[jrkeiser]

Current K3 user with a number of screw drive lenses (da21 limited, fa43 limited, da70 limited, fa35, fa135 and da50-135 converted to screw drive when sdm failed). The only non-screw drive lens I have is the da18-135 as a general purpose walk-around lens, though I honestly don't use it much because of the smaller apertures for low-light shooting with no flash. I also have a Tamron 28-75 and 1.4x teleconverter that I sometimes use with the 50-135 or 135 when need extra reach. I don't shoot wide very often, and when I do the da 21 is wide enough for me.

I haven't shot as much in the past few years, but am trying to get back into photography as a hobby. Subjects I typically shoot include people, pets, landscapes, travel, etc. I'd like to be able to shoot more action and birds (obviously need a longer lens lol). The images I get from the K3 for static subjects is more than good enough for my needs, but for kids and pets action shots and birds I often find the focus performance lacking. Much of that I'm sure comes down to technique, which I'm working on, but improved subject / eye detect and tracking of newer cameras would make it much easier.

I'm currently considering either upgrading to the K3iii or switching systems to mirrorless (Fuji aps-c or Nikon full frame) for improved subject + eye autofocus and tracking. I know the autofocus of Canon and Sony are better, but RF lenses are too expensive and I don't care for Sony ergonomics. Switching systems is expensive and I wouldn't get much for my current kit if I chose to sell or trade it, making the K3iii the cheapest upgrade route, especially when considering used. I've used Pentax since the *ist DL, and love the build quality and feel of the K3. I also enjoy shooting with the limited primes - especially the fa43. However, there is no arguing that Pentax has always been behind the competition when it comes to autofocus in their digital cameras and it doesn't make sense to keep investing more money in a system if it ultimately doesn't meet my needs.

So, for those of you using the K3iii (and perhaps other systems), is the improved autofocus of the K3iii worth the upgrade over switching to mirrorless and, if so, do you need to have the newest PLM or SDM (presumably more reliable than my da50-135 SDM) lenses in order to really take advantage of it? If I have to upgrade all my lenses anyway, then going mirrorless probably makes more sense... As much as I'd like to go try the camera myself, the only camera store left anywhere near me only carries Canon, Nikon and Sony.

[tduell]

I had been using the DA*300 with K-3 Mark II for shooting birds, and time to lock focus left a bit to be desired, although could be made much better if one used quick shift to set the focus on infinity between shots.
I'm now using that lens with K-3 Mark III and time to lock focus is dramatically improved.
The AF on the K-3 Mark III is excellent.

Cheers,
Terry

[Buckeyemikie]

I would urge you to try the K-3 III before making your decision. I’d rent one when you know you’ll have time to really use it with your current lenses. I have one & it works great with my DA 50-135, my FA* 80-200 & my FA* 400 F5.6 all screw drive. Its a complicated camera but a great one to grow your skills with. Mirrorless has its advantages for bird/wildlife action shooters but comes with a hefty price tag. Follow the “post your K3III shots” on the Forum & you will see great wildlife action shots. The DA* 300 SDM is reliable & would be a good fit for you. Also remember that there are relatively inexpensive Pentax legacy lenses available online & on PF. More than half of my lenses I bought used from other Forum members (both legacy & current).

[kypfer]

Current K3 user with a number of screw drive lenses ...
So, for those of you using the K3iii (and perhaps other systems), is the improved autofocus of the K3iii worth the upgrade over switching to mirrorless and, if so, do you need to have the newest PLM or SDM (presumably more reliable than my da50-135 SDM) lenses in order to really take advantage of it? If I have to upgrade all my lenses anyway, then going mirrorless probably makes more sense... As much as I'd like to go try the camera myself, the only camera store left anywhere near me only carries Canon, Nikon and Sony.

I "upgraded" to the K-3iii from a KP (and a K-70 before that) mostly for the incremental improvements in a/f … I've not been disappointed
I've only got a couple of non-screw-drive lenses, my impression is that screw-drive lenses are quicker to focus, but one would need to set up a test environment to prove or disprove that!
I've no relevant experience with other systems so can't comment.
As with my earlier bodies, the K-3iii benefits from wider-aperture lenses for rapid and reliable a/f … but with a little patience, in good light, it'll focus reliably down below an effective f/8, ie. with a teleconverter fitted, a trick I could only dream of with most of the earlier bodies

[pschlute]

Pentax have sorted the continuous AF gremlins with the K-1 II and K3 III , and I think the KP is also much improved.

My K-1 (version 1) was not the best for AF-C when used with the older style DA lenses like DA* 60-250. Since I started using the K-1 II together with the modern DFA lenses like DFA 70-200 It gives me 9/10 keepers.

So my advice for you is to look at the K3 III paired with a modern (non screwdrive) lens.

[jrkeiser]

tduell, Good to hear that focus with your DA*300 improved with the K3iii. That lens is definitely a consideration for birding.

Buckeyemikie, Thanks for suggesting renting a K3iii. I honestly hadn't considered that an option given the lack of camera stores in my area, but did some searching and saw that it could be rented through Lens Rentals. Definitely something to consider before making a final decision! Also good to hear that you have been satisfied with focus speeds on your screw drive lenses, as I've read elsewhere that you need the latest lenses to take advantage of the improvements. That, and the fear of dumping more money into the brand only to be disappointed, have been two of the major issues holding me back.

kypfer, Thanks for sharing your experience. Sounds promising. I think the K-3 is my 6th generation of Pentax cameras, each with incremental but not dramatic improvements in autofocus. Got off the upgrade train when the K3ii came out as it didn't seem like enough of an improvement. The K3iii looked interesting, but was too expensive at release given that I wasn't taking as many pictures since my granddaughter had grown up. But now that I'm trying to get back into the hobby and used prices are more reasonable, now might be a good time to reconsider it.

pschlute, Good to hear that the autofocus issues are mostly sorted out. Will definitely consider one of the newer lenses for telephoto needs if I stay with Pentax, but need to be able to continue to use the older lenses as well or it's basically like starting over no matter what system I choose. Nice picture!

[jersey]

I am not a birder, I "work" with airplanes in season. I used K-50 earlier, got K-3 Mk III and did not regret it. I use it with 60-250 PLM and it does not disappoint. AF is fast, it tracks well. Getting AF on object is as fast as possible with rather slow drive, but there is not as much hunting like with older bodies.


The issues are in lenses now, as screwdriver and SDM are not fastest ones. Try modern DC lenses (150-450, 70-200/210) or PLM 55-300. They really make K-3 Mk III AF shine.

[Paul_R_H]

Current K3 user with a number of screw drive lenses (da21 limited, fa43 limited, da70 limited, fa35, fa135 and da50-135 converted to screw drive when sdm failed). The only non-screw drive lens I have is the da18-135 as a general purpose walk-around lens, though I honestly don't use it much because of the smaller apertures for low-light shooting with no flash. I also have a Tamron 28-75 and 1.4x teleconverter that I sometimes use with the 50-135 or 135 when need extra reach. I don't shoot wide very often, and when I do the da 21 is wide enough for me.

I haven't shot as much in the past few years, but am trying to get back into photography as a hobby. Subjects I typically shoot include people, pets, landscapes, travel, etc. I'd like to be able to shoot more action and birds (obviously need a longer lens lol). The images I get from the K3 for static subjects is more than good enough for my needs, but for kids and pets action shots and birds I often find the focus performance lacking. Much of that I'm sure comes down to technique, which I'm working on, but improved subject / eye detect and tracking of newer cameras would make it much easier.

I'm currently considering either upgrading to the K3iii or switching systems to mirrorless (Fuji aps-c or Nikon full frame) for improved subject + eye autofocus and tracking. I know the autofocus of Canon and Sony are better, but RF lenses are too expensive and I don't care for Sony ergonomics. Switching systems is expensive and I wouldn't get much for my current kit if I chose to sell or trade it, making the K3iii the cheapest upgrade route, especially when considering used. I've used Pentax since the *ist DL, and love the build quality and feel of the K3. I also enjoy shooting with the limited primes - especially the fa43. However, there is no arguing that Pentax has always been behind the competition when it comes to autofocus in their digital cameras and it doesn't make sense to keep investing more money in a system if it ultimately doesn't meet my needs.

So, for those of you using the K3iii (and perhaps other systems), is the improved autofocus of the K3iii worth the upgrade over switching to mirrorless and, if so, do you need to have the newest PLM or SDM (presumably more reliable than my da50-135 SDM) lenses in order to really take advantage of it? If I have to upgrade all my lenses anyway, then going mirrorless probably makes more sense... As much as I'd like to go try the camera myself, the only camera store left anywhere near me only carries Canon, Nikon and Sony.

I guess you mean focussing with longer lenses. I have a DA55-300PLM which is very fast with the K3 iii, much faster than with the K3 ii. I also have a screw-drive FA135 f/2.8 which was pretty useless for shooting action with C-AF. It's much faster with the K3 iii and can follow fast-moving cars coming towards me.

So yes the K3 iii is a huge step-change versus the K3 ii, or probably versus the K1 ii or KP too.

OK I'm sure a Nikon/Canon SR or mirrorless, or the recent Sony, or perhaps the most recent Fujifilm with their better lenses, would be even better.

But look, changing my K3 ii to a K3 iii cost £1500. Changing the Pentax system to a nearly-new Fujifilm or Sony syste, would have been £3000-plus, trading all my lenses for ultrawide, standard zoom and tele zoom and flash for a new system.

People greatly understate the cost of chaging systems. Of course I'd rather have Sony, Fujifilm, or Nikon Z if I were starting from scratch. But I'm not starting from scratch.

I'm really happy with the K3 iii. Focusing is good enough; ergonomics and viewfinder are great.

[bob5050]

... is the improved autofocus of the K3iii worth the upgrade over switching to mirrorless and, if so, do you need to have the newest PLM or SDM (presumably more reliable than my da50-135 SDM) lenses in order to really take advantage of it?

Using K-3iii, love it. Moved from K-3
First question: yes, much better AF than before. As good as the latest Sony? Probably not, but I'm not going to use a camera I dislike the ergonomics of for AF at a level that is simply beyond my needs. The K-3iii's is more than adequate.
Second question: no. Most of my lenses are DC, but the older screwdrives (for example, the DA 35mm f/2.4) are much improved in AF performance as well.
traveler

[jrkeiser]

So far everyone seems to feel that K3iii is a significant enough upgrade even with screw drive lenses, which is encouraging! Does it also do a good job of catching the eye in focus, or is that where DSLRs are always going to struggle compared to mirrorless?

I've done the math and know how much switching systems would cost, which is why I'm taking a fresh look at the K3iii.

[Buckeyemikie]

The eye in focus goal you mention should be one of the first tests when you get a hold of a K33. From what I’ve read, Sony is no.1. However, you may find the K-33 good enough. So many choices given today’s amazing array of camera technologies come down to compromises. That doesn’t mean you won’t be happy with yours!

[jrkeiser]

Just be sure you are using the most current FW update.

You be the judge...


K-3 MkIII+DA*300/4+HD1.4TC (click the image for EXIF data on Flickr, plus lots of other images)



Cheers... M

Beautiful image, as are the other on your Flickr page! Certainly shows what the K3iii is capable of in the right hands... But then I see you've been capturing images like this going back at least to the K20D. Good reminder that it truly is "a poor carpenter who blames his tools!"

Would you mind also sharing what your "Custom Image Bright" settings are and what focus mode you were using?

[sebberry]

When I bought my K3-3, it was the same price as the Sony A7-3. I bought the Pentax because I have a 16-50, 50-135, FA501.4, DA12-24 and a couple others so I didn't want to switch systems and have to re-buy lenses.

My 50-135 and 16-50 are both converted to screwdrive due to dead SDM. I have since purchased a 55-300PLM.

Honestly it's been a mixed bag. I'm happy with maybe 1 in 8 or so photos of shorebirds with the PLM lens using the OVF, even fewer when using LV to get down at eye-level with the birds as I find the camera rarely accurately detects and focuses on the bird, much less the bird's eye. The lack of a tilty-screen makes this especially hard so you just have to shoot blindly and hope it focused, or use my amazingly innovative bendy screen on a hotshoe mod and walk around looking like you should have just bought the Sony instead.

I know others have had issues with wider AF points using lenses like the 50-135 and 16-50, me included to the point I'll only use center point/spot focus with these lenses, negating any possible tracking advantage the K3-3 has over previous models. I haven't tried other newer SDM/DC lenses but I do find my 50-135 hopelessly inconsistent to the point I just don't volunteer to take photos for birthdays or other events.

If you've watched videos on YouTube of mirrorless camera systems with proper eye-detect AF and are intrigued by the little green box precisely differentiating between the subject's iris and tips of their eyelashes and are expecting the same performance from the K3-3's eye AF, you'll be terribly disappointed. I just can't see it keeping up with a quick moving toddler or pet.

Aside from my one PLM lens, I haven't tried others - that'd defeat the purpose of getting the Pentax to avoid buying new lenses, and if I drop thousands on new lenses I might as well have just gotten the Sony to begin with. It's like when I had a BlackBerry and resisted getting an iPhone all the way until the iPhone X came out. The world has moved on from the limitations of DSLRs and unless you're an OVF purist, I think it's a mistake not to give other platforms some serious thought.

[jersey]

55-300 PLM may not be the best lens for small targets. I suppose the quality control on it is rather poor on non star/limited lenses and IQ depends if guy that was putting it together had a good coffee in the morning or not. My PLM on far away or not so far but small objects sucked to the point that I decided to spend on 60-250 despite it having worse AF drive.


Other then this it is hard to counter what @sebberry said as I am not a birder. I photograph airplanes and while both fly the distance and relative speed are different. K-3/3 was able to catch eye of a cat when I once tried, but lens (screwdrive) as not able to keep up when it was starting to move. If you want to make use of eye-tracking AF then you will need one of few modern lenses with fast AF drives. Expensive ones, so it may be a good thing to look at other brands. This is one of features that will make you disappointed with Pentax.

[Paul_R_H]

When I bought my K3-3, it was the same price as the Sony A7-3. I bought the Pentax because I have a 16-50, 50-135, FA501.4, DA12-24 and a couple others so I didn't want to switch systems and have to re-buy lenses.

My 50-135 and 16-50 are both converted to screwdrive due to dead SDM. I have since purchased a 55-300PLM.

Honestly it's been a mixed bag. I'm happy with maybe 1 in 8 or so photos of shorebirds with the PLM lens using the OVF, even fewer when using LV to get down at eye-level with the birds as I find the camera rarely accurately detects and focuses on the bird, much less the bird's eye. The lack of a tilty-screen makes this especially hard so you just have to shoot blindly and hope it focused, or use my amazingly innovative bendy screen on a hotshoe mod and walk around looking like you should have just bought the Sony instead.

I know others have had issues with wider AF points using lenses like the 50-135 and 16-50, me included to the point I'll only use center point/spot focus with these lenses, negating any possible tracking advantage the K3-3 has over previous models. I haven't tried other newer SDM/DC lenses but I do find my 50-135 hopelessly inconsistent to the point I just don't volunteer to take photos for birthdays or other events.

If you've watched videos on YouTube of mirrorless camera systems with proper eye-detect AF and are intrigued by the little green box precisely differentiating between the subject's iris and tips of their eyelashes and are expecting the same performance from the K3-3's eye AF, you'll be terribly disappointed. I just can't see it keeping up with a quick moving toddler or pet.

Aside from my one PLM lens, I haven't tried others - that'd defeat the purpose of getting the Pentax to avoid buying new lenses, and if I drop thousands on new lenses I might as well have just gotten the Sony to begin with. It's like when I had a BlackBerry and resisted getting an iPhone all the way until the iPhone X came out. The world has moved on from the limitations of DSLRs and unless you're an OVF purist, I think it's a mistake not to give other platforms some serious thought.

Interesting. As I said, my experience of excellent results is with big objects: cars. It will also work decently well for people, but my habit is to position the focus point on the eye using the joystick – the presence of which is itself a notable improvement on the previous Pentaxes. I don't photograph small birds.

Paul