In the Field with the Pentax K-3 - First Impressions

NicoleC · 10-31-2013, 01:43 PM

Originally posted by pete-tarmigan

Call me out of touch, but this is the first time I have heard of a "visual journalist".

I assume it's the same thing as a photojournalist.

mickey · 10-31-2013, 02:51 PM

Nice one, Albert.
Regarding photos 5 and 8, can you confirm what you were focusing on?
It's just that both the truck and female marching look out of focus unless you intentionally focusing on Abe in the background.

LFLee · 10-31-2013, 03:36 PM

Thanks for posting...

but not much of values as it is in bright daylight! If K-3 can't focus real fast in this situation, better throw it away.

Really, Ricoh? whom do you give the model to test on? come on...

wahid_satu · 10-31-2013, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by mickey

unless you intentionally focusing on Abe in the background.

LOL. I imagine a tall beardy man in a tall hat when I read this.

rawr · 10-31-2013, 03:54 PM

Originally posted by crewl1

they all look a little soft.

The EXIF is in there. Some of the shooting settings were a bit strange - eg f32 on images #5 (the Hummer clone) and #8 (the marching women), so that might explain some of the softness. The wide range of focal lengths (18-250) also suggests a super zoom was used.

NewTake · 10-31-2013, 05:46 PM

I agree, the lens used makes a big difference, in color, sharpness, and general 'look.' I am not sure that the shots were soft but I think in a few of them the focus was on the background vs the foreground where you might expect it. Hopefully intentional. It is important to note that this is going from a k-5. Those of us who own the k5 iis know the incredible resolution improvement of no AA filter and improved autofocus. I would like to see someone who owns the k5 iis do a comparison to see if it is worth an upgrade.

bobmaxja · 10-31-2013, 06:02 PM

It also the preproduction model with the beta firmware like he said in his message

Albert Siegel · 10-31-2013, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by pete-tarmigan

Call me out of touch, but this is the first time I have heard of a "visual journalist".

The term is for a journalist working with stills and video. There are also other terms such as 'Multimedia Journalist' and "MOJO", which stands for MObile JOurnalist. As some of us are more than a photojournalist, we have these titles to reflect that.

Originally posted by kricha6431

you mention K-5, Does that include the K-5 ii and iis or just K-5 in general meaning all series under K-5

I'm only talking about the K-5.

Originally posted by pghwarrior23

I am curious what lens or lenses you used in these shots.

I used 12-24 and the 60-250 for the most part.

Originally posted by tuco

#5. I guess the truck is the subject. Was the shutter speed too slow to cause what looks like OOF?

I was focused on the prime minister. As I was so close to the truck, the DOF was an issue, so I shot at f32 I think.

Originally posted by mickey

Nice one, Albert.
Regarding photos 5 and 8, can you confirm what you were focusing on?
It's just that both the truck and female marching look out of focus unless you intentionally focusing on Abe in the background.

Same thing for image 8 of the women marching. I wanted as much in focus as I could.

Originally posted by LFLee

Thanks for posting...

but not much of values as it is in bright daylight! If K-3 can't focus real fast in this situation, better throw it away.

Really, Ricoh? whom do you give the model to test on? come on...

Perhaps not to you, but of a great deal of value to me as much of my work happens outdoors and I need good tracking. Ricoh decided they wanted a professional to test the camera, so they gave it to me to use while I'm on assignment.

Originally posted by rawr

The EXIF is in there. Some of the shooting settings were a bit strange - eg f32 on images #5 (the Hummer clone) and #8 (the marching women), so that might explain some of the softness. The wide range of focal lengths (18-250) also suggests a super zoom was used.

It does explain the softness, but nothing strange about the shooting. I had to get as much in focus as I could and this is the best considering the physical and technical limitations of the situation. No superzoom was used. I don't actually own one, but would love to as it would be a blessing at times.

Originally posted by NewTake

I agree, the lens used makes a big difference, in color, sharpness, and general 'look.' I am not sure that the shots were soft but I think in a few of them the focus was on the background vs the foreground where you might expect it. Hopefully intentional. It is important to note that this is going from a k-5. Those of us who own the k5 iis know the incredible resolution improvement of no AA filter and improved autofocus. I would like to see someone who owns the k5 iis do a comparison to see if it is worth an upgrade.

Indeed it was intentional. The main focus of the event for me was the prime minister's remarks and presence there. I'm not too interested in the lack of an AA filter as all of my work goes into print where the sharpness would be lost. While the AF on the K-5II is an improvement over the K-5, it's not that much better for anything other than low-light from my testing. It's only tracking that I'm interested in. The extra AF points really do make a nice difference.

tuco · 10-31-2013, 07:22 PM

Shooting at f32 is not a good idea on digital unless you don't care about the soft image it creates.

Eberbachl · 10-31-2013, 07:53 PM

Thanks for the review! I enjoyed the samples, and I'm busily saving for a K-3. If the AF is as improved as I hope it is over my K-5 (my only real gripe with the K-5 is poor AF performance) I will be very happy!

Albert Siegel · 10-31-2013, 08:55 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by tuco

Shooting at f32 is not a good idea on digital unless you don't care about the soft image it creates.

They are soft images, but better to have all the image slightly soft than a main part of it out of focus. Anyway, slightly sharpening the image and running it no larger than you see here is also helpful. Please keep in mind that this is for newspaper, not large gallery prints. The technique used is very deliberate on my part as I shoot with the final result in mind.

**Miguel** · 10-31-2013, 09:09 PM

Originally posted by Albert Siegel

Please keep in mind that this is for newspaper, not large gallery prints. The technique used is very deliberate on my part as I shoot with the final result in mind.

Thank you much for sharing your work and insights about how the K-3 performs in the context of your work. I especially appreciate your connecting your shooting approach to the output requirements of the job--this is an aspect that folks who don't print out to anything other than a website or a home inkjet printer may not have a lot of exposure to.

Your calling out the improvements in both AF button placement and faster AF tracking gives me encouragement for shooting sports. A half second can matter a lot. I look forward to comparing the K-3 with my Canon 7D in the coming weeks.

M

tuco · 10-31-2013, 09:11 PM

Honestly, I couldn't tell what was the subject of that picture from the composition. It looked like the truck since it is so dominate and me not knowing any of the characters in the scene.

dcBear78 · 11-01-2013, 12:10 AM

Thanks for this early information. We all on here are dying to see these things.

richard balonglong · 11-01-2013, 03:37 AM

Great hands-on impressions of the pre-production K-3 and using it on actual assignment!
I'm also a photojournalist working for a nation-wide newspaper publication here in the Philippines.
Anyway, how do you find the AF of the K-3 in low light situations? I hope you field-tested the K-3 in low light...
How is the AF accuracy when using f2.8 or wider aperture?
How about the AF during live view? Is it fast?
Have you tried the AF tracking on a moving subject and is moving towards you? If so, how was it?
How about the metering? And, how about the auto white balance and the skin tones of people?
I'm sorry if I ask so many questions...
=)

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10-31-2013, 01:43 PM	#16
NicoleC Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Madison, AL Posts: 448	Originally posted by pete-tarmigan Call me out of touch, but this is the first time I have heard of a "visual journalist". I assume it's the same thing as a photojournalist.

10-31-2013, 02:51 PM	#17
mickey Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,146	Nice one, Albert. Regarding photos 5 and 8, can you confirm what you were focusing on? It's just that both the truck and female marching look out of focus unless you intentionally focusing on Abe in the background.

10-31-2013, 03:36 PM	#18
LFLee Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern California Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,292	Thanks for posting... but not much of values as it is in bright daylight! If K-3 can't focus real fast in this situation, better throw it away. Really, Ricoh? whom do you give the model to test on? come on...

10-31-2013, 03:46 PM	#19
wahid_satu Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Jakarta Photos: Gallery Posts: 96	Originally posted by mickey unless you intentionally focusing on Abe in the background. LOL. I imagine a tall beardy man in a tall hat when I read this.

10-31-2013, 03:54 PM	#20
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Originally posted by crewl1 they all look a little soft. The EXIF is in there. Some of the shooting settings were a bit strange - eg f32 on images #5 (the Hummer clone) and #8 (the marching women), so that might explain some of the softness. The wide range of focal lengths (18-250) also suggests a super zoom was used.

10-31-2013, 05:46 PM	#21
NewTake Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 47	I agree, the lens used makes a big difference, in color, sharpness, and general 'look.' I am not sure that the shots were soft but I think in a few of them the focus was on the background vs the foreground where you might expect it. Hopefully intentional. It is important to note that this is going from a k-5. Those of us who own the k5 iis know the incredible resolution improvement of no AA filter and improved autofocus. I would like to see someone who owns the k5 iis do a comparison to see if it is worth an upgrade.

10-31-2013, 06:02 PM	#22
bobmaxja Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Laval, Quebec Canada Posts: 2,171	It also the preproduction model with the beta firmware like he said in his message

10-31-2013, 06:34 PM	#23
Albert Siegel Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 372 Original Poster	Originally posted by pete-tarmigan Call me out of touch, but this is the first time I have heard of a "visual journalist". The term is for a journalist working with stills and video. There are also other terms such as 'Multimedia Journalist' and "MOJO", which stands for MObile JOurnalist. As some of us are more than a photojournalist, we have these titles to reflect that. Originally posted by kricha6431 you mention K-5, Does that include the K-5 ii and iis or just K-5 in general meaning all series under K-5 I'm only talking about the K-5. Originally posted by pghwarrior23 I am curious what lens or lenses you used in these shots. I used 12-24 and the 60-250 for the most part. Originally posted by tuco #5. I guess the truck is the subject. Was the shutter speed too slow to cause what looks like OOF? I was focused on the prime minister. As I was so close to the truck, the DOF was an issue, so I shot at f32 I think. Originally posted by mickey Nice one, Albert. Regarding photos 5 and 8, can you confirm what you were focusing on? It's just that both the truck and female marching look out of focus unless you intentionally focusing on Abe in the background. Same thing for image 8 of the women marching. I wanted as much in focus as I could. Originally posted by LFLee Thanks for posting... but not much of values as it is in bright daylight! If K-3 can't focus real fast in this situation, better throw it away. Really, Ricoh? whom do you give the model to test on? come on... Perhaps not to you, but of a great deal of value to me as much of my work happens outdoors and I need good tracking. Ricoh decided they wanted a professional to test the camera, so they gave it to me to use while I'm on assignment. Originally posted by rawr The EXIF is in there. Some of the shooting settings were a bit strange - eg f32 on images #5 (the Hummer clone) and #8 (the marching women), so that might explain some of the softness. The wide range of focal lengths (18-250) also suggests a super zoom was used. It does explain the softness, but nothing strange about the shooting. I had to get as much in focus as I could and this is the best considering the physical and technical limitations of the situation. No superzoom was used. I don't actually own one, but would love to as it would be a blessing at times. Originally posted by NewTake I agree, the lens used makes a big difference, in color, sharpness, and general 'look.' I am not sure that the shots were soft but I think in a few of them the focus was on the background vs the foreground where you might expect it. Hopefully intentional. It is important to note that this is going from a k-5. Those of us who own the k5 iis know the incredible resolution improvement of no AA filter and improved autofocus. I would like to see someone who owns the k5 iis do a comparison to see if it is worth an upgrade. Indeed it was intentional. The main focus of the event for me was the prime minister's remarks and presence there. I'm not too interested in the lack of an AA filter as all of my work goes into print where the sharpness would be lost. While the AF on the K-5II is an improvement over the K-5, it's not that much better for anything other than low-light from my testing. It's only tracking that I'm interested in. The extra AF points really do make a nice difference.

10-31-2013, 07:22 PM	#24
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,026	Shooting at f32 is not a good idea on digital unless you don't care about the soft image it creates.

10-31-2013, 07:53 PM	#25
Eberbachl Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Doreen Posts: 111	Thanks for the review! I enjoyed the samples, and I'm busily saving for a K-3. If the AF is as improved as I hope it is over my K-5 (my only real gripe with the K-5 is poor AF performance) I will be very happy!

10-31-2013, 08:55 PM - 1 Like	#26
Albert Siegel Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 372 Original Poster	Originally posted by tuco Shooting at f32 is not a good idea on digital unless you don't care about the soft image it creates. They are soft images, but better to have all the image slightly soft than a main part of it out of focus. Anyway, slightly sharpening the image and running it no larger than you see here is also helpful. Please keep in mind that this is for newspaper, not large gallery prints. The technique used is very deliberate on my part as I shoot with the final result in mind.

10-31-2013, 09:09 PM	#27
Miguel Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Near Seattle Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,743	Originally posted by Albert Siegel Please keep in mind that this is for newspaper, not large gallery prints. The technique used is very deliberate on my part as I shoot with the final result in mind. Thank you much for sharing your work and insights about how the K-3 performs in the context of your work. I especially appreciate your connecting your shooting approach to the output requirements of the job--this is an aspect that folks who don't print out to anything other than a website or a home inkjet printer may not have a lot of exposure to. Your calling out the improvements in both AF button placement and faster AF tracking gives me encouragement for shooting sports. A half second can matter a lot. I look forward to comparing the K-3 with my Canon 7D in the coming weeks. M

10-31-2013, 09:11 PM	#28
tuco Pentaxian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pugetopolis Posts: 11,026	Honestly, I couldn't tell what was the subject of that picture from the composition. It looked like the truck since it is so dominate and me not knowing any of the characters in the scene.

11-01-2013, 12:10 AM	#29
dcBear78 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Gladstone, QLD Photos: Gallery Posts: 823	Thanks for this early information. We all on here are dying to see these things.

11-01-2013, 03:37 AM	#30
richard balonglong Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Baguio City, Philippines Photos: Gallery Posts: 350	Great hands-on impressions of the pre-production K-3 and using it on actual assignment! I'm also a photojournalist working for a nation-wide newspaper publication here in the Philippines. Anyway, how do you find the AF of the K-3 in low light situations? I hope you field-tested the K-3 in low light... How is the AF accuracy when using f2.8 or wider aperture? How about the AF during live view? Is it fast? Have you tried the AF tracking on a moving subject and is moving towards you? If so, how was it? How about the metering? And, how about the auto white balance and the skin tones of people? I'm sorry if I ask so many questions... =)