What Was The First Thing You Noticed About The K-3?

Sandy Hancock · 01-23-2014, 02:31 AM - **1 Like**

The first thing I noticed, broken down into different sensory modalities

Visually - that beautiful silver finish, and as Alex mentioned it looks even more badass than the K-5.
Audibly - the SHUTTER!! Especially at full burst: like a pretty girl batting her eyelids

Physically - *every* button, wheel and lever has a better feel than its predecessor. The weight and balance. And the live view and AF buttons are well placed at last

Clavius · 01-23-2014, 07:34 AM

Definitely the hump.

**Arne Bo** · 01-25-2014, 06:16 AM

This is my first own dslr. So i went to the local store and (without knowing very much about the stats) took different cameras within my budget in my hands and played around with the buttons, switches, lcd and so on.
Of course i first went to Canikon and looked at their stuff. Felt good.
But then the shopkeeper asked me to try the new pentax. I was open minded and tried it.
So the first thing i noticed and i love is the solid feel and weight. I love that i think i could break the wall with this camera. Everything feels rock solid and i loved the ergonomics. It felt raw but comfortable.
I´m a big guy and i don´t like this whole smaller, lighter more delicate way of designing things, that is so modern.
Even my Canikoon friends admit that the K-3 has a high value feel.

I didn´t buy it that very moment (that would have been unwise with my lack of knowledge), but the first impression won me over.

G and T · 01-25-2014, 07:23 AM

Coming from a K7 to a K5 a K5IIs and then to a K3 the first thing I noticed was the grip,then the much better AF button placement but the manual has to be the most inadequate ever supplied with a Pentax camera,
I would hate to be coming from another system and try to learn my camera from it.
Glenn

dcBear78 · 01-25-2014, 08:45 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Arne Bo

This is my first own dslr. So i went to the local store and (without knowing very much about the stats) took different cameras within my budget in my hands and played around with the buttons, switches, lcd and so on.
Of course i first went to Canikon and looked at their stuff. Felt good.
But then the shopkeeper asked me to try the new pentax. I was open minded and tried it.
So the first thing i noticed and i love is the solid feel and weight. I love that i think i could break the wall with this camera. Everything feels rock solid and i loved the ergonomics. It felt raw but comfortable.
I´m a big guy and i don´t like this whole smaller, lighter more delicate way of designing things, that is so modern.
Even my Canikoon friends admit that the K-3 has a high value feel.

I didn´t buy it that very moment (that would have been unwise with my lack of knowledge), but the first impression won me over.

KNOCK KNOCK HELLO RICOH DO YOU READ THIS? Perfect example of why physical cameras need to be in camera stores.

**geomez** · 01-25-2014, 01:01 PM

Originally posted by dcBear78

KNOCK KNOCK HELLO RICOH DO YOU READ THIS? Perfect example of why physical cameras need to be in camera stores.

Totally agree. I live in Las Vegas and a couple weeks back was planning to go to CES. One of the main reasons was to actually hold a K-3. To my knowledge there is not a single store in Vegas, a city of roughly 2 million people, where Pentax dslrs are sold. That's a huge disadvantage for Ricoh and potential customers.

jiimaa · 01-27-2014, 04:04 AM

Oddly enough the first thing I thought of, when I held the K-3, was that yeah, they really skipped two full numbers, from a 5 to a 3, and there is no K-4. Not only was I slightly disappointed of this to be the case still in the year 2013, but that also lead me to the disappointing conclusion that there almost certainly will never be a K-9 either. That would have been too magnificent with all the what's up dogs.

Heie · 01-27-2014, 04:07 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jiimaa

K-9

It would feature a whistle embedded into the strap

jiimaa · 01-27-2014, 04:08 AM

I'd buy that

Edit: because it'd be perfect for all portraiture, with humans and animals alike. Think of a big shot sports game for example. Anyone can take a perfect shot of players in the air, over the end zone, hugging the ball while slipping through defender's fingers with force. But. With only the K-9 you can get them all to look straight into the camera. That pulitzer over the fireplace will tender your sore feelings, when they never let you into the stadium again.

Ayoh · 01-27-2014, 05:09 AM

The grip is too large. It is less comfortable to hold than the k5. I don't know why they changed it, i have average sized hands too. A pointless change.

Otherwise the main impression is that the camera is very responsive.

ruggiex · 01-27-2014, 08:15 AM

I think the first thing that really stood out after shooting is the metering system. It's so much more accurate than K5 that when I do not have time to setup and meter properly, it's doing the right things so I actually get more dynamic range out of the photos I captured than I would have with K5 despite the K3 is supposed to have slightly worse DR.

**klh** · 01-27-2014, 08:30 AM

Originally posted by Ayoh

The grip is too large. It is less comfortable to hold than the k5. I don't know why they changed it, i have average sized hands too. A pointless change.

Interesting. The first thing I noticed was how good the K-3 felt in my hands. I love the change; it reminds me of my K20D. I've always felt the grip of the K-7/K-5 series was just a bit small for my hands, and my finger tips would hurt after a long session.

Maybe we should design and patent an adjustable grip!

**geomez** · 01-27-2014, 11:44 AM

Originally posted by Ayoh

The grip is too large. It is less comfortable to hold than the k5. I don't know why they changed it, i have average sized hands too. A pointless change.

Otherwise the main impression is that the camera is very responsive.

I've heard overwhelming praise for the new grip, from myself included. I guess this is proof that no change is universally loved.

I for one have small to average sized hands for a man and I love the bigger grip.

**geomez** · 01-27-2014, 11:55 AM

Originally posted by klh

.Maybe we should design and patent an adjustable grip!

I believe Olympus has interchangeable grips on one of their micro 4/3 cameras.

I'd love to see a modern dslr sans grip, like the old school slrs. It could then have different grip accessory plates that screw onto the bottom kind of like the Panasonic GM1.

panoguy · 01-27-2014, 01:54 PM - **1 Like**

The first thing I noticed about the K-3 was that I had it in my hand on October 30th, before the Americans!

The next thing I noticed was that I didn't have to wait to charge the proprietary battery, since my K-5 batteries still work. Thanks, Ricoh!

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01-23-2014, 02:31 AM - 1 Like	#31
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	The first thing I noticed, broken down into different sensory modalities Visually - that beautiful silver finish, and as Alex mentioned it looks even more badass than the K-5. Audibly - the SHUTTER!! Especially at full burst: like a pretty girl batting her eyelids Physically - every button, wheel and lever has a better feel than its predecessor. The weight and balance. And the live view and AF buttons are well placed at last

01-23-2014, 07:34 AM	#32
Clavius Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: De Klundert Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,150	Definitely the hump.

01-25-2014, 06:16 AM	#33
Arne Bo Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Hamburg Photos: Albums Posts: 123	This is my first own dslr. So i went to the local store and (without knowing very much about the stats) took different cameras within my budget in my hands and played around with the buttons, switches, lcd and so on. Of course i first went to Canikon and looked at their stuff. Felt good. But then the shopkeeper asked me to try the new pentax. I was open minded and tried it. So the first thing i noticed and i love is the solid feel and weight. I love that i think i could break the wall with this camera. Everything feels rock solid and i loved the ergonomics. It felt raw but comfortable. I´m a big guy and i don´t like this whole smaller, lighter more delicate way of designing things, that is so modern. Even my Canikoon friends admit that the K-3 has a high value feel. I didn´t buy it that very moment (that would have been unwise with my lack of knowledge), but the first impression won me over.

01-25-2014, 07:23 AM	#34
G and T Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Langwarrin Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 382	Coming from a K7 to a K5 a K5IIs and then to a K3 the first thing I noticed was the grip,then the much better AF button placement but the manual has to be the most inadequate ever supplied with a Pentax camera, I would hate to be coming from another system and try to learn my camera from it. Glenn

01-25-2014, 08:45 AM - 2 Likes	#35
dcBear78 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Gladstone, QLD Photos: Gallery Posts: 823	Originally posted by Arne Bo This is my first own dslr. So i went to the local store and (without knowing very much about the stats) took different cameras within my budget in my hands and played around with the buttons, switches, lcd and so on. Of course i first went to Canikon and looked at their stuff. Felt good. But then the shopkeeper asked me to try the new pentax. I was open minded and tried it. So the first thing i noticed and i love is the solid feel and weight. I love that i think i could break the wall with this camera. Everything feels rock solid and i loved the ergonomics. It felt raw but comfortable. I´m a big guy and i don´t like this whole smaller, lighter more delicate way of designing things, that is so modern. Even my Canikoon friends admit that the K-3 has a high value feel. I didn´t buy it that very moment (that would have been unwise with my lack of knowledge), but the first impression won me over. KNOCK KNOCK HELLO RICOH DO YOU READ THIS? Perfect example of why physical cameras need to be in camera stores.

01-25-2014, 01:01 PM	#36
geomez Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Roanoke, Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,760	Originally posted by dcBear78 KNOCK KNOCK HELLO RICOH DO YOU READ THIS? Perfect example of why physical cameras need to be in camera stores. Totally agree. I live in Las Vegas and a couple weeks back was planning to go to CES. One of the main reasons was to actually hold a K-3. To my knowledge there is not a single store in Vegas, a city of roughly 2 million people, where Pentax dslrs are sold. That's a huge disadvantage for Ricoh and potential customers.

01-27-2014, 04:04 AM	#37
jiimaa Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 84	Oddly enough the first thing I thought of, when I held the K-3, was that yeah, they really skipped two full numbers, from a 5 to a 3, and there is no K-4. Not only was I slightly disappointed of this to be the case still in the year 2013, but that also lead me to the disappointing conclusion that there almost certainly will never be a K-9 either. That would have been too magnificent with all the what's up dogs.

01-27-2014, 04:07 AM - 1 Like	#38
Heie Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 968	Originally posted by jiimaa K-9 It would feature a whistle embedded into the strap

01-27-2014, 04:08 AM	#39
jiimaa Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 84	I'd buy that Edit: because it'd be perfect for all portraiture, with humans and animals alike. Think of a big shot sports game for example. Anyone can take a perfect shot of players in the air, over the end zone, hugging the ball while slipping through defender's fingers with force. But. With only the K-9 you can get them all to look straight into the camera. That pulitzer over the fireplace will tender your sore feelings, when they never let you into the stadium again.

01-27-2014, 05:09 AM	#40
Ayoh Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 341	The grip is too large. It is less comfortable to hold than the k5. I don't know why they changed it, i have average sized hands too. A pointless change. Otherwise the main impression is that the camera is very responsive.

01-27-2014, 08:15 AM	#41
ruggiex Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: East Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 811	I think the first thing that really stood out after shooting is the metering system. It's so much more accurate than K5 that when I do not have time to setup and meter properly, it's doing the right things so I actually get more dynamic range out of the photos I captured than I would have with K5 despite the K3 is supposed to have slightly worse DR.

01-27-2014, 08:30 AM	#42
klh Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Posts: 827	Originally posted by Ayoh The grip is too large. It is less comfortable to hold than the k5. I don't know why they changed it, i have average sized hands too. A pointless change. Interesting. The first thing I noticed was how good the K-3 felt in my hands. I love the change; it reminds me of my K20D. I've always felt the grip of the K-7/K-5 series was just a bit small for my hands, and my finger tips would hurt after a long session. Maybe we should design and patent an adjustable grip!

01-27-2014, 11:44 AM	#43
geomez Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Roanoke, Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,760	Originally posted by Ayoh The grip is too large. It is less comfortable to hold than the k5. I don't know why they changed it, i have average sized hands too. A pointless change. Otherwise the main impression is that the camera is very responsive. I've heard overwhelming praise for the new grip, from myself included. I guess this is proof that no change is universally loved. I for one have small to average sized hands for a man and I love the bigger grip.

01-27-2014, 11:55 AM	#44
geomez Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Roanoke, Virginia, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,760	Originally posted by klh .Maybe we should design and patent an adjustable grip! I believe Olympus has interchangeable grips on one of their micro 4/3 cameras. I'd love to see a modern dslr sans grip, like the old school slrs. It could then have different grip accessory plates that screw onto the bottom kind of like the Panasonic GM1.

01-27-2014, 01:54 PM - 1 Like	#45
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	The first thing I noticed about the K-3 was that I had it in my hand on October 30th, before the Americans! The next thing I noticed was that I didn't have to wait to charge the proprietary battery, since my K-5 batteries still work. Thanks, Ricoh!