| Showing all 2 reviews by Imp | |
Views: 40432
Reviews: 3
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I just got this camera a month ago but it's already proved to be fantastic! I started shooting with a point and shoot camera when I was young, then shot the K-30 for four years before now the K-3. So far I have really enjoye returning back to the point-and-shoot experience.
I got the GRII because of some upcoming travel where it really wouldn't have made sense to take the HEAVY K-3 and some lenses. For travel, this largely checks the boxes, great for landscapes and people. Unfortunately it doesn't cover wildlife but that can be forgiven :lol: The image quality is fantastic, the lens is sharp and very flare-resistant. It's easy and intuitive to use. No worries about battery life, I haven't yet shot a full day with it but I imagine it will last a day. The batteries are tiny so there's no harm in getting a second one. I've really enjoyed using the positive film preset and shooting RAW+, and using the JPEGs straight for social media and sharing with friends.
The only thing I might fault it on is the build quality. By no means is it bad, but coming from a Pentax DSLR it is noticeable and feels a bit delicate in use. The mode dials are not as rubberized and sturdy, the adaptor ring feels thin, and I'm worried about overusing the port cover and the battery/sdcard door. Also, I tried to get the Image Sync Utility to work on multiple devices, but with no luck. Oh well. I've also heard a lot of complaints about the dust so I'm trying to be cautious and keep the camera clean when powering it on and off.
I got a Tamrac Pro Compact 1 camera bag, fits the GRII perfectly in case anyone is loooking for a compact camera bag.
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Views: 157739
Reviews: 40
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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 :lol:
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 :lol: ). 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 :)
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