Almost bought a K-3

iamwhoiam · 12-03-2014, 10:57 AM

I've had the K-3 as well as the Panasonic GX7 in carts at both Adorama and B & H and then keep deleting. Maybe it's been for the best. Had to replace the torsion spring on my garage door as well as the capacitor in the opener yesterday and there went part of my camera money. However the deals on both cameras are still very tempting. I also started looking at the ultrazoom Panasonic bridge cameras such as the FZ200 or the FZ70 just for the reach, the ease and the excellent pricing (although the price of the 200 back up at B & H and Adorama although still low at Amazon). I had an FZ20 which took excellent photos, IMHO. Probably my best fixed lens digital camera. I also have $300 in Sony gift cards and have been browsing through the Sony website but I would have to invest in a new system and don't think I want to go in that direction.

ScooterMaxi Jim · 12-03-2014, 07:30 PM

Originally posted by iamwhoiam

I've had the K-3 as well as the Panasonic GX7 in carts at both Adorama and B & H and then keep deleting. Maybe it's been for the best. Had to replace the torsion spring on my garage door as well as the capacitor in the opener yesterday and there went part of my camera money. However the deals on both cameras are still very tempting. I also started looking at the ultrazoom Panasonic bridge cameras such as the FZ200 or the FZ70 just for the reach, the ease and the excellent pricing (although the price of the 200 back up at B & H and Adorama although still low at Amazon). I had an FZ20 which took excellent photos, IMHO. Probably my best fixed lens digital camera. I also have $300 in Sony gift cards and have been browsing through the Sony website but I would have to invest in a new system and don't think I want to go in that direction.

Well, you get extra credit for considering three totally different cameras that have virtually nothing in common (they all produce digital images, I guess). The FZ200/FZ70 are slow consumer sensor cams that aren't competitive. If considering a Panasonic bridge camera, the discussion starts and ends with the FZ1000. You can crop to get the "reach" and the photos will be far superior to the two also-rans you're considering. Go with Fuji if you want a cheap bridge camera with reach.

Even the GX7 isn't remotely competitive in IQ, AF, features compared with the K-3 for anything other than video - and even then it lacks mic-in and headphone-in, so not really capable in that regard either. It is small, but you can find better m4/3rds at good prices in the Olympus line.

Think about what you most need. Also, think about the cost of investing in lenses. If a camera with lots of reach is a real priority, the FZ1000 is ultimately a very good value. Not only do you get a relatively long lens that brings in decent light, but you get all those other focal lengths in the bargain - in a small, highly responsive camera that sets a new standard. In many ways, the FZ1000 is a threat to 4/3rds - because the image quality is really quite close. Not terribly close to the K-3, though. That's a considerably higher level compared to the GX7.

iamwhoiam · 12-03-2014, 09:26 PM

Originally posted by ScooterMaxi Jim

Well, you get extra credit for considering three totally different cameras that have virtually nothing in common (they all produce digital images, I guess). The FZ200/FZ70 are slow consumer sensor cams that aren't competitive. If considering a Panasonic bridge camera, the discussion starts and ends with the FZ1000. You can crop to get the "reach" and the photos will be far superior to the two also-rans you're considering. Go with Fuji if you want a cheap bridge camera with reach.

Even the GX7 isn't remotely competitive in IQ, AF, features compared with the K-3 for anything other than video - and even then it lacks mic-in and headphone-in, so not really capable in that regard either. It is small, but you can find better m4/3rds at good prices in the Olympus line.

Think about what you most need. Also, think about the cost of investing in lenses. If a camera with lots of reach is a real priority, the FZ1000 is ultimately a very good value. Not only do you get a relatively long lens that brings in decent light, but you get all those other focal lengths in the bargain - in a small, highly responsive camera that sets a new standard. In many ways, the FZ1000 is a threat to 4/3rds - because the image quality is really quite close. Not terribly close to the K-3, though. That's a considerably higher level compared to the GX7.

I know that these are totally different cameras and that the FZ70 and 200 are nowhere near the quality of the K3 or the GX7. With the prices of the two FZs I thought of just getting one for fun (probably should have specified that in my earlier post) or getting one for a friend. These cameras, especially the FZ200 do receive kudos from birders. The write speed on both of these is extremely slow, though, and, when it comes down to it, that would drive me crazy. Not going to pay $800+ for an FZ1000 when I can get a K-3 for the same price or a GX7 for a few hundred less. I tried the Olympus m 4/3rds and the GX7 and, for me, the GX7 handled better. As for image quality I have looked at photos taken with the GX7 and have also looked at sets of photos comparing it to other cameras and the image quality is excellent. When it comes to m 4/3rds this would be my choice. I really don't care that it doesn't have an external microphone or headphone jack. Those are not priorities for me. As for investing in lenses I already have Pentax lenses & m 4/3rds lenses. I am just working on upgrading my camera bodies and then as an afterthought considered getting a cheap FZ but, as I indicated, just for fun, not as a replacement for my other cameras/lenses and not in place of a K-3 or GX7.

BTW, what does my extra credit get me?

BlakeShellman · 12-04-2014, 06:19 AM

Originally posted by iamwhoiam

I know that these are totally different cameras and that the FZ70 and 200 are nowhere near the quality of the K3 or the GX7. With the prices of the two FZs I thought of just getting one for fun (probably should have specified that in my earlier post) or getting one for a friend. These cameras, especially the FZ200 do receive kudos from birders. The write speed on both of these is extremely slow, though, and, when it comes down to it, that would drive me crazy. Not going to pay $800+ for an FZ1000 when I can get a K-3 for the same price or a GX7 for a few hundred less. I tried the Olympus m 4/3rds and the GX7 and, for me, the GX7 handled better. As for image quality I have looked at photos taken with the GX7 and have also looked at sets of photos comparing it to other cameras and the image quality is excellent. When it comes to m 4/3rds this would be my choice. I really don't care that it doesn't have an external microphone or headphone jack. Those are not priorities for me. As for investing in lenses I already have Pentax lenses & m 4/3rds lenses. I am just working on upgrading my camera bodies and then as an afterthought considered getting a cheap FZ but, as I indicated, just for fun, not as a replacement for my other cameras/lenses and not in place of a K-3 or GX7.

BTW, what does my extra credit get me?

The extra credit gets you three different kinds of cameras.

---------- Post added 12-04-14 at 09:32 AM ----------

OK....

Picked up my K-3 and motor driver...oops I mean battery grip yesterday.
I pulled the almost fully charged battery from my K-5 and played around with the camera while I waited for the Pentax 90 battery charged. Even though I said I was going to give my brother my K-5 for Christmas I think I should hold onto it. It is too much like the K-3. Looks like he's may get my K10D. Though I sorta think he may be disappointed on e he finds out how much nicer the K-5 is.

And even though it is close to the K-5 it's different enough that there will be a learning curve

One thing I noticed is that I popped the A 50mm F1.4 on the K-5 and while manually focusing it it beeped when the K-5 determined it was in focus. Is there a setting I can enable to turn that on on the K-3?

Glen_S · 12-04-2014, 10:02 AM

I think I may hold off a little longer for the K3 - what I thought was a black friday price seems to be the new price for this - but the addition of a battery pack thrown in is still very tempting. I have a feeling they're about to release it's successor soon so I think the price will hold and maybe even drop if stores try to move these out fast just before a new release comes out.

I've done some number crunching and only got room in the budget for either the Sony A5100 + 55-210 lens (discounted from $348 to $148 when purchased with A5100) at $646 or the K3 at $796. With the Sony I get my wife's Christmas present taken care of and also the longer reach lens I've wanted for my NEX-5n for a steeply discounted price. With the 55-210 I'll have 3 extra lenses to share between the Sony cameras then (I have 19 & 30mm Sigma primes)

Right now it's the best bang for my buck, but I'll reassess my finances after the holiday slaughter and keep an eye on boxing day sales up here, where sometimes good bargains can be had.

The weakness of our loonie against the greenback right now is a factor too.

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12-03-2014, 10:57 AM	#31
iamwhoiam Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: So. California Posts: 153	I've had the K-3 as well as the Panasonic GX7 in carts at both Adorama and B & H and then keep deleting. Maybe it's been for the best. Had to replace the torsion spring on my garage door as well as the capacitor in the opener yesterday and there went part of my camera money. However the deals on both cameras are still very tempting. I also started looking at the ultrazoom Panasonic bridge cameras such as the FZ200 or the FZ70 just for the reach, the ease and the excellent pricing (although the price of the 200 back up at B & H and Adorama although still low at Amazon). I had an FZ20 which took excellent photos, IMHO. Probably my best fixed lens digital camera. I also have $300 in Sony gift cards and have been browsing through the Sony website but I would have to invest in a new system and don't think I want to go in that direction.

12-03-2014, 07:30 PM	#32
ScooterMaxi Jim Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,520	Originally posted by iamwhoiam I've had the K-3 as well as the Panasonic GX7 in carts at both Adorama and B & H and then keep deleting. Maybe it's been for the best. Had to replace the torsion spring on my garage door as well as the capacitor in the opener yesterday and there went part of my camera money. However the deals on both cameras are still very tempting. I also started looking at the ultrazoom Panasonic bridge cameras such as the FZ200 or the FZ70 just for the reach, the ease and the excellent pricing (although the price of the 200 back up at B & H and Adorama although still low at Amazon). I had an FZ20 which took excellent photos, IMHO. Probably my best fixed lens digital camera. I also have $300 in Sony gift cards and have been browsing through the Sony website but I would have to invest in a new system and don't think I want to go in that direction. Well, you get extra credit for considering three totally different cameras that have virtually nothing in common (they all produce digital images, I guess). The FZ200/FZ70 are slow consumer sensor cams that aren't competitive. If considering a Panasonic bridge camera, the discussion starts and ends with the FZ1000. You can crop to get the "reach" and the photos will be far superior to the two also-rans you're considering. Go with Fuji if you want a cheap bridge camera with reach. Even the GX7 isn't remotely competitive in IQ, AF, features compared with the K-3 for anything other than video - and even then it lacks mic-in and headphone-in, so not really capable in that regard either. It is small, but you can find better m4/3rds at good prices in the Olympus line. Think about what you most need. Also, think about the cost of investing in lenses. If a camera with lots of reach is a real priority, the FZ1000 is ultimately a very good value. Not only do you get a relatively long lens that brings in decent light, but you get all those other focal lengths in the bargain - in a small, highly responsive camera that sets a new standard. In many ways, the FZ1000 is a threat to 4/3rds - because the image quality is really quite close. Not terribly close to the K-3, though. That's a considerably higher level compared to the GX7.

12-03-2014, 09:26 PM	#33
iamwhoiam Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: So. California Posts: 153	Originally posted by ScooterMaxi Jim Well, you get extra credit for considering three totally different cameras that have virtually nothing in common (they all produce digital images, I guess). The FZ200/FZ70 are slow consumer sensor cams that aren't competitive. If considering a Panasonic bridge camera, the discussion starts and ends with the FZ1000. You can crop to get the "reach" and the photos will be far superior to the two also-rans you're considering. Go with Fuji if you want a cheap bridge camera with reach. Even the GX7 isn't remotely competitive in IQ, AF, features compared with the K-3 for anything other than video - and even then it lacks mic-in and headphone-in, so not really capable in that regard either. It is small, but you can find better m4/3rds at good prices in the Olympus line. Think about what you most need. Also, think about the cost of investing in lenses. If a camera with lots of reach is a real priority, the FZ1000 is ultimately a very good value. Not only do you get a relatively long lens that brings in decent light, but you get all those other focal lengths in the bargain - in a small, highly responsive camera that sets a new standard. In many ways, the FZ1000 is a threat to 4/3rds - because the image quality is really quite close. Not terribly close to the K-3, though. That's a considerably higher level compared to the GX7. I know that these are totally different cameras and that the FZ70 and 200 are nowhere near the quality of the K3 or the GX7. With the prices of the two FZs I thought of just getting one for fun (probably should have specified that in my earlier post) or getting one for a friend. These cameras, especially the FZ200 do receive kudos from birders. The write speed on both of these is extremely slow, though, and, when it comes down to it, that would drive me crazy. Not going to pay $800+ for an FZ1000 when I can get a K-3 for the same price or a GX7 for a few hundred less. I tried the Olympus m 4/3rds and the GX7 and, for me, the GX7 handled better. As for image quality I have looked at photos taken with the GX7 and have also looked at sets of photos comparing it to other cameras and the image quality is excellent. When it comes to m 4/3rds this would be my choice. I really don't care that it doesn't have an external microphone or headphone jack. Those are not priorities for me. As for investing in lenses I already have Pentax lenses & m 4/3rds lenses. I am just working on upgrading my camera bodies and then as an afterthought considered getting a cheap FZ but, as I indicated, just for fun, not as a replacement for my other cameras/lenses and not in place of a K-3 or GX7. BTW, what does my extra credit get me?

12-04-2014, 06:19 AM	#34
BlakeShellman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 224 Original Poster	Originally posted by iamwhoiam I know that these are totally different cameras and that the FZ70 and 200 are nowhere near the quality of the K3 or the GX7. With the prices of the two FZs I thought of just getting one for fun (probably should have specified that in my earlier post) or getting one for a friend. These cameras, especially the FZ200 do receive kudos from birders. The write speed on both of these is extremely slow, though, and, when it comes down to it, that would drive me crazy. Not going to pay $800+ for an FZ1000 when I can get a K-3 for the same price or a GX7 for a few hundred less. I tried the Olympus m 4/3rds and the GX7 and, for me, the GX7 handled better. As for image quality I have looked at photos taken with the GX7 and have also looked at sets of photos comparing it to other cameras and the image quality is excellent. When it comes to m 4/3rds this would be my choice. I really don't care that it doesn't have an external microphone or headphone jack. Those are not priorities for me. As for investing in lenses I already have Pentax lenses & m 4/3rds lenses. I am just working on upgrading my camera bodies and then as an afterthought considered getting a cheap FZ but, as I indicated, just for fun, not as a replacement for my other cameras/lenses and not in place of a K-3 or GX7. BTW, what does my extra credit get me? The extra credit gets you three different kinds of cameras. ---------- Post added 12-04-14 at 09:32 AM ---------- OK.... Picked up my K-3 and motor driver...oops I mean battery grip yesterday. I pulled the almost fully charged battery from my K-5 and played around with the camera while I waited for the Pentax 90 battery charged. Even though I said I was going to give my brother my K-5 for Christmas I think I should hold onto it. It is too much like the K-3. Looks like he's may get my K10D. Though I sorta think he may be disappointed on e he finds out how much nicer the K-5 is. And even though it is close to the K-5 it's different enough that there will be a learning curve One thing I noticed is that I popped the A 50mm F1.4 on the K-5 and while manually focusing it it beeped when the K-5 determined it was in focus. Is there a setting I can enable to turn that on on the K-3?

12-04-2014, 10:02 AM	#35
Glen_S Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 105	I think I may hold off a little longer for the K3 - what I thought was a black friday price seems to be the new price for this - but the addition of a battery pack thrown in is still very tempting. I have a feeling they're about to release it's successor soon so I think the price will hold and maybe even drop if stores try to move these out fast just before a new release comes out. I've done some number crunching and only got room in the budget for either the Sony A5100 + 55-210 lens (discounted from $348 to $148 when purchased with A5100) at $646 or the K3 at $796. With the Sony I get my wife's Christmas present taken care of and also the longer reach lens I've wanted for my NEX-5n for a steeply discounted price. With the 55-210 I'll have 3 extra lenses to share between the Sony cameras then (I have 19 & 30mm Sigma primes) Right now it's the best bang for my buck, but I'll reassess my finances after the holiday slaughter and keep an eye on boxing day sales up here, where sometimes good bargains can be had. The weakness of our loonie against the greenback right now is a factor too.