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04-23-2018, 03:59 AM   #1
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Getting up to speed with a new K-3ii

My well-loved K-3 with a shutter count about 42,000 has occasional senior moments and gives 'grainy' shots at base ISO but high shutter speed, so I felt the need to add a friend.
I skipped the K-3ii when it came out, didn't like the KP and had hoped for a k-3iii this year.
In the end I saw a 'refurb' K-3ii advertised by a UK dealer and it has just arrived.
More like new- shutter count according to the PentaxForums tool is 10 .

For all things like the K-3, I plan on using the same settings until proven otherwise.
(I already had the 5 calibration profiles derived from the ones for the K-3ii)

But I'd like advice on the k-3ii specific features, in particular.
Firmware. It is on 1.0; Is the latest 1.10?
Flash. Although I rarely used the K-3 popup flash, preferring a proper flash instead, a small pocket-able flash is sometimes useful. Any recommendations?
Gotchas Anything different that will catch me out?

Ken Barley


Last edited by KenBarley; 04-23-2018 at 08:53 AM.
04-23-2018, 04:37 AM - 1 Like   #2
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welcome to the forums

did you invest in the E book for the K 3 and K 3 II?

if not, you can find it for sale in the market place

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/24-photographic-equipment-sale/295303-sa...ore-dslrs.html

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firmware up dates

Pentax Firmware Update Guide - Tutorial Videos | PentaxForums.com

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have you look at any of these that might be of interest to you

Tutorial Videos | PentaxForums.com

Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

Pentax Camera Manual Downloads - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

Comprehensive Pentax P-TTL Flash Guide Updated - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com

Comprehensive Pentax Flash Guide - Articles and Tips | PentaxForums.com
04-23-2018, 06:20 AM - 1 Like   #3
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Welcome, also from the UK, Ken!

Yes, the latest firmware for the K-3II is v1.10, which enables the use of the electromagnetic diaphragm control with KAF4 lenses such as the HD55-300PLM, and the upcoming DFA*50/1.4. I have the PLM in regular use with my K-3II and it works just fine.

I also don't miss the flash, but on the very odd occasion that it's useful, I use the small Pentax AF201FG unit which has a tilting (but not swivelling) flash head and is WR, like the K-3II body.

Can't think of anything else that would catch you out; if you have a K-3, you know in the main how to use the II. A few things though;

- Pixel-shift is well worth looking at, using a tripod - I have a user mode set up for it and have had some great results. The K-3II does feature the motion correction feature although it's not switchable in this model as it is in later ones such as the KP. It is switchable in the bundled software (DCU5) though, which is what I use for PS. Some use the free RawTherapee which will also deal with these files. These are about the only programs that will deal with PS at the moment.
- I find the GPS and its logging facility really useful on trips, the astrotracer less so in the UK!
- The AF algorithms were tweaked a little from the K-3 to allow effective panning without having to turn the shake reduction off. I think that this is the same implementation that went into the K-1.

Enjoy! It's a great camera.
04-23-2018, 07:32 AM   #4
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I have a K-3II. It gives very nice results.

Happy shooting!


Last edited by C_Jones; 04-26-2018 at 07:29 AM.
04-23-2018, 09:18 AM   #5
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If you don't mind using manual for flash, the very compact Nikon SB-30 is great. It can be used in AUTO mode. The added bonus is that you can use it as a secondary off-camera flash as it has an in-build optical receiver.

In fact, many of the older Nikon flashes that have an AUTO setting work great on Pentax. The best ones on Pentax bodies I think are the SB24, 25, 26, 28 (back then Nikon's top of the range flashes equivalent to the Pentax AF540FGZ) but a great everyday compact alternative for the Pentax K3ii that has no no built-in flash would be the Nikon SB-30.

Test Nikon SB-30 on a K-5 IIs (7 imgs): Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

Have a look at this thread too:

What do you get if you want a small and cheap flash for K-3ii? - PentaxForums.com
04-23-2018, 09:19 AM   #6
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The e-book recommended by @aslyfox is a great way to learn your camera. I have bought them for my dad and he loves them. His was the K-50 at first and then later the K-3 but the content and organization of the e-book is what's important. These are quite good.
04-23-2018, 10:00 AM   #7
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There are bugs fixed in the 1.10 firmware as well, so I would advise getting it even if you aren't interested in KAF4 lenses.

04-23-2018, 01:08 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by microlight Quote
The K-3II does feature the motion correction feature although it's not switchable in this model as it is in later ones such as the KP. It is switchable in the bundled software (DCU5) though, which is what I use for PS.
Am I reading this right? The last K-3II firmware update does include motion correction in the Pixel Shift Resolution mode (presumably only on jpegs rendered in-camera) but it can't be turned off, whereas you can turn that on or off in the bundled software when you process a PSR raw file through it?
04-23-2018, 02:15 PM   #10
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Don't know if it was in the 1.10 update or whether it was there from 1.00 but otherwise yes, that's pretty much it. In the K-1 for example, you can select motion correction on or off in camera, but in the K-3II it's permanently on. Then in DCU5 you can select whether you want it on or off (although I can't think why anyone would want to turn it off in the software if there's movement in the image - can anyone think why?). If Pentax ever did another firmware update for the K-3II then they could maybe include this as a switchable feature (as long as the hardware won't allow it), but I don't think that's likely.
04-24-2018, 03:08 AM   #11
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Thanks for the replies

Thanks for the comments.
Updated to firmware 1.10 as the 55-300 PLM is on the wish list. (My existing 2011 vintage version is so noisy it's an embarrassment.)

Jury still out on flashguns.
As more often than not the objective is to light up a bit of shade, starting to think of some LED device. Research needed!

Now a GPS question. Does using the Track Logging increase battery drain?
More interested in recording what I've rather than how I got there, so not sure how often I'd use it, but it's nice to know..

Ken
04-24-2018, 03:37 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by KenBarley Quote
Thanks for the comments. . . .

Now a GPS question. Does using the Track Logging increase battery drain?
More interested in recording what I've rather than how I got there, so not sure how often I'd use it, but it's nice to know..

Ken
from the In Depth Review

Track Logging
Like other GPS-compatible Pentax cameras, the K-3 II can log tracks. Positional information is stored as preset intervals (as configured) and up to a specified duration. It will continue being recorded even when the camera is turned off.

Tracks are saved in .KML (Keyhole Markup Language) files, a common format that can easily be imported into various programs, such as Google Earth and Google maps. The screenshot above shows a track that has been imported into Maps.

Performance

Generally-speaking, the K-3 II's GPS delivers the level of performance that would be expected of any modern GPS receiver. During our outdoor testing, initial acquisitions took between 30 and 90 seconds depending on location and obstructions. Except when near tall buildings, we only had to wait about 40 seconds on average. Subsequent acquisitions from the same location were nearly instant.

The overall impact on battery life is negligible. Even with logging enabled while the camera is in standby mode, chances are you won't notice any changes to the battery level.

We observed that track accuracy degraded slightly whenever the camera was stowed away in a bag, and so we recommend to keep the camera unobstructed while logging.

Verdict

Thanks to the fast performance and low battery drain of the Pentax K-3 II's built-in GPS, this camera will appeal greatly to users who make extensive use of GPS-related features. While the K-3 II offers the same functionality as other models paired with the O-GPS1 accessory, it's certainly more convenient to have native support. As an added bonus, the internal GPS frees up the K-3 II's hotshoe, making external flash use more convenient.

In the hands of a skilled user, the Pentax-unique astrotracer allows the use of significantly longer shutter speeds without additional rigging equipment for deep sky exposures. We do wish that it were not as picky in terms of calibration, though. Also, we would have preferred the GPS button on the camera to be customizable due to its trivial function.


Read more at: Pentax K-3 II Review - GPS | PentaxForums.com Reviews
04-28-2018, 02:56 PM - 1 Like   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by KenBarley Quote
Gotchas Anything different that will catch me out?
I am a happy owner of the K3II, almost everything has been said by other users of pentaxforums in an exact way, something that initially bothered me a bit was the correct calibration of the GPS unit.
So I looked for a way to make it more intuitive to all new owners. Correct calibration for general use and High-precision calibration for ASTROTRACER function.

How to...Calibration Astrotracer
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