I don't want to, but...

Damian.T · 12-21-2013, 07:13 AM

The K3 is getting rave reviews and I really want to replace my K20 with one. However, I also do a lot of motorsport photography & taking pics of 4x4's splashing through mud etc, is a big part of my job. All the K3 reviews say that it isn't the camera for me, neither is the DA60-250mm that I was going to buy.

I only have a couple of lenses so my investment in Pentax isn't great. So for the price, is the only alternative the D7100 or 70D?

My professional head says move on, but the rest of me says, 'Don't be such a girl, buy the K3 and be done!'

Any thoughts?

Deedee · 12-21-2013, 07:20 AM

Hi

Don' be such a girl!

You Tube

Having said the Pentax lenses have been a pain in the rear end. So yeah "Professional head" is usually right.

I would add Pentax is weather sealed.

In this video the reviewer kept the camera in the rain

You Tube

Cheers!

Parallax · 12-21-2013, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by Damian.T

Any thoughts?

Just one. Don't let a reviewer or blogger decide which camera you get unless he agrees to pay for it. If you are the one putting up the money, get the one that you'll be happiest with. Just remember that not every aspect of what will make you happy with something can be quantified, or even articulated.
If you end up ~~defecting to~~ choosing Nikon remember to check out http://www.nikonforums.com/forums/. You'll find more than a few familiar names there.

Damian.T · 12-21-2013, 08:08 AM

It is easy to be swayed by 'experts' when it comes to reviews and I do often wonder what's in their kit bag!

Last edited by Damian.T; 12-21-2013 at 09:44 AM.

awaldram · 12-21-2013, 08:31 AM

Originally posted by Damian.T

The K3 is getting rave reviews and I really want to replace my K20 with one. However, I also do a lot of motorsport photography & taking pics of 4x4's splashing through mud etc, is a big part of my job. All the K3 reviews say that it isn't the camera for me, neither is the DA60-250mm that I was going to buy.

I only have a couple of lenses so my investment in Pentax isn't great. So for the price, is the only alternative the D7100 or 70D?

My professional head says move on, but the rest of me says, 'Don't be such a girl, buy the K3 and be done!'

Any thoughts?

These days most cameras are pretty much the same so if you can;t get lens to meet your needs by all means look elsewhere.
But you say you don't have much investment in Pentax so why is that going to alter with any new camera?

also the models you mention have some glarying ommisions for sports shooting
d7100 = 6fps for only 6frames !
70d = AF to only -.5 EV and metering only 1EV !!

Parallax · 12-21-2013, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by Damian.T

It is easy to be swayed be 'experts' when it comes to reviews and I do often wonder what's in their kit bag!

You need two things, and only two things anymore to be an expert.
1. An opinion.
2. An outlet to publicly express it.

Kaso · 12-21-2013, 09:34 AM

As I am a lame sucker of Japanese toys, I remain a lame sucker whichever way I turn to. That said, I have only one thought which might be relevant: If you want a wide selection of lenses, including those from Sigma and Tamron (one excellent example being the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8), go with Canon or Nikon.

Imageman · 12-21-2013, 10:10 AM - **1 Like**

Your a professional, this decision affects your productivity and at the end of the day the money you make to feed your family.
Reviews are worthless.
Hire or borrow the cameras your considering and then choose the one that you then know you are most productive with and will make you the most money.

NB Nikon have recently acquired a reputation for failed cameras and returns to manufacturer for fixes, can you afford this unreliablility. You say you operate in very wet conditions. You therefore need a reliable weather sealed camera or 2 bodies so you can keep shooting while your other body is being dried out or fixed because you dunked it or broke it because its plastic, or it broke in service.

The top of the range professional cameras you can expect to be sealed strong and reliable, my own Canon F1 was, but when your budgeting in the area of Nikon D7100 and Pentax K1 expect to have to protect your investment - a professional action photographer needs a robust camera but plastic bodies and no weather-sealing are normal in this price range. Personally I would want a strong robust sealed reliable camera if my livelihood depends on it. K3 is unusual in this price range as it has a titanium body and weather-sealing and its built to last so it shouldn't let you down.

NB2. The K3 is very new and there appear to be a few unresolved reliability issues, the camera refusing to turn on with a grip attached and 2 batteries installed is one example. It may be wiser to wait until the teething troubles have been fixed or move on to a more proven more reliable model.

NB3. Im not a fan of autofocus in my experience is slow and its great at choosing the focus point you don't want. Lots of lost and worthless images are the result. Coming from film and manual focus I find manual beats the socks off any autofocus for speed and reliability for action photography. The old method of set f8 - f11 then prefocus where you know whatever comes into frame will be at or around about the ideal focus you have just set and then forget focussing, no autofocus is needed everything will be acceptably sharp with zero focussing time taken and no lost shots. Productivity!

What im saying here is check out the manual focus options. Nikon offer older manual focus lens compatibility options on some models, Pentax of course offer a huge range of manual focus sharp optics.

NB4. If you decide to use manual focus you need a manual focus lens with graduated markings beside the ring, with depth of field markings for fstop set. this is your guide for the "zone prefocus" technique I described. Expect your focussing screen to be useless in manual focus mode, but changing to an old style manual focus screen will make your autofocus unreliable or useless, so you have to change screens back to get autofocus working again. Katseye make a manual focussing screen designed to work with autofocus as well as manual focus lenses I don't know if they offer a K3 version yet as its so new.

Good luck with your choice.

alcstudios · 12-21-2013, 11:13 AM - **1 Like**

OK, I'm either lost or brain dead, the way I read the OP is he has been shooting mud splashing 4x4's with a K20 but somehow the K3 "isn't the camera for him"

**jac** · 12-21-2013, 11:25 AM

In tribute to Imageman, there used to be an newspaper photog adage - f8 and be there. A set manual beats any funky AF any day.

Damian.T · 12-21-2013, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by alcstudios

OK, I'm either lost or brain dead, the way I read the OP is he has been shooting mud splashing 4x4's with a K20 but somehow the K3 "isn't the camera for him"

Fair point, though I didn't say 'it isn't the camera for me'. Every review I've read (including this forum), tells me that 'it isn't the camera for me'. The more you read something the more you believe it.

tittermary · 12-21-2013, 12:02 PM

Originally posted by Damian.T

The K3 is getting rave reviews and I really want to replace my K20 with one. However, I also do a lot of motorsport photography & taking pics of 4x4's splashing through mud etc, is a big part of my job. All the K3 reviews say that it isn't the camera for me, neither is the DA60-250mm that I was going to buy.

I only have a couple of lenses so my investment in Pentax isn't great. So for the price, is the only alternative the D7100 or 70D?

My professional head says move on, but the rest of me says, 'Don't be such a girl, buy the K3 and be done!'

Any thoughts?

why isn't it?

**Ray Cox** · 12-21-2013, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by tittermary

why isn't it?

I agree. Had the K20, have the K3...Why isn't it?

alcstudios · 12-21-2013, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by Damian.T

Fair point, though I didn't say 'it isn't the camera for me'. Every review I've read (including this forum), tells me that 'it isn't the camera for me'. The more you read something the more you believe it.

I apologize, let me stand corrected for mis quoting you.
What are you reading that is telling you "it isn't the camera for me"? can you provide a link to just 1 story that says the K20 can possibly out perform a K3?

osv · 12-21-2013, 02:16 PM

I used the k10d per the imageman post, shooting race cars in full manual mode... I also built a serious rock crawler, so I know something about 4x4's.

I don't have a k-3, but based on the above, and a lot of reports saying that the k-3 has much better autofocus capability than any pentax before it, i'd say get k-3 over the Nikon.

posters in this thread have pointed out the weather sealing that the k-3 has, which is a huge benefit for those dirty windy outside days.

on the other hand... I used twin p-ttl flashes at the track, all the time... if you need a good flash system, Nikon probably has the best in the business.

i'm not a pentax fanboy, I bought the a7r over the k-3, but I'm not sure that I could recommend the sony platform in a production environment... get the k-3, or even canon, over Nikon.

12-21-2013, 07:13 AM	#1
Damian.T Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bolton, next to a large park Posts: 131	I don't want to, but... The K3 is getting rave reviews and I really want to replace my K20 with one. However, I also do a lot of motorsport photography & taking pics of 4x4's splashing through mud etc, is a big part of my job. All the K3 reviews say that it isn't the camera for me, neither is the DA60-250mm that I was going to buy. I only have a couple of lenses so my investment in Pentax isn't great. So for the price, is the only alternative the D7100 or 70D? My professional head says move on, but the rest of me says, 'Don't be such a girl, buy the K3 and be done!' Any thoughts?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Quick Lightroom question about photos I DON'T want to import	Codazzle	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	7	11-29-2013 11:44 PM
I don't want Lightroom...	Basie	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	57	10-19-2013 11:47 PM
I Don't Want To Stir Anything Up, But...	tabl10s	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	4	07-25-2012 12:55 AM
Rick Santorum "I don't want to make black people's lives better..."	jogiba	General Talk	32	01-10-2012 07:49 AM
But I don't want to pick up my toys!	khardur	Post Your Photos!	5	04-05-2007 12:54 PM

12-21-2013, 07:48 AM	#3
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	Originally posted by Damian.T Any thoughts? Just one. Don't let a reviewer or blogger decide which camera you get unless he agrees to pay for it. If you are the one putting up the money, get the one that you'll be happiest with. Just remember that not every aspect of what will make you happy with something can be quantified, or even articulated. If you end up ~~defecting to~~ choosing Nikon remember to check out http://www.nikonforums.com/forums/. You'll find more than a few familiar names there.

12-21-2013, 08:08 AM	#4
Damian.T Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bolton, next to a large park Posts: 131 Original Poster	It is easy to be swayed by 'experts' when it comes to reviews and I do often wonder what's in their kit bag! Last edited by Damian.T; 12-21-2013 at 09:44 AM.

12-21-2013, 08:31 AM	#5
awaldram Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery Posts: 732	Originally posted by Damian.T The K3 is getting rave reviews and I really want to replace my K20 with one. However, I also do a lot of motorsport photography & taking pics of 4x4's splashing through mud etc, is a big part of my job. All the K3 reviews say that it isn't the camera for me, neither is the DA60-250mm that I was going to buy. I only have a couple of lenses so my investment in Pentax isn't great. So for the price, is the only alternative the D7100 or 70D? My professional head says move on, but the rest of me says, 'Don't be such a girl, buy the K3 and be done!' Any thoughts? These days most cameras are pretty much the same so if you can;t get lens to meet your needs by all means look elsewhere. But you say you don't have much investment in Pentax so why is that going to alter with any new camera? also the models you mention have some glarying ommisions for sports shooting d7100 = 6fps for only 6frames ! 70d = AF to only -.5 EV and metering only 1EV !!

12-21-2013, 09:32 AM	#6
Parallax Senior Moderator Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: South Dakota Photos: Gallery Posts: 19,332	Originally posted by Damian.T It is easy to be swayed be 'experts' when it comes to reviews and I do often wonder what's in their kit bag! You need two things, and only two things anymore to be an expert. 1. An opinion. 2. An outlet to publicly express it.

12-21-2013, 09:34 AM	#7
Kaso New Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 3	As I am a lame sucker of Japanese toys, I remain a lame sucker whichever way I turn to. That said, I have only one thought which might be relevant: If you want a wide selection of lenses, including those from Sigma and Tamron (one excellent example being the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8), go with Canon or Nikon.

12-21-2013, 10:10 AM - 1 Like	#8
Imageman Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Photos: Albums Posts: 461	Your a professional, this decision affects your productivity and at the end of the day the money you make to feed your family. Reviews are worthless. Hire or borrow the cameras your considering and then choose the one that you then know you are most productive with and will make you the most money. NB Nikon have recently acquired a reputation for failed cameras and returns to manufacturer for fixes, can you afford this unreliablility. You say you operate in very wet conditions. You therefore need a reliable weather sealed camera or 2 bodies so you can keep shooting while your other body is being dried out or fixed because you dunked it or broke it because its plastic, or it broke in service. The top of the range professional cameras you can expect to be sealed strong and reliable, my own Canon F1 was, but when your budgeting in the area of Nikon D7100 and Pentax K1 expect to have to protect your investment - a professional action photographer needs a robust camera but plastic bodies and no weather-sealing are normal in this price range. Personally I would want a strong robust sealed reliable camera if my livelihood depends on it. K3 is unusual in this price range as it has a titanium body and weather-sealing and its built to last so it shouldn't let you down. NB2. The K3 is very new and there appear to be a few unresolved reliability issues, the camera refusing to turn on with a grip attached and 2 batteries installed is one example. It may be wiser to wait until the teething troubles have been fixed or move on to a more proven more reliable model. NB3. Im not a fan of autofocus in my experience is slow and its great at choosing the focus point you don't want. Lots of lost and worthless images are the result. Coming from film and manual focus I find manual beats the socks off any autofocus for speed and reliability for action photography. The old method of set f8 - f11 then prefocus where you know whatever comes into frame will be at or around about the ideal focus you have just set and then forget focussing, no autofocus is needed everything will be acceptably sharp with zero focussing time taken and no lost shots. Productivity! What im saying here is check out the manual focus options. Nikon offer older manual focus lens compatibility options on some models, Pentax of course offer a huge range of manual focus sharp optics. NB4. If you decide to use manual focus you need a manual focus lens with graduated markings beside the ring, with depth of field markings for fstop set. this is your guide for the "zone prefocus" technique I described. Expect your focussing screen to be useless in manual focus mode, but changing to an old style manual focus screen will make your autofocus unreliable or useless, so you have to change screens back to get autofocus working again. Katseye make a manual focussing screen designed to work with autofocus as well as manual focus lenses I don't know if they offer a K3 version yet as its so new. Good luck with your choice.

12-21-2013, 11:13 AM - 1 Like	#9
alcstudios Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Albums Posts: 146	OK, I'm either lost or brain dead, the way I read the OP is he has been shooting mud splashing 4x4's with a K20 but somehow the K3 "isn't the camera for him"

12-21-2013, 11:25 AM	#10
jac Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Clyde River, Nunavut, Canada Posts: 2,364	In tribute to Imageman, there used to be an newspaper photog adage - f8 and be there. A set manual beats any funky AF any day.

12-21-2013, 11:52 AM	#11
Damian.T Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Bolton, next to a large park Posts: 131 Original Poster	Originally posted by alcstudios OK, I'm either lost or brain dead, the way I read the OP is he has been shooting mud splashing 4x4's with a K20 but somehow the K3 "isn't the camera for him" Fair point, though I didn't say 'it isn't the camera for me'. Every review I've read (including this forum), tells me that 'it isn't the camera for me'. The more you read something the more you believe it.

12-21-2013, 12:02 PM	#12
tittermary Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 35	Originally posted by Damian.T The K3 is getting rave reviews and I really want to replace my K20 with one. However, I also do a lot of motorsport photography & taking pics of 4x4's splashing through mud etc, is a big part of my job. All the K3 reviews say that it isn't the camera for me, neither is the DA60-250mm that I was going to buy. I only have a couple of lenses so my investment in Pentax isn't great. So for the price, is the only alternative the D7100 or 70D? My professional head says move on, but the rest of me says, 'Don't be such a girl, buy the K3 and be done!' Any thoughts? why isn't it?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

12-21-2013, 12:23 PM	#13
Ray Cox Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Utica,Il Posts: 184	Originally posted by tittermary why isn't it? I agree. Had the K20, have the K3...Why isn't it?

12-21-2013, 01:38 PM	#14
alcstudios Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Albums Posts: 146	Originally posted by Damian.T Fair point, though I didn't say 'it isn't the camera for me'. Every review I've read (including this forum), tells me that 'it isn't the camera for me'. The more you read something the more you believe it. I apologize, let me stand corrected for mis quoting you. What are you reading that is telling you "it isn't the camera for me"? can you provide a link to just 1 story that says the K20 can possibly out perform a K3?

12-21-2013, 02:16 PM	#15
osv Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: So Cal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,080	I used the k10d per the imageman post, shooting race cars in full manual mode... I also built a serious rock crawler, so I know something about 4x4's. I don't have a k-3, but based on the above, and a lot of reports saying that the k-3 has much better autofocus capability than any pentax before it, i'd say get k-3 over the Nikon. posters in this thread have pointed out the weather sealing that the k-3 has, which is a huge benefit for those dirty windy outside days. on the other hand... I used twin p-ttl flashes at the track, all the time... if you need a good flash system, Nikon probably has the best in the business. i'm not a pentax fanboy, I bought the a7r over the k-3, but I'm not sure that I could recommend the sony platform in a production environment... get the k-3, or even canon, over Nikon.