K-3 Mark III Overview Video

Extensive overview video to help introduce new users to the K-3 Mark III

By FozzFoster in Articles and Tips on Jan 25, 2022

Camera overview videos have helped me immensely in my photographic learning adventures. To see the camera in action, from a first person point-of-view allows me to become more familiar and comfortable with the gear enabling me to use the camera more effectively when I have it in my hands.

The Pentax K-3 Mark III has an extensive feature set that continues to impress and produce.

Learning about these features for the first time, or even re-discovering their place in the menu dive, can spur excitement and lights the fire of creativity and the desire to go out and shoot! The PentaxTips video below extensively covers the Pentax K-3 Mark III features, buttons, and menu layouts:

Getting Started with Astrophotography and the Pentax Astrotracer

Astrophotography made easy

By FozzFoster in Articles and Tips on Jan 8, 2022

Astrotracer is one of the most unique and impressive features available exclusive to Pentax DSLRs.

Pentax provides shake reduction in-body by mechanically floating the sensor. With most Pentax DSLRs, a GPS unit (either internal or external) is used to geo-locate your position and inform the sensor at which rate to rotate to keep the stars above your position stationary. This enables longer exposure astrophotography so that you can soak up as much light as possible without causing star trails.

Even the most simple equipment can create astounding Milky Way and other astro images.

Sample photo by Pete_XL - the Great Andromeda Galaxy taken with the Pentax K-3 II with astrotracer and a 480mm refractor lens

Although astrophotography usually recommends wide-aperture lenses along with composite images of stacking, blending, and stitching, the PentaxTips video below shows what Astrotracer can acheive using a single image and with minimal post-production edits. The simple setup includes a K-S2, O-GPS1 unit, tripod, and 18-55mm kit lens. 

K-70 Overview Video

Extensive overview videos to help introduce new users to the K-70

By FozzFoster in Articles and Tips on Dec 22, 2021

Camera overview videos are helpful guides that can help inform users new to a given camera. The incredible amount of features available in Pentax cameras can also surprise the most seasoned photographers. Learning these features for the first time, or even re-discovering their place in the menu dive, can spur excitement and creates ambition to go out and shoot! 

The PentaxTips video below extensively covers the Pentax K-70 features, buttons, and menu layouts:

Pentax K-3 Mark III: iOS Wireless Connection

Remotely connect your K-3 III to your iOS device

By FozzFoster in Articles and Tips on Dec 14, 2021

Connecting your camera to your smart device is one of the most useful combinations for easy and quick image transfer, information sharing, and remote shooting capabilities. Files can be transferred to your device immediately after taking them.

GPS coordinates can be instantly tagged to each image, and your device can be used to trigger the shutter, enabling wireless remote shooting.

The Pentax K-3 Mark III is equipped with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection methods. To connect your iOS device to your Pentax camera, you'll first need to download the Ricoh app called Image Sync from the app store. From there, the initial connection setup needs to be completed. PentaxTips has a video outlining the process to get your device connected:

WiFi:

Bluetooth:

Hope you find these useful! Want to see more K-3 Mark III tips? Check out our previous video on how to use vintage lenses on the K-3 Mark III.

Learn more about the K-3 III in our in-depth review.

Using Manual Lenses on the Pentax K-3 Mark III

Vintage lenses on modern cameras

By FozzFoster in Articles and Tips on Dec 7, 2021

We all know how awesome the K-Mount is, right? Pentax has used the same flange distance for it's lenses since the 1960s. This means that all the classic M42 screwmount lenses and all the manual-era K-Mount lenses are entirely compatible on modern digital Pentax camera.

This opens a healthy secondhand market that provides access to affordable lenses for new and experienced photographers alike.  Moreover, the Pentax K-3 III supports new features to make manual lenses even easier to use, such as automatically stopping down to meter and recording aperture metadata.

This PentaxTips video demonstrates the steps required to get your Pentax K-3 Mark III setup to use these manual lenses:

You can learn more aobut the camera in our Pentax K-3 III in-depth review.  Or, if you'd like to verify that a particular lens fits, stop by the lens compatibility checker.

Confused about lens terminology?  Check out our article on the evolution of the Pentax K-mount lineup.