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11-12-2013, 08:11 PM   #1
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Size of K-3 center AF point vs. K-5?

Are there any conclusions yet on the size of the center AF point on the K-3. Has it shrunk compared to the K-5 point, or is the in-depth review right on it being the same size?

I know this seem like a minor point for many, but for me this is actually one of the few frustrations of my K-5 and what I was hoping would be addressed in the K-3.

11-12-2013, 09:39 PM   #2
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Does size matter?

I have no empirical evidence to back this up but in my limited experience with the K-5 and K-3 I would say yes, they are smaller on the K-3. I have also noticed my ability to manually focus the K-3 to be much improved over the K-5.
11-12-2013, 09:55 PM   #3
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I find using the central single focus point on the K3 is miles ahead of the K5. I was worried about it being possibly smaller and not working as well, but the K3 single spot kills the equivalent in the k5. Also no back focusing issues as yet. So now I don't care about size.
11-12-2013, 09:55 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by twitch Quote
Has it shrunk compared to the K-5 point, or is the in-depth review right on it being the same size?
I cannot compare to the K-5, but compared to my K-7, the K-3 has noticeably smaller focus points, including the central one.

11-12-2013, 09:55 PM   #5
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Quite a bit smaller. The K-5 in my experience would focus on anything within the area surrounding the center point. The K-3 center point is well defined in practice. For moving subjects at a distance it is almost too small. This is a good problem.

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11-13-2013, 12:09 AM   #6
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This relates to a problem I'm having as a newcomer to the Pentax world. Until now I've used mainly Nikon DSLRs, where the center focus point is always clearly visible in the viewfinder. With my new K-3, the center focus point lights up only when the camera is focusing. There is a partial circle engraved on the center of the focusing screen, but it's significantly larger than the actual focus point and provides only rough guidance when I'm trying to focus on a precise area. Sometimes I have to focus several times before I get the exact point I want, whereas if the center focus point was marked I would be more likely to get it the first time.

How do you all deal with this? Are you just good at quickly locating the center of the partial circle? I'm not sure if I'm ever going to pick up that skill. Does anyone know of a third-party focusing screen that would make the center point more obvious, so I would know where the focus point is before I focus?

Thanks,
Bob
11-13-2013, 12:35 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Bob Philips Quote
This relates to a problem I'm having as a newcomer to the Pentax world. Until now I've used mainly Nikon DSLRs, where the center focus point is always clearly visible in the viewfinder. With my new K-3, the center focus point lights up only when the camera is focusing. There is a partial circle engraved on the center of the focusing screen, but it's significantly larger than the actual focus point and provides only rough guidance when I'm trying to focus on a precise area. Sometimes I have to focus several times before I get the exact point I want, whereas if the center focus point was marked I would be more likely to get it the first time.

How do you all deal with this? Are you just good at quickly locating the center of the partial circle? I'm not sure if I'm ever going to pick up that skill. Does anyone know of a third-party focusing screen that would make the center point more obvious, so I would know where the focus point is before I focus?

Thanks,
Bob
This has never bothered me, but then again I've been using Pentax DSLRs since their infancy. Still, it would be nice if Pentax could give their next model an improved LCD overlay in the viewfinder, with more customization.

There is a Pentax focusing screen with a grid inside of it. Perhaps that will help:
PENTAX MI-60 AF Scale Matte (K-5, K-7) reviews - Pentax Camera Accessory Review Database


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11-13-2013, 07:31 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by Bob Philips Quote
This relates to a problem I'm having as a newcomer to the Pentax world. Until now I've used mainly Nikon DSLRs, where the center focus point is always clearly visible in the viewfinder. With my new K-3, the center focus point lights up only when the camera is focusing. There is a partial circle engraved on the center of the focusing screen, but it's significantly larger than the actual focus point and provides only rough guidance when I'm trying to focus on a precise area. Sometimes I have to focus several times before I get the exact point I want, whereas if the center focus point was marked I would be more likely to get it the first time.

How do you all deal with this? Are you just good at quickly locating the center of the partial circle? I'm not sure if I'm ever going to pick up that skill. Does anyone know of a third-party focusing screen that would make the center point more obvious, so I would know where the focus point is before I focus?

Thanks,
Bob
On the K-3 the practical focus point is the center engravings.
11-13-2013, 09:27 AM   #9
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On the K-5, the center focus point was larger than the circular area in the center of the focusing screen. On the K-3, it is definitely smaller than the center circular area.
11-14-2013, 07:21 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by devorama Quote
On the K-5, the center focus point was larger than the circular area in the center of the focusing screen. On the K-3, it is definitely smaller than the center circular area.
I did some non scientific tests (black rectangle on white paper) with my k3. And for my particular copy it seems that the center focus area/foint corresponds very well with the bottom, left and right circular area of the focus screen. However, at the top it goes beyond the circular area up to the next focus point.

Will test it again during the next days, because this result confuses me...

11-14-2013, 08:13 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by kdre Quote
I did some non scientific tests (black rectangle on white paper) with my k3. And for my particular copy it seems that the center focus area/foint corresponds very well with the bottom, left and right circular area of the focus screen. However, at the top it goes beyond the circular area up to the next focus point.

Will test it again during the next days, because this result confuses me...
I think there is a slight misalignment of the focus screen. If you compare a center line in live view it is off center in the viewfinder.
11-14-2013, 08:47 AM   #12
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Just got my K-3 yesterday, and have had a small experience with the center dot focus and metering. I was taking an indoor picture of my dog, who was about 7 yards away from me, sleeping on the couch. Using the center spot, I focused the dot on the black area of his head (he has a black and white head), in Av mode. When the picture came up, it was GROSSLY overexposed. I then focused on the white area of his head, and the picture was GROSSLY underexposed. I switched to the full 27-point mode, and the picture was perfect.

The point being that the dot can discern a very small area to focus on and calibrate exposure. If you have light and dark areas in your subject matter, you might want to select a wider area to get a good exposure.

John
11-14-2013, 10:22 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by PALADIN85020 Quote
Just got my K-3 yesterday, and have had a small experience with the center dot focus and metering. I was taking an indoor picture of my dog, who was about 7 yards away from me, sleeping on the couch. Using the center spot, I focused the dot on the black area of his head (he has a black and white head), in Av mode. When the picture came up, it was GROSSLY overexposed. I then focused on the white area of his head, and the picture was GROSSLY underexposed. I switched to the full 27-point mode, and the picture was perfect.

The point being that the dot can discern a very small area to focus on and calibrate exposure. If you have light and dark areas in your subject matter, you might want to select a wider area to get a good exposure.

John
This is interesting. Does it suggest spot focus overrides the metering system? Of did you not have metering set to Multi-pattern but shifting to Auto 27 focusing changed the metering to Multi-pattern?
11-14-2013, 02:44 PM   #14
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Thanks all. So it seems the center point is a little smaller than the K-5 point which took up the center ( ) and more. That's good to hear.
11-14-2013, 03:15 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by PALADIN85020 Quote
Just got my K-3 yesterday, and have had a small experience with the center dot focus and metering. I was taking an indoor picture of my dog, who was about 7 yards away from me, sleeping on the couch. Using the center spot, I focused the dot on the black area of his head (he has a black and white head), in Av mode. When the picture came up, it was GROSSLY overexposed. I then focused on the white area of his head, and the picture was GROSSLY underexposed. I switched to the full 27-point mode, and the picture was perfect.
What have you got Menu C1, item 5, "Link AE and AF Point" set to? The default is "Off".

Dan.
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