| Author: | | New Member Registered: November, 2019 Posts: 1
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 1, 2023 | Recommended | Price: $560.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Well-built. Intuitive Controls. Great Image Quality. | | Cons: | Personally I'd like more ISO range at lower end of scale,eg ISO 64/50/25 | | Years Owned: 6 years
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 8
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: Used
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A latecomer to digital photography, after fifty years as a keen amateur and semi-professional film photographer, my K-3 was my first DSLR.
A well-built camera with totally intuitive controls, I took to it like a proverbial 'duck to water' and was instantly rewarded with very satisfying results. It now acts mainly as back-up to my K-1, but can always deliver the goods when I call on it to do so. I use it exclusively with prime lenses and frequently fitted with a D-BG5 battery grip, which is a real boon when shooting in portrait mode and aids my handling of the K-3 as I have big hands.
Image quality is excellent in J-PEG, certainly good enough for cropping down to square format for the 16" square 'head-shot' portraits I produce these days.
Like my K-1, it has more facilities than I either need or will ever use. Despite this I think it's a brilliant camera and I'm well-pleased it was my entry point into digital photography.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2020 Location: Lincolnshire Posts: 6
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: April 18, 2021 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Reliable, sharp image quality, high frame rate, weather sealing. | | Cons: | High ISO noise | | Years Owned: 7
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 8
Value: 9
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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I've had my K3 for 7 years and it has not missed a beat due that time, I now have a K1ii which is phenomenal but I still use the K3 as a backup or if I need a high frame rate. The K3 has been out in some very poor weather used WR rated lenses and has not suffered any ill effects. Even though it's an crop sensor the 24 megapixel sensor produces images which stand being blown up to A2 prints without problem.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: November, 2014 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 1,745
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 2, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $600.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image Quality, Ergonomics, Speed | | Cons: | Video quality, weight | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 7
Features: 8
Value: 10
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 8
New or Used: Used
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Having shot the K-3 for a year now I want to share my experience using it. I got the K-3 used from a forum member when I felt I had run up against the limitations of my K-30, which I had been shooting for four years. Those limitations included resolution (the K-30 had 16mp with anti-aliasing filter), auto-focus capabilities, high-iso performance, speed of operation, etc. I just needed that little bit more oomph that the K-30 lacked. The K-3 delivered! For the most part, it is by far enough camera for me. And ergonomically, especially with the additional grip, it feels molded to my hand. However the excellent build quality has one downside - it's a heavy heavy camera 
If I could improve it, another stop of ISO performance, like in the new K-70 and KP models, would be really nice. I shoot up to 1600 on the K-3, 3200 if I neeed to, 6400 is too much quality degradation for my tastes. Autofocus could be stronger - I manage with birds-in-flight but sometimes its a bit tricky. For the most part it's pretty good (I haven't done a DPR bicycle test though ). As for a flip screen, I've only infrequently been in a position where I could use it, but I can see why others could appreciate it. Not a high priority but it would be nice. Finally, the one thing that I'd want to improve the MOST would be a decent video codec. I'm not looking for anything fancy - right now I shoot video with a used Panasonic GH3 and adapt my K-mount glass to it. That is 2012 level video quality! If Pentax could incorporate a good 1080p codec that would seal the deal for me - Pentax already has some of the best manual video controls of any dslr. Pentax focus peaking is brilliant.
For the value today, this camera is a steal for what it provides  | | | | | Senior Member Registered: May, 2015 Location: Osaka Posts: 158
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 7, 2019 | Not Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Great ergonomics, very easy to use, logical layout, good picture quality, fast AF | | Cons: | Inaccurate AF, runaway mirror, locks up with Sigma lenses | | Years Owned: 4 years
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 2
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: Used
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I have had this camera for a few years now and just wanted to write a quick review for anyone considering buying a second hand. Overall the build quality and ergonomics are outstanding. This is a very easy camera to use and produces excellent image quality. However, I am considering a replacement due to a number of nagging issues.
Firstly, the AF through the viewfinder is NOT accurate. This is not the lenses as I have tested and re-calibrated all my lens and the issue remains. The AF is fine with live view.
Secondly, the runaway mirror syndrome in cold weather. Even with new batteries and the latest software I still get this issue is cold weather. The mirror runs away with its self and the camera locks up. This happens intermittently but it is still an issue for me.
Finally, it locks up when I use Sigma lenses. I need to take out and put the battery back in to unlock it. This doesn't happen with Pentax lenses.
I may just have a bad copy. Overall, the camera is great but these nagging issues would stop me buying another one.
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2017 Location: Ronneburg Posts: 1
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: December 2, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $484.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | very high IQ, Excellent handling, solid build Quality, WR, USB 3.0, bright optical viewfinder | | Cons: | non for me, i don't film only take photos | | Years Owned: half
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: Used
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After usage a ist DS K10d /K20d/K-x/ K-5 in this sequence.
What can i say? it is a real pleasure to use this awesome tool.
You'll never disappointed in the majority shot situations, assumed the camera has the preferred positions of the user adjustments.
And of course, never use this camera with bad lenses, if it is possible only prime lenses and better zooms.
Otherwise the potential of the camera does not come to validity.
For me to date the best APS-C Pentax.
PS: I am not a native speaker, please apologize some mistakes in the grammar and word order. | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: June, 2011 Posts: 486
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 26, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | image quality, build quality, feel, weather sealing | | Cons: | video and auto-focusing (when compared to competitors) | | Years Owned: 3
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 8
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: Used
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I LOVED this camera. I'm using a K-1 now, and there is still not a week that goes by without me remembering this camera and wishing I still had it. That's how good it is.
In short, it has everything you need. The IQ is modern and keeps up with the best, the durability and reliability is top notch - I admit I have used this camera in rain and snow just pushing it to get one last shot before shutting it off and running for cover so I wouldn't destroy it. Never missed a beat.
I came to this camera from a Canon 70d, which is a fine camera in and of itself. I noticed the K-3 was WAY worse with auto-focus. It was slow, it would hunt, you couldn't always rely on it. In part, I could have done more to understand the auto-focus system and tweaks its modes to get the best out of it. But I didn't have to for the Canon. I just set it to the mode that seemed to make sense and it worked. The video was also worse, and still is bad. If you're coming from Pentax you know this and probably don't care, but it's worth mentioning if you care about hybrid shooting.
Okay, so why didn't I go back to Canon? Because when I picked up this camera I was in photographers heaven. It felt like a tool, not a toy. It felt purpose built. It quickly felt like an extension of my body. All of that mattered way more to me in the long-run, because I missed too many shots with the Canon because I just never got used to the menus, buttons and dials.
Image quality wise, the K-3 dominated, in my opinion. I love Canon colors, but the K-3's looked more mature. The files were better to deal with. The dynamic range was better. I just liked the images better.
Nowadays, you can get this camera for $300-400, which is amazing. Paired with the right glass and I don't think you can go wrong.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: July, 2011 Posts: 76
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 30, 2018 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Excellent detailed image quality, fast AF, Weather sealed body | | Cons: | Dim viewfinder markings, live view doesnt reflect actual exposure in manual mode, heavy body, | | Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 9
Features: 9
Value: 9
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 8
New or Used: Used
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I must admit I stopped using dslrs a long time ago as I made the switch to Mirrorless camera systems. I still have a few dslrs lying around such as a canon 5d mark 1 and a pentax k-x but dont use them much. I made the switch to mirrorless bodies mainly due to size and weight issues. Also mirrorless bodies like the Sony 7r and Fuji XT1 give excellent image quality. An issue with mirrorless systems is the cost factor [when it comes to lenses] and many of their lens offerings are not weather sealed. The A7r and XT2 are weather sealed but I dont have any of their expensive weather sealed lenses. Sometime back when I had gone out and it started raining and it was so beautiful to look at but alas I couldnt go and stand under the rain to click some nice pics as the lens on my xt2 [a 16-50mm] wasnt weather sealed. It was then I realised the value of a weather sealed body and lens. I already had a pentax 18-55 WR lying around [bought it used for 50£] and just neeeded a good pentax body with weather sealing to use with it. After doing a search I found a used pentax K3 would be the best option for me. I bought one used from a used camera dealer for 325£ here in UK.
The most interesting feature of this camera is its 24 mp sensor without an AA filter. This lets you capture sharper images at risk of some moire appearing under certain situations. This feature was already available in k5 iis but that has a 16 mp sensor while this one has 24. This also has a faster processor, faster af, larger buffer.
The camera came with firmware ver 1.00. I updated it to 1.30.
Now let me mention the pros and cons
Pros [in random order]
1.Excellent image quality. Very detailed upto iso 800.
2.Weather sealed body
3.24mp sensor without aa filter
4.Excellent feature set with options for customisation
5.Fast phase detect af with 27 cross type af points
6.Fast contrast detect af in live view
7.Very low shutter noise and slap
8.Dual sd card slots
9.14 bit raw
10.Excellent in body stabilisation. I managed to get sharp shots at 1/5 [careful handling required - keep shutter button pressed till shutter fires and then remove finger and not before]. In my xt2 and sony 7r I dont have inbody stabilisation and need to have shutter speeds of 1/50 when using manual lenses.I have to increase iso but results in more noise. The same shot which needs iso 3200 and 1/50 on my mirrorless bodies without ibis I can get with 1/10 and iso 800 [just a rough estimate] with the k3. Also keep in mind as iso goes up the dr goes down. So you have an advantage with manual lenses and ibis with the K3
Cons [in random order]
1.The stock viewfinder focuing screen doesnt have clear viewfinder af point markings. Pentax seems to be using the same screen in all of their dslrs. I can hardly see the markings in normal day light leave alone at night or low light. It makes it difficult to compose a shot when you cant see the markings and have difficulty in focusing on a subject. Cameras from Nikon and Canon have such detailed focusing screens [even their older models from early 2000s] its surprising pentax still uses this focusing screen. For a camera sold as a pro grade body the focusing screening is a big let down.I know there are replacement focusing screens with more detail but it would have been a good thing if a good came along with body.
2.Another issue with the focusing screen is location of the af points most of which are a tiny square in the centre of the screen. Bodies from nikon like the d2h came with af points spread on almost the entire area while this one has most of them in the centre area only.
3.Live view in manual mode doesnt reflect actual exposure settings, Since early pentax models with live view like the K7 Kx Kr pentax doesnt have a live view which reflects the exposure settings in manual mode. Mirrorless Cameras from likes of sony, fuji, samsung reflected exposure settings in manual mode which is very helpful in shot composition but sadly inspite of technology available pentax didnt implement this in K3. The only useful thing is you get a brignt screen even when aperture has been set to a very high number [which results in a dark screen in mirrorless bodies] and helps in shot composition
4.When using manual lenses in live view you cannot scroll the area you want to magnify. When using af lenses you can chose af point but you cant do the same with manual lenses. You need to magnify screen and scroll to area in screen you want to view. I vaguely recollect pentax kx which let you select area you want to magnify but its missing in this one. I searched through menu but couldnt locate an option for it. Also area for magniication is just 60% of screen. In sony cameras like nex 5n you could magnify entire screen till very corners.
5.Very heavy body. You need strong hands to hold this camera if you are planning on shooting lots of pics. My elbows started to ache after I shot 100 pics within 2 hours. This is where mirrorless bodies score which are far more lighter and let you shoot more pics without body aches
6.Moire in video. Although this camera has an ok video/movie mode it exhibits moire [due to the sensor] and there is nothing much you can do. Keeping sharpmess to lowest will slightly help
7.No on body button/switch button to chose af-s or af-c on body. Pentax still gives you choice of af and mf only. If you want af-s or af-c it has to be selected in menu or a biutton has to customised for it. Some Nikon, canon dslrs and some mirrorless bodies like xt2 give this option on the body.
8.Very slight mushy noise reduction seems to be implemented from iso 1600 onwards [happens even if nr is turned off]
9.Clipped hightlights in overexposed areas [under certain conditions]. Not much latitude when processing raws
10. A typical pentax sensor noise which show up at high iso. It usually appears as tiny white noise at random places [to be mistaken for hot pixels]. I think this has to do with their primary rgb filter. It is less prominent on the K3 as compared to older pentax bodies like the kx
11.In the xt2 body which I have noise is less on higher iso than this body. Also you get to see more detail in higher iso. Thing is both cameras dont have an aa filter yet images are more detailed at higher isos on the xt2 than this one? Must be something to do with the exclusive color filter on the fuji x camera systems which lets you have more detail at higher isos
Inspite of above shortcomings I will keep this camera as I need the weather sealed body for use in extreme weather conditions. Also the cost of an excellent weather sealed body and lens came to around 375£ for me
Would I recommend this? Yes and NO. Would recommend this to enthusiast photographers who want a little more from their dslr. Will not recommend this to new photographers.
Thank you for reading my review
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: November, 2017 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,881 | | Review Date: January 15, 2018 | Recommended | Price: $400.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | focus peaking, live view | | Cons: | Battery life | | Years Owned: 3 weeks
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 8
Features: 9
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
New or Used: Used
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Adding my review mostly to provide a used price data point. I bought it this camera 3 weeks ago used at a local shop. Paid $400 for it and it came with 3 extra batteries. The first picture I took was shutter count 2315 so it was a camera that had seen very little use.
I primarily use old M42 lenses so the focus peaking is the feature I like most so far, especially when zoomed in with it to get the focus spot on. One thing I have noticed is that the metering is off on most of them with my Tokina 28-70 f/2.8 metering about 1.3 stops darker than it actually is (always overexposed) and most of the others metering 1 stop brighter (always underexposed).
So far I have mostly taken pictures of stuff around the house as I learn how to operate this camera so those have all been junk pictures as I wanted to learn the camera. I did take it up to the Como Park Conservatory last weekend for some actual use and was very pleased with the image quality produced by this camera as well as having the features that are useful to me with old manual lenses.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 10,496
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 25, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Well built, fast AF, excellent controls, very good image quality | | Cons: | Flimsy mode dial, terrible white balance, auto-exposure inaccuracy | | Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 8
Features: 9
Value: 9
Image Quality: 9
Noise: 7
New or Used: New
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I bought the K3 to replace my aging K200D, mostly to get better AF, better high ISO image quality and to stop using AA batteries, which cause a lot of problems in the K200D (even using the best ones available on the market).
I was happy to find that the K3 is a success in all of those counts. AF is fast and accurate (all of my lenses are screw-drive) and high ISO image quality is 1.5 to 2 stops better than the K200D (but not up to the standard of the 16MP sensor in my Fujifilm X-M1). I'll use the K3 up to ISO 1600 in colour and I've used it up to around 8000 in B&W, though results that high are grainy and not that sharp.
The camera feels great in the hand - solid, extremely ergonomic and with all the controls easily found. The only part that lets down the build quality is the mode dial, which I take great care with as it's clearly very flimsy and not up to the standard of the rest of the camera. It has a lot of buttons and once you learn your way around it's easy to find and change any setting quickly.
With the grip added I find the camera ergonomically perfect for my large hands, though it adds quite a lot of weight (even empty) so for travel it tends to stay at home.
Image quality at lower ISOs is very good indeed, exceeding that of the K200D in dynamic range (but not in colour - the K200D with it's CCD sensor is superb in that respect). The 24MP has very occasionally come in handy for severe cropping (such as the last shot below) but is totally unnecessary for the majority of shots.
As for the negative aspects of the camera, I'd sum them up as:
1. The flimsy mode dial (already mentioned)
2. The poor white balance
3. Exposure inaccuracy
4. AF calibration "jumping"
The white balance of shots is wrong around 80% of the time, often by a lot and it's usually not possible to correct it in camera. The auto WB gets it wrong and then the pre-sets are also wrong so the only way to get it right is later on a computer. This is extremely frustrating and means that when using a wifi SD card in the field to be able to share shots to a smartphone and then on to a social network or such I have to settle for less than ideal WB.
Exposure inaccuracy is part-and-parcel of DSLRs to some degree because they don't "see" the whole scene until the photo is taken, but the K3 is no better than the K200D in this regard. Like the WB, auto-exposure is wrong 80% of the time and has to be corrected in post. The camera is limited to 2 stops up or down (and they have to be full stops) in processing RAWs so if more is required or smaller increments are needed, like the WB fixes, it has to be done on a computer later. You would think that in the six years between the K200D and the K3 Pentax would have managed to improve this somewhat. My mirrorless Fujifilm X-M1 is spot-on almost always.
The AF on my K3 was perfect out of the box - AF was spot-on on all of my AF lenses (the vast majority of which had been perfect on my K200D). That was until one day, for no reason at all, it suddenly "jumped" and all my lenses were misfocusing until I changed the setting to +4 across the board. I've no idea why this happened but I lost a lot of shots due to this problem until I realised what had happened.
In summary, the K3 is an impressive machine and a pleasure to use, but it does have aspects in which it falls flat on it's face and in most cases it's due to basic functions which there's really no excuse for not having fixed in this day and age. It's a very good tool for any type of photography, which can't be said about all cameras.
Some sample images to show what it's capable of.
Kyoto by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Kyoto by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Tokyo by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Playa de las catedrales, Galicia by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Sunset on the beach, Washington state by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
Ladybird by Jonathan MacDonald, on Flickr
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: February, 2017 Posts: 1,866
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: March 24, 2017 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | handling build quality features | | Cons: | noisy autofocus, poor battery life | | Years Owned: 18 months
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 7
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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In Sept 2015 I decided it was about time I got a DSLR for some of my more serious use. I have and still am a fan of film. The choice was between the K3, the K3ii or a Nikon D7200 as I have a lot of legacy lenses from both systems I wanted to keep using. I preferred the feel of the Pentax cameras in hand so chose to go with them, finally settling on the original K3 as I believed at the time I was more likely to use built in flash than the GPS or pixel shift of the K3ii. I've yet to use the flash but probably would have used the pixel shift on occaison! Oh well.
Its taken me this long to actually work out which settings work best for me as there are so many of them, but finally I am getting results that I am finding really satisfying. Although I still have not fully explored all the settings and combinations!
Initially I was using it with a Pentax A 28mm f2.8, Pentax A 50mm f1.7, and Tamron SPii 90mm f2.5, but soon acquired a DA 50-200mm WR and DA 35mm f2.4. I've lately added DA 50mm f1.8.
I find I get best results with the DA glass or the Tamron.
If I was to go through the process again I would probably choose the K70 for pixel shift and flippy screen or K3ii for pixel shift and build quality.
The autofocus with my DA glass is relatively noisy, but I actually quite like this, screw drive is tried and tested simple tech. The noise is not really that loud and not on for very long as the lenses snap into focus quickly.
The battery life is poor for a DSLR when compared to Pentax rivals Nikon and Canon but its still good enough for my use and it is no bother to carry a spare battery or make sure you are fully charged before going out for a day
UPDATE
I have discovered a really useful feature of the K3. I do not know if it is available on other Pentax models, I guess it probably is although which ones no idea. Anyway I have started to take pictures in RAW, and I can post process in camera to get the colours and contrast just right. For me this is fantastic as I am not a fan of spending ages sat down at a computer screen arsing about with files and programs - might as well go back to film and darkroom! Joking aside, this feature is great as I have no need to use a computer for the vast majority of my shots. It is really quick and easy to do -
1. shoot RAW files
2. In view mode, press the arrow down/flash button
3. scroll to digital filter then OK
4. select base parameter adjustment, press info button
5. adjust for brightness, saturation, hue, contrast and sharpness
6 press OK twice to save adjusted image as JPEG. If you have 2 SD cards loaded you can choose which one to save to. I take RAW on card one and save adjusted images to card 2.
I now only ever need to use my computer if I need to dodge and burn or adjust for perspective - very rare for me.
This also makes it so much easier also when printing images as now only the best are on card 2 and can be found much more quickly.
I have upgraded my initial ratings from 8 to 9 for for user interface and 9 to 10 for features
Well I've had this thing now for nearly 3 years. I am more and more impressed by it. So much so I keep adding prime lenses! Here's the thing....When shooting different lenses they behave differently to each other on the same camera. The afore mentioned in camera RAW processing is not only very convenient to get your look just right, but you can also see exactly how each of your lenses behaves and how much adjustment to give each of them. For example the 2 HD DA lenses I have require almost no base parameter adjustment for for colour, contrast, exposure or sharpness, whilst many of the other ones do, to a greater or lesser extent.
The green button is so easy to use with legacy K mount glass
I've also acquired a battery grip which greatly improves the already decent handling the handling, and I do not mind the extra weight. In addition I appreciate the extra battery life the grip provides.
The only criticism I can level at the camera, from my point of view, and this is deeply subjective and personal, is that I find black and white images disappointing from it, to the extent that I bagged a bargain Fuji X1 Pro recently just for B&W use. But for colour photos in any kind of light the K3 is superb!
       | | | | | Closed Account Registered: March, 2015 Posts: 8,694
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: June 22, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $1,015.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | 24 megapixels, build quality. ergonomics, great features, low light auto-focus | | Cons: | None for me | | Years Owned: December 2013
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
| |
This camera body is a true gem IMO. The button layout is very intuitive for me and a pleasure to use. The low light auto-focus is fantastic. I teamed mine with a genuine D-BG5 grip and find this combination excellent. The specifications for this camera are common knowledge now, so I don't need to go into them, but if you want a great APS-C body, this would be my recommendation. With many owners of this camera moving to the Full Frame K-1, some bargains are sure to be had. There are no issues with this body anymore as the mirror flap problem was sorted out long ago with a firmware update. The photographs in the member galleries are a testament as to how good this camera is. I have included 2 of mine which I am quite happy with, just to show the versatility of the K-3. If you get a chance to pick one up, I can highly recommend this body.
 | | | | | Junior Member Registered: February, 2008 Location: UK Posts: 34 | | Review Date: March 28, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $1,200.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | 100% view finder, Weather Resistant, In Camera SR | | Cons: | No Tilting Screen, Although more AF points Actually not as good as K5 IMHO | | Years Owned: 2014
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 8
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 10
New or Used: New
| |
I don't think it's possible to find a better APSC camera from any manufacture at present. Image quality is excellent, build quality is first rate not that i would try but i swear i could hammer a nail in with this and not do it any damage. There's several reason why i buy Pentax every time which are 100% OVF, SR, WR and Build Quality. The only thing i would really like to see is a tilting LCD screen. I know people bang on about 4K video but Pentax knows its strength lies in Stills imagery and they excel at this. If you want Video i'd buy another brand but if you want great Stills Images then the K3 or its successor the K3II wont let you down.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: September, 2013 Posts: 62 | | Review Date: January 16, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $700.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | metal body, dedicated grip, TOP camera at all | | Cons: | not found yet | | Years Owned: 1
Ergonomics: 9
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 9
Autofocus: 10
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: New
| |
upgraded from K-30
I can say the camera is made at the highest level.
metal body, very efficient work of all the buttons and dials.
it is the TOP camera without doubts.
very strong an solid.
very fast and precise AF.
very silent shutter.
Only one strange moment, I must point out - it is imposed on the 4-way controller access to changing color profiles. I do not need use this function to much often. with this button You can change the color profile accidentaly and unexpectedly get really strange colors in the photos.
in the case of shooting on RAW it is not so important, but... in any case the camera is very good.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: September, 2012 Posts: 29 | | Review Date: January 4, 2016 | Recommended | Price: $800.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | great build quality and ergonomics, good stabilization, great IQ | | Cons: | shortish battery life | | Years Owned: less than 1
Ergonomics: 10
Build Quality: 10
User Interface: 10
Autofocus: 9
Features: 10
Value: 10
Image Quality: 10
Noise: 9
New or Used: Used
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Upgraded to the K3 from the K30. The K3 is awesome value for money when you compare it to Nikon/Canon rivals. The RAW files this camera produces are a joy to use. The build quality of this camera is awesome - the K3 makes similar priced cameras such as the D5500 feel like a toy. My only complaint is that the battery life in a bit underwhelming compared to what is advertised - not a big issue though.
| | | | | Pentaxian Registered: July, 2011 Posts: 2,324 | | Review Date: October 19, 2015 | Recommended | Price: $1,000.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | compact, SR, weather sealed, many features | | Cons: | slow AF, no fast primes (not recent) | | Years Owned: 2
Ergonomics: 8
Build Quality: 9
User Interface: 8
Autofocus: 6
Features: 9
Value: 6
Image Quality: 8
Noise: 8
New or Used: New
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Pentax cameras drop in price by almost 50% 1 year after introduction. The basic concept still hold, but it has been soem time that a decent APS-C lens was added. D-FA lenses with interesting specs are promised as is a FF body.
AF is not up to oponents speed, precision, ... K5 was much worse here, but there is still some room for improvement.
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