Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
03-31-2023, 04:31 AM   #1
New Member




Join Date: Mar 2023
Posts: 8
My foolish purchase - Pentax K-3II (shutter count)

Since this is my first post, I'd like to say hello to everyone! I've been passively using this wonderful site for years - it's finally time to join the community.
I'd like to apologize in advance for my English - it's not my native language and I make a lot of mistakes.

I recently bought a used Pentax K-3II and because I own a K20D and K-5 I did it mainly because of the attractive price. The other reason for this purchase was my K-5...
I really like my K-5 and I'm sure it exeeds my photography skills, but unfortunately, sometimes I am disappointed with the results - pictures are often "almost sharp", AF struggles in low light and I like colors from K20D better...
And of course I wanted to check out the newer body

Given the price, I was expecting high shutter count, but I wasn't expecting THIS:

It's more than 187K!
When I saw that number, I broke down a bit...

So basically this K-3II is a ticking time bomb with a high probability of becoming an expensive paperweight soon.
But apart from that, the body doesn't look worn out at all, actually it's in pretty good condition and seems to work flawlessly - the only inconvenience I noticed is the lack of a perceptible click of the shutter button.


I would like to know Your opinions on high shutter count. I remember reading on pentaxforums about K50 with 300 000 shutter count which worked flawlessly - are there any other record holders here?
Kind regards!

Attached Images
 
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-5  Photo 
View Picture EXIF
PENTAX K-5  Photo 
03-31-2023, 04:53 AM - 3 Likes   #2
Pentaxian
VictorDA's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Lyon area, France
Posts: 712
Hi and welcome, I find your English perfectly fine (but I am French )
For sure this is a high shutter count, even incredible in such a good-looking condition body.
But remember that 200k is an indication of the minimum shutter life. The camera will not stop working at 200k!
Hopefully, you still have a few beautiful years ahead with it.
If you can't return it, use it (I know I liked mine very much) and enjoy each shooting day as if it was the last
03-31-2023, 05:06 AM - 3 Likes   #3
Pentaxian
bdery's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Quebec city, Canada
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 9,342
QuoteOriginally posted by merceflower Quote
So basically this K-3II is a ticking time bomb with a high probability of becoming an expensive paperweight soon.
I think you're worrying way too much. I do lenses reviews here and elsewhere, my cameras probably have crazy shutter counts. My K-3 from 9 years ago has been used through and through and is still working perfectly fine.

Your camera seems to be well maintained, taken care of, it should be fine. And for the record, a camera with a much lower shutter count COULD fail. I'd be much more worried if it was beaten up.
03-31-2023, 05:06 AM - 1 Like   #4
Pentaxian
AfterPentax Mark II's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 1,450
QuoteOriginally posted by merceflower Quote
I really like my K-5 and I'm sure it exeeds my photography skills, but unfortunately, sometimes I am disappointed with the results - pictures are often "almost sharp", AF struggles in low light and I like colors from K20D better...
It need not to be your K-5, but could also be the lens. I find that any DSLR with Pentax on it needs good light for AF and results. The shutter count is indeed high and above 1500 shutter count is for me a no go. So I have, besides the K-3 Mark II I own no second hand camera's. I bought my K-3 Mark II with a shutter count of "7". It turned out to be an Pentax UK showroom item. If you do not feel at ease with that shutter count return it if possible. And try to find out if the K-5 is the real culprit of the not so lovely results. What lens did you use on the K-5? And by the way, welcome!

PS.: from the pictures I see that it looks very well and it is a sturdy camera. And you can check the shuttercount as well on this forum here: https://www.pentaxforums.com/pages/check-shutter-count-exif.html


Last edited by AfterPentax Mark II; 03-31-2023 at 06:39 AM.
03-31-2023, 05:23 AM - 3 Likes   #5
Pentaxian
builttospill's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Utah, Idaho
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 2,392
If you were able to purchase the camera for a good price, go out and use it and don't worry. It's a very beautiful camera. You're in a better position than many because you have two backup bodies should your new one fail. I hope it's a great camera for you which lasts a long time.
03-31-2023, 05:45 AM - 2 Likes   #6
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
tonyzoc's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 971
I wouldn't worry about a high shutter count. I picked up a Nikon D700 cheap and it turned out to have a count of over 400k... Then I read online about other D700 users with a million + count. Consider your Pentax well exercised.

03-31-2023, 05:54 AM - 1 Like   #7
Pentaxian
TaoMaas's Avatar

Join Date: May 2007
Location: Oklahoma City
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 3,574
I don't think that shutter count should automatically be a problem. Like someone pointed out, the ratings on shutters are the minimum life you should expect. Something to take into account is your shooting style. Some of my friends tend to shoot handheld and take bursts of pictures, looking for a few sharp pics. I'm more the opposite. I'll study a scene for a while, decide on a shot and take it, maybe take a second shot with a slight variation, then look for another shot. I'll also often shoot off a tripod, which tends to slow me down so naturally the shutter count on my cameras isn't anywhere near as high as my friends'. If I were you, I'd just enjoy my camera. I'd be surprised if it doesn't give you multiple years of pleasure.

03-31-2023, 07:44 AM   #8
New Member




Join Date: Mar 2023
Posts: 8
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by AfterPentax Mark II Quote
It need not to be your K-5, but could also be the lens. I find that any DSLR with Pentax on it needs good light for AF and results. The shutter count is indeed high and above 1500 shutter count is for me a no go. So I have, besides the K-3 Mark II I own no second hand camera's. I bought my K-3 Mark II with a shutter count of "7". It turned out to be an Pentax UK showroom item. If you do not feel at ease with that shutter count return it if possible. And try to find out if the K-5 is the real culprit of the not so lovely results. What lens did you use on the K-5? And by the way, welcome!
I'm afraid that the real culprit of the not so lovely results is me 😅 But maybe you're right about the lenses. I did use so far the following lenses:

Pentax DA 50 mm f/1.8

Pentax-F 50mm F1.7

Tamron 17-50 mm f/2.8 SP XR Di-II LD

Pentax-F 35-70mm F3.5-4.5

Pentax D-FA 100 mm f/2.8 Macro WR

Pentax DA L 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED WR

Pentax DA* 50-135 mm F2.8 ED [IF] SDM



Don't get me wrong, the results from K-5 are far from terribly bad, but often there is a situation when only one of several photos is sharp - I made it a habit to check the photo after each shot for sharpness...
03-31-2023, 08:22 AM - 1 Like   #9
Seeker of Knowledge
Loyal Site Supporter
aslyfox's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 24,559
QuoteOriginally posted by merceflower Quote
I'm afraid that the real culprit of the not so lovely results is me 😅 . . .

Don't get me wrong, the results from K-5 are far from terribly bad, but often there is a situation when only one of several photos is sharp - I made it a habit to check the photo after each shot for sharpness...
if you haven't done this yet I highly recommend doing it

get the ebooks for your camera bodies:


Pentax K-3 / K-3 II eBook
Lifetime download access to Yvon Bourque's comprehensive Pentax K-3 / K-3 II guidebook! (PDF) Download here after purchasing
Amount:

US$15.99


Pentax K-5 / K-5 II eBook
Lifetime download access to Yvon Bourque's comprehensive Pentax K-5 / K-5 II guidebook! (PDF) Download here after purchasing
Amount:

US$15.99


PentaxForums.com PayPal Donations
03-31-2023, 08:37 AM - 1 Like   #10
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
JensE's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Leipzig
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,935
QuoteOriginally posted by merceflower Quote
So basically this K-3II is a ticking time bomb with a high probability of becoming an expensive paperweight soon.
Depending on how much and under which conditions you use it, it's not necessary 'soon'. I use one of my cameras (2) nearly every day and even with a lot of macro sessions that require many shots and likewise some indoor sports, my busier camera (K-1) has accumulated merely 45000 shots in about 7 years or ~6500 annually. It's things like focus stacking on an automatic rail, time laps movies and excessive spray and pray that drive shutter counts up quickly. Unless you're in that camp or your shutter already sounds worn out, I would not worry.
03-31-2023, 10:46 AM - 1 Like   #11
Pentaxian




Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,604
QuoteOriginally posted by merceflower Quote
It's more than 187K!
That is impressive. The body looks great for a such a high shutter count. I had a pair of the original K3 bodies and when I sold them they had around 15k clicks or less on them. I hope you got it real cheap. What matters is that it works. As such, just use it and do not worry about the shutter count.
03-31-2023, 11:00 AM - 1 Like   #12
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Zuiderkempen - Grote Netewoud - Belgium
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,334
Your K5 has 43k shutter count according your posted pics exif , after x years (since 2011?) , so the K3 can still support many years at this rate, I guess...
Two tips:
To get the jpegs the way you like them (K20style?), don’t forget to set the finishing tone to your preferences ( use > backbutton)..
If you store the camera longer time, shut off gps before storing, it seems to deplete battery .....

I jumped from a K10D to the K-3II....still my favourite
03-31-2023, 08:33 PM - 1 Like   #13
Site Supporter
rr1736's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Chicago Illinois
Photos: Albums
Posts: 202
I put over 200,000 on my K3 bought a new K3 III and gave the original K3 to my son he is still using it two years on . You may well get many years out of your new K3 II
03-31-2023, 08:34 PM - 1 Like   #14
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Southeastern Michigan
Posts: 4,501
QuoteOriginally posted by merceflower Quote
I recently bought a used Pentax K-3II and because I own a K20D and K-5 I did it mainly because of the attractive price. The other reason for this purchase was my K-5...
Welcome to the forum!

The K-3 II camera appears to be in remarkabley good condition for its high shutter count. As others have said, there is no way of telling how much more use you will get from it. Much also depends on how much usage with which you tend to engage your cameras over how much time. Since the shutter count was not disclosed at the time of sale, the seller might accept a return if you are not comfortable with the deal. You might very well be able to find another K-3 II with far less usage, and in comparably fine condition, but it will likley cost more.

A K-3 II does not offer a built-in flash, if this is something you often use, but in its place it has a built-in GPS. It definitely offers a more advanced AF system over your K20D or K-5. Its 24mp sensor is also capable of higher resolution imaging, and all Pentax DSLR models as of the K-5 IIs no longer employ the typical AA filter commonly used to smudge out any moire off-color effect that might occur, though this is not a frequent problem. The lack of this AA filter allows for better fine detail in images, yet if a problem of moire should come up, there is an alternative switchable filter system to effectively reduce it, which is a concept unique to Pentax.

I know about the rich colors the K20D can provide. However, one can also make adjustments in the Custom Image menus, or in post processing with the K-3 II to increase color saturation or in other aspects of the color palette. But image colors from the K-3 II might be more accurate as is. In all other respects the K-3 II is the more capable camera.

Last edited by mikesbike; 03-31-2023 at 08:53 PM.
04-01-2023, 03:45 AM - 1 Like   #15
Pentaxian
Jonathan Mac's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Madrid, Spain
Posts: 10,813
Welcome to the forum. Your English seems fine.

Shutter life is a guide but it won't drop dead at 200,000 shots... or 205,00...

As others have said, use the camera and enjoy it. If you're going on holiday and are afraid to rely on it to keep going then sell it and get a new one with less use, but of course nothing is a guarantee of continued smooth performance.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
body, camera, cameras, color, colors, cost, count, dslr, eur, hope, ii, k-3, k-3 ii, k-3ii, k20d, k3, light, pentax, pentax k-3ii shutter, photography, price, prices, purchase, purchase pentax k-3ii, shutter, time
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Understanding how foolish it is to make sweeping claims about autofocus beholder3 Pentax DSLR Discussion 14 03-25-2019 03:39 PM
Is the K1 a foolish choice if you don't have any modern glass ? rjm007 Pentax K-1 & K-1 II 77 08-24-2018 11:30 AM
Nature Brave or Foolish jkwhawk Post Your Photos! 3 07-27-2011 02:13 AM
Foolish 645 question jbrowning Pentax Medium Format 2 02-04-2009 02:27 PM
Feeling foolish and gulity.... madisonphotogrl Photographic Technique 25 10-08-2008 09:16 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:02 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top