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Forum: Photographic Industry and Professionals
23 Hours Ago
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"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, ..." Charles Dickens opened his classic novel A Tale of Two Cities, but to my mind, he could have also talked about the state of photography in 2024. We have these nothing short of awesome tools at our disposal - the cameras, the lenses, the software - and yet large demographics seem to have lost interest in taking the time to really view and appreciate photographs, at least in the way we used to. Even those moments - it must have been in the early 2010s - when at family gatherings people might take turns at summoning their latest photos on a computer monitor for the rest of the family to admire or just look at now feel like a distant memory. And, yes, as with any maturing technology, the giant leaps of innovation are over, advancements have become more incremental, and genuinely new product releases are a mere trickle. This is particularly true for Pentax, which Ricoh has wisely chosen to position as a niche brand catering to discerning photographers who happen to enjoy both the process and the results of photography, rather than committing it to its sure death in the maelstrom of the built-in obsolescence game.
Now, we can fall into despair about all this, or we can have a blast with what we still have, and make the people around us curious what this strange passion might be all about. It may help to signal to the manufacturers that for us as buyers there's more to photography than impressive spec sheets, but otherwise, I'm afraid we will have to carry the fire ourselves in a way. Mostly by quietly showing how much we're still enjoying ourselves, and occasionally sharing what we produce while doing so. The less obtrusive we go about that, the better. No one takes up photography who constantly gets it rubbed in the face what a great hobby photography is and why they're not picking up a real camera to practice it. Just my two bits.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
2 Days Ago
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K-3 Mark III with HD DA40 or HD DA21 attached and maybe one more lens for changing (HD DA70?) - no longer carried in a honking photo backpack, but rather in a low-profile shoulder bag - that's the closest I will get, and I love it. It makes me feel like a photographer, not like someone who just happens to have a camera on them.
That said, I dig the attraction of something as compact yet capable as the GR III or GR IIIx. But even those I would carry in a proper case, rather than stuffing them in a lint-infested pocket, to mitigate the dust problem.
Now, as soon as a photo walk begins and conditions allow, my camera will be out on the neck strap it came with, the lens front cap off, and one hand will be on the camera most of the time.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
6 Days Ago
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Wow, this thread with the usual reiterations of dead horses like crop vs. FF, DSLR vs. mirrorless, and "Pentax is doomed unless ..." is already running over 15 pages, and I bet it'll be good for at least another 15.
This must be what the psychologists call repetition compulsion.
(Gently fondles his about-to-be-discontinued K-3 Mark III, with its dead-end crop sensor, a camera that is sadly not as basic and retro as a K1000 and - which, in 2024, is rather aggravating, mind you - dares to feature a mirror and a pentaprism but no flippy screen, and contemplates the spring weather and if he shouldn't just procrastinate and take the said camera out to actually go on a photo walk. Snap, he's back in the room.) :D
Oh, lest I forget. @Rondec: Amen. (#223)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-10-2024, 09:37 AM
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The K-3 III took a while until it finally saw the light of day, and several years on top of that before I could afford to acquire it. But now that I can actually shoot it, I'm glad that Ricoh took its time to make it as good as it is, and even bothered to refine it further with substantial firmware updates.
So, relax, FF aficionados, your K-1 III is under development, and I trust Ricoh will genuinely try to make it a worthwhile upgrade. Just have a little more patience - you are invested in a niche player - and as long as you don't expect it to have fire-and-forget-like-mirrorless AF, you shouldn't be disappointed.
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
04-10-2024, 10:28 AM
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Honestly, I wouldn't recommend a K-3 III as a mere backup or muck-about-with camera. It is a true APS-C flagship DSLR - that's why it's priced the way it is - and it deserves to be appreciated on its own terms, and for its quite remarkable capabilities.
As for the DA21 F3.2 Limited, it was never intended as the last word on corner-to-corner sharpness, although it fares significantly better at that than its DA15 cousin, and the HD version continues to give me beautifully rendered, satisfying images even on the K-3 III.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
04-04-2024, 01:59 PM
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Doing a quick search at three of the more renowned German specialist online shops didn't exactly leave me desperate that no more new black-model K-3 III's could be bought anytime soon. Two of the three listed it as immediately available, while one stated that it would be "available within 7 to 21 days".
While that doesn't rule out that discontinuation could be imminent, our constant fretting about such things strikes me a bit like another outcrop of the ceaseless and by now a bit tired "Pentax is doomed" theme. Just my two bits, of course. Feel free to indulge in your conjectures. :D
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Forum: Pentax K-3 III
03-31-2024, 02:32 AM
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I've left it on so far, as it doesn't bother me, but it's always good if you can deactivate such stuff. Enjoy your K-3 III, it's an amazing photography tool. And Happy Easter to you and everyone in your family! :)
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Forum: Digital Processing, Software, and Printing
03-28-2024, 06:13 AM
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Now that I've embarked on a quest to learn my new camera and how its files behave in my RAW converter of choice, I have done some informal "tests" on a slightly underexposed DNG from the K-3 III shot at ISO 20000. My preliminary findings seem to be in line with what others have found in similar tests before, namely that DeepPRIME arguably does a more pleasing (or "film-like"?) job in dealing with high-ISO noise than the newer DeepPRIME XD variant. Maybe the latter doesn't play particularly well with what the Accelerator Chip already bakes into the DNG, but that's just a guess of course. Anyway, feel free to draw your own conclusions from what you're seeing. Just thought I'd share:
Test Shooting Range - here: DxO Denoising and the K-3 III |
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
03-28-2024, 06:51 AM
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None of the samples looks remotely close to what a good-copy DA 55-300 would produce with proper technique.
And when you're also reporting funny noises and resistance on operating the zoom ring, that sounds rather aggravating.
I hate to say it, but my first guess would be someone sold you a cola bottle. Do you have any chance to return it?
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-28-2024, 06:31 AM
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Don't know about the official marketing lingo, but in terms of direct DSLR competitors, the Nikon D500 and the Canon D7 Mk. II were certainly understood to be just that by most observers, even if they were released much earlier than the K-3 III. (Sorry, Vincent, it seems you just beat me on that one.)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-27-2024, 03:56 AM
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Sometimes option #1, sometimes #2. As a general rule, I will try to keep all my devices as up-to-date as possible. Bothering to provide firmware updates is a sign of a manufacturer caring about its customers' long-term experience with the product. Admittedly, they sometimes create new problems, at least until the next update, but they also fix elusive problems and sometimes even add new functionality. How cool was that to add Astrotracer 3 to the K-3 III or come up with AF enhancements, or let me benefit from PLM-driven lenses on my old K-3 I don't know how many years after I bought it? So, I deeply appreciate them and make sure they are applied. In doing so, I don't recall encountering any issues, at least not with my Pentax DSLRs.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-06-2024, 11:01 AM
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Problem solved: I would have even waited, but the missus encouraged me to act now and then be done with the instalments a bit earlier. Ordered from Foto Koch, Düsseldorf, a specialist retailer where I have shopped for decades and also purchased my original K-3 back in 2014. Not the best price ever, but manageable instalments and ready-to-ship product intended for the German market.
The K-3 III should be at my door sometime next week. Sorry to have bothered everyone with my buying woes, which must have read like a bit of a First World problem, in particular to people who simply can't afford the latest flagship body. Given that I don't renew my camera bodies all that often - this time it took me nearly ten years - and that I routinely have to sell my current body to cushion the financial blow, it was kind of a biggie for me, so I shared.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-26-2024, 02:35 PM
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Well, I trust they will stick to their publicized convention of retaining the K-3 moniker and counting through the marks, which is a straightforward solution that signals pride in the legacy they have created with the K-3 series. But then, we don't even know if a K-3 Mark IV is even on the drawing boards yet. We might as well stop speculating and refocus on photography with the amazing tools that we have right now.
I mean I've just bought the apex of Pentax APS-C body technology. Last year I was able to update three DA Limiteds to the HD-coated versions. I now have a fully fleshed-out suite of original primes and zooms at my disposal that covers a focal range between 10mm fish-eye and 300mm super-telephoto and lets me explore macro too. Honestly, what more could I want at the moment? The current limitation is me, not the gear that I have.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-26-2024, 10:05 AM
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My recently purchased new K-3 III (regular black model) was manufactured on 4 December 2023 and carries the inscription "MADE IN VIETNAM" on its bottom plate. So, regular K-3 III's of that origin are a thing.
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Forum: General Photography
03-24-2024, 06:17 AM
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Can strongly relate to the sentiments shared by the OP and echoed by Mike. I invariably take better photos when I'm either on my own or at least manage to temporarily zone out from distractions due to my company. (It's also the main reason I'm not too fond of workshops and the like.) Arranging for some meeting point to buy a little time for individual exploration and unhassled composition can help, and my wife knows me well enough to usually not take it as an affront. Things have got a lot easier since she has followed her own though much more casual photographic interests. After meeting up again, it can be fun to share each other's exploits - or ludicrous failures to get anything meaningful - over a cappuccino. I do recall at least one occasion, however, when it seems I took a bit too much time on a hike and ended up trying to catch up with my wife and nearly missing her several times for what must have been an hour or something. When I came into sight again, she flipped me the bird and said some things that she had never said before which left me in emotional shock for several days after. Well, we made up, and it remained an episode, but I try my best to not repeat it.
Generally, I have found that the right balance between intimacy and distance, apart from real companionship, is one of the most persistent glues that keep long-term relationships together. Young lovers often don't realize this and first have to learn, sometimes painfully, that it is essential to leave each other enough breathing space.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-13-2024, 12:26 AM
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Maybe it's because I'm not yet spoiled by the star glass and have almost everything I could possibly want, but the DA and DA Limited offerings are so capable, full of character, and adorable today that I don't mind shedding a little weight and bulk. What use is gear that makes me think twice if I really fancy lugging it around with me before I go out?
That said, I deeply appreciate that the system gives me those wonderful options, and they do look enticing. With the crop-dedicated DA* line, size and weight aren't that excessive either. So, I'm pretty sure that sooner or later one or two of those optical gems will find their way into my bag, provided I find a way to finance them. You wanna live the dream, don't you? (I will say that some of them would need faster and more survivable focus motors before landing on my wishlist, though.)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
03-08-2024, 03:14 PM
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My K-3 III arrived today, conscientiously packaged and a day earlier than announced. It took me several hours to dial in the initial settings from where I intend to explore further, to perform the firmware update, and to familiarise myself with the new camera. One thing is already clear: While it remains a typical Pentax DSLR, there can be no doubt that this is more than an incremental upgrade from my classic K-3. They have completely returned to the drawing board with this one, and what a beast it has become. Exciting, but also a bit humbling. To make it sing, I'm facing a substantial learning curve, but I also sense that it will be worth it.
Unfortunately, work will leave little time for photography over the next couple of weeks, so it should take a while before I will see major results, but it feels great not having to fret over orders and botched deliveries anymore.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-11-2024, 05:25 AM
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Can't believe that this is happening: I have made arrangements to sell off my trusty old K-3 to mpb and have ordered a K-3 III in a -15% sale on amazon. With this done, I guess I will have to take a hiatus from other major gear purchases this year. But boy, it's been so long that I've wanted this camera.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-07-2024, 12:35 AM
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Pardon what may be construed as negativity, but seeing an inherently factual matter - of which we know too little for even a tentative forecast - made the topic of an opinion poll seems a tiny little bit ... um ... pointless? But hey, everyone is entitled to some innocent coffee grounds reading, so have at it. :D
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-06-2024, 10:30 AM
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Honestly, one of the major factors that made me start SLR photography in the first place was the wonderful selection of interchangeable optics offered by a true camera system. I pick my lenses carefully, and once they have earned a permanent place in my kit, I try to spread my love between them, even if I may love them for different reasons. If I could only keep one, and considering the fairly generalist photography that I do, it would be either the HD DA 35mm Limited or the HD DA 16-85mm, I guess.
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Forum: Pentax SLR Lens Discussion
02-03-2024, 04:22 AM
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Agree with everything you observed. Easily one of the most useful throw-just-about-anything-at-me lenses out there. The AF could be a bit more decisive at times, but that's my only true gripe with it. Even the weight and bulk, which tend to be overstated, should be seen in perspective with the considerable and meaningful FL range that it brings to the table. It is a highly complex lens that you want to handle with extra care. Assembling such a 16-element beast to tight tolerances and building it to last while pricing it as a consumer zoom must be a challenge. My first copy, bought used, turned out as a complete dud, both optically (severe decentering, AF all over the place) and mechanically (lost aperture spring, resulting in random exposures). My second, as-good-as-new copy handled a whole Prague trip single-handedly, producing gorgeous files, without me ever feeling the need to reach for another lens.
Bottom line: Great zoom lens, absolutely love it, just make sure you do the usual tests for decentering, erratic AF, and mechanical issues when you receive your copy, and maybe don't expect battle axe toughness.
Some hand-held sample images from the said trip showcasing the useful zoom range (processed to taste in DxO PL7):
At 43mm, F9
At 35mm, F9
At 16mm, F11
At 16mm, F11
At 16mm, F11
At 85mm, F9
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Forum: Repairs and Warranty Service
02-04-2024, 07:21 AM
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Yes, it's quite impressive and possibly the best protection of any general camera currently out there. But that doesn't take away the need to act with reasonable care and limit the extent of exposure as much as possible, even if it means you lose a weather-beaten shot or two in often awful light.
Any ship can be sunk, any tank can be killed - cameras are no exception -, and it's often overreliance on supposed invincibility that invites the kill.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
01-25-2024, 02:28 PM
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Following the link to Sigma's website reveals that flash is discontinued in all its variants.
As for Godox supporting second-curtain sync, I can report that the manual of my V860IIIP unit expressly mentions that function. Aparently, the flash needs to be "attached on the camera (in non transmitter mode)". Also, "the rear-curtain sync is not available in Multi mode and Wireless mode". It is activated via the sync button on the flash.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-28-2024, 03:55 AM
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Utalitarian design needn't be tasteless, boring, and uninspiring. As far as I'm concerned, the real art in design lies in creating things that just "look right" for what they are supposed to do. Form follows function. Many designers will take their most important cues from that, and will then try to find a design language that conveys that idea as clearly as possible. This won't prevent them from making subtle nods at brand or legacy design, but if you throw the form-follows-function maxime overboard, you risk creating something that will appear as a gimmick or a mere fashion item. At least, that's how I tend to feel about it, and that's also why I would prefer a Skoda Octavia over a New Beetle any day. Your mileage may vary.
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Forum: Pentax DSLR Discussion
01-26-2024, 04:17 PM
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Fie, fie! Will those retro legions never stop assailing us? Gratiano, I shall retire to my quarters to wait out this storm. :D
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