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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12 Hours Ago
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I often just leave it in AF-C for this reason. It is very accurate. However when the image will have a very shallow depth of field and my subject is stationary, I will use AF-S. It is simply more precise and you are more likely to nail focus that way. AF-S can also be handy for nailing focus when there are lots of distractions for the camera, like wildlife through branches or a small, stationary, bird far away.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-29-2024, 12:59 PM
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Thank you. :)
Here are some with the 50-135 I recently acquired. Second two are of the same plant but with a Raynox 150 attached. I'm really enjoying this lens so far, super sharp and superb rendering. Plus the size and weight seem tiny for what you get, and the internal zoom feels luxurious to me. Side note, this lens while not the fastest focusing can track a dog running straight toward me and keep his face in focus until he gets to within ~8 feet, where any camera would struggle with that. Same with the 60-250. Both are slow SDM motors. Just goes to show the camera matters more than lens speed for tracking.
I think the camera has improved a lot since launch with firmware updates. Makes me sad to see people on Facebook still denigrate it based on its performance from back then. Or perhaps it always was very good (I've only had mine for a year) and they just didn't know how to use the thing, even the so-called professionals. But I digress.
 IMGP9150 by JBP_Mobusaki, on Flickr
 IMGP9216 by JBP_Mobusaki, on Flickr
 IMGP9273 by JBP_Mobusaki, on Flickr
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-27-2024, 06:41 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-09-2024, 02:27 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-30-2024, 09:42 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
04-02-2024, 07:46 AM
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Good points from you and Uncle Vaya. I think it's more about comfort and ease of use. I'm not sure I buy the interaction aspect because you're looking down away from the other person, bad form in a conversation. But everyone is different, maybe not having the face covered is more inviting for people, I don't know. I'm just skeptical lol.
I'm not a mirrorless hater either, and I too own them. I totally get their advantages. I am definitely biased towards DSLRs and OVFs though. I think you're half right about someone who doesn't like EVFs will never like them. I think I could really enjoy using a good one as I am well aware of their advantages. I have the Pentax 50mm classic "rainbow" lens and I feel like that would be much more enjoyable to use through a (good) EVF. Naturally on the K-3iii I'm using it with liveview when trying to get flares. Anyway, I think you're right that someone like me will probably always prefer an OVF.
What got us talking about this anyway? I think it was it a comment about wanting the next iteration of K-3 to have better live view? I'd be all for that. It's actually pretty good right now! The face detect is great and it focuses fast most of the time. Sometimes it will search when I feel like it should have easily found focus but it's much better than previous cameras, and I've found sometimes that's user error anyway (too small focus area or something like that). What I wish live view had was good AF-C/tracking capability. As much as I love using the OVF, for me it's as Uncle Vaya said, it can be much more comfortable to use live view in certain shooting situations. And then I also wish for a tilting screen, but alas...
---------- Post added 04-02-2024 at 10:54 AM ----------
Back on the original topic, I just discovered a new K-3iii feature I really like. It must have been added through firmware and somehow slipped my attention. You can reassign a button to "User AF" which means if I press and hold that button the AF settings change to whatever I have assigned that button to. Very useful feature!
I usually use AF-C + SEL4 even when shooting static subjects, and like to focus recompose while letting the camera track my focus point. Then if I move a bit or the subject does it tends to stay in focus. But sometimes AF-S and a single point is still the ticket, so now I have the new (another firmware addition) extra small single point + AF-S assigned to a button. One press and I can focus with extreme accuracy on an exceedingly small point. Release and I'm back to AF-C and tracking. Awesome!
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
02-18-2024, 06:41 AM
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Forum: Lens Clubs
11-26-2023, 09:23 AM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-04-2024, 02:42 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-04-2024, 11:12 AM
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Well said! There's so much more to this camera than any review has ever even mentioned; it's obvious they never even got to know the camera and its features properly. That means no-one has properly reviewed this camera. Of the ones I've seen, including DPReview, they've all in fact been initial impressions videos/articles, despite the title of "review." I've even seen one or two long-term reviews where they are just using the camera as they would their old K-3... old habits, I guess (but if that's how they enjoy using it, that's fine!). So, again, not a proper review. It is a way different animal than the K-3 I or II.
IMO what makes this camera so great is actually hard to put into words, and is very subjective. But it's more than the sum of its parts and it's just a joy to use. Way more fun factor than I get with mirrorless. I am in no way a mirrorless hater. I have them and use them and enjoy them, I just have way more fun with my K-3iii.
Side note: it helps that Pentax has some really badass lenses if you don't mind screwdriver noises. The DA Limited lineup is just amazing on the K-3iii. Feels like a million bucks and the photos look like it, too.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-11-2024, 02:25 PM
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That's one of my favorite lenses. I had the 40mm XS and loved it. I felt it paired perfectly with my K-5. You know how some lens + camera combinations just seem like a match made in heaven? That was the 40mm XS and my K-5. Later I picked up the SMC 40mm LTD because I wanted a hood and to complete my SMC Limited collection, which I haven't used on my K-5 yet. Both are great but I prefer the Limited for the build quality and quick-shift focus capability, and of course the hood (thought I didn't often feel I needed one with the XS). IQ they seem identical to me.
If I had to choose one prime, though, it would be the 35mm macro. While the 40mm is my favorite to use, the 35mm is more versatile (macro) and sharper too. It's a great "walkabout" lens, better than the 40 except for size.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-18-2024, 01:53 PM
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-04-2024, 10:17 AM
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They have improved the AF a great deal with firmware updates. They added options to control the sensitivity and aggressiveness of the AF tracking. This is nice for fine-tuning to what you're photographing:
- Good all-around performance (Type 1 and Sensitivity 3), which I find nice w/subject recognition on for eye tracking of my kids
- Aggressive tracking performance (Type 1 and Sensitivity 5),
- Absolute maximum z-axis performance (Type 3 and set Sensitivity to 5),
- Eye tracking for a model that is posing but moving slowly (Type 1 and Sensitivity 1)
- and so on.
Now it's still a DSLR, so you need skill and knowledge. But my keeper rate of a dog running toward me is now above 90% whereas with my K-3 it was 40% or less. This has always been the hardest use case for Pentax AF, the area they were behind the most, and now it has been fixed.
Camera will not overheat taking stills. I've never had it overheat taking video either but I don't do much of that.
RAW files are the best I've ever used. High ISO performance is remarkable: both in noise, but also in color accuracy. The latter is something I think few recognize and appreciate. Take an ISO 25.6k photo of a flower with the K-3iii and compare it to the same with a K-3, or even a K-1. You'll see how much better the K-3iii file is. I'm not sure how anyone could knock it.
It's not perfect. The screen doesn't tilt and the RAW buffer is small. The latter is not an issue for me because I don't shoot long bursts even when photographing birds in flight. I dread processing that many photos. But certainly there are cameras with better buffers. And of course the autofocus while absolutely amazing now for a DSLR is not going to be as good (or rather, as "easy") as the newest mirrorless. There is no animal eye autofocus, and even if there were it would not be as good. A mirrorless can focus across the entire frame with a ton of points, whereas the K-3iii is limited to a smaller area with fewer AF points. That's just a DSLR limitation currently. But boy does it ever get the job done, and IMO in a much more satisfying way than with an EVF.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-20-2023, 06:29 PM
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Full frame is great, Medium format is great, APS-C is great, M4/3 is great. All can make images and you won't be able to tell which was which (see link below). Sensor size is only relevant to me if I need to shoot very low light, or if I need to crop a lot, or if if as the OP said I want to save weight. If I had to choose one format it would be APS-C as it's a good do-all format for me.
As for size and weight, m4/3 wins that fight but Pentax DA limited primes are excellent, small, and light, and the K-3iii is very compact with those attached.
This is an interesting comparison of sensor sizes on how an image looks (to say nothing about iso performance or dynamic range):
APS-C vs Medium Format ? Eddy Summers |
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-08-2024, 06:13 AM
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Very nice! I love the K-5 JPEGs also. Just something special about the colors and "pop" to them. As for a WR prime, one to consider is the HD 20-40 f/2.8-4. Not a prime, yes, but it is often treated as one.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
01-04-2024, 09:54 AM
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While sometimes I really appreciate a light camera (typically when I need to shoot one-handed), I really enjoy the heft of the K-3iii. It just feels substantial, quality, feels great in the hand. Size wise it is quite compact, which I like, yet still extremely ergonomic. With a DA Limited lens mounted it is not much bigger than my Lumix GX7, which no-one would ever say is a large camera (it is half the weight though).
As for the OVF, one thing I found I really enjoy is using my DA 40mm Ltd on the K-3iii. The size of the image in the viewfinder matches what my eye sees exactly. In portrait orientation everything lines up perfectly and I see one image with both eyes open. It's like I'm not looking through a camera at all and I am entirely in the moment. It's not quite the same in landscape orientation, but close, probably because my head is tilted. I wear glasses and I think this causes me to tilt my head more.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-14-2023, 11:35 AM
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I made this for you! This is with the HD 20-40 ltd, not the fastest lens out there. And I find that movement up close like this is more difficult for the camera to track than further away subjects. You can see how much better this method is than Auto for eye tracking. Auto simply cannot do that, SEL does it easily. And I agree, better live view autofocus (tracking!) would be amazing and would save my knees and back some pain! lol
Edit: I should have made some shots with her on one side of the frame (rule of thirds stuff). I use the focus recompose with SEL4 to do that a lot, while letting the camera track my subject and keep them in focus even if they move. Maybe I'll make a better video later... but I'm not inclined to, my videos are garbage! haha
Youtu.be
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src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iYmqXDbbRM8?controls=1" allowfullscreen>
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
12-14-2023, 09:58 AM
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Yes! And I prefer it over Auto because I get to pick where the camera is focusing. Maybe I want to focus on something in her hand, or whatever. I can do that instantly without changing modes. Then if I want her eye, just focus on her face and the camera starts looking for her eye. Neat!
---------- Post added 12-14-2023 at 12:01 PM ----------
It is awesome!! Pentax needs to advertise this. If you watch my video you can see it go from the target (cross) to her eye if you move the camera around toward her face. I focused on the center point, let the camera track (still pressing the AF button), and move toward her face. It then jumps to her eye. But if you focus on the cross and don't move the camera, or don't move to her face, yes, it will stay on the cross. To me this is perfect because it lets me focus where I want. As I understand it many mirrorless cameras now let you select which face to eye autofocus on. Well that's what the K-3iii is doing in SEL mode.
Definitely Auto will find eyes differently because you don't have to focus on a selected point first. Side note, I'm not sure how new this is because I've noticed it since January of this year when I first got the camera, whatever firmware that was.
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