[kadajawi]

Great, don't forget to set the right time on the cam. Don't forget to bring additional batteries for your phone. Don't forget to write down the direction of every single photo taken. Spend some time with postprocessing and use different kind of software products. Try to synchronise the photo direction with the coordinates. If you manage all this you achieved to have the same amount of information in your EXIF as if you turn on the K-3II's GPS.
Believe me, I've been there and done that for many years, as have many of my colleagues who do fieldwork in their profession. Why is it such a pain for some to just accept that something might not be useful for them but it is for others?

That is why you take a photo of the screen. And bringing a USB charger for the phone is standard practice for me, I can also use it to charge my camera if necessary.

The direction is missing, true.

I'm not saying doing it manually is as good or convenient as the K-3 II, only that it is a make shift alternative for those whose camera doesn't have it.

[IchabodCrane]

Geotagging is quite simple. Install an app called GPSLogger on your phone. Run it. Take a photo of the app displaying the current time (so you can sync it up later). Sync the time. Take the resulting GPX file and use the GPS tagger plugin from that popular Lightroom plugin maker (can't remember the name now, sorry), and tag the photos.

Yes, having it built in is easier, but this is hardly rocket science either. You can also tell the plugin to tag the photos with what is nearby. Special places, street names, etc.

But isn't that GPX info essentially in a sidecar and not the image file itself? Not the same thing when it comes time to export that file (I don't think).

[reh321]

Exactly. On a related note, I gave my [pop-up flash less] NEX-5 (plus tiny bundled Sony external flash) to a young relative once for an overseas trip. In a matter of days, they had lost the NEX accessory flash.

Subsequent NEX's (past the NEX 5/3 series) all featured a built-in flash. Built-in flash has it's advantages. You can't lose it.

So, are you going to give a K-3ii to a young relative any time soon???

I'm amazed at how many electrons have been wasted over a little thing that was never considered to be a possibility until fairly recently. You'd thought they had eliminated autofocus from the camera!!

---------- Post added 04-24-15 at 09:21 AM ----------

That is why you take a photo of the screen. And bringing a USB charger for the phone is standard practice for me, I can also use it to charge my camera if necessary.
The direction is missing, true.
I'm not saying doing it manually is as good or convenient as the K-3 II, only that it is a make shift alternative for those whose camera doesn't have it.

Are you also going to suggest that someone pack an LED flashlight powered by 1 AAA battery if their camera doesn't have a tiny point-source flash??

[derekkite]

Well if they thought removing the built-in flash would attract more professionals, why did they then put the GPS onboard? Pros don't use that, either.

Geotagging is one of those things that you would never go out and buy something for, but if it is unobtrusive you would come to expect anything that takes a photo to include. Every pro takes notes of some kind as to where the photo was taken. Now it is automatic.

I have the O-GPS1, don't use it often because it is obtrusive and gets in the way of an external flash. But when I have used it the tagging is there, my software can show where I took the shot.

[Rorschach]

That is why you take a photo of the screen. And bringing a USB charger for the phone is standard practice for me, I can also use it to charge my camera if necessary.

The direction is missing, true.

I'm not saying doing it manually is as good or convenient as the K-3 II, only that it is a make shift alternative for those whose camera doesn't have it.

Bolded: you're right, it isn't...rather it's a huge pain in a certain crevice in the human body where the sun don't shine.

Direction info is very useful to have for many purposes and absolutely necessary for some, i.e. any kind of repeat photography setup (see LUHNA - Repeat Photography and Rephotography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

[bobmaxja]

Any owner of this type of camera should have a seprate flash. If not, they just need a cheaper camera. And if the new K-3 II came with any of the kit zoom lens, the onboard flash will probably make shadow on the image. Just proven that onboead flash is a nuisance for most of people using this camera

[normhead]

Geotagging is quite simple. Install an app called GPSLogger on your phone. Run it. Take a photo of the app displaying the current time (so you can sync it up later). Sync the time. Take the resulting GPX file and use the GPS tagger plugin from that popular Lightroom plugin maker (can't remember the name now, sorry), and tag the photos.

Yes, having it built in is easier, but this is hardly rocket science either. You can also tell the plugin to tag the photos with what is nearby. Special places, street names, etc.

Ya, that might work great until you're out of range of a cell tower, then it doesn't work at all. Apple Aperture does what you talk about with GPS tagger and more. And it will display your track on a google earth image with the images shown as clickable links and allow you to adjust your images if the time sync is off. No need to get any special software at my place.

That being said, built in GPS is just a much superior solution. Whether or not it's rocket science is irrelevant. I've come home after a long hike and been too tired to do the Geotagging. The biggest problem with that solution is, there are times when it just doesn't get done.

Carrying a flash in your camera bag, is easier than syncing your GPX file with your photos, for many of us.

[jaad75]

Any owner of this type of camera should have a seprate flash

Just one? They need two - the second one to control the first. :P

[bobmaxja]

I use a Cactus , it's a lot better and flexible

[Rorschach]

Just one? They need two - the second one to control the first. :P

Strange..I have survived for over ten years with very close to zero usage of any flash whatsoever. I think I have more accidental incidents (i.e. forgetting to set the on-board flash completely off on a new or borrowed camera) than usage on purpose.

[jaad75]

I use a Cactus , it's a lot better and flexible

I use Pocket Wizards, but I don't carry them with me all the time. And what if you need/want a wireless P-TTL?

[Tom777]

Well I will wait for the K4,
with Pixel shift,
better AF,
tilt screen,
flash,
and maybe an upgrade sensor,


seriously though I am confused now I am all set to buy a new k3, as I don't believe the k3ii has much to offer for me, not interested in GPS, i don't know what the big deal with this is all about,
I can add were my photos were taken in post.


all it will do is run the battery down a lot quicker, same with Wi-Fi .


I just take out my mem card put it in the reader and I got my photos all loaded into Lightroom, none of this faffin about with wi-fi


the whole thing is, with the K3ii is that its all gimmicky,


I love my Pentax k3, but just nothing there on k3ii for me and I suspect many others


The above is just my own opinion


oh there will be some whom disagree that's fine,


one more point this k3ii is cheaper than some of the k3 that are advertised is it second rate to the k3!
Tom G
,

[jaad75]

I have survived for over ten years with very close to zero usage of any flash whatsoever.

I have survived much longer without using a GPS, not to mention the Astrotracer. I haven't done one shot that could possibly be described as an "astro" or even a "night sky" photo. :P

[JinDesu]

Well I will wait for the K4,
with Pixel shift,
better AF,
tilt screen,
flash,
and maybe an upgrade sensor,


seriously though I am confused now I am all set to buy a new k3, as I don't believe the k3ii has much to offer for me, not interested in GPS, i don't know what the big deal with this is all about,
I can add were my photos were taken in post.

It's for convenience and the ability to use the Astrotracer function.

all it will do is run the battery down a lot quicker, same with Wi-Fi .

Turn if off if you aren't using it.

the whole thing is, with the K3ii is that its all gimmicky,

Not for people who are looking to upgrade from a k-7, k-x, k-r, k-5, etc that wanted the Astrotracer function. Not for people who do studio scenes or landscape and wanted to upgrade from those cameras.

I love my Pentax k3, but just nothing there on k3ii for me and I suspect many others

There is no way in heck Pentax meant for this to be the upgrade for people who bought k-3 cameras. This is for people who were waiting to upgrade from their k-7, k-x, k-r, etc and thought the k-3 wasn't enough.

One more point this k3ii is cheaper than some of the k3 that are advertised is it second rate to the k3!
Tom G
,

Because it came out later. It's a Mark 2 version, not a new camera. Wait for the k-4/k-1/k-whatever, yes, but this is NOT a new camera to replace the k-3.

[Rorschach]

one more point this k3ii is cheaper than some of the k3 that are advertised is it second rate to the k3!
Tom G
,

Managed to find a negative aspect even in that...I am flabbergasted, you are really a 'special' talent.