[Dan Rentea]

It's funny how people are very happy with their current Pentax cameras when they are debating things with other people a little less happy about Pentax current features, but when comes to wishes, almost everybody wants:
- af at the level of D500
- a lot more focus points
- video like Sony or Canon
- better flash system and connectivity
- touch screen
- etc.

Are you happy or not with your cameras? K3 II replacement seems that must be a real improvement given the number of features I've seen mentioned in this thread. I do hope to see most of them if not all in the next Pentax APS-C flagship, but I also hope that if this happens, you have some money saved because it ain't gone be cheap.

[biz-engineer]

Are you happy or not with your cameras?

Because otherwise there would be no point in buying a K3 successor if the features/performance would not consist of an upgrade.

[Ishpuini]

Just a few thoughts...


I shot a few hours with a K-1II over the week-end, which lead me to two conclusions:
- I'm sticking with APS-C, FF being too large and cumbersome (even with diminutive FA limited lenses) for my narrow hands. Being used to the K-3II's FPS, the K-1II actually felt slow to me (I bracket a lot).

- I do love the K-1's tilt screen. IMHO, that's the only thing from the K-1II that would actually offer me some added *photography* value compared to my K-3II's.

However, I'm really not asking for any specific features in the K-3III(?). Pentax has always managed to come up with features I didn't anticipate but that actually made a difference to me. Since the K10D I've owned every single APS-C flagship except the K-5II, because there was always some new feature that I could take advantage of (though the relative added value is less every iteration). This changed with the KP (small battery, just one SD slot, no GPS) when it was announced by some as the new APS-C flagship, so I got me a second K-3II instead. As such, with an unprecedented investment in two bodies that I'm still perfectly happy with, there's no hurry as far as I'm concerned. I will be going to Photokina in September as always, but don't expect to see much on that front. I *will* be looking forward to getting another look at the DA*11-18/2.8.

I'm happy to see Ricoh produce new Pentax products, and as long as these provide added value to me I'll continue purchasing their stuff. Though it doesn't have to be bodies persé...

Wim

[Tranzistors]

I will be going to Photokina in September as always, but don't expect to see much on that front

My local camera store guy agrees with you — not much new in Photonika, except a new Theta with K7 resolution. Is the sales guy reliable? I have no idea.

[richard0170]

I have had my K3 from new since Sept 2015. I chose it over the k3ii because I thought at the time the built in flash would be more useful than pixel shift, astrotracer and GPS. I was right. However, since the K70 has come out you do get pixel shift and a built in flash, so a K3iii would be good with both.
Recently I have bought a couple of old cameras - for different purposes. A Fuji X-pro 1 and Nikon D610. The Fuji as it was a steal and I prefer B&W images from it, and the Nikon as I have a few F mount lenses I wanted to use. Comparing these cameras to the K3 has been interesting.
The Nikon has generally better AF, but I have yet to work out how to use single point back button focus - my preferred AF method and of course better high ISO performance and bigger viewfinder, which is to be expected given the larger sensor The Nikon has better battery life. Everything else about the Nikon is just not as nice as the K3. The K3 has better user interface, menu systems, ergonomics, rear screen and feels much better built. Both cameras have in camera RAW processing but with the exception of perspective the K3's is much better than Nikons. Any K3iii with perspective control would get me interested!
The Fuji is of course a completely different creature, and an ancient one at that. The user interface is quite different to Pentax but still easy to manage, but there is nothing apart form the better B&W output - to my taste - that Pentax could learn from.
So for me, in conclusion I would like to see any K3iii to have the following improvements over the K3ii :
1 Built in flash
2 Perspective correction for in camera raw processing
and if possible
3 Somehow get more of a film like look from the B&W images
4 A bigger viewfinder
But more than any of that, rather than a new model of camera please please please can we have a 27 or 28mm f2 or 2.8 DA lens! it can even be of similar quality to the DA 35 f2.4 or DA 50 f1.8 rather than the Ltd series. Pentax have long had genuinely normal primes the M 40mm pancake and the FA 43mm for film and FF. It would be nice to have one for APSc.

[bxf]

It's funny how people are very happy with their current Pentax cameras when they are debating things with other people a little less happy about Pentax current features, but when comes to wishes, almost everybody wants:
- af at the level of D500
- a lot more focus points
- video like Sony or Canon
- better flash system and connectivity
- touch screen
- etc.

Are you happy or not with your cameras?...

Come on, Dan. Just because one is satisfied with one's camera, does not mean that one can't wish for something better in some areas. Otherwise, one could never be happy, because there is always going to be some improvement around the corner.

[Kunzite]

I don't think we're allowed to be happy with anything Pentax. We should feel miserable. We should suffer. And then, we should jump ship to whatever else and see the light (insistently explaining that on Pentax communities).

[pts1958]

It's funny how people are very happy with their current Pentax cameras when they are debating things with other people a little less happy about Pentax current features, but when comes to wishes, almost everybody wants:
- af at the level of D500
- a lot more focus points
- video like Sony or Canon
- better flash system and connectivity
- touch screen
- etc.

Are you happy or not with your cameras? K3 II replacement seems that must be a real improvement given the number of features I've seen mentioned in this thread. I do hope to see most of them if not all in the next Pentax APS-C flagship, but I also hope that if this happens, you have some money saved because it ain't gone be cheap.

Certainly, but on these agents, nothing but the AF (type D500) and a sequence with 10 images / second would be a nice progress. Vidéo... buy a camcorder. Better flash system... Touch screen if not expensive in the price...
PS : same wish for K1

[Pål Jensen]

Touch screens are terrible; particularly on a camera. Touch screens are in my opinion example of dysfunctional technology. Have yet to find a single example of one that works flawlessly. That is, doesn't need several attempts or doesn't start functions accidentally.

[Ishpuini]

Touch screens are terrible; particularly on a camera. Touch screens are in my opinion example of dysfunctional technology. Have yet to find a single example of one that works flawlessly. That is, doesn't need several attempts or doesn't start functions accidentally.

On top of that, given the number or nose prints I leave on my screen, they would need a touch screen that can make the difference between a finger touch and a nose touch. I just tested my super advanced smartphone touch screen, and even that doesn't know the difference either... No problem starting apps with a nose press...


Wim

[Dan Rentea]

Come on, Dan. Just because one is satisfied with one's camera, does not mean that one can't wish for something better in some areas. Otherwise, one could never be happy, because there is always going to be some improvement around the corner.

People must have wishes (it's perfectly normal) and I'm sure that the next model of K3 will have improvements. But people who in other threads seems to be perfectly happy with their cameras are now wanting things which consider less important in other discussions. That's what I said, not that one can't wish for something better in some areas.

---------- Post added 08-22-18 at 11:47 AM ----------

Touch screens are terrible; particularly on a camera. Touch screens are in my opinion example of dysfunctional technology. Have yet to find a single example of one that works flawlessly. That is, doesn't need several attempts or doesn't start functions accidentally.

Touch screen is very nice on my 5D Mark IV. And it works flawlessly also.

[loyalt]

We're all speculating.. myself included.

I think DPR was correct when they initially reported the KP was the K-3 II successor. They supposedly got that news from Ricoh reps. I think Pentax tried to go a different route with a 'premium' type legacy inspired body and were met with a backlash. After that it was 'discovered' there was a lost-in-translation on the product release announcement and it was now NOT the K-3 II successor. haha I don't think so!

That is, my suspicion is it isnt taking long but they started on an actual K-3 II type successor when the KP was launched and it was met with rather large resistance. That is, if they actually are working one.. Ricoh reps have been known to appease interviewers with responses that cater to their interviewees requests. The way I see it if the product isn't released, it doesn't exist.

So I'd go with a KP or a K-3II if you are interested in a Pentax crop body. Those are your only 'upscale' retail choices.

I don't know much about the KP...is it even close to the K-3 in quality and design, being that the K-3 is the closest to a professional model in crop Pentax cameras?

[microlight]

@Kunzite - hehe, cool! And I agree; I’ve been shot down a number of times here for expressing my satisfaction with the K-3II, almost as if it’s an expectation to be dissatisfied. Richard0170 got the K-3 over the II because he wanted the built-in flash and didn’t see the value of pixel shift, Astrotracer and GPS, and that’s absolutely fine; it works for him. Me, I have little use for a flash of any description. I bought my little flashgun at the same time as the camera, and can probably count the number of times that I’ve used it on the fingers of one hand. The GPS has been absolutely invaluable though, and using a little Win10 app called GeoPhoto, I can see exactly where any photo was taken at the click of a mouse. Noise is manageable to quite a high level with a little judicious post-processing, as is perspective correction. The K-3II is a field camera in the same way that the K-1 appears to be (I haven’t got one, but that’s what the Northrups of this world are saying), and pixel shift pictures from it can be stunning. As such, the AF is fine for my use; in any case it’s night and day from the old K-5, and that wasn’t bad! You only have to look at some of the bird pictures on this site taken with the K-3II and long lenses to see what some can do with it.

At the end of the day, you don’t buy the camera that you don’t want. So while it will be interesting to see what the replacement brings to the table, I’m not holding my breath for it as my current camera outperforms me!

[loyalt]

It's funny how people are very happy with their current Pentax cameras when they are debating things with other people a little less happy about Pentax current features, but when comes to wishes, almost everybody wants:
- af at the level of D500
- a lot more focus points
- video like Sony or Canon
- better flash system and connectivity
- touch screen
- etc.

Are you happy or not with your cameras? K3 II replacement seems that must be a real improvement given the number of features I've seen mentioned in this thread. I do hope to see most of them if not all in the next Pentax APS-C flagship, but I also hope that if this happens, you have some money saved because it ain't gone be cheap.

I love my K-3! I shoot professionally for sports in local high schools and colleges. I am usually scoffed at by other photographers for having Pentax, but I love the quality, the prices, and the lenses' glass quality. I would like a 400mm f2.8 lens for Pentax.

[Larrymc]

Touch screen is very nice on my 5D Mark IV. And it works flawlessly also.

And flawlessly leaves a greasy print every time!