[The Squirrel Mafia]

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.

This pretty much sums up what I have to do when using my friend's K-3II & DA 55-300mm PLM. Don't get me wrong. That lens can focus very fast, but the camera just can't figure out what it's tracking, especially if the background is busy. Using AF.C & all focus points results in way too many non-keepers. You just want to fling the camera a mile away in anger at times. I'm not even going to get into the K-50 AF issues.

I really hope that the K-3III can finally track a subject reliably. Point the AF point on subject & the camera now follows it tenaciously whether you move, the subject moves, or both of you move while constantly driving the lens to keep the subject you have chosen in focus in all X, Y, & Z directions within any busy or non-busy background. With the K-3II it's like, point AF point on subject & the camera's like, "I think I'll focus on whatever I want. SQUIRREL!" Hahaha! Not to mention that quite often you don't know what the camera is focusing on with the AF points that light up very briefly.

[Serkevan]

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.

Yeah, that's what I mean - The D500 is 5 years old but it's still the best-tracking DSLR in the market AFAIK (or maybe the 1DXiii/D6 are a touch better). If the K-3iii gets close to *that*, then there should be no reason for complaint, considering everything else the Pentax brings to the table.

[mtkeller]

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.

It sure sounds like Pentax has poured a lot into what the K-3 iii's AF will be able to offer through the OVF. Plus, they'll be able to use firmware updates to push out more improvements based on machine learning and users' practical experiences. We will definitely have to see in practice how it compares to the D500, but I am definitely willing to entertain the K-3 iii being as good or better than the D500.

[Pål Jensen]

Yeah, that's what I mean - The D500 is 5 years old but it's still the best-tracking DSLR in the market AFAIK (or maybe the 1DXiii/D6 are a touch better). If the K-3iii gets close to *that*, then there should be no reason for complaint, considering everything else the Pentax brings to the table.

I'm pretty sure some will complain even if it is twice as fast. That you can't shoot weddings with it.....

[jersey]

I'm not even going to get into the K-50 AF issues.

Please, do not make me remember that damn thing focusing on everything that moves BUT nowhere near what I wanted it to track. Even if there is just one bird on blue sky, it will find some cloud to focus on

If K-3/3 is better then this, I will fall in love with it

[The Squirrel Mafia]

Please, do not make me remember that damn thing focusing on everything that moves BUT nowhere near what I wanted it to track. Even if there is just one bird on blue sky, it will find some cloud to focus on

Hahahahaha!

[reh321]

This pretty much sums up what I have to do when using my friend's K-3II & DA 55-300mm PLM. Don't get me wrong. That lens can focus very fast, but the camera just can't figure out what it's tracking, especially if the background is busy. Using AF.C & all focus points results in way too many non-keepers. You just want to fling the camera a mile away in anger at times. I'm not even going to get into the K-50 AF issues.

I really hope that the K-3III can finally track a subject reliably. Point the AF point on subject & the camera now follows it tenaciously whether you move, the subject moves, or both of you move while constantly driving the lens to keep the subject you have chosen in focus in all X, Y, & Z directions within any busy or non-busy background. With the K-3II it's like, point AF point on subject & the camera's like, "I think I'll focus on whatever I want. SQUIRREL!" Hahaha! Not to mention that quite often you don't know what the camera is focusing on with the AF points that light up very briefly.

You should be able to see what is truly in focus.
My K-30 has lousy AF, but it never settles on something and claims it has focused on it.
I tend to use single-point focus, and my KP does focus on it.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

^ When you have fractions of a second to take the shot, you basically have no time whatsoever to see if it's 100% completely in focus. You just hope it is.

When you take the time to shoot, then yeah. You can clearly see after a few seconds of fiddling around with the AF or MF.

That's the difference between shooting a moving & static subject. Some cameras can do moving subjects fairly well & some can't quite nail them.

[repaap]

^ When you have fractions of a second to take the shot, you basically have no time whatsoever to see if it's 100% completely in focus. You just hope it is.

When you take the time to shoot, then yeah. You can clearly see after a few seconds of fiddling around with the AF or MF.

That's the difference between shooting a moving & static subject. Some cameras can do moving subjects fairly well & some can't quite nail them.

I'm interested also if this and some other quirks are going to put in rest soon. IF camera can now recognice let's say a bird and focus at it, and hold it when it moves. I know it is possible now also, kind a, but we all KNOW what we are talking about, right. This will be revolutionary for many of pentaxians. I know I'll be very happy.

[ThorSanchez]

This pretty much sums up what I have to do when using my friend's K-3II & DA 55-300mm PLM. Don't get me wrong. That lens can focus very fast, but the camera just can't figure out what it's tracking, especially if the background is busy. Using AF.C & all focus points results in way too many non-keepers. You just want to fling the camera a mile away in anger at times. I'm not even going to get into the K-50 AF issues.

I really hope that the K-3III can finally track a subject reliably. Point the AF point on subject & the camera now follows it tenaciously whether you move, the subject moves, or both of you move while constantly driving the lens to keep the subject you have chosen in focus in all X, Y, & Z directions within any busy or non-busy background. With the K-3II it's like, point AF point on subject & the camera's like, "I think I'll focus on whatever I want. SQUIRREL!" Hahaha! Not to mention that quite often you don't know what the camera is focusing on with the AF points that light up very briefly.

If you set the K-3ii to AF-C and 27-point focus, then go out and take pictures of kids playing sports you will get a very large percentage of photos with the trees in the background in focus, the parents on the far sideline in focus, the cars in the parking lot in focus, or not much of anything at all in focus. But you certainly won't get a majority of your shots with the players in focus. Only when going through a number of threads here and doing a lot of trial-and-error did I finally settle on single-point and back button (and at least f/7.1 for increased depth of field when light allows) and now probably get 50-70% in focus.

---------- Post added 03-30-21 at 02:29 PM ----------

I'm pretty sure some will complain even if it is twice as fast. That you can't shoot weddings with it.....

It's human beings on the internet. Someone would complain if you were handing them a bucket full of cash, a Ferrari, and 28-year-old Jennifer Aniston in a plaid miniskirt.


Pentax doesn't have a monopoly on complaints.

[Cynog Ap Brychan]

It's human beings on the internet. Someone would complain if you were handing them a bucket full of cash, a Ferrari, and 28-year-old Jennifer Aniston in a plaid miniskirt.

I hate plaid skirts!

[ThorSanchez]

^ When you have fractions of a second to take the shot, you basically have no time whatsoever to see if it's 100% completely in focus. You just hope it is.

When you take the time to shoot, then yeah. You can clearly see after a few seconds of fiddling around with the AF or MF.

That's the difference between shooting a moving & static subject. Some cameras can do moving subjects fairly well & some can't quite nail them.

Any camera and almost any user can hit focus on a parked car or a tree. (Well... let's not talk about my 20-40mm LTD that back focuses beyond the +10 micro-adjust limit of the K-3ii when wide open at 20mm).

But it's a whole different story chasing my kid around the pitch dribbling a ball. With current Pentax cameras it's at the very limit of the capabilities of (me + camera + PLM lens) to get an acceptable keeper rate.

---------- Post added 03-30-21 at 02:34 PM ----------

I hate plaid skirts!

Dear God, you must not be human! Or at least not a human male between the ages of 10 and 108.

[house]

Found this on youtube . Will be viewable March 31 0700

You Tube

You Tube

[mee]

I'm pretty sure some will complain even if it is twice as fast. That you can't shoot weddings with it.....

OTOH people will make unsupported claims that it is the greatest crop camera ever too. The forums in general are places where subjective opinions get battled as if they were objective facts. Where personalities and emotions are at war.

[Serkevan]

Found this on youtube . Will be viewable March 31 0700

PENTAX K-3 Mark III - first review - YouTube

You mean to tell me I have to wake up early tomorrow?
BTW, that's the 16-50 PLM in the thumbnail no?