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04-02-2021, 10:52 PM   #1
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DPReview first impressions Pentax K-3 III

If you want to take a look at the beauty of this new camera, look here: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentax-k-3-mark-iii-initial-review . So far not too many negatives...

04-03-2021, 03:36 AM - 2 Likes   #2
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I'm glad it was Richard Butler who did this. Regardless of what he thinks of Pentaxians, he keeps his snarky comments to a minimum. I don't think there is a whole lot of "new" information here, but certainly includes the improvements that this camera will bring to the table.
04-03-2021, 03:42 AM - 1 Like   #3
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Not sure what the last sentence of the article means... upgrade? You add a K3iii to your K1, you do not upgrade.
04-03-2021, 04:25 AM - 3 Likes   #4
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Based on the "reviews" so far it seems Pentax sent the camera on rather short loans and with quite a lot of restrictions. The "can't share raws yet" line is standard I guess but when it's a camera I'm actually curious about it's a bit annoying with these pseudo impressions that add no new into. It's all how it goes I guess...

04-03-2021, 04:34 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by house Quote
Based on the "reviews" so far it seems Pentax sent the camera on rather short loans and with quite a lot of restrictions. The "can't share raws yet" line is standard I guess but when it's a camera I'm actually curious about it's a bit annoying with these pseudo impressions that add no new into. It's all how it goes I guess...
This is standard until final firmware is released. That said, my experience is that cameras don't change much in terms of image quality at this point and we have seen some high iso images that look better than past cameras and the impression from Pentax Ambassadors is that the image quality is better than the K-1 (we'll see).

As to the short loan thing -- I think it just takes time to do an in-depth review. What you get when folks have had 10 days with a camera (and can't post images) is a hands on walk through, all of which will be pretty similar.
04-03-2021, 04:48 AM - 1 Like   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
This is standard until final firmware is released. That said, my experience is that cameras don't change much in terms of image quality at this point and we have seen some high iso images that look better than past cameras and the impression from Pentax Ambassadors is that the image quality is better than the K-1 (we'll see).

As to the short loan thing -- I think it just takes time to do an in-depth review. What you get when folks have had 10 days with a camera (and can't post images) is a hands on walk through, all of which will be pretty similar.
I think you're right. Once the reviewers are able to update their cameras with the final firmware, we will get complete reviews.

Last edited by Tesla; 04-03-2021 at 05:24 AM.
04-03-2021, 06:47 AM - 4 Likes   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
Regardless of what he thinks of Pentaxians, he keeps his snarky comments to a minimum.
I didn't spot any snarky comments at all.

He is, however, not exuding much excitement.

To comment on the impressive achievement of the new 1.05x magnification viewfinder as
"That's small by the standards of many mirrorless cameras..." (emphasis is mine)
  • might not be accurate (in another piece Carey Rose writes "...though there are a few mirrorless APS-C models that have larger equivalent magnifications for their electronic viewfinders." (emphasis is mine)). I don't know who is right because I don't care about cameras with EVFs. They certainly should agree on one of these versions.

  • is unnecessarily using an absolute ("small") rather than a relative ("smaller") characterisation. Is he going to refer to regular-sized FF viewfinders as "small" from now on?

  • is not acknowledging the engineering feat that the new OVF in the K-3 III required.
Yes, if OVF vs EVF is a matter of tomato-tomato to you, I can see how one might be nonplussed by the K-3 III's OVF. However, if you understand that EVFs are a no-no for some photographers, you celebrate the arrival of a new gorgeous viewfinder and applaud the fact that a company is brave enough to make an investment into a technology that many are trying to write off as "obsolete".

In a similar vein, IMHO, it would have been adequate to highlight the fact that the K-3 III supports face-AF and eye-AF outside LiveView. Only a handful of DSLR models pull this trick off and I believe anyone with a true appreciation for DSLRs would have pointed out how unusual this is.

Again, it is just a "yawn" if one has no problems with staring into a mini-TV while making images, but for anyone who highly values an OVF experience, what Pentax have done here is very noteworthy. Instead the feature is pretty much mentioned in passing only. If it was always part of the article, I missed it the first time around which could be owed to me being overtired at the time but the presentation surely did nothing to make sure I don't miss such a remarkable feature.

I could continue nitpicking about a number of further issues, but I don't see the return on investment.

I hope Carey Rose will do the K-3 III review, if they receive a sample (they never reviewed the HD D-FA* 85/1.4, even though it is sold on Amazon). If their "science editor" gets involved, it will be the death for any favourable review.


Last edited by Class A; 04-03-2021 at 07:06 AM.
04-03-2021, 07:04 AM - 6 Likes   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by zapp Quote
Not sure what the last sentence of the article means... upgrade?
He probably implies upgrading from another Pentax APS-C DSLR.

His closing thought also implies that he sees no potential of anyone else but already existing Pentax owners being interested. Why put such an assumption into an initial review? Likewise invoking the notion of a "last great DSLR" reveals that he sees no future for DSLRs.

Well, I guess being pessimistic about the role of DSRLs in the future and expressing that view in articles as an editor is one way of helping one's idea of the future to become the future. My preference would be for an editor to abstain from commenting on the matter in product reviews. Whether they have enough information about how DSLR sales numbers will end up to warrant an (unneeded) "opinion piece" on the future of camera technology, I don't know, but that would be the place to express one's sentiments, not in an initial review.
04-03-2021, 07:54 AM - 1 Like   #9
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

DPR is perfectly set up to do a final "peer review" of their reviews---they could easily check through these reviews for errors/accuracy/fairness. I'm pretty certain they could round up volunteers to do this. We Pentaxians have done this in the comments section more than once----even to the point of forcing them to make a significant retraction and announce it as a news item. I think Class A and biz-engineer may have been most responsible for that one.

It's most unfortunate. I believe the vast majority of us are realistic and respect the facts. Just so long as it's sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander*.


* I actually had a moderator at DPR remove a post where I used this phrase because they deemed it incendiary! Unbelievable.
04-03-2021, 08:05 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
He probably implies upgrading from another Pentax APS-C DSLR.

His closing thought also implies that he sees no potential of anyone else but already existing Pentax owners being interested. Why put such an assumption into an initial review? Likewise invoking the notion of a "last great DSLR" reveals that he sees no future for DSLRs.

Well, I guess being pessimistic about the role of DSRLs in the future and expressing that view in articles as an editor is one way of helping one's idea of the future to become the future. My preference would be for an editor to abstain from commenting on the matter in product reviews. Whether they have enough information about how DSLR sales numbers will end up to warrant an (unneeded) "opinion piece" on the future of camera technology, I don't know, but that would be the place to express one's sentiments, not in an initial review.
Right, some prophets of Pentax's demise were out of business before that happens*

*okay, here I am at the limits of my English skills, I have no idea what form of happen to use - future perfect simple...?

Last edited by MMVIII; 04-03-2021 at 08:14 AM.
04-03-2021, 08:35 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by MMVIII Quote
Right, some prophets of Pentax's demise were out of business before that happens*

*okay, here I am at the limits of my English skills, I have no idea what form of happen to use - future perfect simple...?
I'm not sure what tense it is, but "happened" seems correct to me.
04-03-2021, 09:23 AM   #12
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I don't know that DPR can do an objective review of anything with the name "Pentax" on it. They seem to be consistently hard-wired this way and use Pentax to pander to their fan-base. If this is true and they can step-up to admit it then they should just be professional about it and not review Pentax products. They make their opinions in indirect ways by nuance, innuendo, what's not said or emphasized. Kind of a bummer though, in general they have an entertaining approach to reviews.
04-03-2021, 10:34 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by reh321 Quote
I'm not sure what tense it is, but "happened" seems correct to me.
no, that suggests it did happen. But 'happens' is incorrect too.
a reformulation is necessary.
04-03-2021, 10:39 AM - 2 Likes   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by Smolk Quote
no, that suggests it did happen. But 'happens' is incorrect too.
a reformulation is necessary.
sorry for the derail

...before that would have happened?

reformulation attempt 1:
they outlived many of the websites that have wanted to announce their demise...?
04-03-2021, 11:06 AM - 1 Like   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Biff Quote
I don't know that DPR can do an objective review of anything with the name "Pentax" on it. They seem to be consistently hard-wired this way and use Pentax to pander to their fan-base. If this is true and they can step-up to admit it then they should just be professional about it and not review Pentax products. They make their opinions in indirect ways by nuance, innuendo, what's not said or emphasized. Kind of a bummer though, in general they have an entertaining approach to reviews.
Agreed.

While it is nice DPR has not been quite so openly hostile towards Pentax in recent years, there still exists a 'soft snark' in almost every mention or review. They simply can not compliment the brand
without simultaneously qualifying in someway to justify their Canikony/mirrorless bias. Thus, even when Pentax release a real winner, (K-3, K-1, KP et al), DPR will still insist it will only appeal to Pentax
diehards and that, at best, it represents the last gasp of a dying brand.
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