[Jonathan Mac]

I suspect APS-C would be better for your needs as the K3 III is significantly newer than the K1 II and that will narrower the IQ difference. However, I'd wait for the shutter shock issue to be resolved before buying.

[LostViking]

I suspect APS-C would be better for your needs as the K3 III is significantly newer than the K1 II and that will narrower the IQ difference. However, I'd wait for the shutter shock issue to be resolved before buying.

I didn't even know there was a butter scotch issue?

[mikesbike]

I am shocked there might be a shutter shock issue. This new camera has a very rugged build quality. Historically, when there have been problems of lack of sharpness due to vibrations, the cause has been from the mirror, which has much more impact than a much more delicate shutter could have. Whatever problem exists, the new K-3 III does have a new shutter firing mechanism to handle the greater fps burst shooting.

In that case, if you can find a left over new KP floating around, it might be a good option if faster burst shooting with better tracking is not a concern.

[LostViking]

I downloaded the Pentax Lens Brochure, I think there are three or four in the DA or DA* Series that could keep me happy.
https://us.ricoh-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/pentax_acc.pdf

[i_trax]

I suspect APS-C would be better for your needs as the K3 III is significantly newer than the K1 II and that will narrower the IQ difference. However, I'd wait for the shutter shock issue to be resolved before buying.

there are comments that this problem was related to "Auto Enable SR in timer modes" and it was fixed with V1.02 firmware.

[c.a.m]

However, I'd wait for the shutter shock issue to be resolved before buying.

I am shocked there might be a shutter shock issue.

In fairness to the original poster @LostViking, it should be mentioned that there have been several reports of image blur with the K-3 Mark III that have not been totally accounted for. In their introduction to their studio test scene for the K-3 Mark III, DPReview noted soft images at shutter speeds of 1/30 s and 1/60 s, and concluded it was due to shutter shock (but also indicated that "the K-3 III is capable of outstanding sharpness at these problematic shutter speeds. Rest assured, this is something we'll be looking at further as we delve further into our analysis for our review.")

I believe that one person at the DPReview Pentax forum claimed he observed soft images that apparently were fixed by firmware 1.02, and another person posted several images in which they observed blurred images (I failed to see the softness in this second instance). And one of the members here provided a sample of a surprising soft image while taking a picture on a sturdy tripod under controlled conditions.

However, numerous other users have not been able to reproduce the issue. Furthermore, the camera has been out for a couple of months but I don't recall reading of any unsubstantiated softness in field use.

Apart from the above, there is one set of shooting conditions that has been shown definitively to cause blurred images: Horizon Correction set to ON and use of one of the timers (2 or 12 second self timer, or 3 seconds actuated by the IR remote).

- Craig

[i_trax]

also horizon correction has to be off while using timers and remotes and while on a tripod

---------- Post added 06-26-21 at 06:29 ----------

Oh
c.a.m already mentioned this

[LostViking]

In fairness to the original poster @LostViking, it should be mentioned that there have been several reports of image blur with the K-3 Mark III that have not been totally accounted for. In their introduction to their studio test scene for the K-3 Mark III, DPReview noted soft images at shutter speeds of 1/30 s and 1/60 s, and concluded it was due to shutter shock (but also indicated that "the K-3 III is capable of outstanding sharpness at these problematic shutter speeds. Rest assured, this is something we'll be looking at further as we delve further into our analysis for our review.")

I believe that one person at the DPReview Pentax forum claimed he observed soft images that apparently were fixed by firmware 1.02, and another person posted several images in which they observed blurred images (I failed to see the softness in this second instance). And one of the members here provided a sample of a surprising soft image while taking a picture on a sturdy tripod.

However, numerous other users have not been able to reproduce the issue. Furthermore, the camera has been out for a couple of months but I don't recall reading of any unsubstantiated softness in field use.

Apart from the above, there is one set of shooting conditions that have been shown definitively to cause blurred images: Horizon Correction set to ON and use of one of the timers (2 or 12 second self timer; or 3 seconds actuated by the IR remote).

- Craig

Thanks!

I am aware of the shutter shock and soft image issues.
I have been doing a lot of reading and review watching.

I think no matter what brand or model you research, there is always one or two small and possibly annoying issues that crop up.

[aslyfox]

Thanks!

I am aware of the shutter shock and soft image issues.
I have been doing a lot of reading and review watching.

I think no matter what brand or model you research, there is always one or two small and possibly annoying issues that crop up.

and variation among the individual cameras as well

so I am not so sure there is a wide spread problem there

remember the saying:

Why do they say that you should never buy a car [ or camera ? ] made on a Monday or Friday?

Why do they say that you should never buy a car made on a Monday or Friday? - Quora

[gatorguy]

To further confuse you I have a paid talent shoot to do tomorrow. So what am I taking? BOTH a K-1 and K3III. How's that for indecision.

[Des]

I think you need to look at the kit as a whole. Here's an example.

K-1ii with WR/AW:
f2.8 trinity (15-30, 24-70 and 70-200). Superb optical quality, but very heavy and expensive.
Primes to taste: DFA*50 f1.4, DFA*85 f1.4, DFA 100 f2.8 macro WR. DA*200 f2.8 is FF compatible. (Lots of non-WR options.)
Add either DA*300 f4 and DA 1.4 TC or DFA 150-450 for wildlife, but would have less effective reach than on APS-C.
Lighter weight kit: DFA 28-105 and DFA 70-210 f4. Maybe a DFA 70-300 coming.

K-3iii with WR/AW:
f2.8 star kit: DA 11-18 (includes front element heater capacity), 16-50 mark ii, 50-135. Much lighter and more affordable, very good IQ.
Primes to taste: DA*55 f1.4, DA*200 f2.8 + DFA options. DFA 100 macro would have more effective reach on APS-C. (Lots of non-WR options.)
Add either DA*300 f4 and DA 1.4 TC or DFA 150-450 for wildlife. More effective reach, faster frame rate and better AF.
Lighter weight kit: DA 16-85 (or DA 15 Ltd - not WR but easily pocketable + DA 20-40 Ltd) and DA 55-300 f4.5-6.3 PLM. These are all excellent lenses and very portable.

The way I see it, there wouldn't be much you could do with the first kit that you couldn't do with the second (wide aperture, small DOF, lower ISO would be the main thing - but how often do you do that?), but there would be more things you could do with the second that you couldn't do with the first (e.g. wildlife with less cropping and more pixels), with lower weight and cost and more lens options. Unless you are shooting for wall size prints or magazines, the advantages of APS-C are obvious.

If you need to be convinced about the images that can be obtained with an APS-C kit, look at some of the camera-specific image threads (not only K-3iii but also K-3 and KP).

That is not to say that there no relevant differences. FF has a number of advantages. It's just a question whether, for you, they matter more than the disadvantages.

[gatorguy]

I suspect APS-C would be better for your needs as the K3 III is significantly newer than the K1 II and that will narrower the IQ difference. However, I'd wait for the shutter shock issue to be resolved before buying.

I've yet to see a "shutter shock" issue. I'm leaning towards a issue with certain specific cameras, and IMO a very small number of them. I do a LOT of portraiture and gig shoots and if it were something consistent across the model line it would almost certainly have presented itself by now.

I've had far more issue with lenses needing fine focus adjustment for the K3III when it was never needed on my other camera bodies. I had a significant number of shots at a recent session oh-so-slightly out of focus and largely unacceptable since I erred in not thoroughly testing a new lens before putting it to work for a live shoot.

I've learned my lesson. I just fine-tuned every lens I'm taking with me tomorrow, even those I've used successfully before "just in case".

[LostViking]

That's an important specification. Several brands/models also specify the same temperature range of 0 to +40 C: e.g., Nikon Z6, Z7; Canon R6, R5; Sony A1, A9 II. The Fujifilm X-T4 is rated minus 10 to +40 C.

I've used my Pentax cameras (K5 II, K-3 II) in minus 20 C (-4 F) with no issues whatsoever


- Craig

Ironically,
I just went to the Ricoh Pentax site and looked up the same thing for the K3 lll. Pretty much the same.
Temperature -10°C～40°C (14°F～104°F)
Humidity 85% or less (no condensation)

[MaineNative]

I have both the K-1 and K-3 iii. I live in Massachusetts and my mother lives in Maine, so I often have the camera out in the cold. I never think twice about taking any Pentax camera out in the cold or worrying whether it will work in the cold. (I do let it slowly warm up in my bag when I come back indoors.). The lithium battery does a decent job in the cold.

The image quality of the FF K-1 is incredible, but I got the K-3 iii because I wanted a slightly lighter, smaller option when I travel or hike. I have done test shots in low light with both cameras and I think the results are similar.

As everyone has said, the auto focus on the K-3 iii is great. The joystick for moving the focus point and scrolling is great. The K-3 iii is also fast—I used to prefocus in manual to eliminate shutter delay; the K-3 has almost no shutter delay in full auto!

I shot film and had the Pentax istDL and Pentax K-5 and I have many great photos from those cameras with a fraction of the pixels in the K-3iii.

One benefit of the K-1 is built-in GPS, if Astrotracer is important. However, the K-3 iii is so good in low light that you can increase ISO and get decent star shots without Astrotracer.

My favorite lenses on the K-3 iii are the DA 21 and DA 18-135. The 55-300 would be nice for wildlife because it is fairly light. (I have the older DAL screw drive… it was cheap. Get the PLM version.)

My vote would be to start with the K-3 iii. One thing I did was buy FA lenses like the FA 35 instead of the DA 50 so I could get the full frame later. (On my crop camera, the DA 35 is a normal 50 mm and on my K-1it is a semi wide angle. A FA 50 is normal on the K-1 and a good portrait length on the crop sensor.)

Good luck. Hope this helps.

[DWS1]

Probably whichever way you go here, you will probably end up owning both cameras in the long run.