[6BQ5]

I took my K-30 with a FA 43mm mounted on it to a local skate park where my kids were burning off some freshly acquired calories from the local Dunkin Donuts. This is the first time I have use the FA 43mm as an "action sports" lens. I was really disappointed with its focus performance. It was really slow. Gzzzzzzzzzzzzztt!. It wasn't hunting. I read somewhere that the focusing was geared way down to dampen the ring for a smoother MF feel. By the time my K-30's AF locked on my kids had moved a substantial distance. Lots of well frozen out-of-focus images.

Oh, yes, I was in AF-C mode.

Anyone else experience the same?

[alamo5000]

On the K5 it was my second most 'picky' lens. It would 'miss' quite a bit on that body (the original K5) depending on what I was doing and at what aperture etc etc.

I seriously thought I was needing to send the lens off for calibration... then I got a K3. Now it's on. Man is it ever on. I LOVE that lens.

But yes on some camera bodies it is finicky, at least it is on my K5 body.

[Adam]

On the K5 it was my second most 'picky' lens. It would 'miss' quite a bit on that body (the original K5) depending on what I was doing and at what aperture etc etc.

I seriously thought I was needing to send the lens off for calibration... then I got a K3. Now it's on. Man is it ever on. I LOVE that lens.

But yes on some camera bodies it is finicky, at least it is on my K5 body.

That's a good point- the faster AF motor in the K-3 (and newer) should speed up overall performance compared to what you'd get on the K-5.

[6BQ5]

That's a good point- the faster AF motor in the K-3 (and newer) should speed up overall performance compared to what you'd get on the K-5.

That's encouraging but scary too. I'm glad to think that the FA 43mm would focus faster on a K-3 and my hit rate would go up. What happens with lightweight lenses that already focus fast on my less powerful K-30? I don't want the K-3 to over torque the lens and launch the front element 20 feet forward! Is there a slow-medium-fast AF speed selector on a K-3?

[alamo5000]

I don't think you need to worry. Its not just a matter of torque but the entire AF system of the K3. Its just overall a much better performer in this area.

Your lenses will be fine.

[drypenn]

Just a quick impression. I've just recently caved in to K3. I'm still planning to keep the K30 as back up and my K-x because it isn't worth that much anyway in the used market.

Among my glasses, I've always found the FA43 a difficult lens with both the K30 and the K-x with at times inconsistent focusing under artificial lighting. With the K3, I was surprised that it focuses much (much and obviously) faster, and I find that the focus now hits EXACTLY where I want it to hit even under difficult interior lighting. With the FA43 now more tamed, and a significantly faster focusing DFA 100mm on K3, the K3 upgrade is a dream, and I'm now contemplating on permanently welding the FA43 with the K3 [My only complaint is button placements as I find the AF, and the AF select button too inconvenient and awkward as of now.]

[6BQ5]

I'm beginning to wonder if I have outgrown my trusty K-30. The K-3 is a obviously a great camera but I have been holding out on upgrading. I used the Christmas holiday season to upgrade my lenses instead. Last week I sold a guitar that I don't play and I have been selling off my excess lens collection. I thought about adding a DA 21 or a Q 08 zoom but neither of these lenses are tugging that hard on me. Maybe it's time for that K-3 and enable my FA Limiteds.

I got my K-30 in June 2013 and it only has 27k shutter clicks. It's still a young camera. A new unlabeled APS body was unveiled at CES. More could be on display soon at CP+. Hmmm...

[drypenn]

I'm beginning to wonder if I have outgrown my trusty K-30. The K-3 is a obviously a great camera but I have been holding out on upgrading. I used the Christmas holiday season to upgrade my lenses instead. Last week I sold a guitar that I don't play and I have been selling off my excess lens collection. I thought about adding a DA 21 or a Q 08 zoom but neither of these lenses are tugging that hard on me. Maybe it's time for that K-3 and enable my FA Limiteds.

I got my K-30 in June 2013 and it only has 27k shutter clicks. It's still a young camera. A new unlabeled APS body was unveiled at CES. More could be on display soon at CP+. Hmmm...

I actually held out the K3 upgrade for as long as I can, following the same reasoning, of lens over body. But the handling (except for buttons placements), improvement in focus (look, I can focus RELIABLY inside a closet now ), better, faster and more confident handling of screw-driven lens makes the difference between the K30 and K3 night and day.

(PS: I'll need a bigger hard disk sooner than later.)

[bassek]

I have the K30, the K-x and the FA43. Now I need the K3. before this post I did not know that, I just accepted the fact that some lenses focus slow.
How fast would my (already fast) F-series lenses be with the K3?

Seb.

PS: The K30 and the K-x are really good DSLRs.

[drypenn]

Under indoor and mixed lighting, the K-x and K30, will quickly bring the 43 in the focus range, but will do several micro-adjustments (especially the K-x) before confirming the AF lock. If lighting is really bad, it will probably take close to a second for the confirmation to come (if it does). I only use the central point, or manually select the focus. Obviously when this happens, the tentativeness of the AF lock makes me doubt as to whether I have achieved critical focus, and I always have to double check and zoom in to the LCD before continuing.

A good three hours of testing indoors yesterday, showed that the K3 is much, much more confident, rarely needing any micro adjustment, than my K30 or K-x. Sans the micro-adjustments, the lenses are obviously faster. I must agree, the K3 is a huge jump from the K30 in this regard. [But for the looks, I'm sorry but the blue K30 still looks way, way, way better than the K3 :P ]

Also, my copies of DA*55, FA43, FA77 and FA31 do not need any AF fine tune adjustment with the K3! I will test my other glasses later.

[Nicolas06]

I'm beginning to wonder if I have outgrown my trusty K-30. The K-3 is a obviously a great camera but I have been holding out on upgrading. I used the Christmas holiday season to upgrade my lenses instead. Last week I sold a guitar that I don't play and I have been selling off my excess lens collection. I thought about adding a DA 21 or a Q 08 zoom but neither of these lenses are tugging that hard on me. Maybe it's time for that K-3 and enable my FA Limiteds.

I got my K-30 in June 2013 and it only has 27k shutter clicks. It's still a young camera. A new unlabeled APS body was unveiled at CES. More could be on display soon at CP+. Hmmm...

The K3 literally change one life related to AF performance. AF is much faster, much more accurate and work well in low light and all lenses. With the K5 the FA50 was always so-so and overall it was difficult in low light. Many users tend to think AF is not important. If you are not into MF, this is really important. The K3 just focus on what you ask fast. This is really invaluable.

I don't know if the next body will have the same AF as K3 or not... To be checked.

[monochrome]

I don't know if the next body will have the same AF as K3 or not... To be checked.

Might be even better. AF is a work in process.

[Nicolas06]

Might be even better. AF is a work in process.

Would be true for the next flagship... Next body look like replacement of K50... This one didn't get the low light AF capabilities of K5-II nor did K-S1 got the 27 AF point or the smaller, more precise focus point areas or the more powerfull in body motor. It didn't get the 83000+ colors metering points but just monochrome 77 point metering unit preventing any form of tracking.

We will see for the next mid-level body what it provide. Hopefully this not like K50, the same features as before but in a different form factor.

[monochrome]

Would be true for the next flagship... Next body look like replacement of K50..

Oh - given that we're all pretty certain the K-50 replacement will be announced at CP+ I was referring to the next body after that, the flagship replacement (or maybe both of them ).

[Nicolas06]

Oh - given that we're all pretty certain the K-50 replacement will be announced at CP+ I was referring to the next body after that, the flagship replacement (or maybe both of them ).

Yes the next body after K50 is likely the new flagship and sure at least at good as before We could hope at minimum for same hardware but with improved algorithms to better leverage it !