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07-09-2017, 12:51 AM - 1 Like   #16
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I don't have my K-70 yet, but for me it's a must have feature.
I don't even know how many times I've gotten a sore neck from trying to look at my fixed screen while having my camera in all sorts of weird angles.

07-09-2017, 04:43 AM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by EFats Quote
My last Pentax was film...that's how long ago!
I've had enough of those ground level shots that I appreciate what a flippy screen might do for me, but then again, my comment about just firing off a bunch of random shots and hoping for the best...

I like the smaller, tiny mirroless cameras. I have one, it's practically pocketable and has given me some FANTASTIC shots. But there are 2 huge issues:
1) Battery life does not match up to my old, old DSLR and is really not sufficient. I do not like carrying spare battery and sometimes it doesn't last a day. I really am on the go a lot sometimes and travelling light so I do not want to fiddle with a 2nd piece of equipment. My older DSLR can sometimes go an entire trip, several days, without recharging
A K70 is rated 480 shots per charge, K3 is rated 720 shots for a charge. And when the battery are old, autonomy decrease.

QuoteOriginally posted by EFats Quote
2) So many missed/garbaged shots due to the slower autofocus, stuff that I would catch with my older DSLR. I know Pentax doesn't have a reputation for being the best here but I think it would do better than a 10 year old DSLR which was pretty ok for me.
In term of AF, K70 match basically a expert/pro APSC Nikon DSLR that is 10-12 year old. K3 has much better autofocus than K70. It is comparable to expert/pro APSC body of Nikon that is 7 year old. Overall still worse for sports/action but quite capable.

Many there would defend the brand and they would be right that a K3 is good enough for most things as long as there no fast action involved and even with fast action you'd manage as long as you know your stuff. K70 simply lack the hardware and software for it. And after all K3 is already quite old body.

K70 is an entry/mid level offering and Pentax has on purpose used an old AF module and old metering module. It is still reliable and fast, even in low light but it wouldn't allow to focus preciselly on a subject reliably, the white balance and metering isn't as accurate. This is simply that K3 is a pro level body made to last and is quite efficiant while the K70 target more amateurs, beginers. Sure the K70 is more recent, so it is a bit better at high isos and it has an articulated screen, but in term of pure photographics feature and capability, it isn't really a match to a K3.

In term of price for money and in term of having a camera that perform well overall and that'll last you for years, the K3 is the way to go.


QuoteOriginally posted by EFats Quote
I do want an onboard flash. I had hoped the newer mirrorless with high ISO would actually negate the need for one (which is typically low light situation, not for the other purposes which it can be used for) but this hasn't been the case. I don't want to carry a separate flash as is the case with my mirrorless because I just end up not carrying it.
Even the most recent KP or the FF K1 with the best high iso performance need a bit more effort for great low light AF performance:
- typically a fast lens. At least f/2.8, ideally f/2 especially on APSC.
- A great techique with the right subject perfectly in focus (f/2-f/2.8 make it quite important).
- Shooting in RAW, even with the camera with the best JPEG engine of the most recent cameras and a significant experience in post processing and noise removal. Even if DxO would give great results out of the box, outstanding with the prime option enabled.

A good lighting equipment make wonders otherwise even with an old camera, but the on board flash can only salvage a scene. It will not allow you to craft the scene. With great lighting equipment you can achieve outstanding results with the kit lens and 10 years old APSC DSLR that the best FF body would not dream without flash. But as we both know this is quite anoying to go around with a set of dedicated flashes + the soft box etc. So failing that the fast lens + great experience + raw processong does a decent job.

Here a few example from low light shots with K3, no flash, processed with DXO:










K70 would do a bit better, but it would still need the fast lenses and RAW processing to achieve that. Without the lenses and raw processing, there a gap of 3-5EV and even if K70 has 1EV advantage this can't compensate that much. And also the keeper rate would be much lower due to AF tha isn't that precise to target the subject you want in focus. With f/2 or f/2.8 you can't allow the focus to not be were it should and the K70 off center AF points are to big to manage that accurately.

By the way current mirrorless body can have very good AF. A GX80/GX85 or a Sony A6300 do as good or better than the typicall DSLR.

Last edited by Nicolas06; 07-09-2017 at 04:50 AM.
07-22-2017, 09:45 PM - 1 Like   #18
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I had a flip screen on a camera in the past and used it occasionally, so I was happy that the K70 got one. It was one of the features that I missed on the K50, there were times when I was just WAG'ing it on shots where the camera was at arms length above me or out a window, or where the camera was sitting on the ground to get a low-level perspective on something. Usually I just use it as a regular screen, but there are definitely some shots I would have made with the K50 if I'd had that feature, that instead ended up being some random cloud or rock.
08-26-2017, 05:41 AM   #19
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I thought it was a bit of a gimmick, until I actually got the K-70 and actually used it. I do a lot of shooting with a relatively short travel tripod, and portrait mode sky shots of stuff like milky way and ISS passes--the flip screen is gold for those, very useful indeed. Otherwise just open it out and stow it flush for handheld and flip it back around when you are done, protects the screen.

08-26-2017, 06:47 PM - 1 Like   #20
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Seriously?
Any advantage is a good advantage, whether you use it every day or just once in a great while. I always prefer using the camera's viewfinder, but It sure is nice having this little extra feature there when you need it. I've used it on a number of difficult shots now, and would be hard pressed to buy a camera now that didn't have a similar feature. I guess I've been officially spoiled... LOL
08-27-2017, 12:22 AM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by Fastback67 Quote
Seriously?
Any advantage is a good advantage, whether you use it every day or just once in a great while.
Assuming of course that the feature does not represent a significant difference in price and/or is not a source of reduced reliability. The one camera I have owned with a flip-out screen went in for warranty service within four months of purchase. I was not impressed. That being said, I definitely appreciate the utility of one for low angle shooting in live view.

I would not make it the deciding factor for purchase unless the lack of the feature was the reason for changing cameras.


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09-07-2017, 05:56 PM   #22
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I'm finding that nearly every time I want to use the flip out screen on the K-70 it's to look down on the camera from above, and then I don't feel like swinging it out then flipping it around, and end up just crouching. I'd actually prefer a screen that just rotates up like a lot of other cameras have, in one motion. I imagine that would be more robust as well; I'm always a little nervous when the screen is hanging off to the side like that.

I suppose it would be useful to have the extra flexibility for awkward positions on a tripod (macro) but I only just bought a macro-worthy tripod and haven't experimented much.

09-08-2017, 11:48 AM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tinylights Quote
.....I'd actually prefer a screen that just rotates up like a lot of other cameras have, in one motion.....
The advantage of the the fully-articulated screen, e.g. for low down shots, is that it enables one to shoot while looking down on the screen with the camera in either landscape or portrait orientation, whereas tilt screens help only in landscape orientation.

Philip
09-08-2017, 06:26 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by MrB1 Quote
The advantage of the the fully-articulated screen, e.g. for low down shots, is that it enables one to shoot while looking down on the screen with the camera in either landscape or portrait orientation, whereas tilt screens help only in landscape orientation.

Philip
Good point Philip. I'm not very portrait-centric I guess. Still haven't figured out what aspect ratios I like, and I keep getting my composure wrong. What would really be cool is if they could figure out how to make the screen tilt up, as well as slide (not swing) out and then fully articulate. That way you wouldn't have to rotate the thing past 90 degrees after flipping it out. I can never remember which way to rotate it, and end up forcing it a little the wrong way sometimes. Seems a little fragile but it's probably stronger than it feels.

Anyone break it yet???

Jamin
09-09-2017, 09:50 PM   #25
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I just used the flip-out screen for some night shots. Flipped out the screen, laid the camera on a sturdy rail pointing skywards (yes, I stayed RIGHT next to it while doing it), set the exposure to 15 secs. and shot off a few. This is just for fun and experimentation but it was pretty neat. Pretty useful for that, gotta say.
09-17-2017, 09:08 PM   #26
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I think the articulated screen is a great thing to have, but not necessarily a "must have".

Not having had one until I got my K-70 prior to going to Australia about this time last year, I didn't realize what I was missing. Trying to capture a picture of a Wallaby over a high fence or some flowers at ground level without an articulated screen would have been challenging to even frame the shot. With the screen... piece of cake.

Having said that, if the camera doesn't have the bits inside it to be a credible tool, then no screen no matter how good... will help.

I'm pleased with my K-70 and the screen is a nice step up from the K-30 I traded it in for.
09-19-2017, 06:03 AM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tinylights Quote
I'm finding that nearly every time I want to use the flip out screen on the K-70 it's to look down on the camera from above, and then I don't feel like swinging it out then flipping it around, and end up just crouching. I'd actually prefer a screen that just rotates up like a lot of other cameras have, in one motion. I imagine that would be more robust as well; I'm always a little nervous when the screen is hanging off to the side like that.

I suppose it would be useful to have the extra flexibility for awkward positions on a tripod (macro) but I only just bought a macro-worthy tripod and haven't experimented much.
QuoteOriginally posted by MrB1 Quote
The advantage of the the fully-articulated screen, e.g. for low down shots, is that it enables one to shoot while looking down on the screen with the camera in either landscape or portrait orientation, whereas tilt screens help only in landscape orientation.

Philip
I have a KP in addition to the K-70, and its flip-up-only screen is indeed very robust. I find that I rarely use the K-70 screen in portrait orientation and subsequently rarely miss that feature with the KP. Also, the flip-up screen is much faster to use than the fully articulating one. Still, I might never have bought a K-70 in the first place without that screen- and I'm so glad I did! I still use it a lot and the IQ is as good as the KP and noticeably better than all other Pentax bodies except for of course the K-1 and 645z. The K-70 is great camera and a stellar deal- I doubt I'll ever sell it.
10-29-2017, 05:28 PM   #28
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I forgot it's even possible.
02-16-2018, 07:23 PM   #29
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Flip screen broke off in recent tripod disaster

While on a photo shoot a couple of weeks ago I had just arrived at a particular location. K-70 was on the tripod. I turned around to ask the instructor a question. He was about to answer and then looked horrified. I looked around to find the tripod with camera attached on the ground in the sand. The screen had broken off. The camera is now at Advance Camera being repaired. I took some pictures after the mishap and the camera seemed to be operating OK. So I'm thinking that if the camera had a normal screen that there might not have been any damage. Just a thought.
02-17-2018, 03:18 AM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by Joyce Keay Quote
While on a photo shoot a couple of weeks ago I had just arrived at a particular location. K-70 was on the tripod. I turned around to ask the instructor a question. He was about to answer and then looked horrified. I looked around to find the tripod with camera attached on the ground in the sand. The screen had broken off. The camera is now at Advance Camera being repaired. I took some pictures after the mishap and the camera seemed to be operating OK. So I'm thinking that if the camera had a normal screen that there might not have been any damage. Just a thought.
Did you have the display folded out when it fell? That would make any folding display vulnerable. The one time I had a camera and tripod fall there was damage to my 16-85 that I had to get repaired. Always a bad thing when this happens.
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