Will my K-3 lens work with the anticipated full frame?

AntonioD · 07-26-2015, 07:58 PM

Hello --

I just got into serious digital photography with the purchase of a K-3. What I really wanted, however, was a Canon 6D Full Frame, but I settled for the K-3 because of the cost of the 6D.

Now, I am wondering: If I invest in lenses for my K-3, will they work with the hoped for Pentax Full Frame? Or are they crop sensor lenses only?

Please let me know if I should invest in any more Pentax equipment, or just wait for a Canon FF? Thanks!

**Canada_Rockies** · 07-26-2015, 08:03 PM

It depends entirely on the lens you choose, Antonio. Check the forum database for the lenses you are interested in to find which are actually full frame and those that are hopelessly not. Myself, I see no advantage to using a full frame body (for birding, my passion). Full frame makes sense when you are printing very, very large prints of very detailed subjects or you really need the small depth of field differences between APS-C and 24x36. I currently own a K10D 10.2 MPx and have printed successfully 20x30 inches for wall mounting.

rawr · 07-26-2015, 08:05 PM

All K-mount lenses will work - new or old. The question is which features and attributes will they support.

The following threads may be of interest:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/183420-curr...me-lenses.html

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/31629-da-lenses-f...ts-thread.html

AntonioD · 07-26-2015, 08:31 PM

Thanks, rawr and Canada_Rockies!!! I appreciate the helpful information. For what it is worth, here is what I would like to shoot and print:

I know a lot of the cashiers at the stores that I frequent, and I would like to take their portraits, as well as those of the workers in my dentist and doctor offices. Since these will be in tight spaces, I need a lens that can handle the closeness. As well, I want a good bokeh and very, very shallow depth of field. I want only the eyes and face to be in focus!

As far as prints go, I imagine having mine hung in a gallery space at some point. So, I need to be able to enlarge to gallery size, or larger if I sell a print and someone wants a big enlargement.

It is for these reasons -- shallow DOF and potentially big enlargements -- as well as my subject matter: portraits, for which I think that a FF would be better. Also, if a friend ever asked me to do a wedding, I am told that brides know to ask if your camera is full frame or not, so I want to be prepared for ANYTHING! :-)

P.S. Is a Pentax FF available NOW? I thought that it was not. Please advise! Thanks!

Last edited by AntonioD; 07-26-2015 at 08:32 PM. Reason: Forgot a question

Megapixelmk · 07-26-2015, 10:27 PM - **1 Like**

Full frame is due near the end of the year. When it was announced, one of the few details about it was that it would have a crop mode. So it will work with any k mount lens you have.
Given your description of what you want... wafer thin depth of field, very large gallery size prints etc I'm surprised you went for the K3 as opposed to full frame.
Just enjoy the K3 for now; its a great camera and will still yield large print sizes and fine image quality

biz-engineer · 07-26-2015, 10:33 PM - **1 Like**

Yes there's already a set of full frame lenses in K-mount: Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8. They are cheap and good performers.
Print size: at normal viewing distance, 8Mpixels effective are enough. I made prints up to 30x45 (inches) from the K-3 and the resolution is beyond what's needed.

Adam · 07-26-2015, 11:26 PM

Originally posted by AntonioD

Hello --

I just got into serious digital photography with the purchase of a K-3. What I really wanted, however, was a Canon 6D Full Frame, but I settled for the K-3 because of the cost of the 6D.

Now, I am wondering: If I invest in lenses for my K-3, will they work with the hoped for Pentax Full Frame? Or are they crop sensor lenses only?

Please let me know if I should invest in any more Pentax equipment, or just wait for a Canon FF? Thanks!

Pentax is promising that the FF will have a crop mode. Most DA lenses (especially 16-xx/18-xx zooms) are crop lenses, but some do unofficially cover the FF image circle. Those lenses include the DA 40 Limited, DA 50, DA* 55, DA* 200, and DA* 300, just to name a few.

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)

PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

kooks · 07-27-2015, 12:05 AM

Originally posted by AntonioD

Please let me know if I should invest in any more Pentax equipment, or just wait for a Canon FF? Thanks!

As Adam said, Ricoh promise a Crop Mode, that means that ALL APS-C glass ( like the ones that you have now with your K3 ) will work with the Full Frame, BUT in crop mode, that means that the camera will use part of the Sensor and not the entire frame. The ideal is that if you want to move to full frame in the future start buying FA or D-FA glass.. or invest in other lenses that support FF like the Tamrons ( 70-300 / 28-70 f2.8 / 70 200 f2.8 ) or the Sigma DG. And again as Adam said, there are some Pentax DA ( this are supposed to be APS-C camera glass ) that will unofficialy work with a FF sensor.

mcgregni · 07-27-2015, 12:17 AM

System swapping is a big step, both for the financial costs and loss as well as the re - learning and familiarity aspects. Sounds like the Pentax FF would be perfect for you!

Many of us are hoping to soften the financial blow of FF by already having suitable lenses that we enjoy using now as well .... There are modern ones like the Tamrons mentioned, my Samyang 14mm, and any number of older FA, F, A, M, K types. So, if you choose well now its win win .... Good lenses to use right now, plus they all get a new lease of life (and a new wider brighter field of view!) when you go FF.

redcat · 07-27-2015, 02:41 AM

Originally posted by AntonioD

very, very shallow depth of field

like this :

it depends a lot on your lens ^^ I shot the above with a Helios 58mm f2 (manual focus), a cheap lens with wide aperture can make a very shallow dof

link81 · 07-27-2015, 06:47 AM

This was shot with a DA* 50-135 at (i believe) f2.8

The face is in focus, but his hair sticking up is not. I'm not sure how much shallower i'd want to go.

(this was copied from my facebook profile, so resolution is rather lacking)

rl]

Kunzite · 07-27-2015, 07:03 AM

The acclaimed "one eye in focus" look

RonHendriks1966 · 07-27-2015, 08:06 AM - **1 Like**

Well you want basicly the pro set and Pentax does offer what you want.

Pentax 645Z with 55mm, 75mm or 90mm and 150 mm lens and you are ready to exhibition as much as you want.

This is my brother taken with the older 645D and 150 mm lens.

AntonioD · 07-28-2015, 08:25 PM

Hello to all and thanks for the input and advice! The reason that I did not purchase Canon 6D is because of financial reasons, and I was told the IQ of the K-3 would be good enough for the enlargements that I wanted to make. So, unless you're willing to give me a 645, I don't think that is an option. Don't they run about three to $4000? That's just to start right?

Based on input and opinion, I'm considering buying the following lens from Amazon for about $100.

Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR Cameras

Will this lens do what I want? At this point I'm not too concerned about it being compatible with a potential Pentax full frame because it's only $100 lens, which to me although a significant amount is affordable enough for now. Also, I don't consider the K-3 a wasted purchase if I get the Pentax full frame, because I'm told by many photographers that they carry multiple cameras for backup and sometimes certain photographers use both the full frame and crop sensors in their work.

P.S. The photo shown by link 81 is exactly what I'm looking for! Sharp eyes but not much else.

danny09 · 07-28-2015, 10:13 PM - **1 Like**

AntonioD what you are aiming for can be achieved in less than US$500. Look for a Pentax K50 and a Pentax DA 50 mm 1.8. Or slap a Samyang/Rokinon 85mm 1.4. Very very good bokehlicious lenses. The latter is a manual focus though but time is on your side when doing portraits anyway.
The FF is a golden goose. Good but extremely expensive. A K3 will meet 90% of your needs for 50% of the money you pay for a FF body.

07-26-2015, 07:58 PM	#1
AntonioD Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 33	Will my K-3 lens work with the anticipated full frame? Hello -- I just got into serious digital photography with the purchase of a K-3. What I really wanted, however, was a Canon 6D Full Frame, but I settled for the K-3 because of the cost of the 6D. Now, I am wondering: If I invest in lenses for my K-3, will they work with the hoped for Pentax Full Frame? Or are they crop sensor lenses only? Please let me know if I should invest in any more Pentax equipment, or just wait for a Canon FF? Thanks!

07-26-2015, 08:31 PM	#4
AntonioD Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 33 Original Poster	Thanks you two and here is what I want to shoot and print -- Thanks, rawr and Canada_Rockies!!! I appreciate the helpful information. For what it is worth, here is what I would like to shoot and print: I know a lot of the cashiers at the stores that I frequent, and I would like to take their portraits, as well as those of the workers in my dentist and doctor offices. Since these will be in tight spaces, I need a lens that can handle the closeness. As well, I want a good bokeh and very, very shallow depth of field. I want only the eyes and face to be in focus! As far as prints go, I imagine having mine hung in a gallery space at some point. So, I need to be able to enlarge to gallery size, or larger if I sell a print and someone wants a big enlargement. It is for these reasons -- shallow DOF and potentially big enlargements -- as well as my subject matter: portraits, for which I think that a FF would be better. Also, if a friend ever asked me to do a wedding, I am told that brides know to ask if your camera is full frame or not, so I want to be prepared for ANYTHING! :-) P.S. Is a Pentax FF available NOW? I thought that it was not. Please advise! Thanks! Last edited by AntonioD; 07-26-2015 at 08:32 PM. Reason: Forgot a question

07-26-2015, 10:33 PM - 1 Like	#6
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	Yes there's already a set of full frame lenses in K-mount: Tamron 28-75 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8. They are cheap and good performers. Print size: at normal viewing distance, 8Mpixels effective are enough. I made prints up to 30x45 (inches) from the K-3 and the resolution is beyond what's needed. Last edited by biz-engineer; 07-26-2015 at 10:40 PM.

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07-26-2015, 08:03 PM	#2
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	It depends entirely on the lens you choose, Antonio. Check the forum database for the lenses you are interested in to find which are actually full frame and those that are hopelessly not. Myself, I see no advantage to using a full frame body (for birding, my passion). Full frame makes sense when you are printing very, very large prints of very detailed subjects or you really need the small depth of field differences between APS-C and 24x36. I currently own a K10D 10.2 MPx and have printed successfully 20x30 inches for wall mounting.

07-26-2015, 08:05 PM	#3
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	All K-mount lenses will work - new or old. The question is which features and attributes will they support. The following threads may be of interest: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/10-pentax-slr-lens-discussion/183420-curr...me-lenses.html https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/54-pentax-lens-articles/31629-da-lenses-f...ts-thread.html

07-26-2015, 10:27 PM - 1 Like	#5
Megapixelmk Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 84	Full frame is due near the end of the year. When it was announced, one of the few details about it was that it would have a crop mode. So it will work with any k mount lens you have. Given your description of what you want... wafer thin depth of field, very large gallery size prints etc I'm surprised you went for the K3 as opposed to full frame. Just enjoy the K3 for now; its a great camera and will still yield large print sizes and fine image quality

07-26-2015, 11:26 PM	#7
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Originally posted by AntonioD Hello -- I just got into serious digital photography with the purchase of a K-3. What I really wanted, however, was a Canon 6D Full Frame, but I settled for the K-3 because of the cost of the 6D. Now, I am wondering: If I invest in lenses for my K-3, will they work with the hoped for Pentax Full Frame? Or are they crop sensor lenses only? Please let me know if I should invest in any more Pentax equipment, or just wait for a Canon FF? Thanks! Pentax is promising that the FF will have a crop mode. Most DA lenses (especially 16-xx/18-xx zooms) are crop lenses, but some do unofficially cover the FF image circle. Those lenses include the DA 40 Limited, DA 50, DA* 55, DA* 200, and DA* 300, just to name a few. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

07-27-2015, 12:05 AM	#8
kooks Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: San José, Costa Rica Photos: Albums Posts: 794	Originally posted by AntonioD Please let me know if I should invest in any more Pentax equipment, or just wait for a Canon FF? Thanks! As Adam said, Ricoh promise a Crop Mode, that means that ALL APS-C glass ( like the ones that you have now with your K3 ) will work with the Full Frame, BUT in crop mode, that means that the camera will use part of the Sensor and not the entire frame. The ideal is that if you want to move to full frame in the future start buying FA or D-FA glass.. or invest in other lenses that support FF like the Tamrons ( 70-300 / 28-70 f2.8 / 70 200 f2.8 ) or the Sigma DG. And again as Adam said, there are some Pentax DA ( this are supposed to be APS-C camera glass ) that will unofficialy work with a FF sensor.

07-27-2015, 12:17 AM	#9
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	System swapping is a big step, both for the financial costs and loss as well as the re - learning and familiarity aspects. Sounds like the Pentax FF would be perfect for you! Many of us are hoping to soften the financial blow of FF by already having suitable lenses that we enjoy using now as well .... There are modern ones like the Tamrons mentioned, my Samyang 14mm, and any number of older FA, F, A, M, K types. So, if you choose well now its win win .... Good lenses to use right now, plus they all get a new lease of life (and a new wider brighter field of view!) when you go FF.

07-27-2015, 02:41 AM	#10
redcat Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Paris Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,939	Originally posted by AntonioD very, very shallow depth of field like this : it depends a lot on your lens ^^ I shot the above with a Helios 58mm f2 (manual focus), a cheap lens with wide aperture can make a very shallow dof

07-27-2015, 06:47 AM	#11
link81 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: 12822 Photos: Albums Posts: 459	This was shot with a DA* 50-135 at (i believe) f2.8 The face is in focus, but his hair sticking up is not. I'm not sure how much shallower i'd want to go. (this was copied from my facebook profile, so resolution is rather lacking) rl]

07-27-2015, 07:03 AM	#12
Kunzite Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Romania Posts: 15,132	The acclaimed "one eye in focus" look

07-27-2015, 08:06 AM - 1 Like	#13
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Well you want basicly the pro set and Pentax does offer what you want. Pentax 645Z with 55mm, 75mm or 90mm and 150 mm lens and you are ready to exhibition as much as you want. This is my brother taken with the older 645D and 150 mm lens.

07-28-2015, 08:25 PM	#14
AntonioD Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 33 Original Poster	Hello to all and thanks for the input and advice! The reason that I did not purchase Canon 6D is because of financial reasons, and I was told the IQ of the K-3 would be good enough for the enlargements that I wanted to make. So, unless you're willing to give me a 645, I don't think that is an option. Don't they run about three to $4000? That's just to start right? Based on input and opinion, I'm considering buying the following lens from Amazon for about $100. Pentax DA 50mm f1.8 lens for Pentax DSLR Cameras Will this lens do what I want? At this point I'm not too concerned about it being compatible with a potential Pentax full frame because it's only $100 lens, which to me although a significant amount is affordable enough for now. Also, I don't consider the K-3 a wasted purchase if I get the Pentax full frame, because I'm told by many photographers that they carry multiple cameras for backup and sometimes certain photographers use both the full frame and crop sensors in their work. P.S. The photo shown by link 81 is exactly what I'm looking for! Sharp eyes but not much else.

07-28-2015, 10:13 PM - 1 Like	#15
danny09 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 417	AntonioD what you are aiming for can be achieved in less than US$500. Look for a Pentax K50 and a Pentax DA 50 mm 1.8. Or slap a Samyang/Rokinon 85mm 1.4. Very very good bokehlicious lenses. The latter is a manual focus though but time is on your side when doing portraits anyway. The FF is a golden goose. Good but extremely expensive. A K3 will meet 90% of your needs for 50% of the money you pay for a FF body.