[Canada_Rockies]

Indeed, fair enough for most folks, even serious adventures and great travels. However as a timelapse and astro-landscape photographer, I sometimes go on trips that generate 9,000 images in just a few days, and as a wedding photographer I regularly put 10,000-20,000 "clicks on my shutter" per month.

All in all, this sharing of information will only make us all wiser, so thanks!

=Matt=

Other folks that shoot the way you do are why I put in the shutter count caveat, and the low chimp usage. What my post does point up is that it has taken 8 years for the Pentax OEM batteries to start to show their age. Remarkable. I'm sure my battery life with a K-3 will be worse and with a K-3 II worse still. I'm following a couple of K-3 kits on eBay - the special grey ones. One is an open box from a Canadian store, and is $100 less than another non-demo version from a more local dealer. I think the local dealer will get the business; they might give a bit of a "trade in" discount for the K10D and grip.

[Dan Rentea]

Update on K-3 II battery life. After the second charge of it, I took 560 shots. But no night landscape this time and no pixel shift resolution shots either. I'm not sure in which conditions I can take 720 shots (as Ricoh said), but so far the short life of the battery is my only complaint about K-3 II. I think I will need another 2 genuine batteries (one for the battery grip and a spare one) just to be shore I have enough "energy" in case I will forget to take the charger with me on a two day trip.

Unlike the K-5 II, with K-3 II I realised that is better to overexpose a little than underexpose (is true that I can bring a lot of details from underexpose area, but the noise will be more pronounced, even if ISO is at 200 or 400). Now I have to be more careful to set the right exposure, but this is a good thing because I spend less time on post processing.
Overall I love the camera.

[Ishpuini]

Update on K-3 II battery life. After the second charge of it, I took 560 shots. But no night landscape this time and no pixel shift resolution shots either. I'm not sure in which conditions I can take 720 shots (as Ricoh said), but so far the short life of the battery is my only complaint about K-3 II. I think I will need another 2 genuine batteries (one for the battery grip and a spare one) just to be shore I have enough "energy" in case I will forget to take the charger with me on a two day trip.

560 shots sounds more in line with my K-3. That's the reason why I carry 4 batteries on longer trips. Did you use the GPS during that time?

Unlike the K-5 II, with K-3 II I realised that is better to overexpose a little than underexpose (is true that I can bring a lot of details from underexpose area, but the noise will be more pronounced, even if ISO is at 200 or 400). Now I have to be more careful to set the right exposure, but this is a good thing because I spend less time on post processing.

Again similar to the K-3.

Overall I love the camera.

Tx for your reports!

Wim

[Dan Rentea]

I haven't touched the GPS function yet.

As for Pixel shift function, it was more a curiosity, that is why I "tested" it in the first place. I may use both of this functions in the future (GPS with astro tracer when I'll go on a mountain trip). Pixel shift resolution will come in handy when I will have to shoot product photography (handbags, scarves) for a friend of mine which has an online store. But for the moment the details from K-3 II are amazing without Pixel shift function activated.

Another thing that I realised (compared with K-5 II) is this: if with K-5 II I needed let's say a 1/160 shutter speed to freeze the movement of a big leaf in a gentle wind (it's just an example that crossed my mind ), with the K-3 II I must use minimum 1/200 to have the same result. I think that because there are 30% more megapixels crowded in a sensor which has the same size as K-5 II it has to compensate the motion and sensor vibration.

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Last edited by Dan Rentea; 06-04-2015 at 06:52 AM.

[totsmuyco]

I haven't touched the GPS function yet.

Another thing that I realised (compared with K-5 II) is this: if with K-5 II I needed let's say a 1/160 shutter speed to freeze the movement of a big leaf in a gentle wind (it's just an exemple that cross my mind ), with the K-3 II I must use minimum 1/200 to have the same result. I think that because there are 30% more megapixels crowded in a sensor which has the same size as K-5 II it has to compensate the motion and sensor vibration.

Wow, I didn't know that you need to have a different speed for 2 different cameras in order to freeze movement of objects having more or less the same speed. Also if what you're saying about having a higher shutter speed if you're using a camera with a higher megapixel to freeze objects, I really need to learn a lot about digital photography. And all I thought is they're all the same. Man, I really need to read some more.

[Ishpuini]

Wow, I didn't know that you need to have a different speed for 2 different cameras in order to freeze movement of objects having more or less the same speed. Also if what you're saying about having a higher shutter speed if you're using a camera with a higher megapixel to freeze objects, I really need to learn a lot about digital photography. And all I thought is they're all the same. Man, I really need to read some more.

No difference will be visible at normal screen or print size, only at 100% pixel level the 24MP of the K-3(II) will be more sensitive to movement than the larger pixels of the 16MP of the K-5(II). In other words: some movement will be spread over two (smaller) pixels in the K-3, whereas this movement will remain within one (larger) pixel in the K-5.

It's the sensor, not the camera.

hth, Wim

[Dan Rentea]

It didn't came out as I wanted. My english seems to have some flaws. But Ishpuini explained much better than me what I wanted to say.
Thank you for helping me with my observation!

[rawr]

Man, I really need to read some more.

Can I suggest reading this:

Nikon D800/E technical Guide [2.9MB PDF]

It applies to any high-MP camera. And since the Pentax FF is likely to be 36MP, it may be worth some special study.

[totsmuyco]

Thanks for clarifying things.

[Dan Rentea]

Rawr, good information. I think this article is very useful for those who upgraded to K-3 (II).

[Nicolas06]

I bought my K10D in November, 2007 including a grip. Pentax battery in camera, Pentax battery in grip. They are still both going strong. That's almost 8 years per battery. In 2012 I got two weeks out of them on a trip. I forgot my charger. I'll stick with the C$80 batteries vs the C$20 ones, thank you very much. I must in all honesty admit that I don't chimp much, never use the built in flash except for unusual circumstances, and the camera is only showing 15,000 frames total. I'm also noticing they are finally losing some of their endurance, but I won't change them. We are going on a long trailer trip in September, and I plan on using a K-3 or K-3 II with grip for the trip. Got a nice bonus income yesterday for half the money.

Battery life is much linked to number of charges you make. if you don't shoot many photos and don't make that many charges your batteries are going to last more years, maybe not more charges. Maybe the generic one would still be good with your usage after 8 years or at least would have been good for 4-5 years.

I don't know how many years a pro doing weddings all the time would have the same batteries last?

[Matthew Saville]

Battery life is much linked to number of charges you make. if you don't shoot many photos and don't make that many charges your batteries are going to last more years, maybe not more charges. Maybe the generic one would still be good with your usage after 8 years or at least would have been good for 4-5 years.

I don't know how many years a pro doing weddings all the time would have the same batteries last?

Considering that I fully discharge and recharge my ~4 batteries on a 1-2 week cycle almost all year 'round, as a wedding photographer, I try to get 3-4 years out of a Nikon battery, and the same from some of (but not all) the third-party brands that are good enough quality to be sold through the likes of B&H etc.

[Dave L]

Considering that I fully discharge and recharge my ~4 batteries on a 1-2 week cycle almost all year 'round, as a wedding photographer, I try to get 3-4 years out of a Nikon battery, and the same from some of (but not all) the third-party brands that are good enough quality to be sold through the likes of B&H etc.

Unlike Nicads, with Lithium Ion batteries, you could probably do better by discharging them less, before recharging.

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University

[totsmuyco]

Has anyone tested the camera on high ISO and low light conditions? It would be nice to hear your feedback. Thanks

[Adam]

Has anyone tested the camera on high ISO and low light conditions? It would be nice to hear your feedback. Thanks

If you're referring to normal shooting (i.e. not super resolution), see:
Pentax K-3 Review - Low-Light High-ISO | PentaxForums.com Reviews