[Bob from Aus]

Just had a quick skim through the manual obtained from
Download operating manuals - RICOH IMAGING - European Hub Site

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/240476-k3-manual-avail...#ixzz2ia80fujt

There are two features I was thinking I was getting and now I am not sure. Maybe these two questions someone has a better understanding about camera features. What queries do you have having skimmed the manual?

1. I can only see Auto Focus Tracking under live view. I thought it would be a feature in normal AF
2. The head phone jack I can only see them mention using it in play back. I was assuming I could listen while recording. mmm reading the 2 page movie section again, I think I can listen while recording. Seeing all the hype on movies, there is very little info.

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Last edited by Bob from Aus; 10-23-2013 at 02:27 PM.

[lister6520]

Just had a quick skim through the manual obtained from
Download operating manuals - RICOH IMAGING - European Hub Site

Read more at: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-news-rumors/240476-k3-manual-avail...#ixzz2ia80fujt

There are two features I was thinking I was getting and now I am not sure. Maybe these two questions someone has a better understanding about camera features. What queries do you have having skimmed the manual?

1. I can only see Auto Focus Tracking under live view. I thought it would be a feature in normal AF
2. The head phone jack I can only see them mention using it in play back. I was assuming I could listen while recording. mmm reading the 2 page movie section again, I think I can listen while recording. Seeing all the hype on movies, there is very little info.

There is a form of focus tracking available also when using the viewfinder. It is referred to as "expanded area AF". It was introduced in the K-30 but now appears to be greatly improved in the K-3.

The biggest handicap it has on the K-30 is that it has only 9 focus points. The principle of how it works is great but is somewhat crippled by the small number of focus points.

On the K-3 there are now 27 focus points available and also very significantly the RGB exposure sensor now also contributes information to the tracking algortihm. The K-30 has to depend on information from the 9 focus points only whereas the K-3 apart from having 3 times as many focus points can also analyse the changing image captured by the exposure sensor. This gives it a better idea of what is moving and where.

[Bob from Aus]

lister6520 Thanks for that information - I will put it to good use. It has always messy changing settings when photographing motionless birds where I want a single point focus and then a flying birds. Will be interesting if I can change the settings quicker.

[lister6520]

lister6520 Thanks for that information - I will put it to good use. It has always messy changing settings when photographing motionless birds where I want a single point focus and then a flying birds. Will be interesting if I can change the settings quicker.

You can in fact change between the expanded area AF and single point simply by changing from continuous AF to Single AF since the expanded area mode is only available in continiuous AF. Once you are in single AF the tracking function is disabled but will come back on again as soon as you switch to continuous.

On the K-30 that is done from the lever whereas on the K-3 it is the button just above the AF lever.

[IchabodCrane]

There is a form of focus tracking available also when using the viewfinder. It is referred to as "expanded area AF". It was introduced in the K-30 but now appears to be greatly improved in the K-3.

The biggest handicap it has on the K-30 is that it has only 9 focus points. The principle of how it works is great but is somewhat crippled by the small number of focus points.

On the K-3 there are now 27 focus points available and also very significantly the RGB exposure sensor now also contributes information to the tracking algortihm. The K-30 has to depend on information from the 9 focus points only whereas the K-3 apart from having 3 times as many focus points can also analyse the changing image captured by the exposure sensor. This gives it a better idea of what is moving and where.

It's 11 AF points on the K-30 but who's counting?

[Bob from Aus]

lister6520 - thanks more good advice/information - you could run workshops on using AF. Now I need to have a K3 in hand to see how it all works. Hopefully I no longer need to feel envious of the Nikon AF system.

[lister6520]

It's 11 AF points on the K-30 but who's counting?

There are 11 but the expanded area mode can only use 9 of them - the ones that form a square are used but not the two outlying ones.

[kiwi_jono]

Some nice extra features here and there. Like the extra modes added to drive menu.

Does look like there is no auto focus during movie recording though.

[jaad75]

Does look like there is no auto focus during movie recording though.

The AF is useless anyway, but the important question is if the focus peaking is working while filming...

[Bob from Aus]

Does look like there is no auto focus during movie recording though.

There is AF tracking in live view. Would that AF while the movie is on?

[jaad75]

Would that AF while the movie is on?

It doesn't look so... The manual tells you about auto focusing BEFORE the recording and says anything about options to use the AF during filming.