Tempted by the K3

antipattern · 06-15-2015, 10:38 AM

I currently have the K5 but I am really tempted by the K3 at the moment. Currently, one European dealer has a display model of the K3 for £500/ €690 with the current cash back offer and two years warranty. The other day I was at a large electronics shop and held a K3 in my hand, and I tried out the autofocus. It's so much quicker than my K5 and recently I have been missing a couple of shots because of slow focus. The improved video features and the lack of a low pass filter might be nice, too. I have the Ricoh GR and although I often prefer the output of the K5, the extra detail of the GR appears to be visible under certain circumstances.

But the K3 II's sensor shift and the GPS/astro tracer are two features that I would also like to have in the future. I really appreciate auto tagging of geographic information, would like to explore astrophotography more and pixel shift sounds like something I might like to play with, too.

Finally, I hate the size of the K5's RAW files already, but I love the extra battery time compared to the reports by other users.

So overall, I wonder whether autofocus (I'm not too fussed about the extra mega pixels) is enough to warrant the K3... or maybe I should just wait until the K3II is discounted? I could cover some of the money through selling my K5 and a bunch of lenses that I wanted to sell anyways, but I would have to go into my savings account to finance it in the first place...

Really, I need a voice of reason...

**boriscleto** · 06-15-2015, 10:39 AM

Give in to the temptation.

VoiceOfReason · 06-15-2015, 10:57 AM - **1 Like**

I went K5 to K3 and it was worth it.

**blackcloudbrew** · 06-15-2015, 11:01 AM - **1 Like**

Yep, that K5 to K3 jump is worth it. No doubt.

ronniemac · 06-15-2015, 11:27 AM

I went from K_5 to K_3 II. Best decision ever - and I was happy with the K-5. The K-3 is such good value at the moment, but the K-3 II has been launched at a good price too. If I were you I would factor in the additional cost of the 0-GPS unit and consider if you really do need built in flash.

GPS tagging was more important to me than built in flash, but I did get Pentax's new pocketable AF201FG WR just in case. Astro Tracing is something I look forward to as is Pixel Shift for when I take a tripod out into the landscape.

K-3 or K-3 II? Either way, you will find it a big improvement on the lovely K-5 (except at high ISO).

**crewl1** · 06-15-2015, 12:10 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by ronniemac

Either way, you will find it a big improvement on the lovely K-5 (except at high ISO).

I love my K-5 as well but the K-3 does not deserve the knocks on the high ISO that it gets.

Most folks coming from K-5, like me, saw the world through 16MP AA filtered glasses.

The K-3 has no filter and higher MP so you will see the difference in both detail and grain.

K-3 shots can be PP'd to look just like the K-5 if needed.

Biggest reasons to upgrade to the K-3 over the K-5 are AF and shot to shot performance. If you are a sports shooter you will appreciate the K-3 for these features. The rest will be gravy.

If you just want more detail the K-5iiS may be a good option.

Adam · 06-15-2015, 04:08 PM

Originally posted by antipattern

But the K3 II's sensor shift and the GPS/astro tracer are two features that I would also like to have in the future. I really appreciate auto tagging of geographic information, would like to explore astrophotography more and pixel shift sounds like something I might like to play with, too.

You can always get the GPS unit for the K-3

The pixel shifting is a cool feature but keep in mind it only works for stationary subjects.

Adam
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starbase218 · 06-15-2015, 04:29 PM

Originally posted by crewl1

Most folks coming from K-5, like me, saw the world through 16MP AA filtered glasses.

Not too mention the smoothing at > ISO 1600, even for RAW files.

As for AF speed though, the K-3 is improved over the K-5, but I don't really consider it a big difference.

pentasonic49 · 06-22-2015, 01:47 PM

If your budget allows, get the K3 II, I did not consider the K3 as a worthwhile jump from the K5 but the K3 II just tipped the balance.

keithw · 06-23-2015, 03:29 AM

To quote a tune form the early 70s - "think about it, just do it!"

The question is really K3 or K3 ii. And having bought my K3 a couple of weeks before the ii was announced, I am slightly kicking myself for having waited so long before upgrading my K5 but not waiting that extra fortnight or so ... However, I did get a really good deal on my K3, £80 off plus free grip. But obviously one always wants the latest and greatest. I think it was the built in GPS that I wanted most. That said, I have an app on my phone that cost a coupe of quid and can be configured to record the GPS location at user-defined intervals (the free version needs you to manually record location). That outputs a GPX file which I import into Lightroom and hey presto! My photos are tagged.

The major difference that I have found between my old K5 and my new K3 is that more MP does equal not so good high ISO. My K5 could be used at ISO6400 and be cleaned up in Lightroom whereas I have found that I cannot push the K3 above ISO3200. Only 1 stop but I have done some gig photography and that one stop could be crucial when the stage appears to be lit by a couple of candles! Shouldn't complain as I also treated myself to a couple of f2.8 Sigma zooms, 17-50 & 70-200. So what I lost on the camera I got back with the lenses. Mind you, as I have mentioned elsewhere the K3 + 70-200 is much heavier than my K5 + 70-300.

Adam · 06-23-2015, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by keithw

To quote a tune form the early 70s - "think about it, just do it!"

The question is really K3 or K3 ii. And having bought my K3 a couple of weeks before the ii was announced, I am slightly kicking myself for having waited so long before upgrading my K5 but not waiting that extra fortnight or so ... However, I did get a really good deal on my K3, £80 off plus free grip. But obviously one always wants the latest and greatest. I think it was the built in GPS that I wanted most. That said, I have an app on my phone that cost a coupe of quid and can be configured to record the GPS location at user-defined intervals (the free version needs you to manually record location). That outputs a GPX file which I import into Lightroom and hey presto! My photos are tagged.

The major difference that I have found between my old K5 and my new K3 is that more MP does equal not so good high ISO. My K5 could be used at ISO6400 and be cleaned up in Lightroom whereas I have found that I cannot push the K3 above ISO3200. Only 1 stop but I have done some gig photography and that one stop could be crucial when the stage appears to be lit by a couple of candles! Shouldn't complain as I also treated myself to a couple of f2.8 Sigma zooms, 17-50 & 70-200. So what I lost on the camera I got back with the lenses. Mind you, as I have mentioned elsewhere the K3 + 70-200 is much heavier than my K5 + 70-300.

You should be able to use the K-3's ISO 6400 files just fine. Be sure to shoot in RAW, because JPEG mode eats away most of the details.

As for GPS functionality, remember that you can have it all via the O-GPS1 accessory. I think you made the right call if you got a good deal

slip · 06-25-2015, 08:19 AM

Just took the plunge going from the K5iis to the K3 gun metal edition. Hope I made the right choice

the features the K3ii has over the K3 to me they would be nice to play with but something to make me want to pay a few hundred dollars for

Thanks

Randy

antipattern · 06-25-2015, 09:01 AM

I am still tempted, particularly since the price is now €649 + shipping. However, I have decided to postpone the upgrade. The astrotracer is such a nice feature and I want to get an external flash anyways. The K3 is a nice upgrade, but doesn't quite push me over the edge, however the K3ii does, once it becomes a bit cheaper. Also, I think I need to familiarise myself with the differences between AF-S and AF-C in practice to make full use of them, before I upgrade to the K3/ii.

In the meantime I also have to think about what to do with my massive Aperture photo library. As I need to switch to a new software anyways, it would be great if it was something where I can save RAWs externally, and keep a smaller jpeg copy on my internal drive. Once I have figured that out, I can upgrade to a camera with more megapickles :-)

slip · 06-25-2015, 09:12 AM

Originally posted by antipattern

I am still tempted, particularly since the price is now €649 + shipping. However, I have decided to postpone the upgrade. The astrotracer is such a nice feature and I want to get an external flash anyways. The K3 is a nice upgrade, but doesn't quite push me over the edge, however the K3ii does, once it becomes a bit cheaper. Also, I think I need to familiarise myself with the differences between AF-S and AF-C in practice to make full use of them, before I upgrade to the K3/ii.

In the meantime I also have to think about what to do with my massive Aperture photo library. As I need to switch to a new software anyways, it would be great if it was something where I can save RAWs externally, and keep a smaller jpeg copy on my internal drive. Once I have figured that out, I can upgrade to a camera with more megapickles :-)

I save my raw files on an external drive and save the jpg files in separate folders in another drive

Good luck with your choice

Randy

LoneWolf · 06-25-2015, 03:00 PM

Originally posted by Adam

As for GPS functionality, remember that you can have it all via the O-GPS1 accessory. I think you made the right call if you got a good deal

Please correct me if I am wrong but with the K3 neither the inbuilt flash nor an accessory flash can be used with the O-GPS1 accessory mounted, where as the K3ii with its inbuilt GPS unit can be used with an accessory flash.

06-15-2015, 10:38 AM	#1
antipattern Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 232	Tempted by the K3 I currently have the K5 but I am really tempted by the K3 at the moment. Currently, one European dealer has a display model of the K3 for £500/ €690 with the current cash back offer and two years warranty. The other day I was at a large electronics shop and held a K3 in my hand, and I tried out the autofocus. It's so much quicker than my K5 and recently I have been missing a couple of shots because of slow focus. The improved video features and the lack of a low pass filter might be nice, too. I have the Ricoh GR and although I often prefer the output of the K5, the extra detail of the GR appears to be visible under certain circumstances. But the K3 II's sensor shift and the GPS/astro tracer are two features that I would also like to have in the future. I really appreciate auto tagging of geographic information, would like to explore astrophotography more and pixel shift sounds like something I might like to play with, too. Finally, I hate the size of the K5's RAW files already, but I love the extra battery time compared to the reports by other users. So overall, I wonder whether autofocus (I'm not too fussed about the extra mega pixels) is enough to warrant the K3... or maybe I should just wait until the K3II is discounted? I could cover some of the money through selling my K5 and a bunch of lenses that I wanted to sell anyways, but I would have to go into my savings account to finance it in the first place... Really, I need a voice of reason...

06-23-2015, 03:59 AM	#11
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,593	Originally posted by keithw To quote a tune form the early 70s - "think about it, just do it!" The question is really K3 or K3 ii. And having bought my K3 a couple of weeks before the ii was announced, I am slightly kicking myself for having waited so long before upgrading my K5 but not waiting that extra fortnight or so ... However, I did get a really good deal on my K3, £80 off plus free grip. But obviously one always wants the latest and greatest. I think it was the built in GPS that I wanted most. That said, I have an app on my phone that cost a coupe of quid and can be configured to record the GPS location at user-defined intervals (the free version needs you to manually record location). That outputs a GPX file which I import into Lightroom and hey presto! My photos are tagged. The major difference that I have found between my old K5 and my new K3 is that more MP does equal not so good high ISO. My K5 could be used at ISO6400 and be cleaned up in Lightroom whereas I have found that I cannot push the K3 above ISO3200. Only 1 stop but I have done some gig photography and that one stop could be crucial when the stage appears to be lit by a couple of candles! Shouldn't complain as I also treated myself to a couple of f2.8 Sigma zooms, 17-50 & 70-200. So what I lost on the camera I got back with the lenses. Mind you, as I have mentioned elsewhere the K3 + 70-200 is much heavier than my K5 + 70-300. You should be able to use the K-3's ISO 6400 files just fine. Be sure to shoot in RAW, because JPEG mode eats away most of the details. As for GPS functionality, remember that you can have it all via the O-GPS1 accessory. I think you made the right call if you got a good deal 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:

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06-15-2015, 10:39 AM	#2
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,473	Give in to the temptation.

06-15-2015, 10:57 AM - 1 Like	#3
VoiceOfReason Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Mishawaka IN area Photos: Albums Posts: 6,124	I went K5 to K3 and it was worth it.

06-15-2015, 11:01 AM - 1 Like	#4
blackcloudbrew Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cotati, California USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,460	Yep, that K5 to K3 jump is worth it. No doubt.

06-15-2015, 11:27 AM	#5
ronniemac Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Oxford Photos: Albums Posts: 244	I went from K_5 to K_3 II. Best decision ever - and I was happy with the K-5. The K-3 is such good value at the moment, but the K-3 II has been launched at a good price too. If I were you I would factor in the additional cost of the 0-GPS unit and consider if you really do need built in flash. GPS tagging was more important to me than built in flash, but I did get Pentax's new pocketable AF201FG WR just in case. Astro Tracing is something I look forward to as is Pixel Shift for when I take a tripod out into the landscape. K-3 or K-3 II? Either way, you will find it a big improvement on the lovely K-5 (except at high ISO).

06-15-2015, 12:10 PM - 1 Like	#6
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	Originally posted by ronniemac Either way, you will find it a big improvement on the lovely K-5 (except at high ISO). I love my K-5 as well but the K-3 does not deserve the knocks on the high ISO that it gets. Most folks coming from K-5, like me, saw the world through 16MP AA filtered glasses. The K-3 has no filter and higher MP so you will see the difference in both detail and grain. K-3 shots can be PP'd to look just like the K-5 if needed. Biggest reasons to upgrade to the K-3 over the K-5 are AF and shot to shot performance. If you are a sports shooter you will appreciate the K-3 for these features. The rest will be gravy. If you just want more detail the K-5iiS may be a good option.

06-15-2015, 04:08 PM	#7
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,593	Originally posted by antipattern But the K3 II's sensor shift and the GPS/astro tracer are two features that I would also like to have in the future. I really appreciate auto tagging of geographic information, would like to explore astrophotography more and pixel shift sounds like something I might like to play with, too. You can always get the GPS unit for the K-3 The pixel shifting is a cool feature but keep in mind it only works for stationary subjects. 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:

06-15-2015, 04:29 PM	#8
starbase218 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Planet Earth, Sol system, Milky Way galaxy, Universe Posts: 1,119	Originally posted by crewl1 Most folks coming from K-5, like me, saw the world through 16MP AA filtered glasses. Not too mention the smoothing at > ISO 1600, even for RAW files. As for AF speed though, the K-3 is improved over the K-5, but I don't really consider it a big difference.

06-22-2015, 01:47 PM	#9
pentasonic49 Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: weston-super-mare Posts: 395	If your budget allows, get the K3 II, I did not consider the K3 as a worthwhile jump from the K5 but the K3 II just tipped the balance.

06-23-2015, 03:29 AM	#10
keithw Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Posts: 72	To quote a tune form the early 70s - "think about it, just do it!" The question is really K3 or K3 ii. And having bought my K3 a couple of weeks before the ii was announced, I am slightly kicking myself for having waited so long before upgrading my K5 but not waiting that extra fortnight or so ... However, I did get a really good deal on my K3, £80 off plus free grip. But obviously one always wants the latest and greatest. I think it was the built in GPS that I wanted most. That said, I have an app on my phone that cost a coupe of quid and can be configured to record the GPS location at user-defined intervals (the free version needs you to manually record location). That outputs a GPX file which I import into Lightroom and hey presto! My photos are tagged. The major difference that I have found between my old K5 and my new K3 is that more MP does equal not so good high ISO. My K5 could be used at ISO6400 and be cleaned up in Lightroom whereas I have found that I cannot push the K3 above ISO3200. Only 1 stop but I have done some gig photography and that one stop could be crucial when the stage appears to be lit by a couple of candles! Shouldn't complain as I also treated myself to a couple of f2.8 Sigma zooms, 17-50 & 70-200. So what I lost on the camera I got back with the lenses. Mind you, as I have mentioned elsewhere the K3 + 70-200 is much heavier than my K5 + 70-300.

06-25-2015, 08:19 AM	#12
slip Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,535	Just took the plunge going from the K5iis to the K3 gun metal edition. Hope I made the right choice the features the K3ii has over the K3 to me they would be nice to play with but something to make me want to pay a few hundred dollars for Thanks Randy

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06-25-2015, 09:01 AM	#13
antipattern Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Berlin, Germany Photos: Albums Posts: 232 Original Poster	I am still tempted, particularly since the price is now €649 + shipping. However, I have decided to postpone the upgrade. The astrotracer is such a nice feature and I want to get an external flash anyways. The K3 is a nice upgrade, but doesn't quite push me over the edge, however the K3ii does, once it becomes a bit cheaper. Also, I think I need to familiarise myself with the differences between AF-S and AF-C in practice to make full use of them, before I upgrade to the K3/ii. In the meantime I also have to think about what to do with my massive Aperture photo library. As I need to switch to a new software anyways, it would be great if it was something where I can save RAWs externally, and keep a smaller jpeg copy on my internal drive. Once I have figured that out, I can upgrade to a camera with more megapickles :-)

06-25-2015, 09:12 AM	#14
slip Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: 2 hours north of toronto ontario canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,535	Originally posted by antipattern I am still tempted, particularly since the price is now €649 + shipping. However, I have decided to postpone the upgrade. The astrotracer is such a nice feature and I want to get an external flash anyways. The K3 is a nice upgrade, but doesn't quite push me over the edge, however the K3ii does, once it becomes a bit cheaper. Also, I think I need to familiarise myself with the differences between AF-S and AF-C in practice to make full use of them, before I upgrade to the K3/ii. In the meantime I also have to think about what to do with my massive Aperture photo library. As I need to switch to a new software anyways, it would be great if it was something where I can save RAWs externally, and keep a smaller jpeg copy on my internal drive. Once I have figured that out, I can upgrade to a camera with more megapickles :-) I save my raw files on an external drive and save the jpg files in separate folders in another drive Good luck with your choice Randy

06-25-2015, 03:00 PM	#15
LoneWolf Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 141	Originally posted by Adam As for GPS functionality, remember that you can have it all via the O-GPS1 accessory. I think you made the right call if you got a good deal Please correct me if I am wrong but with the K3 neither the inbuilt flash nor an accessory flash can be used with the O-GPS1 accessory mounted, where as the K3ii with its inbuilt GPS unit can be used with an accessory flash.