[Pål Jensen]

1. How do I disable the rear LCD from lighten up every time I turn on the meter? I want it like on my K-3: to light up when I press the info button. Can't find it in the LCD screen menu.
2. Is there no way to get the image counter to the top LCD screen?
3. I can't get the thing to connect to my phone; it just searches indefinitely.


I must say that I don't find the menu system to be an improvement from the one in the K-3.

[stevebrot]

Info button twice?

I don't have a K-3iii at hand, but the manual (p 14) hints that it works similar to on the K-3. Alternatively, p 108 in the manual has a menu setting that might apply.


Steve

[Pål Jensen]

Info button twice?

Brilliant! It works

[Tjompen1968]

1. How do I disable the rear LCD from lighten up every time I turn on the meter? I want it like on my K-3: to light up when I press the info button. Can't find it in the LCD screen menu.
2. Is there no way to get the image counter to the top LCD screen?
3. I can't get the thing to connect to my phone; it just searches indefinitely.


I must say that I don't find the menu system to be an improvement from the one in the K-3.

Start the camera wifi, start the phone wifi and connect. Then start the app. Connecting through the app does not work for me.

I agree on the menus. Now I cant find anything...

To start wifi, you can hold the Play button then start camera, keep holding play and wait for 2s and it should start.

[aslyfox]

. . . .

I agree on the menus. Now I cant find anything...

perhaps this might help out

K-3 Mark III Menu Correlation Table:

• K-1 Mark II
• J limited 01
• K-1
• KP
• KP J limited
• K-70
  
• K-5 II・K-5 IIs
  
• K-5
  
• K-3 II
  
• K-3

Pentax K-3 III User Manual Download - PentaxForums.com

[Ishpuini]

2. Is there no way to get the image counter to the top LCD screen?

It is shown momentarily after taking a shot but is replaced back by the ISO value once I half press the shutter release. Haven't found a way to show it permanently. Perhaps it shows once the meter is inactive again, cannot check right now...

I must say that I don't find the menu system to be an improvement from the one in the K-3.

It does take much more getting used to than any previous Pentax DSLR, even my very first one, the "simple" *istDS.

[Kobayashi.K]

It is shown momentarily after taking a shot but is replaced back by the ISO value once I half press the shutter release. Haven't found a way to show it permanently. Perhaps it shows once the meter is inactive again, cannot check right now...

In a similar way it also momentarily shown in the viewfinder, which is quite practical actually.

The 'image counter' is officially called 'image storage capacity' in the user manual, but these instances for LCD panel and viewfinder (p16) are not showing up in a search because they are hidden in a larger string.

It seems the image storage capacity is only permanently shown in the Status and Live View screens.

[Pål Jensen]

It is a major flaw that there's no counter on the top LCD. Instead we have the SFn function gobbledygook that make no sense. The latter could have been activated instead when pressing the SFn button....

Another issue is the fact that the strap is too short.

[house]

Another issue is the fact that the strap is too short.

Already the K-1 strap is shorter than the K-3II. Its the new Pentax default.

[Kobayashi.K]

It is a major flaw that there's no counter on the top LCD. Instead we have the SFn function gobbledygook that make no sense. The latter could have been activated instead when pressing the SFn button....
Another issue is the fact that the strap is too short.

I fully agree with these points including the SFn thing. If you look in the Pentax Camera Reviews thread you might think this camera is perfect, but the truth is there is long list of strange design failures on this camera. I'm not going to mention them here though, because Pentaxians are allergic to critique.

P.S. When I make an exception in the context of the strap issue there are two other points worth mentioning.
1. The split-rings supplied with the camera, for mounting the strap, have a construction fault, exposing the bare wire-ends to the inside of a mounted strap, potentially causing fraying of it after some time. The plastic bit on the ring is there to force exposing the smooth part of the ring to the strap but it is mounted wrongly and the position cannot be changed because the ring is not a regular triangle.
2. The strap lug on the left side is too close to the Mode dial on top. The camera tends to tilt forward quickly even with a light lens, so the strap is easily bouncing into the Mode dial when walking around. That could lead to a failure of the mode dial in due course.

[Tjompen1968]

It is a major flaw that there's no counter on the top LCD. Instead we have the SFn function gobbledygook that make no sense. The latter could have been activated instead when pressing the SFn button....

Another issue is the fact that the strap is too short.

What is it with the SFn that does not make sense? Just curious since I find it to be really useful for changing between AF-modes.

[noelpolar]

Already the K-1 strap is shorter than the K-3II. Its the new Pentax default.

Aging Japanese would be shrinking.... so inevitable I guess....

[Ishpuini]

What is it with the SFn that does not make sense? Just curious since I find it to be really useful for changing between AF-modes.

I don't think Pål is referring to the smart function itself, but rather to the cryptic way the setting is shown in the top LCD. I agree with him there, the acronyms used to make the description fit the screen are not easy to interpret and as such have very little added value to be shown there. A counter would make more sense indeed.

[c.a.m]

but the truth is there is long list of strange design failures on this camera.

Would it be fair to distinguish between design "failures" and design compromises? Or distinguish "design failures" and potential system failures?

The split-rings supplied with the camera, for mounting the strap, have a construction fault, exposing the bare wire-ends to the inside of a mounted strap, potentially causing fraying of it after some time.

The metal rings on my K-5 II and K-3 II appear to have the same construction as the ones on my K-3 Mark III (without the plastic wrap-around), and I believe this has been a standard design for years on various brands. Like you, I wondered about these D-rings several years ago when I was doing my monthly camera check, but concluded that fraying would be improbable. I don't recall finding any reports of failures in the type of flat strap that I use, and I have not noticed any fraying on the strap, which I've used on all three cameras.

I think I had seen a couple of reports of fraying or breakage in the small-diameter cords that were used in an early version of the Peak Design anchor clip.

The strap lug on the left side is too close to the Mode dial on top. The camera tends to tilt forward quickly even with a light lens, so the strap is easily bouncing into the Mode dial when walking around. That could lead to a failure of the mode dial in due course.

I use a custom-made, flexible, 10-mm wide nylon strap to attach to my K-3 Mark III; its other end attaches to a Domke Gripper neck strap. It clears the Mode dial, but just barely. Perhaps another style of strap would cause a problem as you have described.

- Craig

[Tjompen1968]

I don't think Pål is referring to the smart function itself, but rather to the cryptic way the setting is shown in the top LCD. I agree with him there, the acronyms used to make the description fit the screen are not easy to interpret and as such have very little added value to be shown there. A counter would make more sense indeed.

Yes, I understand. Really hard to decrypt!