Originally posted by stevebrot The larger learning curve is no more than simply reading the directions that come with the camera and taking things one step at a time. The K-3, "out of the boxy", in no more difficult to use than a K-50 or a K-500.
The crazy mirror report is a sad thing. It may be that the OP has a defective camera. In which case he/she should work with the seller and get it replaced.
As for the AF "issues"...there is no camera that can track a child and provide consistently sharp photos at f/2.8 and focal length over 70mm. The DOF is at 5' is only 2" at 70mm. Any expectation of such is truly unwarranted and tragic.
To the OP...My comments may sound judgmental, but that is not my attitude. I am truly sorry that your camera misbehaved out of the gate and that the performance of both camera and lens did not live up to your expectations. The AF-C on my K-3 has amazed me the few times I have had to use it and with time perhaps it will gain your respect as well. Do contact your seller in regards to the crazy mirror. Your camera should not do that even at low voltage.
Steve
Ok. Thanks for everyones input. All is well as I found the culprit. I am very familiar with shutter speeds, motion blur, etc. as I have been shooting sports since I was 12. 1000/ sec is plenty fast for me to judge if my subject in in focus, and I know the difference between my subject and background. I did update the firmware, and set the AWB to strong for tungsten light. That was a huge improvement. As for the AF, I had menu C.18 set to high, which is the hold AF feature. I mistakingly thought this meant the AF speed. Instead, it means the amount of time the AF will hold its last position before re-focusing. Once I set it to off and set single point AF, all is well. I also set the burst mode to medium, which allowed the AF to keep up better and give me a higher keeper rate. I set both in camera SR and lens OS to off, as its not needed at 1000/sec.
Now, I have a new problem of which lens to keep, and which to send back. My options are the DA* 200mm, or the Sigma 70-200mm EX HSM. I did several tests, and the DA* is very impressive on the K3. I had decided to return it after testing it on my K-30, but it is way faster on the K-3. I had about a 50% keeper rate with the DA*, and believe it or not, a little less on the Sigma. I can barely tell a difference in IQ between the two, so that is a wash. I like the WR as it may come in handy, and like the weight. The Sigma, on the other hand is more versatile, and was actually slower. Any thoughts?
---------- Post added 08-13-14 at 09:33 PM ----------
Also, i forgot to mention both lenses needed +10 fine adjustment. Other than that, the camera is rocking now.