K30 vs K3 II

richardstringer · 01-19-2016, 07:15 AM

I have a Pentax K30 and love it so much but i'm wanting to upgrade now and was looking at the K3 II but i've read bad reviews about the amount of image noise it suffers from, what are you guys ideas on the K3 II compared to the K30?

Adam · 01-19-2016, 07:46 AM

That's mostly people being picky. You're still going to get much better image quality overall with the K-3, especially at lower ISOs. The higher resolution, lack of an AA filter, and improved metering system all contribute. At high ISOs it's a close call, but the K-3 still pulls ahead IMO.

We go over all of this in depth in the K-3 review:

Pentax K-3 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews

Also, note that the K-3 II has no onboard flash, unlike the K-3, since it's replaced by the GPS unit. The two cameras are otherwise virtually identical for everyday use, though the K-3 II also has the pixel shifting feature that you can play around with in certain scenarios.

**jrpower10** · 01-19-2016, 07:49 AM

I don't have the K-3II, but I have the K-3, which has the same sensor. Compared to the K-5IIs the K-3 has a little more noise at high iso, but it's offset by higher sensor resolution. IMHO I'd call it a wash at high iso, and the K-3 is better at low iso.

**savoche** · 01-19-2016, 08:17 AM

I'd say the K-3 might have some more noise when viewed at 100%, but if you down-sample the images to the same size it's less noisy than the K-30 - based on my K-3 vs K-5. Also, the K-3's noise is a bit more colour noise where the K-5 is mostly luminance noise (at least until you get to around ISO6400).

At low ISO I would pick the K-3 every time.

**UncleVanya** · 01-19-2016, 09:11 AM

I went from K50 to K3 - the K50 and K30 share a sensor and the K3ii and the K3 share a sensor.

I have not noticed noise issues. The increased resolution allows for down sampling if needed but generally it isn't needed.

Oldbayrunner · 01-19-2016, 09:26 AM

When I was looking to upgrade from a k50 the K5 lls was available and the K3 had recently came out. I read the same things and opted to go with the K5 lls because I was under the impression cramming more pixels into the same size sensor would create more noise and I was vocal about it. Since then the lure of the k3 finally got me with the k3 ll. My k5 lls is a great camera IMO but the k3 is different, as mentioned the noise is different and hard pressed to be noticeable unless one is pixle peeping. To me the image quality of the K3 more than makes up for any slight noise difference. I still use both cameras but I am really impressed with the k3 ll. Plus I love the change in button layout, especially the AF one.

Zafar Iqbal · 01-19-2016, 10:17 AM

I bought K-30 when it came out and have been shooting with it till last summer. I then bought the K-3 II when it came out. I've used both mainly for weddings (many different lighting conditions, but mostly low-light).

My 2 cents:
With the K-3 II, I use less sharpening and noise-reduction during post-processing.

With K-30 and in Lightroom, NR setting between 25-50 was normal - mostly 25 but it didn't take much to have to apply more aggressive noise reduction.

With K-3 II and in Lightroom, NR setting between 0-20 is normal - mostly 0.

I do not evaluate quality in 1:1, but at downscaled sizes such as 2560*XXXX and review on my 30inch monitor. If it looks fine here, and most of the times it does, then I'm happy. To me, K-3 II isn't just better. It's much better.

Besides that, the 14bit RAW files from K-3 II will give you greater latitude when processing. K-30 has 12bit RAW's and was quick to produce false colors/color noise/not sure what to call it. This annoyed me more than the noise.

richardstringer · 01-19-2016, 01:00 PM

Thanks guys for the replies I definately wanna upgrade, I love my K30 but want the best image quality Pentax has to offer so thought the K3 II would be the best option as it as far as I know the best image quality camera Pentax make.

bertwert · 01-19-2016, 01:04 PM

Originally posted by richardstringer

Thanks guys for the replies I definately wanna upgrade, I love my K30 but want the best image quality Pentax has to offer so thought the K3 II would be the best option as it as far as I know the best image quality camera Pentax make.

The best IQ Pentax has to offer would probably be the 645Z followed by the 645D

But aside from medium format, the K-3 or K-3ii is your best choice.

Have fun shooting!

wissink · 01-19-2016, 02:53 PM

Would a k30 make a good second body for the k3 or would it be better to wait a long while and use the k3 as a partner to a k1? FYI, I don't have any FF lenses. Just good APSC.

**TER-OR** · 01-19-2016, 03:03 PM

A K30 with a wide-angle lens and a K3 with a macro or long tele or zoom would be a great pair out in the field. The K3 is still plenty useful.

**UncleVanya** · 01-19-2016, 03:05 PM - **1 Like**

K-30 / K-50 makes an excellent backup body. I recently let mine go in a trade but my dad has a K-3 and I have a K100D and a K100D Super as additional backup bodies. The K-30/K-50 is an awesome camera and despite being not as sophisticated there is little you can do with the K-3 that you can't do with the K-30 or K-50.

richardstringer · 01-20-2016, 11:28 AM

I think for definate i'm gonna get myself a K3 II, i've seen sample photos and the image quality is truly staggering.

**TER-OR** · 01-20-2016, 01:40 PM

I just got a K3II at Christmas. My take on the upgrade from K5 so far: (OK, my K5 is a bit beaten up so I lost that "rugged" look but I have things like an eyecup again, and functioning diopter adjustment)
Focus is faster and more confident. The focus screw is notably faster using the 55-300 and it hunts less. That's really nice.
Sharpness is noticeably better on longer zoom shots. Very nice indeed.

Don't listen to people about the noise, this thing nearly sees in the dark and in-camera JPGs in low light are really usable. I'll probably shoot RAW+ in low light situations, just to have the option. Lack of flash - I did get the new little flash, which is surprisingly powerful indoors. I'll try a diffuser soon.

I can't wait for insect season again, I think the K3II will really deliver.

richardstringer · 01-20-2016, 02:12 PM - **1 Like**

Right i've finally decided that this year for definate i'm going to get the K3 II camera and both the Pentax 35mm f2.8 Macro DA Limited prime lens and the Pentax SMC D FA 100mm Macro F2.8 WR prime lens pictured below.

Pentax 35mm f2.8 Macro DA Limited prime lens

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/hd-pentax-da-35mm-f-2-8-macro-limited-lens-review-23134

Pentax SMC D FA 100mm Macro F2.8 WR

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-d-fa-100mm-f-2-8-macro-wr-lens-review-24103

I'll use the 35mm lens for walking around town and various other stuff and the 100mm lens for close ups of certain things, if the reviews are anything to go by then the K3 II with those two lenses should give me the ability to get awesome image quality.

01-19-2016, 07:15 AM	#1
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145	K30 vs K3 II I have a Pentax K30 and love it so much but i'm wanting to upgrade now and was looking at the K3 II but i've read bad reviews about the amount of image noise it suffers from, what are you guys ideas on the K3 II compared to the K30?

01-19-2016, 07:46 AM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,594	That's mostly people being picky. You're still going to get much better image quality overall with the K-3, especially at lower ISOs. The higher resolution, lack of an AA filter, and improved metering system all contribute. At high ISOs it's a close call, but the K-3 still pulls ahead IMO. We go over all of this in depth in the K-3 review: Pentax K-3 Review - Introduction \| PentaxForums.com Reviews Also, note that the K-3 II has no onboard flash, unlike the K-3, since it's replaced by the GPS unit. The two cameras are otherwise virtually identical for everyday use, though the K-3 II also has the pixel shifting feature that you can play around with in certain scenarios. 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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01-19-2016, 07:49 AM	#3
jrpower10 Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Richland, Washington, USA Posts: 935	I don't have the K-3II, but I have the K-3, which has the same sensor. Compared to the K-5IIs the K-3 has a little more noise at high iso, but it's offset by higher sensor resolution. IMHO I'd call it a wash at high iso, and the K-3 is better at low iso.

01-19-2016, 08:17 AM	#4
savoche Master of the obvious Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Lowlands of Norway Posts: 18,311	I'd say the K-3 might have some more noise when viewed at 100%, but if you down-sample the images to the same size it's less noisy than the K-30 - based on my K-3 vs K-5. Also, the K-3's noise is a bit more colour noise where the K-5 is mostly luminance noise (at least until you get to around ISO6400). At low ISO I would pick the K-3 every time.

01-19-2016, 09:11 AM	#5
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,398	I went from K50 to K3 - the K50 and K30 share a sensor and the K3ii and the K3 share a sensor. I have not noticed noise issues. The increased resolution allows for down sampling if needed but generally it isn't needed.

01-19-2016, 09:26 AM	#6
Oldbayrunner Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 1,665	When I was looking to upgrade from a k50 the K5 lls was available and the K3 had recently came out. I read the same things and opted to go with the K5 lls because I was under the impression cramming more pixels into the same size sensor would create more noise and I was vocal about it. Since then the lure of the k3 finally got me with the k3 ll. My k5 lls is a great camera IMO but the k3 is different, as mentioned the noise is different and hard pressed to be noticeable unless one is pixle peeping. To me the image quality of the K3 more than makes up for any slight noise difference. I still use both cameras but I am really impressed with the k3 ll. Plus I love the change in button layout, especially the AF one.

01-19-2016, 10:17 AM	#7
Zafar Iqbal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	I bought K-30 when it came out and have been shooting with it till last summer. I then bought the K-3 II when it came out. I've used both mainly for weddings (many different lighting conditions, but mostly low-light). My 2 cents: With the K-3 II, I use less sharpening and noise-reduction during post-processing. With K-30 and in Lightroom, NR setting between 25-50 was normal - mostly 25 but it didn't take much to have to apply more aggressive noise reduction. With K-3 II and in Lightroom, NR setting between 0-20 is normal - mostly 0. I do not evaluate quality in 1:1, but at downscaled sizes such as 2560*XXXX and review on my 30inch monitor. If it looks fine here, and most of the times it does, then I'm happy. To me, K-3 II isn't just better. It's much better. Besides that, the 14bit RAW files from K-3 II will give you greater latitude when processing. K-30 has 12bit RAW's and was quick to produce false colors/color noise/not sure what to call it. This annoyed me more than the noise.

01-19-2016, 01:00 PM	#8
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145 Original Poster	Thanks guys for the replies I definately wanna upgrade, I love my K30 but want the best image quality Pentax has to offer so thought the K3 II would be the best option as it as far as I know the best image quality camera Pentax make.

01-19-2016, 01:04 PM	#9
bertwert Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Golden, BC Posts: 15,173	Originally posted by richardstringer Thanks guys for the replies I definately wanna upgrade, I love my K30 but want the best image quality Pentax has to offer so thought the K3 II would be the best option as it as far as I know the best image quality camera Pentax make. The best IQ Pentax has to offer would probably be the 645Z followed by the 645D But aside from medium format, the K-3 or K-3ii is your best choice. Have fun shooting!

01-19-2016, 02:53 PM	#10
wissink Veteran Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: S-ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 609	Would a k30 make a good second body for the k3 or would it be better to wait a long while and use the k3 as a partner to a k1? FYI, I don't have any FF lenses. Just good APSC.

01-19-2016, 03:03 PM	#11
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	A K30 with a wide-angle lens and a K3 with a macro or long tele or zoom would be a great pair out in the field. The K3 is still plenty useful.

01-19-2016, 03:05 PM - 1 Like	#12
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,398	K-30 / K-50 makes an excellent backup body. I recently let mine go in a trade but my dad has a K-3 and I have a K100D and a K100D Super as additional backup bodies. The K-30/K-50 is an awesome camera and despite being not as sophisticated there is little you can do with the K-3 that you can't do with the K-30 or K-50.

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01-20-2016, 11:28 AM	#13
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145 Original Poster	I think for definate i'm gonna get myself a K3 II, i've seen sample photos and the image quality is truly staggering.

01-20-2016, 01:40 PM	#14
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	I just got a K3II at Christmas. My take on the upgrade from K5 so far: (OK, my K5 is a bit beaten up so I lost that "rugged" look but I have things like an eyecup again, and functioning diopter adjustment) Focus is faster and more confident. The focus screw is notably faster using the 55-300 and it hunts less. That's really nice. Sharpness is noticeably better on longer zoom shots. Very nice indeed. Don't listen to people about the noise, this thing nearly sees in the dark and in-camera JPGs in low light are really usable. I'll probably shoot RAW+ in low light situations, just to have the option. Lack of flash - I did get the new little flash, which is surprisingly powerful indoors. I'll try a diffuser soon. I can't wait for insect season again, I think the K3II will really deliver.

01-20-2016, 02:12 PM - 1 Like	#15
richardstringer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Boston, Lincolnshire Posts: 145 Original Poster	Right i've finally decided that this year for definate i'm going to get the K3 II camera and both the Pentax 35mm f2.8 Macro DA Limited prime lens and the Pentax SMC D FA 100mm Macro F2.8 WR prime lens pictured below. Pentax 35mm f2.8 Macro DA Limited prime lens https://www.ephotozine.com/article/hd-pentax-da-35mm-f-2-8-macro-limited-lens-review-23134 Pentax SMC D FA 100mm Macro F2.8 WR https://www.ephotozine.com/article/pentax-d-fa-100mm-f-2-8-macro-wr-lens-review-24103 I'll use the 35mm lens for walking around town and various other stuff and the 100mm lens for close ups of certain things, if the reviews are anything to go by then the K3 II with those two lenses should give me the ability to get awesome image quality.