[mikesbike]

The KP beyond question. With perhaps some patience and careful fishing you should be able to land a good one used with low use, or maybe even a left-over new stock for $1,100 or less. Unfortunately, it was discontinued last year, a step many of us see as a mistake. Coming from the K-x, though a nice little camera and capable for what it is, you would fall in love with the KP!

This would be the one for the long haul. It looks like you have your technique down quite solid, perhaps a good benefit from having to work with the limitations of the K-x, and are not inclined towards the "spray and pray" type of shooting to get results. The higher ISO capability of the KP without significant loss of quality effectively makes your lens having less available aperture more like one that does, while saving weight and cost.

If you like shooting JPEG images right out of the camera, the KP's PRIME IV processor (the same one as in the K-1 II) does an outstanding job. Just be sure to implement "Fine Sharpening" in the Custom Image menus.

It is designed for advanced photographers and professionals needing a more compact body for field use, and to complement the K-1 or K-1 II (which I also have) as the APS-C alternative. APS-C is best for your needs anyway. Sometimes I also shoot indoor sports. So the KP is of first-rate construction, and with a new advanced controls system for greater speed of use and convenience. No "SCENE" modes, however, since it is for advanced users. By now I expect you are beyond such a need. I have owned and used a number of Pentax flagship as well as compact models over the years, and have been using the KP as my primary body for several years. I have liked it so much I bought a second body, both brand new, and have passed over the new K-3 III, buying the K-1 II instead to take full advantage of older but very fine FF glass I bought years ago for my film use.

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Last edited by mikesbike; 02-15-2022 at 03:42 PM.

[que es tu]

Wow! The competition must really be cutthroat! Your sample photo was sharp with lots of detail and little noise in my opinion. The K70 has excellent noise control, so you could use a lens with a smaller max aperture and higher ISO. The HD DA 55-300 PLM would be my suggestion.

[termy]

2 kroners worth.

1) OP was using K-X to do the tasks.

2) has a limited budget to work on.

3) likely snapping in iso of 1600, 3200 regularly and no time for tweaking RAW images, need the jpegs quick.

Given these, seriously, the high iso performance of the K-5iis likely trump that of the K-3 / K-3ii anytime.

Above iso800, K-3 likely cannot be matching K-5iis.

For what it is worth, if the OP decides to stay on Pentax for this, i have a nice little surprise for OP

[Sidney Porter]

I missed that there is a k3 with a 16-50 and 50-135 f2.8 available. If the price is right I would not hesitate to get that. It will allow you to increase you iso from what you are use to. I use the k3 as my rain camera
This is at iso 5000 with the kit DAL 50-200wr lens

[ramseybuckeye]

If you go with a different system, I would price the lens you want first, then the camera. And many here are suggesting used lenses and used KP. Obviously a KP would be excellent, but you've said little is available, I'm guessing that would probably go for lenses too. But you do have that K-3 deal which seems pretty good. But does not quite get the length you'll need and want. I would have to join the others that suggested a K-70 and 55-300PLM lens. The PLM lens is a fast focusing lens, although it's not an F4 or F2.8. Depending on how dim the light gets, it could be close. That 20-200 would probably be better. That K-3 actually has a little better AF than the K-70, but the K-70 will outperform in lower light. There could be some mirrorless options out there too, but again, look at the lens prices first. Some of the mirrorless lenses are very pricy.

[RedBoomer]

Hi Daniekr,
I also am not a pro photographer but I use sports photos in my business. I have photographed a fair bit of basketball and have done soccer at night as well and know well the shutter speed vs iso vs lens max aperture battle. I have had the K3 then the K1ii and now K3iii and used the 50-135mm then the DFA * 70-200mm as well as occasionally the DA 300* on the larger pitches (soccer/lacrosse).

Obviously a good F2.8 lens would suit you best but they are $$. I don't know the Tamron lens but if you are happy with its performance on the Kx then I thought you might consider getting a 2nd hand K1ii and keep using your Tamron?? No idea on the $ for this in your part of the world but it might work for you. The K1ii has the best noise/iso flexibility (noticeably better than the k3iii) and very good focus tracking (not as good as the K3iii but much better than my K3). You would be able to use the Tamron at much higher shutter speeds with minimal noise impact - iso 3200 is very acceptable on the K1ii. Downside for you is the much bigger body, the loss of crop factor and max frame rate of 4fps(faster in crop mode) - means you get less choice of the action shot but makes you time your shooting more precisely.

Down the track you might be able to get a DA300 which works very well on the K1 and v.good IQ at F4 and you would get much better IQ than your Tamron at F5.6. You could keep the Kx on your shoulder and use it if the play comes too close for the 300mm (not that that happens that often).

Best wishes with whatever you do.

[Sidney Porter]

Thinking about the budget and the k3 bundle. K3, 24-70 f2.8, 50-135 f2.8 + either a sigma/Tamron 70-200 f2.8 or a f fa* 300 f4.5 would be a pretty nice kit

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Last edited by Sidney Porter; 02-15-2022 at 04:54 PM.

[wadge22]

I actually see here in Norway a used K-3, with Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG and SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM and grip+equipment for just a tad more than the K-70 body new. Don't know if that's a good deal?

Definitely do that if you plan to stick with Pentax.
If what you are getting with your Kx and slower lens is almost cutting it now, this will be a huge improvement. If it's still not good enough, you can resell all or part of that kit, probably for no loss (maybe even a gain; that sounds like a real steal).

I wouldn't fault someone on a budget who is trying to make money from their photography for going with Nikon, however, especially in a country with a very limited used market.

[rvandenbrink]

If you are using a K-X and want a budget friendly upgrade, I’d look at a KP. If you can afford a K3iii though, that seems like the “best” one for sports at the moment - lots more focus points!
If you can stay under ISO 10k with the 55-300PLM with your subjects (which determine the shutter speed in sports) and venues (which determine how much light you have to play with), that’s a solid lens for the job! If not, you might have to pop for a fast prime.
Fair warning though, buying primes turns into either backpacks to carry them in, or hard choices when you need to pick which to take along (often both)

[Joetitch]

I used to work for a guy who was a photographer in England back in the film days. He would rock up with a rangefinder to press-conferences and take a few shots, develop and have photos at the papers before the end of the press-conferences and they would often run with his work as it was already in their hands. I understand your need for quick turnaround and the K70 has built in WiFi so you photos can be on their way while you're still taking more. Also the ABF is less prevelant in heavy usage(anecdotally). You could also opt for an extended warranty to ease any worry. The plm 55-300 will help with speed of AF but I have no idea about light levels.

[Papa_Joe]

Anyway, the K-3 - its from 2013, is it still up to the standards? Pardon my ignorance.
I actually see here in Norway a used K-3, with Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG and SMC Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM and grip+equipment for just a tad more than the K-70 body new. Don't know if that's a good deal?

Oh and unless it starts a trench war, what about the Nikon/Canon counterparts? The biggest "feature" for these cameras here is the vast second-hand market compared to Pentax.
Is that rumored superior AF-performance something I must think about?

The K-3 with the 50-135 is a steal, if everything is in good condition. The 50-135 is an excellent lens, but a bit on the slow side with its AF. AND !! it is prone to failure of its SDM drive. I would worry about that much more, then a failure of the K-70. So you have to make sure the lens works fine with the seller. But you still have the Tamron 70-300 which is not a bad lens. Still all these lenses are not very fast in AF and aperture. As Adam said, the K-70 with the 55-300 PLM would sure speed up AF significantly. But I would not call a 6,3 lens ideal for sport either.


Concerning the K-3 compared to KP and K-70, have a look of the ranikings of mlag which I would support.

All have quite the same image quality with KP the best and K-3 a bit behind. Have a look at the picture posted by Sidney. Your K-x is a good deal behind.
But I would not use my K-70 above 3.200 ISO in low contrast situations.

K-3 and KP have the same AF system, the KP with newer software and thus a bit better in trailing your subject. K-70 has the older AF-system of the K-5 still very accurate on static subjects, but I have no experience on sports photography with it.

I would say, if you want to stay with Pentax, you can not go wrong with either of these cameras.


Nikon and Canon Cameras have a better AF system then all the mentioned above. If you want an on par AF you have to buy a KIII 3.
I think your experience with the K-x and the Nikon 7200 is telling the difference quite good. The later Pentax cameras have better AF then your K-x of course, but still not as good as the Nikon.

I would also suggest you think about buying a monopod like the Manfrotto XPRO Alu 3 Segment with a 234RC monopodhead.


Some more stuff to read.
Pentax 50-135: Pentax-DA* 50-135mm F2.8 Review - Introduction | PentaxForums.com Reviews
Tamron 70-300: Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di macro (Pentax K) - Review / Lab Test Report

Pentax K-70 (with reference to K-3): Pentax K-70 Review - Versus Other Bodies | PentaxForums.com Reviews

[daniekr]

I am reading all your replies, resources and links with the utmost interest even if I don't quote each of you directly. This kind of feedback within 24 hours is one of the reasons I always enjoyed my K-x. Simply enjoyable!!

Let me say that I have gotten quite some new ideas to think about. I think the main point would be that any given body we've discussed would be a leap in performance from my K-x. Your sample pictures with much higher iso than my grainy K-x picture made me optimistic.
Regarding the K-3 bundle I mentioned - the asking price is $900 which I didnt mention - just compared it to the price of a new K-70. I don't know how good a deal it is, or its condition or real use, although I understand that the -135mm f2.8 lens bundled is great.

I forgot to mention/realize that WiFi would probably be a huge asset to me as I wouldnt have to run to a computer and fiddle with memory cards to upload pictures. It would really benefit my workflow when I think about it.

What lingers is of course how the AF is better in competitive systems.

There is something I need to ask however. It is what exactly lies within the term AF tracking and AF performance. So I understand what I am discussing.

Now I shoot with single point focus point and anticipate/track the action manually.
When I think about AF performance I think about the cameras intelligence when it comes to focus correctly on what I point at, fast mechanical action in the lens, and the speed of the continous AF to keep up with my aim.
Of course, if there is some magic out there that 'understands' what I want to focus on even if I sway the single dot focus point away from the intended target, that would be great.
But I do not for example need a system that enables me to keep stationary with the camera and track a focus point across the field of view. If that made sense.

---------- Post added 02-16-22 at 10:06 AM ----------

In other news, one of the members have contacted me offering a KP body with grip in excellent condition and practically unused, shutter count just below 2000.
I was told to ask what a reasonable price would be at the forum. Since the KP is not to be found around here neither new or used I do not really know.
I must say the KP makes an intriguing candidate. Looks so cool too and as I understand is a great camera.

What would be a good price mark for this?
For my part is the sad import tax that adds a +25% premium. This is of course not something that affects the right price for the seller, its just part of my total calculation.

[gatorguy]

[/COLOR]In other news, one of the members have contacted me offering a KP body with grip in excellent condition and practically unused, shutter count just below 2000.
I was told to ask what a reasonable price would be at the forum. Since the KP is not to be found around here neither new or used I do not really know.
I must say the KP makes an intriguing candidate. Looks so cool too and as I understand is a great camera.

What would be a good price mark for this?
For my part is the sad import tax that adds a +25% premium. This is of course not something that affects the right price for the seller, its just part of my total calculation.

$650 US would be a reasonable price IMO. After all it's no longer under warranty and is used. But it's a fine body, well-made, and has few reported failures. It's also approximately the same size* as the K-70 you were already considering. Imaging is identical too with specifications very close between the two. The major difference is the body and a couple of added convenience controls.

The essential thing to note is the grip itself.
Even the "large" grip is noticeably shallower and less feels secure in hand than any other recent Pentax DSLR. Particularly so with longer or heavier lenses in my experience. In general it's not taken that long for most users to adapt grip technique for it but it's something you can't know whether you can abide until you have it in your hand. Otherwise it's a well-regarded camera.

As an aside I think you're wise to stick with what you know. Pentax.
You don't have any issue with focus now from what I'm seeing and hearing and any of the recent Pentax cameras will bring big improvements in that area anyway.

*Technically the K-70 is smaller but it's not an important distinction. The design is.

[daniekr]

The essential thing to note is the grip itself.
Even the "large" grip is noticeably shallower and less feels secure in hand than any other recent Pentax DSLR. Particularly so with longer or heavier lenses in my experience. In general it's not taken that long for most users to adapt grip technique for it but it's something you can't know whether you can abide until you have it in your hand. Otherwise it's a well-regarded camera.

Ergonomics are important. I have small-medium hands however. I think the K-x fits great in my hand and as I can tell its a compact size. How does it compare to the K-x? If the KP is similar then I will have no problem. I liked the grip of K-x more than Nikon D7200 which is a tad larger.

[aslyfox]

Ergonomics are important. I have small-medium hands however. I think the K-x fits great in my hand and as I can tell its a compact size. How does it compare to the K-x? If the KP is similar then I will have no problem. I liked the grip of K-x more than Nikon D7200 which is a tad larger.

perhaps this might help

K-x vs. K 70

Compare camera dimensions side by side

K-x vs. KP

https://camerasize.com/compare/#229,706

K-x vs. K 3

https://camerasize.com/compare/#229,485

K-x vs. K 3 III

https://camerasize.com/compare/#229,873