[Billk]

I'm considering getting the K1 -> K1ii upgrade if there is a significant improvement in AF for moving subjects.


My experience so far with the K1 is it is superior to the K3ii for every kind of AF (my K3ii hasn't been getting much love lately for that reason, except for macro where it remains my go to body). If the K1ii is even better then I want the upgrade.


What do we know so far?

[howieb101]

Reports are that it is definitely better even by DPR standards. However, it will always be limited by its low frames per second (fps) burst speed.

However, if you are willing to shoot in crop mode you should find it easily the best of the Pentax cameras AF wise.

[Billk]

Reports are that it is definitely better even by DPR standards. However, it will always be limited by its low frames per second (fps) burst speed.

However, if you are willing to shoot in crop mode you should find it easily the best of the Pentax cameras AF wise.

Ta howieb


I usually shoot birds in flight, dolphins leaping etc in single shot mode so I don't fill the buffer all at once and have no complaints about the K1 on that account. I have been very pleased with the K1 for its superior ability to lock on to moving subjects and it sounds like I would be even more pleased with the upgrade.


I would also be keen to spend some of my hard earned on a new APS-C SLR with the same resolution as the K3ii but better autofocus. I find the K3ii pretty perfect if I am using manual focus and it would be the dream wildlife camera if its AF was better.

[felixkh]

Ta howieb


I usually shoot birds in flight, dolphins leaping etc in single shot mode so I don't fill the buffer all at once and have no complaints about the K1 on that account. I have been very pleased with the K1 for its superior ability to lock on to moving subjects and it sounds like I would be even more pleased with the upgrade.


I would also be keen to spend some of my hard earned on a new APS-C SLR with the same resolution as the K3ii but better autofocus. I find the K3ii pretty perfect if I am using manual focus and it would be the dream wildlife camera if its AF was better.

The KP might be the upgrade from the K3II then.

[LennyBloke]

Hi Bill - having moved from a K1 to a K1 MkII it is my opinion that there is an improvement in AF. I can't quantify it but It's seems that little bit quicker to lock on and my keeper rate has improved - it certainly isn't a revolutionary change, more a gradual improvement. As to whether it's worth spending the extra to move from an already excellent camera - well that's for you to decide

p.s. There is of also the improvement in High ISO images (again IMO)

[Billk]

The KP might be the upgrade from the K3II then.

Thanks for pointing that out. The KP never got on my radar because I have been lusting after a FF for years. Now I have a FF, it is probably time to lust after a snappier APS-C camera, along with some medium format lust.

[ffking]

The big joker in the pack, of course, is the K3ii replacement - I (and many others) wish that it was more imminent than it appears to be - but the K-3s frame rate was very competitive at the time of launch, and if that action ethos is updated it could be a formidable camera - as noted above, fps matters in AF as the adjustments the camera has to make between frames are smaller, so lit's less likely to lose the target. Add more processing power to the AF, a la Nikon, (which the accelerator unit does in a roundabout way) and you will have a pretty good wildlife camera - just when???

[vcollerp]

My take on the MKII autofocus.

I have been playing with the MKII for three weeks, my K1 is on its way to France for the upgrade.

I just feel the AF has been incrementally upgraded in every respect witch in the end make for a fairly substantial upgrade in my eyes.

Some AF sequences of RC planes to look at for download. All taken with the 150-450.
These were taken with default auto settings on the MKII and default processing in silkypix pro 8 and downsized.

Dropbox - sec1.zip

Dropbox - sec2.zip

The following ones are OOC jpegs first sequence at full res downsized and the last two 1920 jpegs ooc. Settings changed to focus priority for both settings and af hold off.

Dropbox - sec3.zip

Dropbox - sec4.zip

Dropbox - sec6.zip

The next one I think demonstrate the colour tracking quite well.

Dropbox - sec5.zip

Last but not least my BIF test. The guys that play with them call them birds.

Dropbox - K1.zip

Dropbox - K1MII.zip

I started the sequence with the drone hovering then accelerate to 15Kmp and decelerate to stop at mfd.

Hope this help.

[C_Jones]

The K-1 II does very well tracking birds and sports. The images are excellent also.

[repaap]

I will do upgrade just because of that little bit of improvement, evenif it isnot ’much’ if it is consistent and improvement, I’ll takeit. There are times when that little advantage could make difference between really good or average or even bad shot. That alone is enough to me, and I’m not rich man with lot of money..

[reh321]

The KP might be the upgrade from the K3II then.

Is the KP autofocus as good as the K-1ii autofocus??? Has anyone made that comparison?

[felixkh]

I only have the KP and the K1 MkI. I see no difference in AF speed for the things I shoot.

[gaweidert]

Here is a sequence of three shots made when I first got my K-II. These are literally shots 38, 39 and 40. This pair of geese came zipping over my head from behind as I was getting out of the car. No idea what focus settings were at the time. These three shots were made within 1 second. No other shots made of this so I am not cherry picking the best results. Totally surprised me when they flew over only a few meters over my head. I just pointed and shot with whatever setting the camera was at. Hand held too. Not crystal clear razor sharp, but pretty good considering the situation.