scaled down K-3 in K-30 (K-50) body

**i_trax** · 12-21-2013, 11:58 PM

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Now after taking over thousand of great photos with K-3 and being spoiled and amazed with 24MP and as Ron precisely pinpointed " Crop till you dropp " ability I would love Pentax to come up with something smaller and lighter with AA batteries and with IQ and AF of K-3.
I am going to Europe/Asia mid MAR2014 and will be there till the end of MAY and again dilemma what to take.
I will be mainly doing Family indoors, architecture and landscapes.
My last trip I took K-30 + DA 18-250 + Sigma 17-70 Macro and was very happy with them although I was missing something wider than 17mm.
K-30 for me was basically the ultimate DSLR for travellers, now if I could get 24MP in a smaller and lighter package it could replace K-30 and I could just take Sigma 8-16 + 17-70 and that should just be fine, all the rest will be covered by cropping.
Just thinking loudly...........
kind regards
jack

Adam · 12-22-2013, 12:01 AM - **1 Like**

I'm sure it will happen. Pentax can't keep on recycling the 16mp sensor forever...

**kiwi_jono** · 12-22-2013, 02:30 AM

As Adam says. Also I'm betting Pentax / Ricoh realise they are on to a good thing with keeping their DSLRs relatively compact without losing any usability and they will stick with this formula.

lister6520 · 12-22-2013, 02:41 AM - **1 Like**

The AA batteries - that is the one thing I was disappointed with when I moved to the K-3. Why oh why did they drop that?

Seems like the only way now to have guarantee power is either to get a bulky battery grip or to jury rig some way of charging the LiIon pack off of AA batteries.

AA power was one of the strong points of Pentax for me, so it is now one less than before. Needless to say there are more than enough plus points remaining though.

**volley** · 12-22-2013, 03:17 AM

Originally posted by i_trax

Now after taking over thousand of great photos with K-3 and being spoiled and amazed with 24MP and as Ron precisely pinpointed " Crop till you dropp " ability I would love Pentax to come up with something smaller and lighter with AA batteries and with IQ and AF of K-3.
I am going to Europe/Asia mid MAR2014 and will be there till the end of MAY and again dilemma what to take.
I will be mainly doing Family indoors, architecture and landscapes.
My last trip I took K-30 + DA 18-250 + Sigma 17-70 Macro and was very happy with them although I was missing something wider than 17mm.
K-30 for me was basically the ultimate DSLR for travellers, now if I could get 24MP in a smaller and lighter package it could replace K-30 and I could just take Sigma 8-16 + 17-70 and that should just be fine, all the rest will be covered by cropping.
Just thinking loudly...........
kind regards
jack

Maybe I am missing something, but I believe the difference in weight and size between the K-3 and K-30 is something like 100 gramm and very few mm in each dimension. It would not be a concern for me.

Bob from Aus · 12-22-2013, 03:21 AM

I thought all a person needed when traveling was an iphone or ipad to take photos. Get real.

TenZ.NL · 12-22-2013, 04:09 AM

Why do you want another 24Mp? By the looks of your signature you have plenty of choices.
If you really feel you need the 24Mp, take the K3 without grip. Otherwise the K30 or the K5 will do just fine and I would especially consider the K5 for it`s low noise performance and ISO80 ability if you plan on doing much night- or indoor work.
Power isn`t gonna be a problem in Europe, maybe in Asia (don`t know what you`ll be visiting) but nothing a travelpoweradapter can`t solve. IMHO you`d better focus on lenses.

Na Horuk · 12-22-2013, 04:24 AM

Im not sure 24 MP in a low to mid tier, amateur hobbyist camera makes sense? I would prefer fewer MP, save some space (and possibly get less noise). 16-20 is enough for most non-pros.
Unfortunately, Nikon recently restarted the MP war with its D800 and especially D5200.. But Nikon knows that MP is not king, which is why it also makes lower-MP bodies. (or at least bodies with lower pixel density)
I would like it if Pentax offered a camera with "low MP" (by modern standards) that had amazing noise performance, speed, small size and other such advantages.
Its also probably a bad idea to sell a flagship and lower tier camera with the same sensor - why would anyone buy the flagship then? Only a few people would get it, if they really needed the faster burst mode or some feature like that, but many wouldnt bother.

sterretje · 12-22-2013, 04:46 AM

It will come, but you again will not be happy as the then new flagship will probably be 30 or 40mp. So in that case you will start a thread about a K30 with 40mp (or so) sensor

lister6520 · 12-22-2013, 05:37 AM

Originally posted by TenZ.NL

Why do you want another 24Mp? By the looks of your signature you have plenty of choices.
If you really feel you need the 24Mp, take the K3 without grip. Otherwise the K30 or the K5 will do just fine and I would especially consider the K5 for it`s low noise performance and ISO80 ability if you plan on doing much night- or indoor work.
Power isn`t gonna be a problem in Europe, maybe in Asia (don`t know what you`ll be visiting) but nothing a travelpoweradapter can`t solve. IMHO you`d better focus on lenses.

Typically a travel power adaptor doesn't work too well unless plugged into a power outlet of some sort. I don't often find power outlets outdoors

and even if I did I wouldn't fancy waiting a couple of hours for the battery to charge up.

AA batteries on the other hand you can buy/borrow from just about anywhere or anyone and you can even 'steal' them from other devices, perhaps even your own flash gun.

ChrisJ · 12-22-2013, 05:44 AM

The D-Li190 battery used by Pentax is a generic battery you can buy chargers for any input voltage.

The charger you have now is the same charger supplied here in Europe, it can take any input voltage from 100V to 240V at 50Hz or 60Hz and can be used in Europe with a different generic mains lead available in any market or plug adapters, you can even get chargers that use the 12V from any cars cigarette lighter socket to charge the batteries whilst driving.

Battery Charger D-Li90 Pentax Optio K5, K-5, K7, K-7 | eBay

Why would you want to use AA batteries? Batteries are expensive in Europe, these chargers are cheaper than buying a couple of 4 cell packs.

**i_trax** · 12-22-2013, 06:24 AM

Originally posted by volley

Maybe I am missing something, but I believe the difference in weight and size between the K-3 and K-30 is something like 100 gramm and very few mm in each dimension. It would not be a concern for me.

please believe me, after walking and taking hundreds of photos for 10hrs a day in 35C+ environment 150g ( 800 K-3 / 650 K-30 ) difference make the huge difference.....

**i_trax** · 12-22-2013, 06:28 AM

Originally posted by Bob from Aus

I thought all a person needed when traveling was an iphone or ipad to take photos. Get real.

well, I do use my iphone occasionally but after all it is just a phone......

lister6520 · 12-22-2013, 06:31 AM

Originally posted by ChrisJ

The D-Li190 battery used by Pentax is a generic battery you can buy chargers for any input voltage.

The charger you have now is the same charger supplied here in Europe, it can take any input voltage from 100V to 240V at 50Hz or 60Hz and can be used in Europe with a different generic mains lead available in any market or plug adapters, you can even get chargers that use the 12V from any cars cigarette lighter socket to charge the batteries whilst driving.

Battery Charger D-Li90 Pentax Optio K5, K-5, K7, K-7 | eBay

Why would you want to use AA batteries? Batteries are expensive in Europe, these chargers are cheaper than buying a couple of 4 cell packs.

Because the LiIon ones have run out and I want to take more pictures and I cannot charge them until I get back home or to the hotel.

You cannot buy precharged Pentax batteries at a stationer or a bar but you can buy AA batteries from there, and just about anywhere else.

If I only used my camera at home then being able to use only the lithium ion batteries would be just fine.

**i_trax** · 12-22-2013, 06:35 AM

Originally posted by TenZ.NL

Why do you want another 24Mp? By the looks of your signature you have plenty of choices.
If you really feel you need the 24Mp, take the K3 without grip. Otherwise the K30 or the K5 will do just fine and I would especially consider the K5 for it`s low noise performance and ISO80 ability if you plan on doing much night- or indoor work.
Power isn`t gonna be a problem in Europe, maybe in Asia (don`t know what you`ll be visiting) but nothing a travelpoweradapter can`t solve. IMHO you`d better focus on lenses.

I just love Energizer Lithium AA while traveling, do not need to carry chargers and they do 1000+ photos per set.
yes they are expensive, but I use them only while travelling.....

12-21-2013, 11:58 PM	#1
i_trax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,621	scaled down K-3 in K-30 (K-50) body Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Now after taking over thousand of great photos with K-3 and being spoiled and amazed with 24MP and as Ron precisely pinpointed " Crop till you dropp " ability I would love Pentax to come up with something smaller and lighter with AA batteries and with IQ and AF of K-3. I am going to Europe/Asia mid MAR2014 and will be there till the end of MAY and again dilemma what to take. I will be mainly doing Family indoors, architecture and landscapes. My last trip I took K-30 + DA 18-250 + Sigma 17-70 Macro and was very happy with them although I was missing something wider than 17mm. K-30 for me was basically the ultimate DSLR for travellers, now if I could get 24MP in a smaller and lighter package it could replace K-30 and I could just take Sigma 8-16 + 17-70 and that should just be fine, all the rest will be covered by cropping. Just thinking loudly........... kind regards jack

12-22-2013, 12:01 AM - 1 Like	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	I'm sure it will happen. Pentax can't keep on recycling the 16mp sensor forever... Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

12-22-2013, 04:24 AM	#8
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Im not sure 24 MP in a low to mid tier, amateur hobbyist camera makes sense? I would prefer fewer MP, save some space (and possibly get less noise). 16-20 is enough for most non-pros. Unfortunately, Nikon recently restarted the MP war with its D800 and especially D5200.. But Nikon knows that MP is not king, which is why it also makes lower-MP bodies. (or at least bodies with lower pixel density) I would like it if Pentax offered a camera with "low MP" (by modern standards) that had amazing noise performance, speed, small size and other such advantages. Its also probably a bad idea to sell a flagship and lower tier camera with the same sensor - why would anyone buy the flagship then? Only a few people would get it, if they really needed the faster burst mode or some feature like that, but many wouldnt bother. Last edited by Na Horuk; 12-22-2013 at 05:10 AM.

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12-22-2013, 02:30 AM	#3
kiwi_jono Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,437	As Adam says. Also I'm betting Pentax / Ricoh realise they are on to a good thing with keeping their DSLRs relatively compact without losing any usability and they will stick with this formula.

12-22-2013, 02:41 AM - 1 Like	#4
lister6520 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 733	The AA batteries - that is the one thing I was disappointed with when I moved to the K-3. Why oh why did they drop that? Seems like the only way now to have guarantee power is either to get a bulky battery grip or to jury rig some way of charging the LiIon pack off of AA batteries. AA power was one of the strong points of Pentax for me, so it is now one less than before. Needless to say there are more than enough plus points remaining though.

12-22-2013, 03:17 AM	#5
volley Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Springe Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,693	Originally posted by i_trax Now after taking over thousand of great photos with K-3 and being spoiled and amazed with 24MP and as Ron precisely pinpointed " Crop till you dropp " ability I would love Pentax to come up with something smaller and lighter with AA batteries and with IQ and AF of K-3. I am going to Europe/Asia mid MAR2014 and will be there till the end of MAY and again dilemma what to take. I will be mainly doing Family indoors, architecture and landscapes. My last trip I took K-30 + DA 18-250 + Sigma 17-70 Macro and was very happy with them although I was missing something wider than 17mm. K-30 for me was basically the ultimate DSLR for travellers, now if I could get 24MP in a smaller and lighter package it could replace K-30 and I could just take Sigma 8-16 + 17-70 and that should just be fine, all the rest will be covered by cropping. Just thinking loudly........... kind regards jack Maybe I am missing something, but I believe the difference in weight and size between the K-3 and K-30 is something like 100 gramm and very few mm in each dimension. It would not be a concern for me.

12-22-2013, 03:21 AM	#6
Bob from Aus Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,094	I thought all a person needed when traveling was an iphone or ipad to take photos. Get real.

12-22-2013, 04:09 AM	#7
TenZ.NL Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Below sealevel Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,100	Why do you want another 24Mp? By the looks of your signature you have plenty of choices. If you really feel you need the 24Mp, take the K3 without grip. Otherwise the K30 or the K5 will do just fine and I would especially consider the K5 for it`s low noise performance and ISO80 ability if you plan on doing much night- or indoor work. Power isn`t gonna be a problem in Europe, maybe in Asia (don`t know what you`ll be visiting) but nothing a travelpoweradapter can`t solve. IMHO you`d better focus on lenses.

12-22-2013, 04:46 AM	#9
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	It will come, but you again will not be happy as the then new flagship will probably be 30 or 40mp. So in that case you will start a thread about a K30 with 40mp (or so) sensor

12-22-2013, 05:37 AM	#10
lister6520 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 733	Originally posted by TenZ.NL Why do you want another 24Mp? By the looks of your signature you have plenty of choices. If you really feel you need the 24Mp, take the K3 without grip. Otherwise the K30 or the K5 will do just fine and I would especially consider the K5 for it`s low noise performance and ISO80 ability if you plan on doing much night- or indoor work. Power isn`t gonna be a problem in Europe, maybe in Asia (don`t know what you`ll be visiting) but nothing a travelpoweradapter can`t solve. IMHO you`d better focus on lenses. Typically a travel power adaptor doesn't work too well unless plugged into a power outlet of some sort. I don't often find power outlets outdoors and even if I did I wouldn't fancy waiting a couple of hours for the battery to charge up. AA batteries on the other hand you can buy/borrow from just about anywhere or anyone and you can even 'steal' them from other devices, perhaps even your own flash gun.

12-22-2013, 05:44 AM	#11
ChrisJ Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Eckington, Derbyshire UK Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 316	The D-Li190 battery used by Pentax is a generic battery you can buy chargers for any input voltage. The charger you have now is the same charger supplied here in Europe, it can take any input voltage from 100V to 240V at 50Hz or 60Hz and can be used in Europe with a different generic mains lead available in any market or plug adapters, you can even get chargers that use the 12V from any cars cigarette lighter socket to charge the batteries whilst driving. Battery Charger D-Li90 Pentax Optio K5, K-5, K7, K-7 \| eBay Why would you want to use AA batteries? Batteries are expensive in Europe, these chargers are cheaper than buying a couple of 4 cell packs.

12-22-2013, 06:24 AM	#12
i_trax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,621 Original Poster	Originally posted by volley Maybe I am missing something, but I believe the difference in weight and size between the K-3 and K-30 is something like 100 gramm and very few mm in each dimension. It would not be a concern for me. please believe me, after walking and taking hundreds of photos for 10hrs a day in 35C+ environment 150g ( 800 K-3 / 650 K-30 ) difference make the huge difference.....

12-22-2013, 06:28 AM	#13
i_trax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,621 Original Poster	Originally posted by Bob from Aus I thought all a person needed when traveling was an iphone or ipad to take photos. Get real. well, I do use my iphone occasionally but after all it is just a phone......

12-22-2013, 06:31 AM	#14
lister6520 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 733	Originally posted by ChrisJ The D-Li190 battery used by Pentax is a generic battery you can buy chargers for any input voltage. The charger you have now is the same charger supplied here in Europe, it can take any input voltage from 100V to 240V at 50Hz or 60Hz and can be used in Europe with a different generic mains lead available in any market or plug adapters, you can even get chargers that use the 12V from any cars cigarette lighter socket to charge the batteries whilst driving. Battery Charger D-Li90 Pentax Optio K5, K-5, K7, K-7 \| eBay Why would you want to use AA batteries? Batteries are expensive in Europe, these chargers are cheaper than buying a couple of 4 cell packs. Because the LiIon ones have run out and I want to take more pictures and I cannot charge them until I get back home or to the hotel. You cannot buy precharged Pentax batteries at a stationer or a bar but you can buy AA batteries from there, and just about anywhere else. If I only used my camera at home then being able to use only the lithium ion batteries would be just fine.

12-22-2013, 06:35 AM	#15
i_trax Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Perth Western Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,621 Original Poster	Originally posted by TenZ.NL Why do you want another 24Mp? By the looks of your signature you have plenty of choices. If you really feel you need the 24Mp, take the K3 without grip. Otherwise the K30 or the K5 will do just fine and I would especially consider the K5 for it`s low noise performance and ISO80 ability if you plan on doing much night- or indoor work. Power isn`t gonna be a problem in Europe, maybe in Asia (don`t know what you`ll be visiting) but nothing a travelpoweradapter can`t solve. IMHO you`d better focus on lenses. I just love Energizer Lithium AA while traveling, do not need to carry chargers and they do 1000+ photos per set. yes they are expensive, but I use them only while travelling.....