[Jeff]

Hi folks,

I would like to buy another body for my 15 year old daughter. She's been spending a lot of time in her room over the past year and I'd like to get either a K3 or K5ii/s so we can go out together and spend some time not looking at a computer screen. I've seen a K5ii and a K3 for £239 and £349 respectively. Is the K5II enough or should I pony up and get a K3? I've got all the Limiteds (31,43,77) as well as Sigma 50mm macro which I think she'd like to use, as well as 28-105, 24-70, etc which would be fine on an apsc body. Not sure about whether the Fat Fifty would work on a K5II?

Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Jeff

[FozzFoster]

The kids like the flippy screen.
I'd suggest trying to find a K-70.

[Jeff]

The kids like the flippy screen.
I'd suggest trying to find a K-70.

Thanks for the idea.

I've had a K70 and want to avoid aperture block and so I sold it recently. She is an art student and has used my K-1 quite happily. Thing is, I only have the one body. I sold my K5iis a few months ago - more fool me - and she also used that happily without a flippy screen. My real conundrum is how much better the K3 will be for her, or will a K5ii be good enough? She doesn't need massive high ISO performance. She's very deliberate with her composition and doesn't crop all that much.

[JohnMc]

Get the camera for you - what you can use, what you can teach her with and hope she wants to learn to use it too. You can't really know what's enough, or too much for her w/o her involvement.

[HarisF1]

I recently bought a Pentax KP that arrived with a faulty AF module. I'm not sure what the fault is but it means viewfinder AF will not work. Live View AF works perfectly as does the viewfinder and sensor (it's essentially mint otherwise).

I will be sending it back but if you're interested, I can let you know when it is relisted. You'll be looking at sub-£300 for the body.

[Jeff]

I recently bought a Pentax KP that arrived with a faulty AF module. I'm not sure what the fault is but it means viewfinder AF will not work. Live View AF works perfectly as does the viewfinder and sensor (it's essentially mint otherwise).

I will be sending it back but if you're interested, I can let you know when it is relisted. You'll be looking at sub-£300 for the body.

Thanks but I am really looking at either a K3 or K5ii. I've not quite got on with the ergonomics of the KP, much as I would have liked, and my daughter was the same. I've had one and sold it and she prefers the deep grips of the aforementioned, even though she's quite petite!

[house]

Try to figure out if she needs the extra resolution. For an art student buffer improved af and the like is probably not very important. I'd probably recommend the K-5ii and put the difference towards a fast 50.

[UncleVanya]

Get the k-3. If she loses interest you can use it for a 24mp apsc body to add detail on long telephoto shots that the k-1 wouldn’t be able to match (pixel density) the k-5ii will essentially mimic the crop mode on the k-1 and offers little that you lack. Or reverse this logic and the k5ii is the most k-1 like option for her. Lol.

[C_Jones]

I have had both the K-5 and the K-5 IIs. Both take excellent images, with the K-5 IIs being slightly more advanced.

[Des]

K-3 has a number of advantages: better exposure metering, no AA filter, more AF points, focus peaking (a big plus IMO), faster frame rate and can control the aperture on KAF4 lenses (e.g. the DFA 50 f1.4 and DA 55-300 PLM). The K-5ii is slightly lighter and slightly smaller. That 16mp sensor is a gem, but the 24mp sensor is great for cropping (e.g. wildlife and macro).

The only other thing I'd add is that if wildlife is in consideration you would want to consider lens coverage longer than 105mm - if the 55-300 PLM is too pricey, at least one of the screw-driven 55-300 models (which are now very cheap). And for landscapes, something wider than 24mm - if she gets a taste for Limiteds, maybe the DA 15? Otherwise a Sigma 10-20 or DA 12-24, or even DA 10-17 FE? For an art student with an eye for composition, a wide angle would be a great learning experience.

[Jeff]

Thanks for all your thoughts. It's seems like there is a leaning towards the K3, and for good reasons. I believe that this is the way I'll go. I suppose it is just that little bit later on in terms of development than the K5ii. Much appreciated everyone!

[mikesbike]

Thanks for all your thoughts. It's seems like there is a leaning towards the K3, and for good reasons. I believe that this is the way I'll go. I suppose it is just that little bit later on in terms of development than the K5ii. Much appreciated everyone!

I think this is the best choice as well. Having both the K-5 and K-5 IIs, upon acquiring the latter I did notice consistent improvement in fine detail in many shots with the K-5 IIs, which I attribute to the lack of AA filter as indicated by the "s" shown in the model name. I do still love this camera, though my main cameras are now the KP and K-1 II. The K-3 likewise omits this filter, but has a switchable mechanism that will do the same job as the filter if needed for the presence of moire. One of the advancements over the K-5 IIs. All models since have this unique system. The K-3's 24mp resolution can bring great results, and with all the other updates mentioned.

[UncleVanya]

I liked my k100d super and my k-50. I loved my k-3. It is a dream camera in many ways.

[ZombieArmy]

Thanks for the idea.

I've had a K70 and want to avoid aperture block and so I sold it recently. She is an art student and has used my K-1 quite happily. Thing is, I only have the one body. I sold my K5iis a few months ago - more fool me - and she also used that happily without a flippy screen. My real conundrum is how much better the K3 will be for her, or will a K5ii be good enough? She doesn't need massive high ISO performance. She's very deliberate with her composition and doesn't crop all that much.

Just get yourself a k3 and let her keep the k1 heh. If you get the K-5 do get the K-5IIs, it's much better in my opinion with the removal of the AA filter.

[tibbitts]

I haven't used a K3 but have used the K5 and K5ii and K70 and think a K5 is "enough", or would be if it worked with KAF4. Honestly coming from the K100 and K200, the K5 was the only big jump I've experienced in practical performance, due mostly to dynamic range. Unlike everybody else on PF I dumped the 10mp sensor instantaneously when I got the K5 and never looked back. The 24mp sensor without the AA filter does have higher resolution, but a good bit of the practical difference for me goes away with sharpening, which (while obviously not actually increasing resolution) makes a much larger improvement for K5 images due to the AA filter. For what I photograph, which is mostly static subjects, I've mostly given up on PDAF and either use CDAF or (now that I have some f2.8 lenses) manual focus.