is Pentax K3ii worth upgrading?

matthewxavier · 09-16-2015, 09:14 PM

Hi everyone, I m Xavier.
I had Pentax K-50, fisheye lens, 50mm both are DA lens.
I wanna upgrade my camera to higher level.
Should I wait for Full Frame or go for K3ii?

DeadJohn · 09-16-2015, 09:29 PM

Welcome to PentaxForums.

What do you wish your K-50 did better? You might be better served adding to your lens collection instead of upgrading your camera. What photographic subjects interest you?

**jatrax** · 09-16-2015, 09:32 PM

Why do you need a FF camera?

If you cannot answer that without thinking about it, then you do not need it. Get the K-3II or if you would rather have an onboard flash instead of the GPS get th K-3.

mcgregni · 09-16-2015, 09:55 PM

You do already have a very capable modern DSLR. Have you got specific concerns about its performance in any areas? Is the K50 holding you back or causing you to miss shots? Or are there particular extra features (like the AA filter simulator or video features) that you now need to use?

If its not anything specific like this then its more likely that your photography would get a boost by expanding your lens selection ... Going wider or longer and faster for example.

Or you might look to lighting your portraits and balancing ambient and subject lighting with flash ....or some extension tubes for macro .... There's other things that will have a far greater positive effect on the actual images other than just a camera upgrade. Tell us more about what you would like to achieve look-wise with your photos.

Adam · 09-16-2015, 11:48 PM

Originally posted by matthewxavier

Hi everyone, I m Xavier.
I had Pentax K-50, fisheye lens, 50mm both are DA lens.
I wanna upgrade my camera to higher level.
Should I wait for Full Frame or go for K3ii?

K-3 or K-3 II, same difference. Probably worth upgrading but perhaps it might be more worthwhile to start with lenses first.

**UncleVanya** · 09-17-2015, 04:45 AM

If your only lenses are DA lenses, the Full Frame may not give you much unless you plan to buy more lenses soon. The DA 50 might be Full Frame - on film it appears as if it is - but that fisheye isn't likely full frame.

Do you have any particular goal for the camera? I upgraded from my K-50 to a K-3. I really like the K-3 and found it to be a worthy upgrade. I would upgrade to full frame if you need it - better low light noise performance, wider views from legacy lenses, etc. these are reasons to go to the full frame.

In your situation if you no longer have the k50 which is how I read your post I would either replace it, or look at the ks1 or ks3 or k3.

**Kerrowdown** · 09-17-2015, 12:30 PM

Welcome to the forum, I think from the way you talking a couple of options for you... 1) keep the body and add more glass, 2) Upgrade the body and add more glass.

Option 2's looking good.

I'd leave FF out of the equation just now, as you already have DA glass.

matthewxavier · 09-17-2015, 07:45 PM

Originally posted by DeadJohn

Welcome to PentaxForums.

What do you wish your K-50 did better? You might be better served adding to your lens collection instead of upgrading your camera. What photographic subjects interest you?

Thanks John, of coz I want a better quality of images.
I mainly shoot for scenery and now I started to shoot Portrait.

---------- Post added 09-17-15 at 07:48 PM ----------

Originally posted by jatrax

Why do you need a FF camera?

If you cannot answer that without thinking about it, then you do not need it. Get the K-3II or if you would rather have an onboard flash instead of the GPS get th K-3.

Thanks Jatrax, I m not really familiar with FF camera. I just know it would be wider for the sensor.
Because I started my photography with film camera which is 135mm.
So I wonder if it would be necessary to get FF camera? Some of my friends did :P

---------- Post added 09-17-15 at 07:55 PM ----------

Originally posted by mcgregni

You do already have a very capable modern DSLR. Have you got specific concerns about its performance in any areas? Is the K50 holding you back or causing you to miss shots? Or are there particular extra features (like the AA filter simulator or video features) that you now need to use?

If its not anything specific like this then its more likely that your photography would get a boost by expanding your lens selection ... Going wider or longer and faster for example.

Or you might look to lighting your portraits and balancing ambient and subject lighting with flash ....or some extension tubes for macro .... There's other things that will have a far greater positive effect on the actual images other than just a camera upgrade. Tell us more about what you would like to achieve look-wise with your photos.

Thanks mcgregni , i m focusing in scenry, portrait, stars and wildlife(not yet try at this moment).
I wanna upgrade my K50 because i wanna go for a higher quality and advanced functions.
I would definitly go for more lenes but the problem is that lenes are more expensive.
I will get the one i want one by one in the future.
So for now i m deciding to upgrade the body first

---------- Post added 09-17-15 at 07:56 PM ----------

Originally posted by Adam

K-3 or K-3 II, same difference. Probably worth upgrading but perhaps it might be more worthwhile to start with lenses first.

Thanks Adam, start with lenes first is a great idea.
My concern is the camera body as the lenes are too many.
I can get them later haha

---------- Post added 09-17-15 at 08:01 PM ----------

Originally posted by UncleVanya

If your only lenses are DA lenses, the Full Frame may not give you much unless you plan to buy more lenses soon. The DA 50 might be Full Frame - on film it appears as if it is - but that fisheye isn't likely full frame.

Do you have any particular goal for the camera? I upgraded from my K-50 to a K-3. I really like the K-3 and found it to be a worthy upgrade. I would upgrade to full frame if you need it - better low light noise performance, wider views from legacy lenses, etc. these are reasons to go to the full frame.

In your situation if you no longer have the k50 which is how I read your post I would either replace it, or look at the ks1 or ks3 or k3.

Thanks UncleVanya , oh you upgraded? The DA lenes cannot fit in Full Frame Camera?? Really, so should i stop buying DA lenes?
As the Full Frame camera is more professional, like better low light noise performance, wider views from legacy lenses.
what lenes can fit in?
So should I stop buying DA lenes if I go for FF?

---------- Post added 09-17-15 at 08:02 PM ----------

Originally posted by Kerrowdown

Welcome to the forum, I think from the way you talking a couple of options for you... 1) keep the body and add more glass, 2) Upgrade the body and add more glass.

Option 2's looking good.

I'd leave FF out of the equation just now, as you already have DA glass.

Thanks Kerrowdown , haha of coz option 2 is good because thats what i planning to do.
And now there is a problem which is DA lenes might not be fit in FF camrea T^T

Simen1 · 09-18-2015, 01:02 AM

There is a lot of tricks to impress your FF friends with stunning photos and many of the tricks cost you little or nothing. Like a true magician, just keep it secret (at least for a while)

Here are a few:

- Stitch landscape photos to get impressive amount of detail and megapixels.
- Stitch telephotos to get impressive shallow depth of field.
- Use Red/IR filters to make black and white photos high contrast. Best suited for days with dramatic clouds on a clear sky background and dramatic landscapes,
- Use CPL filters to increase color
- Use focus stacking to get unusual high depth of field
- Use the high dynamic range on the lowest ISO (single shot, moving subject, high contrast, raw post processed, shadow lifting) to impress Canon friends
- Stack low ISO star and milky way landscape images with f/8 or so to get high depth of field combined with stunning low image noise
- Use the time laps function to make nice time laps videos. Add music
- Use external flash(es) to get impressive moving subject images at night

Just to mention a few. Outsmart them. Be a photographer in stead of just a camera owner.

Timd · 09-18-2015, 04:34 AM

With most cameras nowadays, there is little difference between the image quality of real life photographs because of the camera - most are due to the lenses. While I also thought that upgrading the camera would solve all my problems, it is really the quality of the lens and the ability of the photographer that it most important. The "professional" cameras have more functions in dedicated buttons rather than embedded in the menu; it makes it easier to make changes on the fly. Without any dis-respect, I think the K-50 will out-perform you! It may not feel as nice in your hands as the latest camera, but honestly investing in lenses is a better option. Camera bodies are upgraded often and thus lose value. Lenses change more slowly so they retain much of their value and are less likely to fail.

What Simen1 states is fantastic. I've just been handed a whole host of avenues that I need to explore!

A final comment: follow this forum; learn from experienced people here; look at the photographs posted and investigate how they were taken. Try not to be too discouraged by the quality of the photographs posted here - the standard is very high. Rather be inspired by what can be done with the Pentax system.

If you consider DA lenses expensive now, FA or DFA (the FF ones) will be significantly more. I would believe that the advantages of the FF system (when it actually arrives), will not really be seen by the vast majority of users. It will come with a significant price penalty. Before I'm flamed, I support Pentax introducing FF to enable the trickle down effect and to raise the bar on the Pentax system. I for one will not be limited by my "cropped" system - it still exceeds my ability.

**TER-OR** · 09-18-2015, 05:47 AM

So...

Shoot RAW for complete control over your images.
Get a nice wide-angle lens. I have a DA21mm ltd. and find it has loads of contrast, great rendering and is a fun little lens for scenery.
The DA35mm f2.4 is a decent yet inexpensive lens. It's more "normal" view on the ASPC sensor, but substantially wider than the 50mm.
There are a lot of options, some 10-20, 12-24 and even more specialized lenses. You can rent lenses if you want to try them for a few days as well, since many are pretty expensive.

You've got just a couple lenses. The lenses are what make the camera. Shooting TAv mode is mostly how I use my K5, it gives very convenient control over aperture and shutter speed. That lets you manage your exposure. Different lenses respond differently, and there are plenty of options out there.

SOME DA series lenses are usable on FF. Plenty of the older series and third-party lenses are FF compatible. There's a list somewhere here with that information regarding the Pentax lenses.

Jean Poitiers · 09-19-2015, 12:51 AM

Bonjour from France and welcome to PF !

Hope to see some images soon ... Salut, J

mcgregni · 09-20-2015, 06:30 AM

If you're already taking superb sharp landscapes and portraits, with a full dynamic range and using a tripod, remote control and mirror up for the best clarity .... Then ... Only then will the extra technical innovations on a K3II like pixel shift, and HDR RAW, actually improve things and take your images to the next professional quality level.

Otherwise, then there's many techniques and skills to explore to get even more out of the K50. I think with careful choices you could get 2 or 3 improved lenses for similar cost to a K3II that would have much higher impact on your photography.