[Mørkus]

Hello all, [Skip to 4th paragraph for advice-giving]

Quite excited to be joining this community at this time, feels just right. I have been living in Norway as an expat for close to 2 years now and digging deeper into photography is just the

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hobby I need in my life going forward. Jokes aside it lands a special target in my priorities because it feels like I owe it to my father. He was always a very good aficionado and never got to convince me to pick up his mantle. Until now that is. Needless to say, the choice of Pentax comes from him. He always championed Pentax as the forgotten, kickass maverick vs. Canons, Nikons, etc.. Love the idea + I get to use his old equipment + sentimentalism is priceless.

Have been using his old K20D + 2 (Slow) kit lenses & x2 Tamron Teleconverter (DAL 18-55 F3.5; DAL 50-200 F4) for the last year and a half, to wrap my mind about everything technical there is to photography. Don't get me wrong, there still a lifetime to go, but you have to find a platform to learn the basics. I know the camera is obsolete by today's standards and I have read reviews tearing it apart in this forum. Strangely enough there is also praise going around, and I have to say I agree to both. While very limited, the camera performed surprisingly well in a VERY narrow window of situations, which forced me to truly engage with all variables to get any good shots (or so it felt). Good learning imho.

Very recently I snatched a couple of good vintage primes (the non-radioactive ones) and I am looking forward to shooting with them soon: Pentax SMC-M 50mm f1.7 & Pentax SMC-M 28mm f2.8. Of course it is finally time to get a new camera!

My budget doesn't allow for a full frame atm, but I am (quite literally) on the eve of purchasing a new APS-C. Here is where the penny for your thoughts part comes in:

K70 or K3 II? --> I have read / watched loads of reviews and closely considered the specs for what i want to do, but I am curious as to what you have to say. I am sure your opinions can be very helpful. I am planning on shooting mostly: Portraits (I enjoy making friends look beautiful), Landscape & Street photography in low-light conditions (weather is terrible AND beautiful in Northern Norway), and Northern Lights. If I am very lucky, the occasional reindeer, eagle or even moose might step into the picture, but they are not exactly speedsters when they do, so in principle I am ready to forsake autofocus and burst speed (+ The vintage lenses are fully manual anyway).

I am looking forward to sharing pictures of this very beautiful place I live in with all of you. It stole my heart from the start and I can't wait to try and do it some justice!

Thank you and happy shooting!

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Last edited by BigMackCam; 03-21-2018 at 02:43 AM.

[robgski]

Welcome! In expast year I have met over 20 Norwegians I guess I really need to visit there sometime.

I think you should get a K-3ii, it is a bit more rugged for outdoor use, and it gives fantastic results in every situation.

[Cerebum]

Hi Mørkus, welcome
Don't worry about the quality of your 20D, I was using an old Sony bridge to get my head round modes and suchlike. There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle it will make a good spare body

I have a K30 and a K3. As for your dilemma, either would do. The K70 is lighter and has an articulating screen for those shots from bizarre angles, whereas the K3ii is closer to being a pro camera, with its fast autofocus and top lcd. I love the feel of my K3, it is such a wonderful piece of kit. Do you use a built in flash? Because the K3ii doesn't have one. Other than that, they are both fantastic. Price, assuming the K3ii is used, they should be similar so it comes down to pros and cons. See what features each body has or doesn't have, list them under "want" and "don't want" and see where you end up. Also, as each camera is brilliant, if there is a big price difference you could get a k70 + shiny new lens. Either way you will be a happy bunny. Happy hunting

[Unregistered User 8]

Hi from Australia, and welcome to the Pentax forums. Good to have you here.

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Last edited by Unregistered User 8; 03-19-2018 at 02:36 AM. Reason: typo

[savoche]

Hei og velkommen!

Thanks for the intro I think learning on an older camera model is a great way to do it. It's a bit like learning to drive in a car with a weak engine; you learn to plan ahead to work around the limitations. And all camera gear has limitations, although some less than others. Photography is problem solving.

That said, both the K3ii and the K70 would be less restrictive in many ways than the K20D. I have never used the K70, but have a K-3 and a K-1.

I think the pros of the K70 are
- flip-out screen (very handy for e.g macro shots and tripod work)
- smaller size
- maybe a bit less high-ISO noise?
- built-in flash

And the K-3ii
- built-in GPS and Astro tracer
- better battery life
- optional battery grip
- two SD card slots
- top side LCD screen
- more frames per second

Now you have to decide which options you'd rather have Both will do a great job. It's mostly a matter of taste IMO.

[Kerrowdown]

Welcome to the forum, I managed to get some great shots with K20D's and was still using them right up until the K1 was launched.

[Mørkus]

Thank you all for a warm welcome and sharing your thoughts, makes me glad I decided to shed the lurker cocoon

I would like your expertise on low-light performance

When considering the ISO specs offered by both cameras, I wonder: What should I realistically expect from such high ISO numbers?
After shooting with the K20D, which makes pictures scream +800 ISO and goes up to only 7200, I wonder if I will ever go up to ISO 51000ish for a good photo. Let alone +100.000! I imagine higher max. ISO may also mean better shots at the same value for two cameras, but still:

Is the jump in ISO capabilities (51.000 to 100.000) from the K3 II to the K70 something I am going to notice / put to good use? Is it very relevant when it comes to non-professional shooting?

Thanks,

[savoche]

Is the jump in ISO capabilities (51.000 to 100.000) from the K3 II to the K70 something I am going to notice / put to good use? Is it very relevant when it comes to non-professional shooting?

Short version: No and no. Of course, we all have different limits for what we see as acceptable noise - some claim the K-3 is "unusable" above ISO800. I am happy with what I get at ISO12,800 (with some careful noise reduction of the raw photos) when the alternative is to get no photo at all. Going beyond that things start to look really ugly even for web-sized images. (The KP and K-1 will let you push the limits a stop or two further, but that's another story.)

Raising the ISO to these values have three detrimental effects:
- more noise (actually caused by the lack of light, not the high ISO in itself)
- drastically reduced dynamic range (which might well be a bigger problem than the noise)
- the colour reproduction gets incorrect (also potentially a worse problem than the noise)

One common trick to make these issues less obvious is to convert high-ISO images to black and white.

The other side of the story is: Sometimes your choice is between a bad/noisy/clipped image or no image at all. My choice is to have an image. If I have to go to ISO 100,000 then so be it. It will still give me a memory from that vacation

[bdery]

I'd say if you want to grow get the K-3, if the tilt screen and smaller form factor is important get the K70. Otherwise you'll be happy with either. If you can, try to hold them in your hand, the decision will probably be easy then.

[aslyfox]

welcome to the forum

now you may want to get some paper and a pencil to do a little math work:

I have no idea what the cost of shipping and other expenses there might be should you order a camera from the US but I do now that B H is continuing to offer a deal that I jumped on back in November:

$836.00 (U S )

Pentax K-3 II DSLR Camera with Battery Grip Kit B&H Photo Video

they are selling the battery grip for the K 3 II for $7 ( US ) over the cost of the K 3 II alone

but other factors might make that option unattractive

___________________

you should also be aware of this deal:

FREE Marketplace Access if you shop at B&H, Adorama, or Topaz Labs - PentaxForums.com

if you were to buy from one of the sponsors of the forum

________________________________________________

finally if you are interested in " experienced " equipment, you can search for equipment in the Forum's market place and set parameters to limit the search to certain countries/regions

The Pentax Marketplace | Buy & Sell Pentax Cameras and Lenses - PentaxForums.com

[DrawsACircle]

Check this Mørkus: Image comparison: Digital Photography Review
I guess that answers your ISO noise question.

[Ex Finn.]

Welcome to the forums.
You did mention Aurora.
A K3 II with the external grip, fitted with the original D-Li90 battery would be my choice for cold weather shooting.

[Mørkus]

Thank you for the good points you have all made - these knowledgable explanations do help a lot .

Unfortunately buying from the US is not an option with 25% VAT on imports (over total price including shipping costs!*) - Still love the Scandinavian social welfare utopia though - Good to know about the marketplace anyway.

I'm considering a "new" k3 II body with (slightly) reduced price which might have been a display model (in a photography store) or an externally damaged box. Comes with a full warranty like a brand new model and there is return policy. Thoughts on that? Is it a terrible idea?

*Maybe I'm just whiny but I find it funny that shipping costs sound like they should be taxed as "human service providers" (or however you call it) which is a lower VAT, but they are thrown together with the item price under the 25% jab

P.S. The image comparison link was brilliant by the way, thanks!

[savoche]

I'm considering a "new" k3 II body with (slightly) reduced price which might have been a display model (in a photography store) or an externally damaged box. Comes with a full warranty like a brand new model and there is return policy. Thoughts on that? Is it a terrible idea?

Definitely not a terrible idea. Personally I would look for a second-hand body in the local markets, but a two year warranty does give a peace of mind

Maybe I'm just whiny but I find it funny that shipping costs sound like they should be taxed as "human service providers" (or however you call it) which is a lower VAT, but they are thrown together with the item price under the 25% jab

I know... Add to that that the shipping charge from the US is ridiculous. I never buy from the US anymore. And then there's the handling fee, ranging from sort of reasonable for a decent service with the postal service to silly for a rotten service with the parcel "services". There, I feel better now

[aslyfox]

Thank you for the good points you have all made - these knowledgable explanations do help a lot .

Unfortunately buying from the US is not an option with 25% VAT on imports (over total price including shipping costs!*) - Still love the Scandinavian social welfare utopia though - Good to know about the marketplace anyway.

I'm considering a "new" k3 II body with (slightly) reduced price which might have been a display model (in a photography store) or an externally damaged box. Comes with a full warranty like a brand new model and there is return policy. Thoughts on that? Is it a terrible idea?

*Maybe I'm just whiny but I find it funny that shipping costs sound like they should be taxed as "human service providers" (or however you call it) which is a lower VAT, but they are thrown together with the item price under the 25% jab

P.S. The image comparison link was brilliant by the way, thanks!

I am strictly functional in out look

1 if the camera works great

2 cosmetic damage - gives me a chance to argue for a better price

3 box damaged - don't tell the seller but I don't care, see # 2

4 return/warranty - great, i will take as much as I can

the K 3 II is very good but lacks an on board flash

in case you haven't seen this


https://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/pentax-k-3-ii-review/introduction.html?src=lrdb

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-cameras-compared/?c1=Pentax+K-70&...&c3=Pentax+K-3

good luck