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02-02-2018, 06:30 PM - 1 Like   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by dchemist Quote
For my K-3, the biggest weakness has been the guy pressing the shutter release.
You beat me to that line !!!

02-02-2018, 06:36 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by pjv Quote
You beat me to that line !!!
Its probably true for most cameras.
02-02-2018, 11:44 PM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by dchemist Quote
Its probably true for most cameras.
i'm certain it is for every one I've owned or used.
02-03-2018, 12:31 AM   #19
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From my experience, the K3's weaknesses, in order of how annoying they are, are the following.

Exposure inaccuracy. It's no better than my old K200D.

White balance inaccuracy. It tends toward cool but increasing the amber setting gives photos an unusual colour balance.

AF inaccuracy. Mostly it focuses OK but I get too many shots that are just slightly off, not enough to be visible in the viewfinder but enough to spoil the shot.

The live view magnified image switches off just before I manage to focus and there doesn't seem to be any way to modify this setting.

The badly-designed mode dial. It's too easy to turn, the lock switch moves too easily to a partially engaged position and I don't like locking it as then turning it is fiddly. It's also clearly much more delicate than every other part of the camera, though hasn't broken yet.

As already mentioned, the lack of a lock switch to avoid inadvertent button presses. I've taken to just switching the camera off, but that's annoying because I have some settings which reset when I turn the camera off (because I want them to) and I had to change that which means I have to reset them manually now.

The memory card issue already discussed. I keep a 32gb wifi card permanently in slot 2 and only transfer there the jpegs I want to pass to my phone from card 1, but as card 1 gets swapped and removed to use it in the computer, sometimes I finish some shooting then realise that everything's gone onto the wifi card instead of the "main" card.

02-03-2018, 03:45 AM - 1 Like   #20
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As I plan to use the K-3 II successor entirely for wildlife/birding, these are the main features I'd wish to see improved:
- high-ISO noise level
- AF speed and accuracy
- fps
- AF-C reliability and number of AF points
- shake reduction system


And the button layout should be as similar to K-1 as possible.
Nothing else needed.
02-03-2018, 05:30 AM   #21
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My only complaint about the K3 is the P-TTL flash delay.
02-03-2018, 01:51 PM   #22
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My only complaint is high iso grain vs other bodies such as the k-50/70. If they took care of the grain issue I wouldn't have a complaint about the K-3II at all.

02-03-2018, 04:43 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by Paul the Sunman Quote
My only complaint about the K3 is the P-TTL flash delay.
Faster maximum shutter sync speed with (non-HSS) flash would be nice too (like 1/320th second for the Nikon D7000 series) - e.g. for fill flash with a bird hopping around in a tree.
02-03-2018, 05:16 PM   #24
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The way you toggle the focus point selection by pressing that awkwardly placed button.
02-03-2018, 06:08 PM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
Exposure inaccuracy. It's no better than my old K200D.
I have been fairly happy with and occasionally amazed by meter performance with my K-3, particularly with difficult lighting. I seldom need to adjust the exposure slider in Lightroom more than 1 stop. This photo (LINK), required a +1 bump in post, but bright flood lights enticed a somewhat shorter exposure. That being said, I did have a recent session under museum lighting where both meter and white balance were badly thrown off. Go figure.

QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
White balance inaccuracy. It tends toward cool but increasing the amber setting gives photos an unusual colour balance.
Auto white balance? I had a problem in mixed artificial lighting and made a mental note to do a gray card manual white balance ahead of time and also include a gray card image in the future. I shoot RAW, so that makes things somewhat easier to deal with in post. I have also wondered about LED stage lighting throwing things off.

QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
The live view magnified image switches off just before I manage to focus and there doesn't seem to be any way to modify this setting.
???? I am a frequent user of magnified live view for critical focus and have never had this happen. I just did a trial with my K-3 and the magnified view stayed that way for several minutes. Is it possible that I might have a firmware update your camera is missing? (Mine is v1.30.)

QuoteOriginally posted by Jonathan Mac Quote
the lock switch moves too easily to a partially engaged position and I don't like locking it as then turning it is fiddly. It's also clearly much more delicate than every other part of the camera, though hasn't broken yet.
I share this gripe/concern. Mine seldom stays in place in the locked position and I have felt since day one that the lock switch is not sturdy enough for its location. I wonder if K-1 users have similar concerns?


Steve
02-04-2018, 03:13 PM - 1 Like   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by Gimbeley Quote
The K-3 and K-3 II have a lot of strengths. I think those are mostly obvious or else we wouldn't all be here. But the camera has a lot of weaknesses too. I don't necessarily specs that lag behind other brands, but inherent weaknesses to the K-3 design that can get in your way while shooting. Here's a list of my own top 5, uh I mean...7 weaknesses of the ergonomics and controls.

Confusing front buttons: I'm having a tough time following you about button confusion. If you hold the camera in the classic SLR shooting position with you left hand cradling the lens barrel base the left thumb can operate all the switches and buttons on the left side of the camera. Move it up slightly and you can switch from AF to manual, up a bit more and you can select AF mode, slightly higher is the RAW/FX button which is assignable (I use it to select bracketing mode). Putting buttons on the right side of the camera will be problematic as you are blocked by the fingers when holding the camrea by the hand grip.


Too few Fn buttons and lack of many functions for them
: I'm with C.A.M. on this one lots of Fn buttons and having to remember what is assigned to each with out carrying a cheat sheet would be a real pain.


Playback button location
: If you set up Instant Review, Shooting menu 4 Instant Review to "Hold" then you don't have to take your hands from the camera or change stance to review the last shot you can chimp it then touch the shutter button to dismiss the Hold and be back to shooting quickly.


Changing AF mode
: The AF mode button is just above the AF/Manual selector switch you can push it and change the mode by rotating the front E-dial to select the mode then if you want change the AF active area you can rotate the rear E-dial. All this info is shown in the view finder as well as the top LCD. Try it and you will find it is just as elegant a solution as the K-5 had


Live View button location
: Are you referring to the "Playback Button" or the red dot "Live View Button"? If you are holding the camera with your right hand on the grip its very easy to move the right thumb to the "Live View Button" but for the life of me I really don't understand why you would want to do that if not on a tripod. If you are referring to "chimping" your shot read my answer to your playback button gripe.


Rear LCD screen in shooting mode
: You can reduce all your button pushes by hitting the info button twice then the right 4 way controller button then tapping the shutter button to save the setting (you don't have to hit the OK button) there now, you saved you one button push on that one. You don't use multi auto white balance? I've found it to be very accurate, I never worry about white balance as I shoot RAW but MAWB is pretty good.

Switching between cards while shooting: Granted this is a problem for folks who fill up cards before downloading off the card. I shoot in RAW only and card two is for over flow, which I've never had to use.

My biggest gripe on my 4 yr old K-3 is its AF tracking ability in certain circumstances, 8 frames per second I'm OK with. It could stand to have somewhat better HIgh ISO performance

Last edited by Larrymc; 02-04-2018 at 04:44 PM. Reason: grammar correction
02-04-2018, 03:52 PM   #27
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FWIW - and in contradiction to some other posters - here are my thoughts:
- for my right, and large, hand, the AF button is just too high on the rear panel for me to use comfortably, and so I can't use back button focus (BBF) because it's just too distracting and "difficult" when I am trying to shoot planes at airshows.
- and that's also because of the perrineal Pentax issue of very poor AF on moving targets (OTOH, having both, the K-3 II is certainly better than the K-3 ) - certainly by comparison with the "opposition"!
02-04-2018, 06:58 PM   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by Larrymc Quote
Confusing front buttons: I'm having a tough time following you about button confusion. If you hold the camera in the classic SLR shooting position with you left hand cradling the lens barrel base the left thumb can operate all the switches and buttons on the left side of the camera. Move it up slightly and you can switch from AF to manual, up a bit more and you can select AF mode, slightly higher is the RAW/FX button which is assignable (I use it to select bracketing mode). Putting buttons on the right side of the camera will be problematic as you are blocked by the fingers when holding the camrea by the hand grip.


Too few Fn buttons and lack of many functions for them
: I'm with C.A.M. on this one lots of Fn buttons and having to remember what is assigned to each with out carrying a cheat sheet would be a real pain.


Playback button location
: If you set up Instant Review, Shooting menu 4 Instant Review to "Hold" then you don't have to take your hands from the camera or change stance to review the last shot you can chimp it then touch the shutter button to dismiss the Hold and be back to shooting quickly.


Changing AF mode
: The AF mode button is just above the AF/Manual selector switch you can push it and change the mode by rotating the front E-dial to select the mode then if you want change the AF active area you can rotate the rear E-dial. All this info is shown in the view finder as well as the top LCD. Try it and you will find it is just as elegant a solution as the K-5 had


Live View button location
: Are you referring to the "Playback Button" or the red dot "Live View Button"? If you are holding the camera with your right hand on the grip its very easy to move the right thumb to the "Live View Button" but for the life of me I really don't understand why you would want to do that if not on a tripod. If you are referring to "chimping" your shot read my answer to your playback button gripe.


Rear LCD screen in shooting mode
: You can reduce all your button pushes by hitting the info button twice then the right 4 way controller button then tapping the shutter button to save the setting (you don't have to hit the OK button) there now, you saved you one button push on that one. You don't use multi auto white balance? I've found it to be very accurate, I never worry about white balance as I shoot RAW but MAWB is pretty good.

Switching between cards while shooting: Granted this is a problem for folks who fill up cards before downloading off the card. I shoot in RAW only and card two is for over flow, which I've never had to use.

My biggest gripe on my 4 yr old K-3 is its AF tracking ability in certain circumstances, 8 frames per second I'm OK with. It could stand to have somewhat better HIgh ISO performance
Thank you for saying what I would was going to write plus a few things. As with you, I have been shooting with the K-3 for four years. Perhaps my attitude regarding the stated weaknesses is flavored by those years of active shooting with the camera and a tendency to make a minimum of setting changes with the camera at the eye.

I also note that common complaints regarding controls and accessibility of settings are often enough addressed by suggesting the info button. Strangely, many users are unaware that settings may be both reviewed and changed from that view. For example, most users who complain about the lack of an easy way to turn off the rear LCD* are unaware that the info button provides a quick short cut to that as well as the electronic level.

The AF mode button is incredibly useful and is worth learning, particularly if SEL 1 mode is desired.


Steve

* I seldom have the rear LCD turned on. I know my configuration and appreciate the battery saving by having it turned off.

Last edited by stevebrot; 02-04-2018 at 07:10 PM.
02-04-2018, 07:17 PM   #29
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The only real problem I have for my K-3 is battery. It causes mirror-flop problem.
2 of my other batteries has never cause the problem. one from an old K-5 and another one is a separate buy from Pentax.
Whenever I use the one came with K-3, it is a guarantee at less one mirror-flop problem during 4-5 hours of shooting.

Other than that, I feel like it is more of a getting used to with the hardware on my part.
02-04-2018, 10:38 PM - 1 Like   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by pakinjapan Quote
It causes mirror-flop problem.
Why not simply get a good battery? Classic mirror-flop (as opposed to the runaway mirror issue in early-production K-3) has been associated with low transient voltage under load due to a defective battery. The K-3 is not the only body where this happens.


Steve
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