Pentax K-3 III First Impressions

Adam · 06-21-2021, 01:32 AM - **11 Likes**

I've had a chance to play around with the Pentax K-3 III a bit and just wanted to share some of the things that stood out to me (having mostly used just the K-1 since it came out). I'm looking more at features/usability than actual pictures though

First of all, it's great to see that Pentax fixed a bunch of silly annoyances found in prior models. For example:

the mirror no longer pointlessly comes down when changing settings in movie mode/live view
you can finally select the active SD card via the menu
the rear LCD automatically turns itself off when you look through the viewfinder
aperture metadata and simplified shooting with manual lenses
ability to charge the grip battery without removing it

Another thing that instantly stands out is just how fast this camera is. Everything from focusing, to write speed (~90Mb/s with UHS-II cards), to changing menu settings feels faster and more responsive. And that's not to mention the 12FPS burst, which puts the K-1 to shame. The AF is also noticeably faster, not just for tracking but also for low-light and everyday shooting. Both SDM and screwdrive lenses focus more quickly and more decisively. The focusing just feels a lot less laggy.

The viewfinder is phenomenal, just as big as a digital full-frame viewfinder in fact. The illuminated AF points are a bit easier to see in the K-1, but otherwise the viewfinder overlay is very similar.

And when it comes to image quality, it's evident that the sensor in the K-3 III is a generation or two newer. Side-by-side it's a really close call, even with the K-1's larger sensor and higher resolution. ISO 100k is easily usable if you have the right denoise software.

The K-3 III is noticeably lighter than the K-1, so if that's important to you, it may be worth opting for the K-3 III outright.

Another amazing feature is the USB-C support. Not only can the same cable now be used for charging my phone, laptop, and camera, but the camera can also charge other devices in an emergency.

However, there were also some unexpected surprises. The user interface of the K-3 III has seen some significant changes over prior models, and while still user-friendly, it doesn't feel quite as intuitive or as refined as before. I'm not a fan of the vertical layout of the main menu, the graphics are generally not as fancy/clear (example below), and many icons/buttons/readouts are quite small. Also, I'm skeptical about the utility of the touchscreen beyond selecting AF focus points, as the menus cannot be navigated with touch alone. Some things can be pressed, while others can't- and some are outright confusing. It's hard to tell what can be done without a bit of trial-and-error. For example, while in video mode, tapping on the "LV" icon will instantly turn off the rear LCD. It can then only be turned back on by tapping it again. Thus, there's a bit of a learning curve, and also even more ways to accomplish the same task, which when combined with varying button combinations for different sub-functions, becomes quite complex. That said, Pentax did add a ton of new customization options, so in the long run you can set up most of the buttons and features exactly as you want them.

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One thing I wasn't expecting to care about was the lack of a tilting LCD on the K-3 III. However, when I wanted to record a video on a tripod, I immediately saw the benefit of the K-1's tilting screen. The K-1's on-board GPS also makes it feel like more of a grown-up camera. I have a hunch that Pentax will continue using features like these to differentiate the two product lines.

Last, let's talk about the button layout. It seems that the LV, movie, and playback buttons have once again shifted around, and Pentax is having a hard time settling on what to do with the settings dial. I find the playback button hard to reach on the K-3 III, and I don't get why I need to turn a knob to enter live view. It's better to have a button for live view, though its placement on the K-1 is also questionable. At the end of the day, I still prefer the layout on the K-1.

Anyway, overall, the K-3 III seems to be a worthy successor to the K-3 II, and unsurprisingly probably the best camera Pentax has made to date. Though it has a few quirks, it's hard to see how you could go wrong if you can afford it! I can't end this post without restating just how impressive the overall performance and autofocus is.

Adam
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**Pål Jensen** · 06-21-2021, 01:46 AM - **1 Like**

I agree with most of this. The menu system is a step backwards from previous models where I never needed to consult the manual.
I like to add that the SR system in real life seems like 3 stops better than the one in the K-3. Add perhaps 4 stops better high ISO performance than the K-3. This adds at least a 7 stop advantage over the K-3 making the K-3 III a lot better for hand held shots......

Unregistered User · 06-21-2021, 02:39 AM

I agree, the menu is suddenly hard to navigate.

And the live view I programmed the lock-button to start live view so the only button that is different from K-1 is now the play button and I have some trouble to reach it.

Also I do not like that the joystick does not navigate the menu. And no tilty LCD is sad.

Otherwise I am very happy. Sharp images of BIF that I struggled with before is now a breeze. I just locks on and keeps it locked. =)

house · 06-21-2021, 03:00 AM

The vertical scroll is a touch screen thing. The tabbed, no scroll, layout isn't efficient on a touch screen.

Phones etc have made a lot of gui and websites vertical scroll.

Unregistered User · 06-21-2021, 04:15 AM

Originally posted by house

The vertical scroll is a touch screen thing. The tabbed, no scroll, layout isn't efficient on a touch screen.

Phones etc have made a lot of gui and websites vertical scroll.

Well, since they made it less logical compared to before they did not succeed in making it an improvement. If it is oriented vertical or horizontal does not make a difference to me but the way it works and what is where has a huge impact on usability. And it does not keep on scrolling, it begins from the beginning of selected vertical tab. That is annoying.

Still after several weeks I find myself searching through the whole menu after settings. That is unfortunate.

Ishpuini · 06-21-2021, 04:56 AM

Not so many problems with the menu, I find it an improvement actually. Well... I will once I get used to where everything is located. Though the lettering could be larger indeed. A lot of the screens feel a bit crammed. This is esp the case for the histograms, that I find a lot harder to use to evaluate exposure (I'm still an ETTR believer).

Lv and playback buttons are another thing indeed. I'm constantly pressing the lock button when wanting to review my images. I'm seriously considering reprogramming the lock button to do playback as well. Fortunately this is possible, although I'm hesitant to change the playback button to something else, fearing things would get too confusing... Lv is a hassle too, though I mostly used it when focusing MF lenses and infrared. The former seems to work OK through the OVF now and for the latter my K-3 II has been converted so I use that one for IR (and it still has the Lv button).

Main trouble is probably that I picked this very model change to have my previous camera converted to IR, so I will continue using it a lot. There never having been two subsequent flagship APS-C models with such a different UI, might mean this is possible the worst moment to finally have gone ahead with this conversion...

Concerning aperture metadata and simplified shooting with manual lenses, I fully agree with the former, but not with the latter. I find stop down metering still fails to meter accurately, resulting in different exposures depending on how far the aperture is set to stop down. As such setting one tested base exposure in M mode and manually changing shutter speed in accordance with the number of clicks I change the aperture, for me is a much more reliable way to get best results. That, and the fact that I seem to get sensor shake sometimes when I use some of my manual lenses wide open in Av.

And the AF... well indeed that's out-of-this-world for a longtime Pentax APS-C flagship user like myself.

gatorguy · 06-21-2021, 05:10 AM

Originally posted by Ishpuini

Lv and playback buttons are another thing indeed. I'm constantly pressing the lock button when wanting to review my images. I'm seriously considering reprogramming the lock button to do playback as well. Fortunately this is possible, although I'm hesitant to change the playback button to something else, fearing things would get too confusing.

Simply swap the playback button and the down button on the D-Pad. That puts the review/playback where it belongs IMO, with the zoom button being placed at the center. Now it's easy and fast and the controls for it are grouped together. The outdoor display brightness doesn't get changed all that often and will be fine at the former playback button position.

JPT · 06-21-2021, 07:15 AM

I haven't had much time using the K-3 Mark III yet, but I think the menu works more like the GR III, so I'll probably like it. I think for a lot of people it will take a bit of getting used to.

There was a an article Pentax Official a while back on the menu changes, but I couldn't find an English version of it.
Japanese - K-3 Mark III?????????????????????????????? | PENTAX official

Here it is through Google Translate, but it doesn't come out too well.
Google Translate

house · 06-21-2021, 07:25 AM - **1 Like**

Gui usability is mainly about established gui patterns and learned user habits.

Any change will take time to get used to, the most intuitive ui will be the one most similar to what you used before. I still don't like the K-1 playback and lv button placement much preferred the K-3II in that regard.

I havent touched a K-3 III but the control layout and concept seems to be the best one so far. Having a dial for the three modes ofv, lv, movie makes complete sense as they are distinct modes that transform the use of the camera. The realisation that those three are orthogonal was a great move by Ricoh. The dial is a logical and elegant solution to the previous mess of buttons and switches.

mtkeller · 06-21-2021, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by Adam

Also, I'm skeptical about the utility of the touchscreen beyond selecting AF focus points, as the menus cannot be navigated with touch alone. Some things can be pressed, while others can't- and some are outright confusing. It's hard to tell what can be done without a bit of trial-and-error.

Last, let's talk about the button layout. It seems that the LV, movie, and playback buttons have once again shifted around, and Pentax is having a hard time settling on what to do with the settings dial. I find the playback button hard to reach on the K-3 III, and I don't get why I need to turn a knob to enter live view. It's better to have a button for live view, though its placement on the K-1 is also questionable. At the end of the day, I still prefer the layout on the K-1.

I'm curious about what you're finding that makes it not possible to navigate the menus with touch alone. I have run into some instances where something on the edge of the screen (typically something that indicates that a button will do something) isn't as responsive as I would like to touch, but if I aim right, I can use the touch screen.

Others have pointed out that you can program a button for live view. I personally like the knob, since I don't use live view that often and would sometimes bump the button on my K-70 by accident.

Originally posted by Tjompen1968

Also I do not like that the joystick does not navigate the menu.

Yes, it would be nice if they would enable the joystick for menu navigation as well in a firmware update.

Originally posted by Tjompen1968

And it does not keep on scrolling, it begins from the beginning of selected vertical tab. That is annoying.

I actually really like the scrolling setup. Formatting the SD card is at the top of a menu, so that makes it easy to get to since I can just go to the right tab of the menus and mindlessly scroll to the top. I think people just need to take some time acclimating to the new menu system, and the longer you have been using Pentax DSLRs, the more time you will need to complete that acclimatization.

**mlt** · 06-21-2021, 08:42 AM

So far, I’m comfortable with the new menu setup. Hopefully this is the model Ricoh will use for any future camera releases.

**Pål Jensen** · 06-21-2021, 10:00 AM

Obviously one get used to the menu system but it is not as intuitive as on older models...

mtkeller · 06-21-2021, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by Pål Jensen

Obviously one get used to the menu system but it is not as intuitive as on older models...

That's an opinion. I find the new menu system more intuitive than the older system.

**Larrymc** · 06-21-2021, 10:28 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by mtkeller

I'm curious about what you're finding that makes it not possible to navigate the menus with touch alone. I have run into some instances where something on the edge of the screen (typically something that indicates that a button will do something) isn't as responsive as I would like to touch, but if I aim right, I can use the touch screen.

Others have pointed out that you can program a button for live view. I personally like the knob, since I don't use live view that often and would sometimes bump the button on my K-70 by accident.

Yes, it would be nice if they would enable the joystick for menu navigation as well in a firmware update.

I actually really like the scrolling setup. Formatting the SD card is at the top of a menu, so that makes it easy to get to since I can just go to the right tab of the menus and mindlessly scroll to the top. I think people just need to take some time acclimating to the new menu system, and the longer you have been using Pentax DSLRs, the more time you will need to complete that acclimatization.

Once I played with the menu it has gotten pretty easy to manipulate the menu when I need to which is very seldom except for not finalizing some of my smart function settings. The Stills. LV, Video knob is much easier to manipulate than a selection of buttons or having to push a button multiple times to cycle through the selections on one button. Over all this is one hell of a camera!!

**Kobie** · 06-21-2021, 10:38 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Adam

Last, let's talk about the button layout. It seems that the LV, movie, and playback buttons have once again shifted around, and Pentax is having a hard time settling on what to do with the settings dial. I find the playback button hard to reach on the K-3 III, and I don't get why I need to turn a knob to enter live view. It's better to have a button for live view, though its placement on the K-1 is also questionable. At the end of the day, I still prefer the layout on the K-1.

Anyway, overall, the K-3 III seems to be a worthy successor to the K-3 II, and unsurprisingly probably the best camera Pentax has made to date. Though it has a few quirks, it's hard to see how you could go wrong if you can afford it! I can't end this post without restating just how impressive the overall performance and autofocus is.

The reason for the triple mode dial/switch (LV, CAM, MOVIE) from what I can see is better simplicity regarding settings available per mode.
Camera mode gives you certain menu options, LV then changes the options in the menu, MOVIE gives you a different set of options.
Each mode you're in will only give you the menu items that pertain to that specific shooting mode.
I think that's a better idea than a monster menu with a bunch of greyed out items that you think you should be able to select. The new mode dial de-clutters things and keeps the options focused on only what you need for that specific mode.

06-21-2021, 01:32 AM - 11 Likes	#1
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,595	Pentax K-3 III First Impressions I've had a chance to play around with the Pentax K-3 III a bit and just wanted to share some of the things that stood out to me (having mostly used just the K-1 since it came out). I'm looking more at features/usability than actual pictures though First of all, it's great to see that Pentax fixed a bunch of silly annoyances found in prior models. For example: the mirror no longer pointlessly comes down when changing settings in movie mode/live view you can finally select the active SD card via the menu the rear LCD automatically turns itself off when you look through the viewfinder aperture metadata and simplified shooting with manual lenses ability to charge the grip battery without removing it Another thing that instantly stands out is just how fast this camera is. Everything from focusing, to write speed (~90Mb/s with UHS-II cards), to changing menu settings feels faster and more responsive. And that's not to mention the 12FPS burst, which puts the K-1 to shame. The AF is also noticeably faster, not just for tracking but also for low-light and everyday shooting. Both SDM and screwdrive lenses focus more quickly and more decisively. The focusing just feels a lot less laggy. The viewfinder is phenomenal, just as big as a digital full-frame viewfinder in fact. The illuminated AF points are a bit easier to see in the K-1, but otherwise the viewfinder overlay is very similar. And when it comes to image quality, it's evident that the sensor in the K-3 III is a generation or two newer. Side-by-side it's a really close call, even with the K-1's larger sensor and higher resolution. ISO 100k is easily usable if you have the right denoise software. The K-3 III is noticeably lighter than the K-1, so if that's important to you, it may be worth opting for the K-3 III outright. Another amazing feature is the USB-C support. Not only can the same cable now be used for charging my phone, laptop, and camera, but the camera can also charge other devices in an emergency. However, there were also some unexpected surprises. The user interface of the K-3 III has seen some significant changes over prior models, and while still user-friendly, it doesn't feel quite as intuitive or as refined as before. I'm not a fan of the vertical layout of the main menu, the graphics are generally not as fancy/clear (example below), and many icons/buttons/readouts are quite small. Also, I'm skeptical about the utility of the touchscreen beyond selecting AF focus points, as the menus cannot be navigated with touch alone. Some things can be pressed, while others can't- and some are outright confusing. It's hard to tell what can be done without a bit of trial-and-error. For example, while in video mode, tapping on the "LV" icon will instantly turn off the rear LCD. It can then only be turned back on by tapping it again. Thus, there's a bit of a learning curve, and also even more ways to accomplish the same task, which when combined with varying button combinations for different sub-functions, becomes quite complex. That said, Pentax did add a ton of new customization options, so in the long run you can set up most of the buttons and features exactly as you want them. One thing I wasn't expecting to care about was the lack of a tilting LCD on the K-3 III. However, when I wanted to record a video on a tripod, I immediately saw the benefit of the K-1's tilting screen. The K-1's on-board GPS also makes it feel like more of a grown-up camera. I have a hunch that Pentax will continue using features like these to differentiate the two product lines. Last, let's talk about the button layout. It seems that the LV, movie, and playback buttons have once again shifted around, and Pentax is having a hard time settling on what to do with the settings dial. I find the playback button hard to reach on the K-3 III, and I don't get why I need to turn a knob to enter live view. It's better to have a button for live view, though its placement on the K-1 is also questionable. At the end of the day, I still prefer the layout on the K-1. Anyway, overall, the K-3 III seems to be a worthy successor to the K-3 II, and unsurprisingly probably the best camera Pentax has made to date. Though it has a few quirks, it's hard to see how you could go wrong if you can afford it! I can't end this post without restating just how impressive the overall performance and autofocus is. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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06-21-2021, 01:46 AM - 1 Like	#2
Pål Jensen Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Norway Photos: Albums Posts: 4,371	I agree with most of this. The menu system is a step backwards from previous models where I never needed to consult the manual. I like to add that the SR system in real life seems like 3 stops better than the one in the K-3. Add perhaps 4 stops better high ISO performance than the K-3. This adds at least a 7 stop advantage over the K-3 making the K-3 III a lot better for hand held shots......

06-21-2021, 02:39 AM	#3
Unregistered User Guest	I agree, the menu is suddenly hard to navigate. And the live view I programmed the lock-button to start live view so the only button that is different from K-1 is now the play button and I have some trouble to reach it. Also I do not like that the joystick does not navigate the menu. And no tilty LCD is sad. Otherwise I am very happy. Sharp images of BIF that I struggled with before is now a breeze. I just locks on and keeps it locked. =)

06-21-2021, 03:00 AM	#4
house Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 3,306	The vertical scroll is a touch screen thing. The tabbed, no scroll, layout isn't efficient on a touch screen. Phones etc have made a lot of gui and websites vertical scroll.

06-21-2021, 04:15 AM	#5
Unregistered User Guest	Originally posted by house The vertical scroll is a touch screen thing. The tabbed, no scroll, layout isn't efficient on a touch screen. Phones etc have made a lot of gui and websites vertical scroll. Well, since they made it less logical compared to before they did not succeed in making it an improvement. If it is oriented vertical or horizontal does not make a difference to me but the way it works and what is where has a huge impact on usability. And it does not keep on scrolling, it begins from the beginning of selected vertical tab. That is annoying. Still after several weeks I find myself searching through the whole menu after settings. That is unfortunate.

06-21-2021, 04:56 AM	#6
Ishpuini Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Antwerp, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,727	Not so many problems with the menu, I find it an improvement actually. Well... I will once I get used to where everything is located. Though the lettering could be larger indeed. A lot of the screens feel a bit crammed. This is esp the case for the histograms, that I find a lot harder to use to evaluate exposure (I'm still an ETTR believer). Lv and playback buttons are another thing indeed. I'm constantly pressing the lock button when wanting to review my images. I'm seriously considering reprogramming the lock button to do playback as well. Fortunately this is possible, although I'm hesitant to change the playback button to something else, fearing things would get too confusing... Lv is a hassle too, though I mostly used it when focusing MF lenses and infrared. The former seems to work OK through the OVF now and for the latter my K-3 II has been converted so I use that one for IR (and it still has the Lv button). Main trouble is probably that I picked this very model change to have my previous camera converted to IR, so I will continue using it a lot. There never having been two subsequent flagship APS-C models with such a different UI, might mean this is possible the worst moment to finally have gone ahead with this conversion... Concerning aperture metadata and simplified shooting with manual lenses, I fully agree with the former, but not with the latter. I find stop down metering still fails to meter accurately, resulting in different exposures depending on how far the aperture is set to stop down. As such setting one tested base exposure in M mode and manually changing shutter speed in accordance with the number of clicks I change the aperture, for me is a much more reliable way to get best results. That, and the fact that I seem to get sensor shake sometimes when I use some of my manual lenses wide open in Av. And the AF... well indeed that's out-of-this-world for a longtime Pentax APS-C flagship user like myself.

06-21-2021, 05:10 AM	#7
gatorguy Moderator Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Florida Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,092	Originally posted by Ishpuini Lv and playback buttons are another thing indeed. I'm constantly pressing the lock button when wanting to review my images. I'm seriously considering reprogramming the lock button to do playback as well. Fortunately this is possible, although I'm hesitant to change the playback button to something else, fearing things would get too confusing. Simply swap the playback button and the down button on the D-Pad. That puts the review/playback where it belongs IMO, with the zoom button being placed at the center. Now it's easy and fast and the controls for it are grouped together. The outdoor display brightness doesn't get changed all that often and will be fine at the former playback button position.

06-21-2021, 07:15 AM	#8
JPT Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,821	I haven't had much time using the K-3 Mark III yet, but I think the menu works more like the GR III, so I'll probably like it. I think for a lot of people it will take a bit of getting used to. There was a an article Pentax Official a while back on the menu changes, but I couldn't find an English version of it. Japanese - K-3 Mark III?????????????????????????????? \| PENTAX official Here it is through Google Translate, but it doesn't come out too well. Google Translate

06-21-2021, 07:25 AM - 1 Like	#9
house Pentaxian Join Date: May 2015 Photos: Albums Posts: 3,306	Gui usability is mainly about established gui patterns and learned user habits. Any change will take time to get used to, the most intuitive ui will be the one most similar to what you used before. I still don't like the K-1 playback and lv button placement much preferred the K-3II in that regard. I havent touched a K-3 III but the control layout and concept seems to be the best one so far. Having a dial for the three modes ofv, lv, movie makes complete sense as they are distinct modes that transform the use of the camera. The realisation that those three are orthogonal was a great move by Ricoh. The dial is a logical and elegant solution to the previous mess of buttons and switches.

06-21-2021, 08:26 AM	#10
mtkeller Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Sioux City, IA Photos: Gallery Posts: 938	Originally posted by Adam Also, I'm skeptical about the utility of the touchscreen beyond selecting AF focus points, as the menus cannot be navigated with touch alone. Some things can be pressed, while others can't- and some are outright confusing. It's hard to tell what can be done without a bit of trial-and-error. Last, let's talk about the button layout. It seems that the LV, movie, and playback buttons have once again shifted around, and Pentax is having a hard time settling on what to do with the settings dial. I find the playback button hard to reach on the K-3 III, and I don't get why I need to turn a knob to enter live view. It's better to have a button for live view, though its placement on the K-1 is also questionable. At the end of the day, I still prefer the layout on the K-1. I'm curious about what you're finding that makes it not possible to navigate the menus with touch alone. I have run into some instances where something on the edge of the screen (typically something that indicates that a button will do something) isn't as responsive as I would like to touch, but if I aim right, I can use the touch screen. Others have pointed out that you can program a button for live view. I personally like the knob, since I don't use live view that often and would sometimes bump the button on my K-70 by accident. Originally posted by Tjompen1968 Also I do not like that the joystick does not navigate the menu. Yes, it would be nice if they would enable the joystick for menu navigation as well in a firmware update. Originally posted by Tjompen1968 And it does not keep on scrolling, it begins from the beginning of selected vertical tab. That is annoying. I actually really like the scrolling setup. Formatting the SD card is at the top of a menu, so that makes it easy to get to since I can just go to the right tab of the menus and mindlessly scroll to the top. I think people just need to take some time acclimating to the new menu system, and the longer you have been using Pentax DSLRs, the more time you will need to complete that acclimatization.

06-21-2021, 08:42 AM	#11
mlt Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,159	So far, I’m comfortable with the new menu setup. Hopefully this is the model Ricoh will use for any future camera releases.

06-21-2021, 10:00 AM	#12
Pål Jensen Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Norway Photos: Albums Posts: 4,371	Obviously one get used to the menu system but it is not as intuitive as on older models...

06-21-2021, 10:03 AM	#13
mtkeller Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Sioux City, IA Photos: Gallery Posts: 938	Originally posted by Pål Jensen Obviously one get used to the menu system but it is not as intuitive as on older models... That's an opinion. I find the new menu system more intuitive than the older system.

06-21-2021, 10:28 AM - 1 Like	#14
Larrymc Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Mississippi, USA Posts: 5,252	Originally posted by mtkeller I'm curious about what you're finding that makes it not possible to navigate the menus with touch alone. I have run into some instances where something on the edge of the screen (typically something that indicates that a button will do something) isn't as responsive as I would like to touch, but if I aim right, I can use the touch screen. Others have pointed out that you can program a button for live view. I personally like the knob, since I don't use live view that often and would sometimes bump the button on my K-70 by accident. Yes, it would be nice if they would enable the joystick for menu navigation as well in a firmware update. I actually really like the scrolling setup. Formatting the SD card is at the top of a menu, so that makes it easy to get to since I can just go to the right tab of the menus and mindlessly scroll to the top. I think people just need to take some time acclimating to the new menu system, and the longer you have been using Pentax DSLRs, the more time you will need to complete that acclimatization. Once I played with the menu it has gotten pretty easy to manipulate the menu when I need to which is very seldom except for not finalizing some of my smart function settings. The Stills. LV, Video knob is much easier to manipulate than a selection of buttons or having to push a button multiple times to cycle through the selections on one button. Over all this is one hell of a camera!!

06-21-2021, 10:38 AM - 1 Like	#15
Kobie Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Bowmanville Photos: Albums Posts: 1,211	Originally posted by Adam Last, let's talk about the button layout. It seems that the LV, movie, and playback buttons have once again shifted around, and Pentax is having a hard time settling on what to do with the settings dial. I find the playback button hard to reach on the K-3 III, and I don't get why I need to turn a knob to enter live view. It's better to have a button for live view, though its placement on the K-1 is also questionable. At the end of the day, I still prefer the layout on the K-1. Anyway, overall, the K-3 III seems to be a worthy successor to the K-3 II, and unsurprisingly probably the best camera Pentax has made to date. Though it has a few quirks, it's hard to see how you could go wrong if you can afford it! I can't end this post without restating just how impressive the overall performance and autofocus is. The reason for the triple mode dial/switch (LV, CAM, MOVIE) from what I can see is better simplicity regarding settings available per mode. Camera mode gives you certain menu options, LV then changes the options in the menu, MOVIE gives you a different set of options. Each mode you're in will only give you the menu items that pertain to that specific shooting mode. I think that's a better idea than a monster menu with a bunch of greyed out items that you think you should be able to select. The new mode dial de-clutters things and keeps the options focused on only what you need for that specific mode.