Size Samples

A day with the K-3 in the field: 28 photos!

By PF Staff in Articles and Tips on Nov 3, 2013

For our first shoot with the Pentax K-3, we took the camera out to the park together with the DA 35mm Limited Macro lens, one of the sharpest lenses in Pentax's current lineup.  We captured a number of test photos with the camera: they're not artistic, but they do emulate many different real-world scenarios.

We found the K-3's image quality to be absolutely stunning at ISO 100— take a look at the 28 samples in this post and see for yourself!  The exposure and white balance were generally spot-on, and the files are bursting with detail! Each thumbnail below is accompanied by a link to a full-size JPEG and RAW download.  All photos are straight out-of-camera and no post-processing of any kind has been applied.

All settings were left at their default values, though we did bracket as needed.  With a -0.3EV or -0.7EV exposure compensation, the K-3 seemed to handle even our most challenging test shots very well, including those with harsh lighting and contrasty areas.

JPG | PEF	JPG | PEF
JPG | PEF	JPG | PEF
JPG | PEF

Why Pentax Isn't Doomed

10 advantages of Pentax DSLRs versus the competition

By PF Staff in Articles and Tips on Sep 15, 2014

Plenty of negative comments have surfaced on our forum following the lack of new Pentax announcements at Photokina 2014; some users even state that "Pentax is doomed". While competing cameras may be moving ahead in terms of technology such as autofocus, video, and wireless connectivity, Pentax K-mount DSLRs still have many unique traits that set them apart from the competition.  Thus, there is no question that they continue to have their place in the market (perhaps now more than ever thanks to the many recent product launches).  In this article, we'll be exploring some of the advantages of Pentax.

Comprehensive Pentax Flash Guide

A look at flash features, shooting modes, and lighting techniques

By PF Staff in Articles and Tips on Jul 21, 2015

Today we're happy to be bringing you an in-depth guide covering the features of modern Pentax DSLR flashes.  This 73-page compilation has been written by forum member mcgregni (Nigel McGregor) for just about every Pentax digital camera owner: any photographer in fact who uses his or her built-In camera flash, a Pentax accessory flashgun, or any number of system-dedicated third-party flashguns.  It's also a good read for those considering their options for an accessory flashgun.  

This guide and exploration is designed to support and encourage confidence and ease of use when taking flash photographs with Pentax cameras. Due to the longstanding nature of the Pentax system there are many legacy manual focus lenses in common use, and these interact with the camera and flash system in different ways to modern autofocus lenses from the digital era.   As well, the way we combine our camera exposure and flash modes has an impact on available functions. This guide looks at all of these combinations and aims to help with the most efficient and reliable practical settings and approaches, taking into account the type of lenses and modes you choose.  

You will learn about every aspect of flash operation as implemented within the Pentax proprietary digital camera system. This includes the camera modes and camera custom settings, flash modes and accessory flashgun features, practical flash photography steps and special flash operations such as High Speed Sync and Wireless (off-camera) flash. Also covered are the variations to flashgun functioning caused by different lens types (i.e. DA and older autofocus types, A series types, M & K series types). 

Download the Pentax Flash System Guide - PDF (30Mb)

Download the Pentax Flash Guide 2017 Supplement - PDF (6 Mb)

If you still have questions about how something works, don't hesitate to ask in our flash and lighting forum, or leave a comment below.  We hope you enjoy the read!

More Pentax flash and lighting resources on PentaxForums.com:

• In-depth flash reviews
• Flash database & user reviews
• Adding color to your studio background

Why buy Pentax in 2016?

We offer ten reasons in favor and five against

By johnhilvert in Articles and Tips on Feb 4, 2016

What can you say when a colleague or friend asks you why you opted for Pentax?

The market for interchangeable lens devices has been contracting over the last few years. According to the most recent industry data the decline in shipments slowed but it is still down by 5% on last year.

As the niche/under-dog brand, can Pentax continue to prosper against such bearish developments?

While Pentax would rank among the top five brands offering interchangeable lens, along with Canon, Nikon, Sony and perhaps, Olympus, a non-Pentax novice deserves a considered case. Now read on....

Pentax SDM Failure Survey Results

How prone are Pentax SDM lenses to autofocus failure?

By PF Staff in Articles and Tips on Jul 15, 2012

Several months ago, we asked our members for feedback on whether or not the autofocus motors in any of their Pentax SDM lenses had failed. Now that some 1,500 data points have been collected, we've closed the survey and are ready to summarize the results! You can also view the raw results here.  For each lens, members provided us with the purchase date and reported whether or not it failied.

This particular survey involved all Pentax K-mount DSLR lenses with silent focusing technology, as listed below:

• SMC Pentax-DA* 16-50mm F2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM
• SMC Pentax-DA 17-70mm F4 AL [IF] SDM
• SMC Pentax-DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC WR
• SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM
• SMC Pentax-DA* 55mm F1.4 SDM
  
• SMC Pentax-DA* 200mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM
• SMC Pentax-DA* 300mm F4 ED [IF] SDM

Before analyzing the survey results, we eliminated erroneous entries based on the submitted comments and purchase dates.

We'll start with the good news: according to the survey, the majority of SDM lenses are not prone to autofocus failure, which is surely welcome news for Pentax lens owners and photographers considering the Pentax system.