K-3 II noticeably slower than K-5 II shooting manual bursts

flonix · 09-16-2015, 12:23 PM

I recently got my new K-3 II. After having used its grandfather - the K-5 II - for 2 years its a very welcome improvement... especially AF-wise.

So far I'm very happy with it, its been carefully improved in so many ways without changing its character or feel.

Except there is one rather annoying problem I can't really wrap my head around:
Shooting bursts manually (e.g. firing 3 quick shots in single shot mode) feels very sluggish compared to the K-5 II.
Using the old camera I could easily reach 4 or 5 fps with nothing but my index finger. On the K-3 II it feels more like 1 or 2 fps.

Did by any chance somebody have a similar experience when upgrading from K-5 (II) to K-3 (II)?
I always loved the ability to fire a couple of shots very quickly without engaging continuous shooting mode. The K-5 felt extremely responsive for that matter...

If something seems unclear to you, please don't hesitate to ask... English is not my first language

Adam · 09-16-2015, 12:43 PM

Do you have a slow SD card (i.e. one that isn't UHS-I rated)? That would be the first thing I'd suspect. You should be able to reach close to the maximum framerate in optimal conditions.

flonix · 09-16-2015, 01:06 PM

That would make an awful lot of sense for sure. Sadly that can't be the issue as the camera reaches its 8 fps in continuous shooting mode with ease.
I tried playing around with some options too, switching to JPEG, disabling NR, lens correction and so on...

**sholtzma** · 09-16-2015, 01:12 PM

First, your English is excellent, so no problems with communication....

What shutter speed(s) are you using when you shoot in this way? Obviously, the slower the shutter speed, the fewer shots you will be able to fire off in a second.... If you set up a situation in which the camera has a shutter speed setting of 1/500 second, say in bright light outside and with a large aperture, are you still having problems with quick shutter release in single shot mode?

flonix · 09-16-2015, 01:45 PM

Thank you

I think its not so much an issue of shutter speed as it will do its proclaimed 8 fps under exactly the same lighting conditions.
Just to be sure I just mounted my 50/1.8 plastic fantastic, cranked up all the lights, fixed shutter speed at 1/500 and took close up photos of the light bulb (which resulted in ISO 200 and F1.8).
The issue still remains... :-/

All experiments are conducted with AF disabled of course.

clostoyo · 09-16-2015, 02:42 PM

Thank you for this information, I am in the market for a new Pentax and this helps.

elpolodiablo · 09-16-2015, 03:23 PM

Check that you are not in AFC, I found that it slows down fps quite a bit because it tries to reacquire focus after every shot.

derekkite · 09-16-2015, 05:56 PM

Single shot mode doesn't use the buffer, so you won't get a second shot until it has fully dealt with the previous shot. Set to continuous low or medium, and you can bang off three shots quickly or shoot a single shot.

flonix · 09-16-2015, 09:59 PM

@clostoyo:
Don't get me wrong, the K-3 II is exceptionally good in every other way, except this issue annoyingly gets in the way of my shooting habits.

@derekkite:
Something like that came to my mind, too. I just couldn't figure out, why Pentax would make such a decision in software design. Have you found any sources of information to back that theory up?

If you are right, this would be an issue that could be fixed pretty easily at software level... so there is still hope

Until then, I might just try the workaround using continuous medium and low modes. The K-5's behaviour was much more comfortable though.

asp1880 · 09-17-2015, 12:24 AM

I had the same experience when going from the K-5 to the K-3. It seems to be normal for the K-3, sadly. See
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/270925-my-new-k-3-suffers-...r-penalty.html

Regards,
--Anders.

biz-engineer · 09-17-2015, 01:18 AM

When I want to do a good burst job to get the best keeper rate, I combine burst mode M or H rate with shutter press with my finger. Also, someone wrote a method of AF dump, if I understood correctly, it's about half-pressing once for coarse AF (pre-AF) and then a second shutter half-press to reach the focus target.

amoringello · 09-17-2015, 02:49 AM

Yes the K3 has a definite forced delay between presses.
This was discussed in another post some time ago... just cannot find it now.

It does not matter if in auto focus or manual. Ricoh crippled the button in some fashion.
Although I am sure it was to solve another issue, I am just not sure what that would be.

Anyway, Simply set up the camera to medium or high speed burst mode, and you can poke at the shutter button as fast as the shutter speed will allow. Of course this means if you accidentally hold the button too long you may get additional shots.
Not a perfect solution but I find having the camera in Medium burst mode is a decent go-between of speed and safety of accidental firings.

[edit]
ha, somehow I scrolled past asp1880's link to "My new K-3 suffers from 'early shutter penalty'.
Sorry. That is exactly the thread to which I was referring.

totsmuyco · 09-17-2015, 04:07 AM

Originally posted by Adam

Do you have a slow SD card (i.e. one that isn't UHS-I rated)? That would be the first thing I'd suspect. You should be able to reach close to the maximum framerate in optimal conditions.

What would be be the best card to use?

derekkite · 09-17-2015, 04:24 AM

Originally posted by totsmuyco

What would be be the best card to use?

I use the Sandisk Extreme Pro. They are quick and reliable.

FOX · 09-17-2015, 04:33 AM

Can you try disabling SR to see if it improves? I have a K5 with faulty SR and because of that I disabled it, and found myself amazed at how much speedier it is taking shots, more than the K3 I had.

09-16-2015, 12:23 PM	#1
flonix New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8	K-3 II noticeably slower than K-5 II shooting manual bursts I recently got my new K-3 II. After having used its grandfather - the K-5 II - for 2 years its a very welcome improvement... especially AF-wise. So far I'm very happy with it, its been carefully improved in so many ways without changing its character or feel. Except there is one rather annoying problem I can't really wrap my head around: Shooting bursts manually (e.g. firing 3 quick shots in single shot mode) feels very sluggish compared to the K-5 II. Using the old camera I could easily reach 4 or 5 fps with nothing but my index finger. On the K-3 II it feels more like 1 or 2 fps. Did by any chance somebody have a similar experience when upgrading from K-5 (II) to K-3 (II)? I always loved the ability to fire a couple of shots very quickly without engaging continuous shooting mode. The K-5 felt extremely responsive for that matter... If something seems unclear to you, please don't hesitate to ask... English is not my first language

09-16-2015, 12:43 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Do you have a slow SD card (i.e. one that isn't UHS-I rated)? That would be the first thing I'd suspect. You should be able to reach close to the maximum framerate in optimal conditions. 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:

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09-16-2015, 01:06 PM	#3
flonix New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8 Original Poster	That would make an awful lot of sense for sure. Sadly that can't be the issue as the camera reaches its 8 fps in continuous shooting mode with ease. I tried playing around with some options too, switching to JPEG, disabling NR, lens correction and so on...

09-16-2015, 01:12 PM	#4
sholtzma Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Salisbury, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,043	First, your English is excellent, so no problems with communication.... What shutter speed(s) are you using when you shoot in this way? Obviously, the slower the shutter speed, the fewer shots you will be able to fire off in a second.... If you set up a situation in which the camera has a shutter speed setting of 1/500 second, say in bright light outside and with a large aperture, are you still having problems with quick shutter release in single shot mode?

09-16-2015, 01:45 PM	#5
flonix New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8 Original Poster	Thank you I think its not so much an issue of shutter speed as it will do its proclaimed 8 fps under exactly the same lighting conditions. Just to be sure I just mounted my 50/1.8 plastic fantastic, cranked up all the lights, fixed shutter speed at 1/500 and took close up photos of the light bulb (which resulted in ISO 200 and F1.8). The issue still remains... :-/ All experiments are conducted with AF disabled of course.

09-16-2015, 02:42 PM	#6
clostoyo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: kissimmee Posts: 131	Thank you for this information, I am in the market for a new Pentax and this helps.

09-16-2015, 03:23 PM	#7
elpolodiablo Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,637	Check that you are not in AFC, I found that it slows down fps quite a bit because it tries to reacquire focus after every shot.

09-16-2015, 05:56 PM	#8
derekkite Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Nelson B.C. Posts: 3,782	Single shot mode doesn't use the buffer, so you won't get a second shot until it has fully dealt with the previous shot. Set to continuous low or medium, and you can bang off three shots quickly or shoot a single shot.

09-16-2015, 09:59 PM	#9
flonix New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 8 Original Poster	@clostoyo: Don't get me wrong, the K-3 II is exceptionally good in every other way, except this issue annoyingly gets in the way of my shooting habits. @derekkite: Something like that came to my mind, too. I just couldn't figure out, why Pentax would make such a decision in software design. Have you found any sources of information to back that theory up? If you are right, this would be an issue that could be fixed pretty easily at software level... so there is still hope Until then, I might just try the workaround using continuous medium and low modes. The K-5's behaviour was much more comfortable though.

09-17-2015, 12:24 AM	#10
asp1880 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Lyngby, Copenhagen Photos: Albums Posts: 742	I had the same experience when going from the K-5 to the K-3. It seems to be normal for the K-3, sadly. See https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/270925-my-new-k-3-suffers-...r-penalty.html Regards, --Anders.

09-17-2015, 01:18 AM	#11
biz-engineer Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 12,232	When I want to do a good burst job to get the best keeper rate, I combine burst mode M or H rate with shutter press with my finger. Also, someone wrote a method of AF dump, if I understood correctly, it's about half-pressing once for coarse AF (pre-AF) and then a second shutter half-press to reach the focus target.

09-17-2015, 02:49 AM	#12
amoringello Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,562	Yes the K3 has a definite forced delay between presses. This was discussed in another post some time ago... just cannot find it now. It does not matter if in auto focus or manual. Ricoh crippled the button in some fashion. Although I am sure it was to solve another issue, I am just not sure what that would be. Anyway, Simply set up the camera to medium or high speed burst mode, and you can poke at the shutter button as fast as the shutter speed will allow. Of course this means if you accidentally hold the button too long you may get additional shots. Not a perfect solution but I find having the camera in Medium burst mode is a decent go-between of speed and safety of accidental firings. [edit] ha, somehow I scrolled past asp1880's link to "My new K-3 suffers from 'early shutter penalty'. Sorry. That is exactly the thread to which I was referring.

09-17-2015, 04:07 AM	#13
totsmuyco Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Iloilo City Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,276	Originally posted by Adam Do you have a slow SD card (i.e. one that isn't UHS-I rated)? That would be the first thing I'd suspect. You should be able to reach close to the maximum framerate in optimal conditions. What would be be the best card to use?

09-17-2015, 04:24 AM	#14
derekkite Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Nelson B.C. Posts: 3,782	Originally posted by totsmuyco What would be be the best card to use? I use the Sandisk Extreme Pro. They are quick and reliable.

09-17-2015, 04:33 AM	#15
FOX Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ottawa Photos: Gallery Posts: 132	Can you try disabling SR to see if it improves? I have a K5 with faulty SR and because of that I disabled it, and found myself amazed at how much speedier it is taking shots, more than the K3 I had.