Originally posted by Paul the Sunman They agreed, saying they would have preferred for the KP to remain current. Their understanding was that Ricoh wanted to create as much clear air for the K3iii as possible, as the KP and K3iii were too similar.
As it turned out, this was clearly a mistaken assessment. The KP and the K-3 III are very dissimilar in design and function. Perhaps more alike in performance, in that the KP does approach that of the K-1 II, as the K-3 III does also- yet more. The KP is good for burst shooting, but with a rather small buffer, while the K-3 III is far better than any previous Pentax. The modular concept of the KP is unique, but not for everyone's taste, for whom the K-3 III would be the logical step forward. The concept of the KP is for a compact, slim model of pro build quality, that is great for lighter carrying and competes quite well with high-end APS-C mirrorless offerings, but with its modular capability can be converted to a bulkier handful, while the K-3 III weighs a quarter pound more and bulkier on its own, which is more suitable for those preferring this style of camera. The KP has a built-in flash, which some find useless while others find useful. The KP would fit very well slotted-in as the mid-priced high-quality compact option, between the entry-level but capable K-70 and the top-level low-light and fast action K-3 III.
I have the K20D and K-5 IIs for the more full-size models, and the K-S2 for the flippy-screen lightweight model for casual carrying. This model is of similar design to the K-70, but is yet smaller and lighter, and it is capable of fine results. I use it for certain events with the small DA 18-50mm, which will actually fit into a large jacket pocket! I also use it for other purposes where the flippy screen will serve best. So the K-70 as a secondary body for backup, and specific alternative uses could work in similar manner in relationship to the KP.
If shooting JPEG images, the KP's Prime IV processor does an outstanding job for right out-of-camera results, even better than my K-S2 or K-5 IIs. With either camera, be sure to implement "Fine Sharpening" in the Custom Image menus for best fine detail. This is the same processor as in the K-1 II.
The KP's 86K pixel metering also seems to be more accurate than that of my previous cameras, also being the same as in the K-1 II. Likewise, the KP's SAFOX 11 AF impresses me as a bit quicker and more sure, especially when using traditional screw-driven AF lenses. Operation and shutter are quieter than my K-S2, but not compared to my K-5 IIs. The KP's controls are very advanced, far superior compared to my K-S2, but not compared to my K-5 IIs.
I enjoy the use of many of my lenses on the KP. The DA 20-40mm Ltd lens is great, and on the KP fits like a custom glove on the hand. The KP is also a great combo with the compact, high-quality Ltd primes. When adding the KP's battery grip, handling is much better for overall handling when not in the shooting position if using large, heavier lenses, and far better than when putting such lenses on my K-S2, even somewhat better than my K-5 IIs without its battery grip. I also like the battery grip when shooting certain events where pausing for battery changes would be disruptive. No such option with my K-S2.
Due to FOV issues, there are some of my FF lenses I definitely prefer to use with my K-1 II.