DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!!! My 100% HONEST Pentax K-3 Mark III Review.

[@longrider9551]

I have a friend who bought a Pentax last year and I noticed how nice the colors are, then I bought a Ricoh GR3 to do some street photography and same observation the colors are much nicer than any other camera I have used. Even the out of camera B&W's have a much nicer consistency through the shadow and highlight areas.

[@dragangrasic1328]

I agree. Image quality is stellar on Pentax. I use Pentax side by side with FujiFilm and am constantly surprised at the difference.

[@krustysurfer]

I have friends who shoots strictly Canon when they looked at some pictures off of a memory card they were very enthusiastic about the color depth of Ricoh/Pentax K3 I would say pictures out of the box we're also sharper with better detail and I think that was a Mark 3 IV with their is lenses we both shot the same day the same situation and they really liked the photos that came out of the Pentax

[@BolexH8]

I agree with you about the GR3. I really enjoy it's BW modes.

[@70sRetroRoom]

@@krustysurfer I have always thought the color science Ricoh/Pentax cameras render is very good. However, it may not be the most realistic (a bit more saturated in many cases from my experience), but It still has always been my favorite color set. I owned in the past, the Pentax K 7, K3, K3 II, and now the Pentax K3 III & K1 II. The color science has continued to be very saturated and nice to my eyes. I also had the Ricoh GR III and loved the colors from that camera also. As far as monochrome modes on the Ricoh GR III, just "Amazing"!

[@krustysurfer]

Yes my canon friends really love the color profile and ensuing images but love their platform and will not change.

[@BolexH8]

Having just watched the first two minutes, I have to say: they way you summed up the worth of the camera as a whole, rather than by each spec, is just how I feel about it. Sometimes a camera is more than the sum of its parts. I'm fortunate to be able to afford the K3-3 and I've been completely happy with it. It's just a real pleasure to use. So to me, it's absolutely worth it.

[@BolexH8]

But I still have to watch the rest of the video. I may send you hate mail yet! ;-)

[@Rabittsfoot1]

If you invested in Pentax glass it makes sense as an upgrade, if not the decision is in the air. Question to those complaining about the tilt screen?? What were landscape photographers doing before tilt screen technology was introduced in cameras?

[@builderexposure9065]

I purchased two of them this year to replace my dated K3 MKII bodies. One had 643,211 shutters on it and the back up had 267,908 shutters on it. I use them for Motorsports and Airshows primarily so the focus and frame rates were very important to me. These cameras have been in torrid rain and 110 degree plus heat. They have bounced around on golf carts, been dropped and thoroughly abused for the last 7 months. I have to say they have been as tough as my Nikon D5 and D500 that they really replaced as the glass is lighter on the Pentax. Image quality has been amazing. Have had ZERO issue with either body. One has 116,754 shutters as of tonight and the the has 64,143 on it. Nearly 200k exposures in less than a year with ZERO issues. I will be buying a third in February 2022 as a back up. No problem with the price. It's the same as what I paid for a Nikon D500 in 2016 and 1/3 of the Nikon D5 new. For my purposes these cameras rock.

[@KobieMC]

Jeez! That's a ton of shooting!

[@IRONSILVER22]

Thank you for such a detailed breakdown. I would love to see some of your photos, would you be willing to share a link to some of your photos, or some way to look up a photo page?

[@KobieMC]

You're quite welcome! Here are some links (They're also in the about channel section I believe). www.flickr.com/photos/fujidude/ designskmc.wixsite.com/kobiemc instagram.com/kobie_mc_/

[@IRONSILVER22]

@@KobieMC Awesome dude! thanks for looking that up, I must have missed that on mobile!

[@Estirvana]

I've never been much into the Pentax ecosystem (broken K-50 and beautiful K-5 I regret selling, mainly shoot M4/3 and Nikon), but huge props for Pentax continuing to have IBIS on a DSLR! It's also still burned into my mind on how good ergonomic wise Pentax is.

[@ralfmuehl8340]

DxO yesterday released its PhotoLab 5 software, now with RAW support for the K-3 mark III. I highly recommend this to anyone who shoots RAW and is allergic to subscription models for software. I have played a bit with it since yesterday, and noticed two things: - the RAWs (DNG in my case) are significantly darker than the in-body JPGs. - I also realised how great the JPGs straight out of the body are! It took me quite some tweaking to achieve a similarly good looking result when developing myself.

[@KobieMC]

DxO Photolab 4 now also works with K-3 III DNGs. 👍🏽

[@charlietan5466]

I appreciate the review! The only thing at this point keeping me from upgrading from my K3-II is the lack of built-in astrotracer. I love astrophotography and wouldn't be able to afford the new body plus the external GPS module. Someday I'm sure I will but still have lots of life in my current gear. Keep the vids coming!

[@KobieMC]

You're welcome! And your reasoning is perfectly understandable. Cost of both items. I hear you.

[@theharper1]

With the OGPS2, the K3iii will be even better.

[@scphoto5244]

Me too had those concerns, but pulled the trigger nontheless on a premium kit that match well those FA* lenses. :-) Still adapting, but connexion to mobile phone with bluetooth seems to work smoothly so far (I would miss the geotagging function).. Wondering though when the OGPS2 will be available, and if it would worth waiting for it, compared to current OGPS1 (and at what price tag?).

[@anfromme]

Pentax is working on a GPS-less astrotracing for the K-3 iii, which is supposed to be in firmware 1.4x to be released in spring 2022. Really underscores the point Kobie was making in the video - they really do keep improving the firmware all the time; and not just with bug fixes, but actually add new features. 1.31 (just released) brought a new JPG profile for instance, and also added colour curves to the colour profile views.

[@krustysurfer]

Thank you, maybe time to upgrade? however I still get great I.Q out of my ancient tweaked K3 in my hands at 24" x 36" printed size. I could appreciate the better 11fps and auto focus tracking engine. However 2000$ is a steep pricetag for a APSC body. Might have to wait for the price to come down before upgrading. Thanks for the review and observations

[@MickyMouseLimited]

So true. This is why Pentax step back with the frame rate with kp do the jump could look bigger. Any way the camera is good the price is to high at the moment. Once it settles around 1000$ it will be a good buy it is apsc not a full frame let's not forget that.

[@LennyCooke636]

The price is down to about $1300 which is about what I paid for my K-5 IIs several years ago. Now I think it's worth it, before heck-no, sorry...Considering the competition. I think this camera would have been a "Banger" like when the K-5 II came out, if it had a flippy screen !! A pop-up flash and at least a GPS would have also been great. The outrageous number of User defined functions on the main dial seem gimicky and non-professional IHMO (like throwing the kitchen sink at it). Otherwise its a great camera...

[@slammermx]

I'm letting my daughter and son-in-law use my K3ii to do product shots for online clients, now I'm really thinking about a new camera. Really don't know what I'm going to get but the K3iii looks interesting.

[@Deano1967able]

K1 mark 3

[@slammermx]

@@Deano1967able Not really, I would have to get all new lenses.

[@sdhute]

I recently picked up a k70 and have been really happy with it. The k3 iii being more then a k1 I would have bought a k1 instead. Pentax needs to focus also on the apsc lower end market and renew the k70. Some brands have been forced to discoutinue older models do to part availability. The lower price models is what will bring people into the ecosystem. Will we see a k1 miii or k80/90 sometime soon?

[@unbroken1010]

There is a k1m2

[@andrewgallup3890]

OK, very comprehensive review/critique. I may have missed it, and I know a lens makes all the difference, but what about the finished image?

[@pbyfr]

Apart of big difference in high ISO, and bit more pixels, I didn't see any difference with my K-5. Which has a very good image quality, I think.

[@KobieMC]

The big thing is the high ISO ability. The K-3 III is a stellar high ISO APS-C camera.

[@theharper1]

The IQ is a huge leap from the K3i at any ISO, but the ability to shoot at high ISO blows me away.

[@KobieMC]

I will be doing an image focused video comparing the K-3 and the K-3 Mark III

[@dragangrasic1328]

I can compare IQ between the K-3, K-3 Mark III and FujiFIlm X-T30. The later two share the same sensor base and pixel count. With an adapter I can shoot the same lens on all 3 cameras including the FujiFIlm. K-3 Mark III wins hands down over the other two cameras. Most impressive is the DR which keeps improving as you rise up the ISO. That's something that doesn't happen on other two cameras. There is definitely some baked in processing going on here on the raw files, but heck, the results are outstanding.

[@cycletouringoz5760]

I still prefer my K-50 Bright Red Massively heavy Waterproof I honestly cannot afford anything else Am a 💩 photographer Gives me literally, the ability to bash would be robbers half to death 🤗

[@cdrkennon]

Thank you for the great review! My first few sports shoots this year were worlds better than what I got with my K1 II in prior years. The K3 III firmware 1.10 does a great job in low light, the burst mode is excellent, and the image stabilization is awesome. I haven't been able to put the 1.20 firmware through it's paces for issues with my back. I look forward to the opportunity. The lighter weight and handiness are appreciated. I have yet to drain the battery at a sport event. 1200 pictures in 2 hours and it's down 25%. That's with 1 and 2 year old batteries. I don't know what anyone would have to do to drain one 100% but if you are running 4000 pictures then, wow. With 1.10 firmware my complaint would be in sports the focus sometimes goes to wherever the most contrast is. Some of the fields are very dimly let, a car in the background or porch with a light can "grab" the focus. Perhaps I need to dive deeper into the focus settings to see if there is a way to do a better job. Personally, I think it makes a great companion to my K1 II. Speed of focus is excellent with PLM lenses. I haven't tried macro photography at ground level (again, back issues) so the K1 II get's that role. However, macro with the Pentax 100mm on the K3 is superb. In a way I hope there is a K1 III in the works. If there is, if it inherits the improved technology from the K3 III it will undoubtedly be pinnacle of the SLR art.

[@KobieMC]

You're quite welcome and thank you for watching as well as the comment! 🙂

[@michaels5166]

I spare nothing to anyone, so here it is. To my fellow Pentax users, salutes, and to those who malign Pentax, i do not give a flying damn. ONE of you have any facts you can muster to convince me your cameras are 'better'. There are not facts with that, and one thing about Pentax is, they deliver exactly what they say in the brochure. There's No RECALL KING, there's no EASYbaKe Oven/crippling cameras, there's no mass shutter fixes, there's no 399 firmware updates a year to try and deliver as promised, there's no weird menus, and you get amazing, solid images IN CAMERA, flawlessly. I have the K1mk2 and other cameras, brands, and formats, and when I need something composed well, it's back to my Pentax. I have my little Sonys , and yes, they are made for toddler hands, with unlimited recording time, 4k, live streaming, blah blah blah, yet for critical work, PENTAX. Yeah, we heard all of you saying your cameras shoot 69999 FPS, you have 65k @599, and it's lighter, because some of you are so feeble you cannot carry an adult sized camera. It amazes me that the same people on this planet you had steel 35mm, wooden tripods, huge SVHS/BEta camcorders, NO IBIS, NO eye AF, NO editing software, all of a sudden 'need' all this to shoot. Last time I checked, birds still fly the same way, cars still move the same, skateboarders/skiers still move the same, and we caught all that action with $300 steel cameras.I will check out this new Pentax and either get that or hound Pentax until they update the K1..

[@richardhale9664]

Thank you for an excellent and honest review. It does not help me though. I am still struggling to decide between the K1 ii and the K3 iii as an addition/upgrade to my Pentax K3 and KP stable. I know the K1 ii is the sensible choice for what I shoot (and my wallet), but, damn, the new K3 iii looks very tempting. Luckily I have the opportunity to see one in the flesh in the next day or two, before making a final decision.

[@charlesd2109]

I think that decision depends on what you shoot. I have a K1 ii and a first gen K3. Both great cameras. But I do a lot of wildlife photography, and for wildlife, the K3 is my go to camera. Higher frame rate in burst mode plus the extra reach with my 300mm on the crop sensor makes it the better choice. When it is time to replace the K3, I will definitely go to the K3 III and keep the K1 ii which is awesome for landscapes, low light photography, astro, etc. Both great cameras, but different strengths translate into different advantages depending on what you shoot.

[@samrosu2032]

Great Vid... I run a K3 m1 and just switched my D7000 to a Z5. Between the 2 the Pentax pics look more realistic.

[@ralfmuehl8340]

Thanks for your review Kobie! I totally agree with your conclusions. I would just add one thing: when the K3-III is called an "enthusiast" camera, this is for once no marketing bla-bla. And I mean that both ways, good and bad: there are so many options, that you can setup this camera exactly (like in 150%) the way you want it! The downside is that if either you don't use it that much, or you struggle with your memory (like me, LOL), then you might not go to its full potential. But when you do, it is a fantastic camera. What an upgrade from the (still good) K5-IIs! Now for me the question is: "to 16-50 PLM or not to 16-50 PLM..." All my lenses are screw drive AF or SDM (none broken, hallelujah!), so I am kind of curious how fast AF can be at its best.

[@pbyfr]

I bought the 55-300 PLM this year, and the biggest issue I have with it is the lack of infinite focus position. If you want the 16-50 PLM for landscape photos, especially nightscape, I don't think it would be a good choice (no infinite focus position and no focus lock). For other uses, it surely very good.

[@theharper1]

The HDDA*16-50 PLM is a really good lens. Lightning fast AF in stills mode, and utterly silent in video mode. I haven't tested it enough because the DFA 150-450 seems to be stuck on the K3iii. 😅

[@ralfmuehl8340]

@@theharper1 I guess I‘ll fall for it by X-m’as 😉, to replace the SMC 17-70/4. I just kind of fear the bulk and the weight 🤔

[@jerzyjablonski1432]

It will be blazing fast, this camera was build with PLM lenses in mind.

[@graywz]

Thanks for a very good review. Honestly: I use Pentax APS-C for landscape and portrature mostly, and the lack of a fully articulated screen was a deal breaker, especially for such an expensive camera. Full frame for landscapes is overkill. I can print beautiful photos at 75 cm (30 in) size using APS-C and M4/3. I must have a thing for "underdogs" because I spent the money I had set aside on a KP replacement on more pro-grade Olympus lenses to beef up my M4/3 system, which I find myself using more and more instead of Pentax for everything, including landscapes. M4/3 just has such a size and weight advantage over APS-C. I have a KP, but it's nowhere as nice to hold as my K-5II or the OM-D EM-1 II. Pentax made a mistake in waiting so long to release a replacement for the K-3II. The gap allowed people like me to explore and buy into other systems. But, even so, I wouldn't give up either system. For me, a modern camera has to have fast perfect autofocus, a silent shutter, bright viewfinder, articulating screen, weather sealing. Also 20-24 MP is a perfect sensor size for file size and resolution. BUT the big differentiator for me is weight, weathersealing, size and portability, which both APS-C and especially M4/3 give in spades.

[@RobinStrower]

THE best review on YT and the best video to describe the PENTAX K3 III as a whole. On the point. Excellent. All the best to you Kobie

[@pbyfr]

Great video. The 2000€ were a big step from my K-5, but I quickly found out that the K-3 III is totally worth it. I was never interested in K-3 because of its not so good high ISO compared to the K-5. But the K-3 III is in another league so good it is. At first, I wanted to reduce the max auto iso of 6400, but I don't need too, it is so good. Crop: did you check the frame rate? cropping a sensor will increase a lot the readout frame rate, and then the buffer will fill more quickly. So maybe you have less images but higher frame rate? Video: weather sealed camera will always be quite hot, as the heat cannot go out easily, even more on a tiny Pentax. Anyway, with just 8 bits video output, it would never be good for video Canon, Nikon, Sony: all Pentax APSC are a lot smaller than the concurrence, and often lighter. For traveling, Pentax is the best choice. Regardless of the size, the other have great cameras, but price are quickly over K-3 III. Even more for mirrorless, if you want a good EVF to compare nicely with the OVF of K-3 III, it will not be easy to find something even at the same price. GPS: a good GPS antenna for astrotracer was maybe too big, but Pentax should have put a tiny GPS like these of smartphone for geatagging. The cutted K-3 III model shows enough empty place for such GPS above the pentaprism Flash: I used sometimes the one from K-5 as fill-in during travel. That will be missed. Otherwise, I only use Cactus radio with Nikon flashes

[@craigroethler1495]

I'm glad you gave advice on the lenses for best and quickest auto focus. A judicious and helpful review. Thanks! Oh...and Hi to Koda!

[@KobieMC]

You're quite welcome!! Koda says woof! Lol

[@rosswaugh1254]

Thanks for this review Kobie. The review is thorough and honest. I have purchased the K-3 III a few months back, and referenced your previous videos regarding high speed tracking vs the K-3 as part of my decision making. Your videos have been really helpful thanks. I upgraded from a K-3, so fit the classic upgrade path you have referenced in the video. I am very happy with the K-3 III improvements, and general usability. Still plenty to learn yet in getting the most out of the camera.

[@FreedomToRoam86]

Great review! Appreciate honest, critical reviews. Sure wish it had built in GPS and astrotracer w it, but get why not.

[@TapChanek]

I'm owner of old K-x (just with kit lenses) and decided to upgrade camera recently. Been looking around for couple of days and I almost missed K3 III because it's price was set on the level of full frame cameras like Sony A7 III for pros! It will not reach shrinking market of mirrored camera hobbyists, it won't make anyone who don't mind still having mirror to get into Pentax. For me personally this camera should be on the price level similar to EOS 90D, because right now, even having those lenses from K-x I still consider either going for Canon or mirrorless, because it's either cheaper or comes with more features.

[@unbroken1010]

Lots of pros use apc.

[@dragangrasic1328]

Kobie, brilliant review & talk! Showing more images would have been even better! When you start talking about the OVF (7:00) it gets a bit esoteric, people who haven't seen the K-1 and K-3 Mark III probably can't follow here. I have the Mark III since June and haven't noticed any particular quirks or difference in performance after upgrading the firmware twice. Eye-lock AF worked pretty well from the beginning. I believe in your example the subject was simply very far away. I'm particularly glad that Mark III works well with my older HSM-Sigmas even if I mostly prefer to use the DA Limited primes. What kind of SD card did you use for your speed test? UHS-I or UHS-II? Not directly camera related but what's that tripod quick release system you are using?

[@KobieMC]

I'm using a Lexar Pro v3 UHS-II card and a SanDisk pro UHS-1 card. The tripod plate is a proprietary one for the Cameron tripod I have. It's only sold at Henry's which is Canada's largest photography retailer. It's the same idea as Adorama and Flashpoint but it's a Tripod lol.

[@dragangrasic1328]

@@KobieMC Thanks! That tripod mount looks interesting. I've recently got into the third tripod quick mount system, after Manfrotto and Arca I added Velbon. I think their system is great.

[@douglasstemke2444]

The lack of a built in flash IS an issue for me. I shoot a fair amount of macro in the tropics and in the rain. With a small diffuser on the fash I get great images with the K3 M1. Up to that point I was considering selling some of my other equipment and save up for the K3 M3. Not so sure now. Hey I have a kid starting college.⁹

[@RudolfSzecsi]

Thank you for the review! It was the best one i've seen in regards of the K3 III.

[@KobieMC]

You're welcome and thank you so much for the compliment! 👍🏽🙂

[@70sRetroRoom]

Good video. So what camera do you use to make your KZbin videos? The Pentax K3 III?

[@KobieMC]

For this video I used my phone for the intro and the K-3 III for the rest. Generally I use my phone because it has a screen. When I try to record video using image sync to my phone, when my phone goes to sleep, the camera stops recording. When I have more time to shoot a video, I'll use the K-3 Mark III unless I'm showing things on the K-3 Mark III, then I'll resort back to my phone.

[@matthewp7428]

Kobie, thanks for all the content you've put out about this camera. You've thoroughly covered this camera, and this review is a great summary. I can't disagree with a lot of you said here. I've been turned off by the price point like a lot of others, but you have really made a case for why it might be the right price. It has a lot of new features, and it really is a huge leap in pentax AF. I think this camera might be, as you put it, the video game coming out early. A lot of tech from this camera is going to go into their future cameras. I think the K-70 replacement might be a lot more appetizing to a lot of the pentax community. Not a ton of wildlife shooters in the community really. This really creates that option though. I've been falling more and more in love with my K-1 and I think the K-1iii might turn out to be an absolute monster if it inherits this AF and gets even just a little bump in frame rate. Keeping my fingers crossed that it happens.

[@kblack3970]

Great review! I have Pentax SF7(Film) & K70 and really wanted the K3iii but as a noob/hobbyist I'm torn on the expense although I am full frame curious... Fomo isn't my thing, I bought the K70 for it's digital feature since film is Too Damn High! My neighbor and I were out birding and my K70 w/150-450 & 1.4 tele just seemed dated next to his Nikon Z9 and wife's Z6 in fps. ($$$) I could care less about the mirrorless aspect although the silent shutter mode is amazing. 11/12 fps increase doesn't compete imo but I'm not sure I need much more than that?

[@iskandartaib]

I have 3 Pentax DSLR bodies with built in flashes, and can't remember using them more than 3 or 4 times over the years. Yeah, the only good reason to have an on-camera flash would be to set off slave flashes.

[@snappiness]

This is very thorough and well thought out. Thanks for putting it together!

[@KobieMC]

Thanks man!

[@MarieHalle]

The 2000 dollar price tag will discourage many from buying, in favor of other brands.Even entry level Nikon has faster autofocus and more focus points. I'm still using my old K5. I'd like to upgrade but my only options are k70 or Kf (basically the same camra) or a used K3. Its not worth 2 grand imho.

[@KobieMC]

Perhaps entry level mirrorless has better AF. But entry level dslr cameras definitely don't have better AF than the K-3 Mark III. $2000 is a good chunk of money, however, low volume manufacturing always comes at a higher price point. Those of us who have bought the camera do forget about the price due to how substantial an upgrade it is to every previous Pentax camera, especially now that we're on firmware 2.10. It's a different camera now than it was when it was released. BUT, it is aimed at high speed action shooters.

[@davidstorm4015]

Regarding the ergonomics, they're great apart from one thing. They put one of the most commonly used buttons in the wrong place - that's the 'play' button. It's awkward to access, worse than on any other Pentax DSLR I've owned. I think they should have put it where the self timer light is, under the joystick. The light could have gone anywhere.

[@KobieMC]

Fair enough, but you can assign the playback to any button. A number of people have reassigned the buttons to be the same as the K-3/II

[@davidstorm4015]

@@KobieMC I tried that, by re-assigning to the 'down' button in the 5-way pad, but it doesn't work correctly. Pressing 'down' takes you into playback mode with no issues, but pressing it again doesn't let you back out, so you are stuck in there unless you turn the camera off and back on again! Not very well implemented by Pentax on this occasion (BTW, I re-assigned the 'Playback' button to take on the operation of the 'down' button for outside view setting on the rear screen, so couldn't press this to exit the playback view).

[@codyconrad7333]

I have a K3 and a number of primes. It is a system in and of itself. I can't justify $1600 for the same system overall system. So I'm looking at a Canon R7 system for certain photography, and keeping the Pentax K3 for portraits.

[@cdmikelis]

I was buying camera when K3ii came out and decided between them. FLASH was the breaking point. I could not decide for pixelshift and gps vs flash and a bit lower price. I dithed K3/ii completelly and bought last standing K5ii for much lower price. I used flash (about) 5 times. Than years later I upgraded to K3ii as a last standing and discounted camera. I miss that darn flash all the time now. Funny. But having camera without flash, is just norm now.

[@unbroken1010]

Buy a small flash they are cheap

[@cdmikelis]

@@unbroken1010 not a point here. I have bunch of external flashes.

[@unbroken1010]

@@cdmikelis it is the point. It was the first thing you stated

[@cdmikelis]

@@unbroken1010 That was my 1st statement: "I was buying camera when K3ii came out and decided between them" -> where do you read flash being mentioned? You completely missed my point by continent. I said at the time I could not decide, so I decided for MUCH cheaper K5ii. I used integrated flash 5 times!! Only reason I thought I need flash was remote triggering. Soon I opted for more reliable radio triggers. I used that internal flash almost never. I have 4 or 5 working external flashes now. I could not care less for integrated flash now. But it was IRONY, that now since I do not have internal flash "I would need it all the time" ... it's reverse truth. I THINK I would use it ... when I bring K5ii I still do not use that flash ... simple.

[@RobertCorrigan]

Additional reasons to buy a K-3iii, better support for older series lens. I use it as an option to my K-1 if I'm feeling I need something a bit faster and nippier in use. If a K-1 user with FF lens, then this gives you a 1.5 extension, useful. Lastly, as this will be the new Pentax platform, then this is an early view while waiting for the K-1iii 🙂 No holds barred? You were struggling to keep diplomatic and find faults.

[@chuckdavidson5483]

I never used the BI flash on my K5. On the K3ii. I do not miss it.

[@standalowen]

Just wanted to say .Everything you said was fair,up.down.sideways. Nothing you said made me want to stop being a Pentaxian.

[@davidstorm4015]

I have noticed a few things in recent side-by-side testing with my KP and K-1, especially when shooting high contrast subjects indoors on a tripod. The K-3iii renders reds very oddly, they look almost orange and not very realistic. This strange rendering also causes an odd colour cast in AWB mode, the whole image looks a bit orange when compared to the more accurate colours of the KP and K-1. Secondly, when using quality prime lenses (I used my D FA 100mm WR macro and my DA*300), the images shot on the K3 have a far higher incidence of purple and green chromatic aberration on high contrast edges than either the KP or the K-1, this can only be down to the K-3 iii's sensor. The K-1 images are best in this regard. Finally, the K-3 iii images are not quite as sharp as those from the other two cameras, although they are pretty good. Testing was done on a sturdy tripod using the electronic shutter, so shake doesn't come into the equation.

[@KobieMC]

Your findings are interesting. I found the opposite regarding color rendering when compared to my K-3. Sharpness I found pretty similar between them.

[@standalowen]

Hey it is the camera for me. Having no cellphone. This is 100% current, future technology. I did have to get ink to show with paper.

[@tomsun3159]

I would say its overpriced for an APS-C, yes the advantage you can keep your sortiment of APS-C lenses. The only question are these lenses appropriate to the capabilities of the body. If i take into account to get approriate lenses additional the body i'm quite fast at the level of the K1- Mark 2. If i see my collection of lenses for my K50 ( Kit lenses for sure not appropriate, the 18-135 perhaps the lense to keep, then from ancient times FA 50mm 1,7 and 1,4 would also work on K1 and the 28-200 would also work on K1. So my upgrade perhaps the K70. i would prefer to sell the not FF-suitable staff and perhaps ko over to the K1 or trade in all for a different system. As tasty the K3-3 is, the pricetag is not suiting for me (30% off perhaps, 50% off a no-brainer)

[@farzinshokooh2085]

Will you please compare K3 Mark III with Mark II as well. All the comparisons I see around are with Mark I. Is it because Mark II specs are close to mark I?

[@KobieMC]

@@farzinshokooh2085 The only difference between mark 1 and II is Mark 1 has a flash, mark II does not but has GPS Astrotracer. Other than that, they're the same camera.

[@farzinshokooh2085]

@@KobieMC Thank you.

[@Michael-fw5ef]

I chose Pentax because they render images the most life - like. Also, when I bought my 100mm and 50mm macro for my DA K70, I knew they were full frame lenses that I could migrate to my future FF Pentax K1 and not have to invest in FF lenses. That will save me thousands in the future.

[@KobieMC]

I've been using DxO since Optics pro 7

[@michaelgalanos981]

If you compare it with the canon 90 d which has 4K no crop for 1000 dollars less. Pentex should be priced at 1000 dollars Canadian to complete in the market considering the DSLR market is dying off I personally like DSLRs better than mirrorless because of the durability

[@standalowen]

Hey Bud, Getting the16-50mm? It has inspired me to go North my Son.

[@KobieMC]

I am planning on it once the budget comes together.

[@standalowen]

I don't own a cellphone. So, I'm loving touch stuff. Still want the Flashpoint remote system. Working wireless with that and 500 wireless flash.

[@standalowen]

Over 102.degrees. Mine hits over 104. degrees. Honest,richeous thoughts.

[@NoMastersNoMistress]

I still need to sell my 120 film gear to get a K1 for my WNY landscape photo book, so I couldn't justify a K3 III unless I started doing weddings, for which it seems almost perfect. Anyone shooting at night, which I often do, working from a tripod, needs a K1. I can't imagine trying to use a mirrorless at night. I've always hated trying to use an EVF at night. They give me a headache. Great review... personally I think for an APSC DSLR that handles and shoots better than budget full frame (it blows a 6D or D610 out of the water) $2K doesn't seem all that exorbitant, not when Leica has peddled lesser gear for a lot more.

[@scrptwic]

Kobie Only two companies are now classic camera companies Pentax and Lecia. My K3-11 does what I need at this time. I will upgrade to the K3-3 eventually. I don't need eye tracking as I'm not having a problem at this time .When I can't see the screen I use catch in focus so I don't need a flip screen I spent a week in the woods my Pentax performed with no problems what more can I ask for in a camera

[@hanfei6871]

Really want to get into Pentax but I’m not too sure about the lenses. There are definitely a couple ones I want, but overall feels a bit all over the place. + having to pick and choose between full frame and APSC is anxious.

[@KobieMC]

Well, if you're thinking of Pentax APS-C cameras, then both full frame and crop lenses will work just fine. If you're thinking of the K-1 II camera, then D FA lenses (D = Digital, FA = full frame) will work no problem for the full frame sensor. ALL Pentax DA and D FA lenses work across their cameras regardless of sensor size. And some DA lenses will cover the full frame sensor. The full frame K-1/II has an APS-C crop mode for APS-C lenses as well.

[@hanfei6871]

@@KobieMC yea but I feel like undercutting the potential if I’m putting legacy FF lenses on APSC cameras. I am just struggling to decide on a focal length to begin with. Thanks for the explanations.

[@KobieMC]

Technically you're not undercutting the potential by putting a FF lens on an APS-C camera. One advantage of doing that is if the lens has soft edges, the crop of an APS-C camera won't hit those edges so more of the image will be sharp. I have the D FA 100 macro and the D FA 150-450 and an old FA 600 and I only shoot APS-C. There's no issue with that. I can't help with focal length decision though since that's a personal preference.

[@markeggers3416]

Thank you for this review! I am still trying to decide on either this camera or the K-1 II.

[@KobieMC]

Neither one is a bad decision.

[@anfromme]

I was the same - I'd tested the K-1 (Mark I) back in 2016 and loved it. Except. I don't have any FF lenses. And those tend to be much more expensive than APS-C lenses. Plus they're heavier, which comes on top of the higher weight of the camera body itself. The K-3 iii including my trusty Sigma 17-50 EX HSM weighs in at in or around 1.4kg (ready to shoot). The K-1 ii with a DFA 24-70mm is in or around 1.8kg. So just for camera and standard zoom, I'm lugging just shy of 30% more weight around. Any additional lenses would come on top of that.

[@brucetaylor1588]

Great job Kobe! I completely agree with you. Camera designs are a set of compromises, it’s impractical to build the perfect camera for every use, every situation, every user. I’ve progressed from a Pentax MX to the K10d, to K-5 then to the K-1 and now added the K-3iii. I love the K-1 for landscape but it’s terrible for birds, wildlife and action. I use the K-3iii with the DA*300 f4 & 1.4 teleconverter with great success. I bought the DA* 11-18 thinking this would be a great way to reduce my kit for backpacking and leave the K-1 & D FA 15-30 at home. Like you say, it’s a compromise, the IQ of the 11-18 isn’t as good as the K-1 and 15-30 but I don’t need to hire a team of Sherpas to drag my full frame kit up a mountain. I had a love/hate relationship with the old DA*16-50 SDM so I picked up the new HD DA*16-50 PLM. The 16-50 PLM is nearly as good as the K-1 and 15-30 at the wide end and blows away the K-1 with the D FA 24-70 at any zoom length for IQ! My backpacking kit is getting complicated. Oh K-1 mark III where are you? PS Where is the D FA 21 Limited? Pentax might need to take a serious look at replacing the D FA 24-70 too to keep the full frame users happy.

[@standalowen]

So good. Seen it multiple times. I was commenting while watching. Hope I wasn't a pain. Peace.

[@KobieMC]

All good man. All good 👍🏽

[@paulvanekeren3069]

Thank you Kobie for your review. I, too, like the camera very much. It is not perfect, but I didn't expect it to be perfect. If you know your equipment and know what you are doing (technique) I think in almost all circumstaces you can take wonderful pictures. Looking forward to your next vodeos.

[@snoopdoggty1086]

Kinda sad that the buffer is so small, otherwise this is going to be the best dslr

[@DubiousDrewski]

Thank you for doing this review, but 28 minutes? Is there a bridge-notes version of this video?

[@KobieMC]

Lol. I know it's long, but I cover a fair amount and explain things. Sure I could have skipped a bunch of things but then it wouldn't have been as thorough.

[@Needacreate]

A thoughtful, balanced, independent, and helpful review of a great APS-C DSLR, based on extensive experience. Appreciated indeed, Kobie. Only serves to remind me that I should and will redouble my efforts to save up for a Mark III.

[@gcvideo01]

I use a k3 and will continue until its unusable for what ever reason. Ive had it seven years and yet to have a single glitch, and its been dropped twice. If i bought another camera, i would probably go for the k3 iii. Pentax doesn't get credit for the great cameras they are. I bought a canon a while back just for video. (Good auto focus) but its inferior to the k3. I tried a couple photos on the canon, but was not excited about it like with the k3. I love an optical viewfinder for photos, but like the evf for video especially in bright light.

[@juanmurga1571]

Now its at 1300$. Is it worth?

[@KobieMC]

I think so. If you want a dslr

[@slimphotog]

10:00 That reduction in buffer in crop mode is really disappointing. 34 frames is disappointing, but 20-some is baffling.

[@KobieMC]

I was shocked with that result. I'm not a long burst shooter, but even still. I was definitely not expecting that to happen.

[@alistairbell6728]

I have both a K1 mk2 & a K3 mk3. Like Chalk & Cheese. It's a wow... using my Pentax. As I wished it would be. Use both with the Battery Grip. People who shoot Canon or Nikon, probably don't know what a Pentax is like to handle. And what they are missing. As for Flash GET A K70..!!!! At an event use your Mobile to photography people. Drawback the initial expense. I know a holiday is now out of the question. For a while. But people spec cars... that are grossly over priced... but don't blink. I now have all I need....For what you get the K3 mk3 amazing value for use....Go figure. :)

[@renerazon9423]

Pentax users are bit of an oddball, they don't follow the herd, they don't easily get swayed by marketing , most are buying Pentax knowing before hand that Pentax will deliver fantastic image quality and user interface that is second to none. Cheers and happy shooting.

[@nixxo4166]

Great Review !!! You are absolutely right K3 iii it's design for action , wildlife , sports , and no need for flip screen .

[@GGascay]

[Based on prior interviews, news, reports and some contact insight] The name was not supposed to be K3iii and the "K" naming convention was all but retired to move onto the new platform as well as the old manufacturing lines being torn down (KP was shut down prior to the final spring 2020 production run, so numbers were less) . This is the start of a new generation platform and there was supposed to be a big push to pursue "life" and going out while being together and creating memories as a concept, but that literally fell apart with the Pandemic situation. With a slowed production and marketing scenario, they did not want to insult those who had or were going through pandemic issues to launch and rebrand at the time.

[@MiguelNunoRochaSilvaPereira]

The true balanced, honest and truthful review! Thanks Kobie!

[@KobieMC]

Thanks man and thank you for watching. This was not an easy review to do, but I wanted it to be 100% helpful, so it had to be objectively honest and completely truthful.

[@MiguelNunoRochaSilvaPereira]

@@KobieMC Just keep it straight and true. I guess a few tweaks on your videos from now... The Amazon review ability and more equipment will take you forward and appeal to broader audience!

[@danigonzalez4299]

Ahhh you've been at the track !!!

[@standalowen]

Been a minute. Hope you and yours are ok. I used to joke my K-3 had 2000 settings. And I knew them all. Went from 3, in 2013 to 3 III,May. Since, added the new 16-50mm DA*( Never had a H-DA*),WOW! And the new D-FA 70mm-210mm. This is an incredibly,well made lens. Can't imagine how good the Silver D-FA* 70m-200mm, weight. The only reason. Both tripod only for 65+ old men. Kob,what would be your thoughts. Gave up the non plm 55-300mm DA. I love Batsh t close-ups! The new HD Pentax-HD 300mm? Or an older something Bad ss that rocks. Hey you Canook. I'm going North to photograph leaves.Don't know details. Real soon. So, have HD 35mm, macro. Vintage dream lens: SMC Pentax-A Macro 2.8 50mm. 77mm Ltd. 55-300mm. New 16-50mm. New 70-210mm. Any thoughts?

[@KobieMC]

I would take the 16-50 and 35 macro. That way, you can get the fall colour landscape shots AND macro leaves. Seeing as the 70-210 is basically a Tamron clone, if one had the money, I'd go 70-200. You won't miss 10 mm. BUT, the 70-210 is a fantastic lens just no tripod collar.

[@standalowen]

@@KobieMC It's 2months old. Know anywhere to move it? This was lighter. Will get the otherone. I want the 300mm. Can't find the new Pentax HD Pentax-D.

[@KobieMC]

You can try Pentaxforums Marketplace, the FB Pentax Ricoh Photography buy and sell group/page or the default, eBay

[@jonathankalbermatten6145]

My guess on the burst mode is that it crops, after buffering the whole pic, by the saving process.

[@KobieMC]

True enough. Shoot>signal processing>image processing>crop>save. That would definitely slow the rate down.

[@xmeda]

So they tweaked the AF. Good. Now they can focus on tweaking the price to the €1400 range :D But 34 frames are very bad. Less than 3 sec buffer. Crop mode is just software postprocess crop mode, that camera is still using full sensor for capturing images and THEN recalculates. Build-in flash is better than nothing and can be used as wireless control unit. External flash is nice, but it is another unit to care about and carry it. Unfortunately Ricoh does not even have some small unit like for example Olympus do have. The only option is to carry some Metz26 everywhere in case it works with new K3III... With this method we can also remove display and just say that in film era there were no displays and we can attach external screen if needed. Or we can remove complete JPG process as no advanced photographer uses it anyway. Etc.

[@KobieMC]

The Pentax AF201FG is a small flash.

[@pbyfr]

As crop mode is the same as 4K video crop, it make no sens to do it in post-process. And any sensor bigger than 4k would have a 4K readout crop, which would be quicker than full frame

[@theharper1]

I'm honestly curious - what do you use more than 34 continuous frames for? I actually slowed the frame rate down because the highest rate gave me too many images to review. PS I think for most people the buffer "issue" isn't an issue. The only time I seriously hit the buffer on the old K3 was taking continuous photos of a jet aerobatic display, which was unsurprising.

[@sarahmckillen5374]

@@theharper1 I'm with you on that. I want more keepers from LESS shots. I was taking 400 to 600 shots every football (soccer) game on my K-50. The thought of sifting through three times the - I'd rather boil my head.

[@TheOdek1974]

My honest review is expensive for now!!!

[@sdhute]

Just came from mirrorless to Pentax k70. I will wait until the next release on the lower end apsc k80 ??

[@jizzythefroggy1108]

Great info but way too much space over your head in the video.

[@b.2221]

No Bullshit just your opinion and findings , and that is all that we want to hear 👂 so jobs a good one.

[@KobieMC]

Thanks so much!

[@sean270wn3]

I have an old k30, the built in flash is awful

[@standalowen]

You didn't do your double snap.

[@KobieMC]

Based on feedback, people weren't really fans of it. Once in a while I'll bring it back though 🙂

[@standalowen]

@@KobieMC That's suprising? Just a month ago,you talked about it. Shared. Don't remember where/how it came about. But left the conversation thinking how cool, just like your Logo. That's cool.

[@rrysiekk]

👍👍👍

[@GregMcCoy]

I think the K3 MKIII would be an upgrade from my K2000. I use a $500 lens on a $130 used camera. Can't wait to get the cash stash to get a K3 MKIII.

[@anselmroig9804]

Thank's for your review !

[@KobieMC]

You're quite welcome!

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

Regardless of the Colour Science being best in market, the moment they made a decision to not have a flip/fold mount LCD on the K3iii, it removed it from being a range topping model in 2020/21. Period. Having not fixed the HDMI, and dropping half the frame rates, even the reactivation of Video IBIS will not sell this camera. (And ignore the twats that say they don't use a DSLR for video, it doesn't matter if they do or don't, it only matters that the feature DRIVES SALES) At it's price, with so much missing from the Required Features, it's a dead duck. And I say this as an owner of Six Pentax bodies and probably 30 lenses. As for DSLR vs Mirrorless (as a K-01 owner no less) if you need Mirrorless operation, it's already there, in Live View with Mirror Lockup. You just don't get an eyepiece sized screen and have to use the rear LCD.

[@KobieMC]

Canon 1 DX/Mark II/Mark III, Nikon D5, and D6 both don't have flip screens and are 4+ times the price. People don't complain about that though.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

@@KobieMC And they're aimed squarely at top-level professional shooters, not a consumer and prosumer market, where the moving LCD is an absolute must. Nor are any of those Canon and Nikon bodies aimed at Vloggers, while the K-3iii is right in the top end range of that market sector. For what it is, and how many compromised features it has, it's not worth the asking price. Iff they can fix everything else in firmware, it might be worth it, but only once the new price drops about 20%

[@wkunique]

...no, and again no, it is not worth 2000 today and the worst thing is that with each next year it will be more and more behind the competition for less money, and up to 5 years,...because it takes so long to wait for a new model from Pentax

[@엄익태-n7k]

상당부분에 동의 합니다. 하지만 가격적인면에서는 동의하기가 어렵네요

[@KobieMC]

Translated from Korean with Google Translate: "I agree to a large part. But in terms of price, it is difficult to agree.". I understand that, and price is always the hardest justification for anything. It really comes down to how much something is worth to you.

[@dragangrasic1328]

@엄익태 You have to ask yourself how much the camera is worth to you personally. To me it's much more than €2K.

[@grahamhobbs3501]

Thank you!

[@KobieMC]

You're welcome! 🙂

[@abcvzz]

Pentax k3 mark3 shouldn't be priced more than 500$

[@abcvzz]

p.s. with kit lens

[@KobieMC]

That wouldn't be realistic for any of the camera companies. No matter how you slice it, that's ridiculously unrealistic. I do hope you're joking though lol.

[@standalowen]

It has the most settings.ever. While offering simplicity or setting,sub-setting,sub-setting etc.

[@abcvzz]

@@standalowen for that price i can buy Nikon D850 full frame

[@KobieMC]

Of course you can. Nobody is disputing that. But add up the lenses you'd also have to replace to move to Nikon/3rd party equivalents (don't forget, all the lenses would have to be VR) and all of a sudden, the K-3 III really isn't that hard a pill to swallow if you're already shooting Pentax since you'll already have the lenses. But we already know your thoughts about the K-3 III.

[@buyaport]

"Mirrorless" cameras are of course a scam, my Panasonic FZ 50 from 15 year ago was "mirrorless" as were and are all bridge and compact cameras. Real DSRLs are more expensive to make, so camera manufacturers try to sell cheaper mirrorless cameras for more money. It is like vegan burgers, which are made from animal food (soya and corn) instead of animals, but sell for more.

[@scotthullinger4684]

Pentax cameras and lenses are very well made, but they're designed like dinosaurs. A few decades behind the curve.

[@DM-tp1qe]

LOL.. this video is free and it's still not worth the fee....