[Zygonyx]

I've read a number of reviews of the D500 over the years - DPR, Imaging-Resource, etc. - and they all mention that the D500 is large and heavy for an APS-C DSLR. It's actually about the same size and 20g heavier than the FF D780 (and 80g heavier than the K-3 II).

Indeed.
My oriented observation was for the forthcomming comparisons regarding K-3III in the sense that i bet nobody will mention it's compacity advantage over the Nikon.
"Because it's no mirrorless".
We will read it, or not

[Kobie]

Indeed.
My oriented observation was for the forthcomming comparisons regarding K-3III in the sense that i bet nobody will mention it's compacity advantage over the Nikon.
"Because it's no mirrorless".
We will read it, or not

It will be interesting to see what reviewers say in comparison since the D500 isn't without its own faults...
*Snippet from a D500 review*

In circumstances where there is a clear subject, well isolated from the background, the D500's autofocus and tracking is hugely impressive. Even in circumstances where it only has a fraction of a second to acquire both the subject and focus, it does very well indeed, rendering our bike test irrelevant.
Our test is designed to simulate a subject moving unpredictably at a moderate speed (such as a small child running towards the camera) and this presents no challenge at all for the D500, even when the camera is chattering away at 10 fps.
In this instance, the rider started off too far back for us to be able to specify that the camera should focus on his face, so instead it's focused on his shirt, but the consistency between shots is excellent. We shot the same test multiple times (generating over 700 images) and found we could pick images at random and be supremely confident that they'd be in focus. <--- That sounds like a free pass to me.

Team Sports
Given how well it performed in our standard test, we decided to check just how much of the D5's capability you get in the D500 and made sure we shot a variety of fast-action activities to see what it's capable of.

For skateboarding, BMX and motorsport, 3D Tracking did very well - very quickly acquiring focus on the subject under our AF point and then following it even during burst shooting. However, it's notable that all these events feature a single subject that's fairly distinct from its background, both in terms of depth and color (the two parameters the camera can interpret).

Polo and soccer proved more challenging for 3D Tracking. With multiple similarly-attired subjects we found that, while generally very good, the camera could be distracted too often to be depended on. Even with some adjustment of the 'Blocked Shot Response,' the camera would occasionally wander off and follow a different player if they stepped in front of the intended target. Blocked shot response sounds to me like Pentax's AF Hold which from all my shooting works very very well.

Pros
Excellent image quality: high quality Raw and JPEG
Superlative autofocus performance even at 10 fps
Well-designed ergonomics and handling
4K video quality is generally strong
Joystick makes AF point selection faster
Ability to switch AF point mode with button press really useful
AF Fine Tune process greatly simplified to increase central AF accuracy
Touchscreen implementation fast and effective
Flicker reduction mode gives better consistency under artificial light

Cons
4K video taken from small crop of sensor, limiting lens choice
Snapbridge wireless system is simplistic and (currently) inconsistent
Video tools are somewhat limited
Autofocus in video prone to wobble and re-focus
Quirky battery usage prompts regular use of Airplane mode
Default JPEG noise reduction and sharpening a little high
USB charging would be a useful addition
Overall conclusion
The D500 is one of the most expensive APS-C ILCs currently on the market but its sheer capability demonstrates the continued relevance of the format at this point in the market, even if Nikon seemed a little uncertain about that for a few years. The pixel count and sensor size allow the camera to achieve 10 fps shooting with 1.5x effective extra reach, relative to full frame (albeit at an image quality cost).

Reading that review, it really seems PENTAX was looking at the D500 as a direct target. There was mention of pressing a button and using the control dials to change parameters on the D500 (New Smart Function anyone)? Video Capabilities are pretty much identical (but perhaps the K-3 III won't actually crop the sensor for it).

They do seem to be very similar cameras overall, but the D500 is massive for a crop camera in size and weight. So, ya, it'll be interesting to see if reviews continue the "bash" as per usual, or if they'll actually give the K-3 III a fair objective look/chance.

[Serkevan]

So, ya, it'll be interesting to see if reviews continue the "bash" as per usual, or if they'll actually give the K-3 III a fair objective look/chance.

Lol. A fair look.

"Heavy for its size, good ergonomics, we aren't mentioning IQ, doesn't do 8K video"

80% DPR Tested.

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

Though comparisons with the D500 are interesting, and valid in many ways, I bought my D500 nearly five years ago, and things have moved on since then. I am disappointed that the K-3 III uses SD cards, and only one UHS II at that. However, that is not a deal breaker for me as I have many SD cards of both persuasions, but I wonder what effect it will have on the buffering of high speed bursts (not something I use, but something that will be picked on by the so-called YouTube "influencers" who see flaws in Pentax cameras that they gloss over in other brands). For my type of photography all I really need is i) very accurate and fast autofocus and ii) great image quality. With my K-1 and K-3 so many shots are ruined by the camera focusing on something other that what I told it to, a problem I never had with my D500. To be honest, I have persevered with Pentax only because I love the brand, and I believe that are made by photographers by photographers. I have supported the brand by buying every camera new from the K-7 to the K-1, with an *ist D somewhere along the lines. I think I deserve autofocus that is up there with its peers. Give me that, Pentax, and I'm in for a Limited Edition K-3 III!

[Serkevan]

Though comparisons with the D500 are interesting, and valid in many ways, I bought my D500 nearly five years ago, and things have moved on since then. I am disappointed that the K-3 III uses SD cards, and only one UHS II at that. However, that is not a deal breaker for me as I have many SD cards of both persuasions, but I wonder what effect it will have on the buffering of high speed bursts (not something I use, but something that will be picked on by the so-called YouTube "influencers" who see flaws in Pentax cameras that they gloss over in other brands). For my type of photography all I really need is i) very accurate and fast autofocus and ii) great image quality. With my K-1 and K-3 so many shots are ruined by the camera focusing on something other that what I told it to, a problem I never had with my D500. To be honest, I have persevered with Pentax only because I love the brand, and I believe that are made by photographers by photographers. I have supported the brand by buying every camera new from the K-7 to the K-1, with an *ist D somewhere along the lines. I think I deserve autofocus that is up there with its peers. Give me that, Pentax, and I'm in for a Limited Edition K-3 III!

Have they moved on in the AF department, though?
I am not aware of any DSLR that tracks noticeably better than the D500. Sure, one could make the argument of mirrorless bird-spleen-AF, but that doesn't offer an OVF...

[Andrea K]

Although the picture is a premium kit, the content of the tweet is K3III body.

there is a retweet with the kit details

[ThorSanchez]

Team Sports
Given how well it performed in our standard test, we decided to check just how much of the D5's capability you get in the D500 and made sure we shot a variety of fast-action activities to see what it's capable of.

For skateboarding, BMX and motorsport, 3D Tracking did very well - very quickly acquiring focus on the subject under our AF point and then following it even during burst shooting. However, it's notable that all these events feature a single subject that's fairly distinct from its background, both in terms of depth and color (the two parameters the camera can interpret).

Polo and soccer proved more challenging for 3D Tracking. With multiple similarly-attired subjects we found that, while generally very good, the camera could be distracted too often to be depended on. Even with some adjustment of the 'Blocked Shot Response,' the camera would occasionally wander off and follow a different player if they stepped in front of the intended target. Blocked shot response sounds to me like Pentax's AF Hold which from all my shooting works very very well.

In my experience with a K-3ii using anything but center-point autofocus coupled with back-button focus for action subjects is a lesson in frustration. In almost a decade of using the K-30 and K-3ii and all kinds of configurations and settings center-point and repeatedly pressing back button is the only way to get an acceptable keeper rate shooting team sports, and I still accept that that moment with my kid doing something cool may well miss focus. This is the primary reason I'm looking forward to the Mark III, a dramatic improvement in not only the accuracy and stickiness of non-center point autofocus, but also the processing speed to keep up with moving subjects.

[ffking]

"Heavy for its size, good ergonomics, we aren't mentioning IQ, doesn't do 8K video"

80% DPR Tested.

Don't forget the newly revised foggy night bike test

[Pål Jensen]

Isn't it next week now?

[mtkeller]

Don't forget the newly revised foggy night bike test

Which they will have to do in a dark sky area (where they will conveniently neglect to do any astrophotography) on the night of a new moon.

---------- Post added 03-30-21 at 07:01 ----------

Isn't it next week now?

It’s next week all week! It’s sounding like tomorrow, the last day of the month, is supposed to be the day now.

[Serkevan]

Which they will have to do in a dark sky area (where they will conveniently neglect to do any astrophotography) on the night of a new moon.

It’s next week all week! It’s sounding like tomorrow, the last day of the month, is supposed to be the day now.

Or worse: they take a full moon night and then blame the Accelerator for being a "star eater on steroids* Mk ii".

I'm only half joking.


*Nevermind that basically everyone and their mother applies NR at low ISO now. Only a problem with Pentax, clearly.

[mtkeller]

Or worse: they take a full moon night and then blame the Accelerator for being a "star eater on steroids* Mk ii".

I'm only half joking.


*Nevermind that basically everyone and their mother applies NR at low ISO now. Only a problem with Pentax, clearly.

They'll do that test as well, claiming that it's their way of being fair.

[reh321]

Have they moved on in the AF department, though?
I am not aware of any DSLR that tracks noticeably better than the D500. Sure, one could make the argument of mirrorless bird-spleen-AF, but that doesn't offer an OVF...

You could have ended your post after the word "D500".
I believe AF accuracy is one of the reasons Nikon is still producing DSLRs - the other one being their legacy lenses which depend upon in-body focus motors.

[Serkevan]

the other one being their legacy lenses which depend upon in-body focus motors.

And their cheaper cameras don't even support screwdrive! You have to pay extra for those

[Belnan]

Have they moved on in the AF department, though?
I am not aware of any DSLR that tracks noticeably better than the D500. Sure, one could make the argument of mirrorless bird-spleen-AF, but that doesn't offer an OVF...

There is certainly more to the D500 AF then the number of points. I cant imagine the K3-III being as good but if it is even close it will still be better than almost every other camera out there. I recall years ago pentax saying they wanted to be number one in AF so maybe they will be. I'm excited to see the reviews.