[kypfer]

It may just be all in my head but my 77mm limited does NOT sound as loud anymore. I wasn't having flashbacks to the dentist office having a tooth filled. I wasn't able to give it a full day of testing but I did photograph a person riding a bicycle until the buffer filled up and they rode off to the horizon before it cleared enough to shoot again.

My KP, when fitted with it's usual Sigma 150-500mm, seems to "lock on" to a moving subject a little more promptly than it did before the upgrade, then stay with it a little more reliably … I'd need a few more sessions to be confident it wasn't just a happy coincidence, but the imminent arrival of my K-3iii may put that on the back burner for a while

[rogerstg]

My KP, when fitted with it's usual Sigma 150-500mm, seems to "lock on" to a moving subject a little more promptly than it did before the upgrade, then stay with it a little more reliably … I'd need a few more sessions to be confident it wasn't just a happy coincidence, but the imminent arrival of my K-3iii may put that on the back burner for a while

Thread drift alert!
Hopefully you'll be able to test the K-3iii's predictive autofocus with your Bigma, and share it with us. I've got both the 50-500 and 150-500, both OS/HSM versions, and that question is a significant issue keeping me from ordering the K-3iii. Otherwise, for me, there's not enough of a net upgrade from the KP to pull the trigger, yet.

[kypfer]

Thread drift alert!
Hopefully you'll be able to test the K-3iii's predictive autofocus with your Bigma, and share it with us. I've got both the 50-500 and 150-500, both OS/HSM versions, and that question is a significant issue keeping me from ordering the K-3iii. Otherwise, for me, there's not enough of a net upgrade from the KP to pull the trigger, yet.

The K-3iii arrived this morning and I've spent most of the afternoon working through the menus and sub-menus to get the features I want where I want them … this thing is super-configurable, even the menus have menus!
Plan is to get out tomorrow and give it a whirl … not sure about "predictive autofocus" though, there's no mention of that in the manual.
I suspect there's been an amount of "mis-interpretation" to references to the "eye sensor", which is just a sensor below the viewfinder which can switch off the rear display when the camera is raised to the eye, but maybe my mis-interpretation … the camera can detect an eye on a subject, it doesn't detect where the user's eye is looking and focus there … ooops
It's all described in the user manual, but who reads them

[rogerstg]

not sure about "predictive autofocus" though, there's no mention of that in the manual

It's part of the autofocus system, allowing focus to be maintained when something is coming toward or away from the camera. It's the only way to get reliable auto focus in those scenarios, especially with shallow DOF. Basically sets focus to where the subject will be by the time the shutter has opened.

From Pentax: motion prediction algorism
DPReview: predictive AF algorithms

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Last edited by rogerstg; 04-26-2021 at 02:45 PM.

[kypfer]

Thread drift alert!
Hopefully you'll be able to test the K-3iii's predictive autofocus with your Bigma, and share it with us. I've got both the 50-500 and 150-500, both OS/HSM versions, and that question is a significant issue keeping me from ordering the K-3iii. Otherwise, for me, there's not enough of a net upgrade from the KP to pull the trigger, yet.

Still not sure about "predictive focus" … anyhow, a couple of chilly hours in the bird hide this morning gave a few opportunities for "bird in flight" tracking shots and yes, it works better than the KP with the latest firmware. In good light, with my Sigma 150-500mm DG OS HSM fitted, the K-3iii "locks onto" a moving target more reliably, then follows it more consistently than I could manage with the KP … this is using the new "zone" setting with continuous a/f. What's more, even with a 1.5x teleconverter fitted, so effectively f/9.5 or thereabouts, the camera would still keep up with a moving bird, against a clear sky, a trick I never managed with the KP
The pictures I ended up with are purely "for the record" shots, solely for comparison purposes, so not worth publishing, but they proved the concept to me.

[rogerstg]

What's more, even with a 1.5x teleconverter fitted, so effectively f/9.5 or thereabouts, the camera would still keep up with a moving bird,

Thanks for the info. It looks like I have no reason to not buy a K3iii.

BTW, what teleconverter are you using? I was under the impression that the Bigmas don't auto focus with those.

[kypfer]

Thanks for the info. It looks like I have no reason to not buy a K3iii.

BTW, what teleconverter are you using? I was under the impression that the Bigmas don't auto focus with those.

I'm using the "Kenko Pz-AF 1.5x Teleplus SHQ" and you're correct, under poor light, on the earlier cameras, the a/f doesn't work reliably with the Sigma, though it's quite useable in good light on a static high-contrast subject with the KP using AF-S and central spot focus, it just takes a moment or two longer to confirm focus.
The "Kenko Pz-AF 2x Teleplus MC7" however, does take the Sigma beyond the capabilities of the KP … I've not tried it yet on the K-3iii
Neither of these units are detected by the camera, so the in-body Shake Reduction only compensates for the native focal length of the lens, and also reports it as such in the EXIF.

[lawsonstone]

Glad I checked today or I'd have missed this update.

[Angulon]

Without any real testing I too have the feeling that focus accuracy is improved a bit, using spot or multiple points.

[AgentL]

Without any real testing I too have the feeling that focus accuracy is improved a bit, using spot or multiple points.

Interesting. I always love how Ricoh uses the catch-all "improved general stability" type message with their firmware, it kills me not knowing what that means in each case. Hahah.

[Mikesul]

Most camera companies use the catchall for small changes.

[Bertrand3000]

Many thanks for everyone reporting their feeling about the update. I haven't updated my KP yet (still at base 1.11 firmware, it is a 2020 body), by fear of breaking my Sigmas, but I will definitely update in a short while, but not before doing some focus speed testing before the update. I am interested to check if they really managed to improve focusing speed even with the lovely KP.

[UncleVanya]

The Kenko Pz-AF 2x Teleplus MC7 however, does take the Sigma beyond the capabilities of the KP

Can you elaborate? How does it take the lens, “beyond the capabilities of the KP”?

[kypfer]

Can you elaborate? How does it take the lens, “beyond the capabilities of the KP”?

That's a straight quote from my posting a few messages up … a first post from a new user … also a second instance of a similar action, "NatanSteel" quoted a different line for no apparent reason a few messages earlier!

To clarify what I meant :-
When using this 2x teleconverter between the Sigma 150-500mm and my KP, the camera (understandably) no longer autofocuses reliably, if at all. This was simply to emphasise that although one specific Kenko teleconverter will work under suitable circumstances, that is not true for all Kenko teleconverters.
Trust this helps

[UncleVanya]

That's a straight quote from my posting a few messages up … a first post from a new user … also a second instance of a similar action, "NatanSteel" quoted a different line for no apparent reason a few messages earlier!

To clarify what I meant :-
When using this 2x teleconverter between the Sigma 150-500mm and my KP, the camera (understandably) no longer autofocuses reliably, if at all. This was simply to emphasise that although one specific Kenko teleconverter will work under suitable circumstances, that is not true for all Kenko teleconverters.
Trust this helps

Immensely. Thank you.