[beholder3]

I See many posts which mix up

- AF ability to adjust in z-axis
- tracking (= x/y axis)
- subject recognition

These are all vastly different topics.

Anyhow it seems that when this camera model is in competent hands it is easy to achieve very high keeper rates even with demanding and quickly moving subjects.

I can easily screw up AF on my non-Pentax cameras as well. So poor choice of settings / user malfunction is there to stay a relevant factor.
And new toys need trying and learning all the time.

---------- Post added 10th May 2021 at 11:16 ----------

Yes it is : initial selection with 1+4 AF points, follow-up with only 1 visible point through the entire frame.

To conclude, it appears the K-3 III gives us never reached Pentax AF performances.
Let's get nice picts out of it...

Thanks for the confirmation. You could have blinked red and said "beep".

[gatorguy]

I See many posts which mix up

- AF ability to adjust in z-axis
- tracking (= x/y axis)
- subject recognition

These are all vastly different topics.

Anyhow it seems that when this camera model is in competent hands it is easy to achieve very high keeper rates even with demanding and quickly moving subjects.

I can easily screw up AF on my non-Pentax cameras as well. So poor choice of settings / user malfunction is there to stay a relevant factor.
And new toys need trying and learning all the time.

---------- Post added 10th May 2021 at 11:16 ----------
I think a lot of us are eagerly awaiting the upcoming K3III camera guide from PentaxForums. It's so easy to confuse AF settings when every Pentax up until now did best for me with single-point focus and recompose no matter what my subject was.



Thanks for the confirmation. You could have blinked red and said "beep".

I think a lot of us are eagerly awaiting the upcoming K3III camera guide from PentaxForums. It's so easy to confuse advice from members re: AF settings when every Pentax up until now did best for me with single-point focus and recompose no matter what my subject was. There's also a few other menu options I have questions about but AF related is the biggie.

[repaap]

I have to say that after intensively trying out modes with K-1 has helpedme understand what could be done and achieved. Now. I’m waiting to get this tracking and subject recognition in use as well as seeing the difference with more normal AF modes.

As it has been said, propably ones who has good experience with these from earlier cameras, will benefit most at beginning. As well as ones with good selection of modern Pentax AF lenses

[Zygonyx]

Thanks for the confirmation. You could have blinked red and said "beep".

I'm not really a red-underlight fan, until i try night-time wildlife photography

[dicki]

Did you see at the end he has used google translate from his native language?

It is possible that he wasn't actually being offensive and it has been translated into something it wasn't meant to be,

I think der google translater make a good job.

The AF-S ist good and the missing AF-red dot while focussing can be handheldet with the red-ligted screen. Is Ok. But Pentax can make it twice.

The AF-C ist really good. But you'll have no control what focuspoint the camera use.
And yes, eye-detecting and objekt-detecting is "shnapshot-shooting".

[repaap]

I think der google translater make a good job.

The AF-S ist good and the missing AF-red dot while focussing can be handheldet with the red-ligted screen. Is Ok. But Pentax can make it twice.

The AF-C ist really good. But you'll have no control what focuspoint the camera use.
And yes, eye-detecting and objekt-detecting is "shnapshot-shooting".

Are you sure about no control over focuspoint in AF-C? You should be able to select the focuspoint/ or atleast the area it will be finding the focus from. In K-1 you find your target with bigger array and camera will start to find something it can recognise from that area and preferably from the point you are giving into it. Sure, then camera will lock to some focuspoint it seems suiting to give to you a focus. It is still a computer working with algorithms that have been used in the camera.

Again, I feel that you want to little bit underline snapshot. This should also apply to eye focus with other cameras too, since you trust that camera will find them for you. Asking this to kind of get what you are after.

[red5isalive]

Let me add here my own thead about the K3-III in Motorsports with recent images from last Saturday

Pentax K3-III for Sports (Motorsports) - Test and sample images Formula E Monaco 2021 - PentaxForums.com

[Smolk]

In the DPReview assessment of its autofocus, they used the 16-85mm lens, about which some were not too pleased with the AF. Could have been the camera rather than the lens of course, but it is especially at such a test that you'd want a newer lens to be used.
I don't think they specified the Nikon lens.

[mlt]

In the DPReview assessment of its autofocus, they used the 16-85mm lens, about which some were not too pleased with the AF. Could have been the camera rather than the lens of course, but it is especially at such a test that you'd want a newer lens to be used.
I don't think they specified the Nikon lens.

Unfortunately there isn’t a newer wide to telephoto lens to test with. We’ll have to wait to see if anything new, other than the DA* 16-50 shows up on a future roadmap.

[reh321]

Are you sure about no control over focuspoint in AF-C?

With small flying birds you have no time.
The camera either focuses on something or it doesn't.
In the case of the swallows, the K-3iii did a good job.

[tmlawes]

I think der google translater make a good job.

The AF-S ist good and the missing AF-red dot while focussing can be handheldet with the red-ligted screen. Is Ok. But Pentax can make it twice.

The AF-C ist really good. But you'll have no control what focuspoint the camera use.
And yes, eye-detecting and objekt-detecting is "shnapshot-shooting".

Maybe not a translation error, but I think maybe still some miscommunication. After further thought, it would appear that dicki is referring to subject tracking using the Auto Area autofocus point selection option that automatically selects the autofocus point for the user from the full 101 available focus points. I have not tried tracking birds using AF-C using in full auto mode. I use the AF Select, Expanded Area AF (S), or Select (S). I have occasionally, but rarely, used the Zone Select AF option. I believe I used Expanded Area AF (S) while photographing the barn swallows. That way, I was able to provide some information to the camera as to which part of the frame I would like it to focus on with tracking the birds with the camera through the OVF. I wouldn't expect any camera in fully automatic mode to always examine a scene and focus and compose an image the way I wanted. This goes for whether I am photographing animals, people, objects, or landscapes.

Setting the AF to Select (S) lets you can tell the camera exactly what focus point to use. Your claim that you cannot control the focus point in AF-C is wrong.

Regardless, I have used the K3 and K1markII for a number of years. After several weeks of fairly high use under demanding conditions, I can confidently say that the K3markIII is a vast improvement for photographing action and moving subjects.

[repaap]

In the DPReview assessment of its autofocus, they used the 16-85mm lens, about which some were not too pleased with the AF. Could have been the camera rather than the lens of course, but it is especially at such a test that you'd want a newer lens to be used.
I don't think they specified the Nikon lens.

They did do that test with DFA 70-210, and one on Nikon did look similar. What they also said, was that they did drop the reslution for both. I suspect that K-3III resolution is a bit better, just because it is 26 MP and Nikon is 20. it is 1/5 th bigger. Yes, this does matter to some, as well as big buffer does matter to some other.

Should they have used other lens, it could have been better. Still, IF, K-3III does come even close D500...you know...in AF, it should make it pretty good. And on top of that it does spank it in terms of image quality, SR(as well as SR for movie whis is good enough as well as video in general is good good enough), handling and for pentaxians it is Pentax after all.

[jpzk]

What really interests me would be using the AF.C and AF.S with the K3III for birding, especially BIF under "any" lighting conditions; particularly when under low light (i.e.: underbrush, forests and the likes).

With the K5 and K3, I have become used to the settings for those cameras: very easy "navigating" and setting up.
With the K3III, it seems overwhelming !
Of course, I do not have this new camera (yet) and I guess I am also scared of a new learning curve.

Hopefully, there will be a dedicated thread with pictures (K3III AF.C/AF.S) relating to my "style" of shooting.

[bladerunner6]

With small flying birds you have no time.
The camera either focuses on something or it doesn't.
In the case of the swallows, the K-3iii did a good job.

African or European?

😄

[reh321]

With small flying birds you have no time.
The camera either focuses on something or it doesn't.
In the case of the swallows, the K-3iii did a good job.

African or European?

I photograph North American swallows - but I would expect the K-3iii to do a good job in any case.