I broke my own rule... Pentax K-3 III has arrived! Initial impressions after 1 month of use

[@KobieMC]

Welcome to the club! I had monster buyer's remorse when I first bought it. But after a month of daily in depth use, I went to shoot my K-3 back to back and that's when the remorse vanished. The K-3 was slow, laggy, and clunky feeling in comparison to the Mark III which shocked me because I loved my K-3.

[@kamilpotato3764]

No tilting or flip screen was an odd choice on Pentax side... especially considering price.

[@snappiness]

Hey Kobie! Good to hear from you. I think I will settle into it well. After all, I loved my K-3 and this very much feels like the right step up from it so far. I don't think there's any question in my experience that it's much improved over the OG K-3, but being the cheap guy I am and always wanting more lenses, for MY photography, is it enough to justify keeping over a K-3 classic? That's the question I'll be asking in my head. And as someone who shoots a lot of REALLY old digital cameras, the K-3 feels amazingly faster compared to those guys 😄 So, my perspective is skewed. I think if I just put the price thing behind me (even though I didn't even pay very much for it used) then I would just keep it. Just because it just feels like using a better version of the camera I grew to love so much!

[@scrptwic]

Kobie So far I have been able to get great wildlife pictures with my K3-11 and my 55-300PLM It is a challenge but I make it work for me. Will i get the K3-3 probably as I'm in no hurry it seems the more I photograph birds in flight the better I get with my current kit. As far as general photography any of my Pentax DSLR'S are more than adequate.

[@KobieMC]

@@scrptwic My reasons for the K-3 III were the better AF, better IQ and the frame rate for what I've been trying to capture (bird diving to the water and capturing the split second before its beak hits the water and the moment it emerges with all the droplets of water falling as it takes off). I always got the frame before and after what I actually wanted.

[@theharper1]

Exactly Kobie! The K3iii is so much more responsive than the K3 in every way. The bright OVF aside, it was the responsiveness which really got my attention.

[@carlgarrard9710]

Its is by far the most advanced APS-C DSLR made by any company. I've tested it next to the best from Canon and Nikon (systems I also own as well) and it beats them both in nearly every metric in terms of speed and image quality (the only stand out area is buffer depth, where the D500 had the edge). But as an all round tool, neither can compete to the K-3 Mark III. It's got so many more useable features that photographers appreciate, better IQ, better weather sealing, and better build quality (yes even more so than a 7D Mark II). It's a pity that the commercial review sites can't just be honest about how good it really is. I guess Sony, Canon, and Nikon do a good job of putting them in nice hotels, fancy restaurants, and paying for photo events they attend for free. If Ricoh/Pentax had even a small marketing budget for the US/EU, they would sell many more cameras by far.

[@bannor4-930]

I also was going through exactly what you went through. I own the Pentax K-3 original, and I love it. Was not sure about buying this new K-3 iii or switching completely to maybe Nikon DSLR's. Then I came across a professional photographer teacher who said "Just go shoot pictures with what you have, all cameras are good." Turns out, I agreed with him and decided to just keep using my K-3 original as it does all the things I need it to do. It has Aperture, ISO, Fast Shutter speed, burst mode and wonderful colors. So I decided to stick with what I have and bought a 35mm Macro lens and the 55-300 PLM lens for it. Those 2 lenses alone changed my photography. I chose to upgrade my kit lens and cheap lens for some great glass and I am completely happy with my decision. My decision is based solely on the fact I am a Stills photographer, I do not need fast auto-focus for my style of photography. I do understand the need for something better if you shoot wildlife or sports. I personally am still waiting for the next great Pentax DSLR that will give a tilt or flip screen.

[@snappiness]

I think that was the correct choice. Good job! And those are both fantastic lenses. It really is the lens that helps make the shot more than the camera. And for me the only main reason to go to the K-3III over older models was if the AF would help me with my wildlife work. Still going to take longer to decide myself, but everything else I think the K-3 classic is just great at. No reason to upgrade.

[@jbp6759]

Great choice! I will probably get my K3 mark 1 a PLM instead of getting the K3iii, for now... :)

[@DavidSdeLis]

@@jbp6759 the 55-300 plm is certainly amazing for the price! it's the lens I use the most, by far...

[@stevenmann1614]

Reaching 60 warranted a special present to myself and I do extra work as an examiner - 230 scripts which earned me more than the cost of the camera, so, in short, I think I deserve it. Also, I know that my Pentax K-70, having taken almost 50 000 shots from new will not last forever. I was going to sell my K-70, but I am thinking it is sometimes good to have two cameras. It is quicker to change camera than change lens and prevents the entry of dust when changing lenses. Please keep on publishing Pentax videos! Oh and I got it for £1667 in silver complete with a matching 20-40 Limited lens. I already have a black version of that lens which I will now sell making it an even more attractive offer.

[@lioneldm5130]

I bouth 2 years ago a ks1 for cheap that i didn't use much. Yesterday, i went for a walk with my 13 y. O. son. He took the ks1 for the first time and had a lot of fun. Good gears will always find their users!

[@home.insiders]

Thank you for your input. I moved to a pair of K3 MKIII’s last year for Motorsport and airshow photography. I had been using a Nikon D4 and Nikon D500 for the last several years. The reduced size of the glass and auto focus were the main contributors to why I made the switch. Honestly it took a bit to get use to the change bit I have no regrets. The focus is incredibly fast and accurate. The glass razor sharp and light. Colors are amazing. My only complaint is battery life compared to the huge D4 battery. But the weights savings makes carrying a dozen batteries a fair exchange.

[@snappiness]

Interesting! I'm curious your thoughts coming from the D500, since that's another option I'm considering for my wildlife dedicated setup. Which lenses are you using on your Pentax bodies?

[@grant6277]

I would also like to hear your thoughts on D500 vs K3 III as I am in the unique situation of having inherited my Dad's Nikon setup with numerous lens mostly comparable to my Pentax setup. So if I switch to Nikon I'm not having to put tons of $ into lenses.

[@jimzielinski946]

Sometimes you have to go with your gut feeling - it's perfectly human and ok. I usually don't have buyer's remorse because I'm in the habit of over studying a buying decision to the point where I'm sometimes going in circles. If I do make a snap decision to buy something, it's almost always on a product that I thought about in the past. Over studying a product tends to keep me from being surprised about anything I should have known about. Anyway, enjoy your new camera.

[@snappiness]

Thanks! I do enjoy it. But I always get an awkward feeling when I have something too nice. So, we'll see if I settle into it or just decide to go back to an older camera.

[@animaldonut]

I didn’t even know Pentax makes video cameras! They made my first camera ever. It’s good to see they still make great cameras. The feel in hand is a important part of any camera. Glad you’re happy and appreciate your initial impressions!!!

[@snappiness]

I agree. The feel in the hands is often overlooked. But if you're actually busy using the camera you better like how it feels and how to navigate the controls!

[@doncoombez]

I think there is always joy in a new camera or a new to you old camera. There is joy in cameras and lenses full stop. They capture moments that matter, they inspire us to try different things and new techniques. Plus there is the thrill of a bargain - for me because the good price buys me options, keep it and retain a smug grin, or sell for a little more than you paid and consider it cheap rental after you have paid eBay fees. I have found a k3iii for a bargain and am sorely tempted. Already have a K1ii (a rare brand new purchase), a K-r, a Sony a7iii for action and birding, and a lumix g80 for travel. In my heart I love Pentax though. Purchases don’t always have to be rational, emotion is important too. The K3iii isn’t going to make you awesome but it will help you get a higher percentage of keepers in action v the KP (still wish I had not sold mine though, I have sellers remorse on that one)

[@sirpatrickofgoober6603]

Love your channel. Enjoy your new camera sir!

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

I started out with a K10D then K5 K3 K3 111 K3 monochrome K1 K70 and a couple of other K's. You know the K5 is still my favorite, easy to use, settings a snack and gives great photos.

[@dominicwroblewski5832]

Congratulations on your new(used) camera body. Even better you got a great deal on it.

[@erichramone7812]

Wow!!! Thanks for being honest and upfront. I’ve had buyers remorse many times.

[@snappiness]

Happens to many of us I guess :)

[@MichaelRusso]

I just bought a used K-3 (still waiting for it to arrive) and I bought my first new camera the KP a year ago. Enjoy as I am sure it will be a pleasure!!!

[@snappiness]

Great! I'm a big K-3 classic camera. If I decide to part ways with the K-3 III and pocket the cash (I got a good deal, can sell and make a little money on it) I'll probably go back to the original K-3. I like the KP a lot too, but I just missed the K-3 grip and button layout so much.

[@MichaelRusso]

@@snappiness It's easy to forget (mostly speaking for myself) you can get your money back practically for the price of admission but once you let it go, you may have sellers remorse too :(

[@douglasstemke2444]

The K3 is still a dream camera. I dragged mine camping across Australia, through rain forest in Costa Rica and a thousand other places. And I do mean dragged it' no babying for me, it is a tool. Hasn't failed me . GREAT camera.

[@Flavio.Bucciarelli]

Hi snappiness. I am really happy for you for the new k3iii. I immediately enjoyed when you opened the front door and it was there. I can't wait to buy it too. I am waiting for the 6 new versions announced recently. I have a K-S1 since 2016 and I dream of the K3iii every night paired with a 16-50mm. I wait for your other videos. Thanks and greetings from Italy. Love Pentax !!!

[@snappiness]

That would be a great pairing with the new PLM version, especially! I am curious to see if they do make any of those special versions. Would be really cool.

[@steffen_a]

I just made an emotional purchase for way too much much money as well and bought the D-FA 21mm Limited. Which cost double of what my most expensive (used) lens cost so far. But I have no regrets or buyers remorse. It is an absolutely outstanding lens and I love taking pictures with it. It won’t make me a better photographer - well not directly so to speak. But it makes me want to go out and shoot more which will ultimately make me a better photographer. If the K-3 III does the same for you then it’s definitely a keeper.

[@snappiness]

Great! I really was interested in that lens, but it will take a while before I bite on it. I mean, heck, I guess I could've skipped the K-3III and saved up a bit more and bought it. Sometimes you can't put a value on something that helps you enjoy your interests :)

[@quirkworks4076]

Ha! I did exactly the same thing, and have no regrets. I'm a full-time product photographer but I also do lifestyle shoots for my clients and the K-3iii's frame rate and autofocus looked too good to pass up (compared to my K-1 and K-3). Am also very happy with the HD video, but agree with you re: the 4K. (I do think you may have overestimated Pentax's marketing budget, LOL). And yes, keep it!

[@mariossafetyzone4090]

Have fun with it i hope it least you a long time and many good Pictures!

[@snappiness]

thank you! :)

[@leehaze1]

Keep up all the great vids!

[@snappiness]

Will do! Thanks for stopping by! :D

[@Needacreate]

Keep it and learn it, and you will learn to love it. In the process, it will help you become a better photographer. Stop feeling guilty about something that you may not have needed, strictly speaking, but that is just cool and an awesome tool for your wildlife (and other) photography. Reminding yourself that you got it used at a good price may help. Just my two bits.

[@snappiness]

Thanks Marc, good advice :)

[@TheJourneyAhead]

If my K5 ever dies, I think a K3 III would be the best option for me. But I think my K5 will outlive me.

[@snappiness]

Haha, it just might! My K-3 classic would still be going strong now I'm sure :)

[@stefanorugolo]

Same same here. My K5 still going strong after 10 years

[@aspexpl]

I have both. I've done some comparison, and the k3-iii gives only marginally better images. But it's a way better camera to handle.

[@colhutchins]

Haha, I'm another one that has no intention of getting rid of my k5 anytime soon. But maybe if it ever dies. Until then... lenses

[@classicaloracle]

Thought I was alone! I love my K5 but would love to make better use of some old M series lenses I inherited. Should I be looking at the K1 rather than K3?

[@timstevens5178]

Youll enjoy it, its loaded with features. Try it with Pentax 20-40 Limited.

[@acecreates]

"I don't need a new camera, but...." says every photographer! Nice video mate. I've never looked into 'vintage' digital cameras.. love it!

[@snappiness]

It's true :) Yes, the older digital cameras are really my jam. But I also really love all things Pentax.

[@acecreates]

@@snappiness preach it mate!

[@scrptwic]

James I found a deal with B&H on a used K3-3 I have not picked it up yet as I had it shipped to my daughter's house as her husband works from home. Now I can compare it to my K3-11 especially for wildlife photography mainly BIF

[@snappiness]

Fantastic! I saw one up there the other day for a deal too, maybe the same one! Enjoy!

[@odemata87]

Looking forward to your take on this, but I can see you getting that KP again lol, some reason a lot of people miss it.

[@snappiness]

I have seen a few people go back! I don't think I miss the ergonomics. Not that they were bad, just I prefer the K-3 style grip and shutter button. The articulating screen was nice to have. I don't think there's any meaningful difference in IQ. So at that point it's like was this really worth the big price jump, or can I just buy another lens? haha. We'll see...

[@alm5966]

I still have an original K5 and have no intention of replacing it any time soon. As soon as I'd got over the thinking that buying a new camera with a bigger pixel count, faster FPS, more AF points or tilting screen would make me a better photographer I just started to take images I was happy with.

[@snappiness]

That's the key! Turn off the new camera announcement news and just take photos! :)

[@csanakyattila3665]

@@snappiness That is why Pentaxians are the happiest photographic community. Pentax dont bother us with new anouncements too often ;-)

[@mohnkern]

I just picked up a K-3 Mark I on an incredible deal ($300 with three lenses, the base grip, some batteries and more, and love it. Having a hard time justify the $1300 price difference between a K-3 I and a K-3 III

[@snappiness]

Awesome deal, enjoy

[@kamilpotato3764]

No tilting or flip screen was an odd choice on Pentax side... especially considering price.

[@snappiness]

Very much agreed.

[@danigonzalez4299]

Duuuuude!!! You are going to love it! Now I wanna see it paired with the 300mm. Oh i cant wait. James, I had the chance to buy one a few days ago that came on offer for 1200€ but went down to even 700€. The advert only showed the box. I backed up, I thought that I knew a camera store was robbed some weeks ago. 2 grand ( you call it grand or grant? Sorry I don't know) it's so far for me today 😅😅

[@nilsbernhard2388]

I also bought it because of much better autofocus. It is big step forward if you own a K1 or K3-1.

[@snappiness]

That's been my experience so far as well. I hope to keep having more chances to shoot with it this year in more scenarios and get a better total sense for it.

[@SummersSnaps]

I totally hear what you're saying about buyers remorse (though not specifically having it myself). When I sold the KP I went to an XT4. That felt like a COMPLETELY different tool to anything I had ever used up until that point. It actually DID help me be a better photographer because the MILC hype is real and it IS a solid advantage. I knew I was getting images that I would not have managed from K-1 or KP due to AF system doing what I wanted IMMEDIATELY. In essence the AF was no longer an issue (focus completely taken care of and out of the equation as something to fret over), I didn't HAVE to AF, it just always worked, never suffered softness, never had to 'try' to get the shot. I dunno if I can emphasis this enough, but it felt like using the XT4 I was no longer a photographer! Normally I expect the photographer to have a process to getting an image, and it involved getting focus, either manually or even with AF and pushing points around and such. Fuji felt like I just skipped a major part of the photography process, focus! It just did it for me and never missed a beat. And then Pentax Australia loaned me a K3III (I still have it lol), and its pretty much gathering dust, because in reality it is not really doing anything better than the K-1 and certainly not the XT4. It is the middle guy, not as good IQ as a K-1 (or XT4), not FF like K-1, not better fps or buffer than XT4, not better AF than XT4 (so why would I really be motivated to reach for that camera?..). It does FEEL fucking nice though, like the ergos are HEAVEN. I hate to say it, but I think this was a bad purchase but an itch you needed to scratch (and I can totally understand that). I'm currently putting my K-1 against my 645D and that is proving to being quite an interesting little experiment (I hope you find time to watch that one), but spoiler alert... it's a little like having 2x K-1's or 2x 645D (so prolly overkill in the grand scheme of things). Don't get me wrong, K3III will produce EXCELLENT images, there is a lot of fine tuning and settings to explore and squeeze a lot of high useability out of the thing. It really is just the price that hurts. Right now, even if Pentax Australia offered this unit to me for $1000AUD I'd pass on it (or take them up and flog it for more). It's about value and in 2022 there just feels so many more sensible options for putting $2k down on something (and we haven't even really addressed the video (or lack of) properly yet). IMO the only way to cope with the buyers remorse is to stick with it and not have anything better lying around (like an XT3/XT4 lol), and just squeeze every bit of value out of it, or... sell it.

[@snappiness]

Yep, either stick with it and get the most out of it or sell it is my plan. I paid under $1,400 USD for it, which is still a tad more than I wanted (wanted to wait for it at the 1k mark, which I don't think will take that long). But I'm pretty confident it wouldn't be a big loss financially if sold in a few months. The D500 is my other consideration for my wildlife dedicated setup. They are becoming so cheap on the used market, and so many better lens options for wildlife especially. But. We'll see. Not opposed to the idea, just decided to test this out in homage to my beloved K-3 classic and all the times we had together. The K-1 + 645d test sounds super interesting. I'll admit it crossed my mind that for just a teeny bit more I could buy a used 645d. Now that would be purely for the itch. I probably should just rent one for a week because I'm sure that's all I'd use it for. I love the experience of shooting the K-1 so I'll keep telling myself that and stick with it.

[@miguelorellana4107]

With the same price of the K3III, you can get an used Nikon d780 or Z7 (Z6II also). Both are professional cameras that can be used for stills, sports, weaddings, wildlife, some video, etc. Sad that the K3III is overprized. They need to bring new firmwares/glass to improve the AF, specially for wildlife.

[@SummersSnaps]

@@snappiness I have a wildlife D500 friend, he likes it but desperately wants to upgrade. 20mp from a camera as old as this does tend to show its age a little. Unfortunately i think wildlife can be a very expensive photography pursuit, badass zooms and capable cameras just ain't cheap, all those buffers and fps and af... not many stones are left unturned on a camera capable of all those things. Kinda curious on the upcoming Fuji XH-2, one of the models will be 40mp (likely for 8k vid and 4k vid with good dig stabe), but there is also a 150-600 coming to Fuji I think. That paired with 40mp APS-C could give some wicked crop shots for even additional reach! Not really my genre tho, but interesting stuff all the same.

[@jbp6759]

@@snappiness I also thought about the D500 but realized I can't live without TAv mode, and some other Pentax features. We're spoiled by everything but AF, I guess. Until now, maybe.

[@StephenPieri]

Totally agree @Eddy even my X-T10 nailed focus more consistently. I did notice some differences in the images as well such as soft hues in pinks of the sunrise are different...hard to explain.

[@danigonzalez4299]

James! You have described the most important points of this camera at my personal believe. I think I would and have said before, that those are the biggest improvements. Handling feels home, menus are great once you get used to them like 1h after using the camera, quick buttons are fantastic (have you tried yet the crop mode on/off functionality?), OVF is brighter and bigger making it easier for me to see everything (i also use glasses) and the touch screen works perfect. Plus they say the LV AF is very fast (it worked for me) and the joystick wasn't really not working well in my pre-production camera. It was not really usable for anything. But yes there you are. And AF. Yep. Downsides as we spoke aboit it before shall be: 1.Buffer capacity and speeds (still very slow for my likes and needs), 2.Auto-ISO or "magical ISO" from Camera playing tricks sometimes (i have found myself shooting at bright day and the camera was setting ISO to 1000) and 3.Price. Now as I said before this was a pre-production model I believe. So the Iso issues might come from there. Also it IS great that there is quite a lot of firmware updates in order to fix small problems the camera has. Looking forward for the next videos!

[@gabro766]

Hey man, amazing purchase, really exited for ur future videos reviewing this camera. Also I think buying a new camera does not make u a better photographer, but it gives u that feeling of trying new things and features the camera has so it makes u maybe try new things. Stay safe! :)

[@snappiness]

That is definitely true. Sometimes you just need a new toy to get you out playing again.

[@jerryeisner1]

James I loved seeing this. You reminded me of a Reality TV show like The Real G.A.S Photographers of KZbin. Love to hear the emotional confessions of why we all do what you just did with the new KIII 3!!!!!!!

[@snappiness]

Haha, that would be a series I would watch. Dunno if it'd make my GAS better or worse ;)

[@thissidetowardscreen4553]

Congrats on your new camera! I know the feeling of buyer remorse, but since I tend to buy as cheap as I can, I don't feel as bad. As for video I agree. I enjoy the video feature, but rarely use it, except for my Pentax Q. Always great content and thanks for sharing!

[@snappiness]

This is the newest camera I've ever bought (one year old!) The newest before that was my K-1 at two years old, but for $800, which at the time was unheard of. This one I got for under $1,400, which is a ton of money but on the low side for right now. So, that's nice. If I do decide to sell I shouldn't lose much.

[@joesomerville6128]

Really appreciate your honesty and for the thoughts! Do you think the K3ii is potentially a sweet spot between the original K3 and now the mark 3? Just for value versus processing power? Always enjoy your videos and down to earth perspective. Take care :).

[@snappiness]

I do really like the feel of the K-3, so I would say yes the K-3. And actually unless you need some of the random features of the K-3 ii, save money and buy the original. I also think the KP when you can find it is a great deal. The IQ is incredible and honestly feels the same as the K-3iii. It's a gem of a camera if you can vibe with the different button layout and grip, and don't need things like gps or two card slots.

[@joesomerville6128]

@@snappiness very kind of you to take the time to reply. That’s really good to know regarding the original K3, shall keep my eyes open! Aha I’m glad you mentioned the KP. On paper, absolutely no brainer for me but yes you’re right, I’m slightly wary of the potential ergonomic woes! I currently use a Fuji X-T2 and just haven’t quite fallen in love with how it feels to use and so missed the ergonomics of a DSLR. But I’m very much open to the KP. However, were money no object, it would be the K1 in a heartbeat. One day!! Thanks again James, very much appreciated.

[@dragangrasic1328]

@@joesomerville6128 No, I don't think the K-3 Mark II is the sweet spot between the K-3 Mark III and the first K-3. Mark II is just a minor upgrade of K-3 and it boils pretty much down to having a built in flash vs GPS. That said, I still keep the K-3 in my bag as a backup to my K-3 Mark III.

[@乾淨核能]

thank you !! great video for sharing your personal experience!

[@RJW998]

Sometimes it feels good to give in to temptation.

[@Michael-fw5ef]

I find that Pentax makes some really fantastic lenses - 100mm F2.8 macro, 35mm f2.8 macro etc., and some not so great lenses. If you get a great Pentax lens, it will make any camera body perform well.

[@fricki1997]

Good to know my current main camera, the K-3 ii predecessor, is still viable for my use case - most of my lenses are manual focus anyway. GPS-less astrotracer in the future also would be really neat and remove the remorse of upgrading from the GPS equipped K-3 ii at some point in the future. Thank you for sharing your opinion, and have fun with the new toy ;) fingers crossed the buyer's remorse will pass by.

[@snappiness]

Yes, your K-3 ii is a great camera. If I decide to sell this and go back, it will be to a k-3 or k-3ii. I did also like my time with the KP, but never got over the flattened top and shutter button. Just didn't feel right for action adventure kind of shooting. Now that I've become more acquainted with post-processing noise reduction software the noise isn't an issue either.

[@stephanweiskorn6760]

Excellent video 😮!

[@kiwijonowilson]

Thanks for making me laugh! Also makes me feel a bit better for, in a weak moment, succumbing to buying a DFA 21 f2.4 Limited (but no remorse so far as its awesome!). New camera gear doesn't make me a better photographer but I do find I shoot a lot more photos when I get something new (new to me that is) to play with and so it does provide some motivation to get out and so over time hopefully improves my skills (except for those days where I seem to go backwards and my wife is capturing much better photos on her iPhone!).

[@snappiness]

haha, man I have those days where I'm juggling bulky gear on a hike, struggling to yank it out of my backpack, taking the caps off checking the SD card checking the settings and then the person next to me capture a beautiful landscape with their iPhone and that's all I wanted anyway. I understand the feeling. The DFA 21mm is a really nice looking lens. It will certainly be a guilty pleasure of mine one day. Glad you're enjoying it :) Do you post any results anywhere? I can't remember if I've gotten a link from you in the past to your photos.

[@southendsites]

You have answered My question. I do not do much wildlife photography so will wait a while. My K1 mark 1 is good enough. You are right few people even have heard of Pentax but They were cool enough to be used by Ringo Star and David Bailey but that was long time ago.

[@snappiness]

Yeah I wouldn't bother with it if a more aggressive AF and FPS isn't helpful for you. I don't think the other things it offers are compelling enough to "upgrade" to it. The K1 is a fantastic camera that I have owned for years as well. Just was hard to keep up with birds in flight. Though many people use the K-1 with great success and beautiful wildlife images, so it's probably more the photographer there ;)

[@southendsites]

@@snappiness That is why I like Your channel because it is a real life story. In part I discovered it because I am also a long time Pentax user. Started ME Super... I have many of the full frame AF lenses You called ugly. Ha Ha. The fact They still work along with a 20 mm A lens is huge bonus for someone with not a big budget. Carry on

[@lelanddyer9461]

CONGRATS!!

[@snappiness]

🥳 Thanks :D

[@NielsdeKemp]

Great stuff man! Surprised you have bought it but it seems like you are a little bit surprised yourself hahahah ;) Look forward to more content about the K3III!

[@snappiness]

Yes, haha. I spent over a month over deciding if it was time or not and then just decided it was time to go for it! Was going to wait another year, but things have been so good to me so why not go for it now! Good to hear from you, hope you are well 👋

[@justinweier4099]

Really interested to hear what you think of it in a few month's time. We only recently got a Mk1 K3 to take the place of a well-loved K5. Honestly, I'm in love with it (though not quite as much as the K1). I like that they backported some control features from the K1 to the new K-3 MKII. I wasn't sure about the button lay out choices when I first picked up the K1, but after a day or two I found it a lot easier to manipulate the controls from one hand holding the grip. I don't know if that's enough reason to step up to the MKIII K-3 this year, but it's in the back of my mind for 2023.

[@rocksandrocks]

Sweet! Happy to see a video out so soon after getting it. After your posts on Insta I was pretty pumped to see your initial thoughts and maybe even a little in the wild photoshoot with it (future video? :D). Although you may be one of the only English speaking pentax users regularly posting on KZbin, I still value your opinion not just by default as you alluded in the video, but also because of your experiences with a variety of cameras and gear, especially pentax focused. Your pragmatic viewpoint is so refreshing as a hobbyist myself who has to read a bazillion reviews/discussions before pulling the trigger on expensive gear with the precious few dollars I can dedicate to this somewhat expensive hobby. Makes my life and I'm sure others a bit easier, or at least helps justify some extra purchasing decisions! Looking forward to future videos on this before you move on.

[@snappiness]

Thanks for the kind words! Hopefully I can make some cool content with it. :)

[@NIKONOVICH1990]

Congrats on your new camera! :) I wish you the best light ,and many beautiful photos :) Buying new gear makes you "play" with it, and take beautiful photos on the way :) It`s a great motivation to learn something new to.. Even after 13 years of photographing the world around me, getting new gear, esp lenses makes you "see" the world from a "different" perspective.

[@snappiness]

That's a good point, and true! Gets me excited to go out and take pictures, and motivated to read the manual which I always learn something new.

[@douglasstemke2444]

When you say the autofocus is better, what do you really mean? Are we talking 'track birds flying' ability or is it just better in locking onto subjects that lack contrast?

[@snappiness]

That's the funny thing about autofocus, isn't it? It does really need to be more than AF is fast or it is not. There are loads of situations that yield different results, and speed is one measure but you also want accuracy. Anyway, I'm still trying to decide how to best show some things in ways that are helpful and maybe more objective than just subjective, but it will probably end up being mostly subjective and just my experience using it. I'm not really well equipped or have enough experience or knowledge to give a really good objective test in different scenarios. The short of it is it's able to keep up with flying birds going away or towards me better. That fine tune autofocus where it just needs to adjust a bit is quite a bit faster. So, I can see a bird take off, move the camera to that bird and focus and start firing and have hope of it nailing focus on that first shot in the series much more often than on previous cameras. What this difference is in numbers I'm not really sure. But more to come on all that later anyway. Only had a month with it so far.

[@therealchickentender]

Still have my K-3 original since release and I said quite a number of years back that it'd be the last. I moved back to film for 95% of my work, both paid and not, around 8 years ago and really the K-3 was on the decline when it arrived; it really only does birding duty and DSLR scanning. But I've even (despite pining for a Pentax FF the better part of a decade previous to it arriving) never picked up a K-1, for similar reasons. I'm finally coming around to seriously considering pulling the trigger on a Sony or (more likely) a Nikon-Z body for no other reason than it can give me far better scans, as well as mount my Pentax (and even more precious) my Konica glass. Photography is ridiculous. :)

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

today i shot skaters with my k10d. it was fun and the flash was helpful!

[@snappiness]

I bet those shots turned out awesome! Would love to see them when they are sharable.

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

@@snappiness ill put them on the forum tomorrow :)

[@EstelonAgarwaen]

@@snappiness shared on forums now. all sooc

[@kaminobatto]

Yep, those damn impulse purchases... I can write a book about them! I was recently torn between a K-1 MKII and a K-3 MKIII, I finally landed on the former because I like the image sensor better, and being someone who shoots everything but wildlife and sports it made more sense. Though I have to admit that I am very tempted to try a K-3 MKIII, simply because I believe it to be the best APS-C DSLR in terms of specs in the market. Maybe another impulse buy for the future!

[@snappiness]

I also have a K-1 (the original) and it's fantastic. If I wasn't chasing birds I think I would just stick with it. Great DSLR :)

[@rocksandrocks]

I rarely have buyers remorse, rather I usually get DOBR, or delayed onset buyers remorse, where after seeing it on the shelf only a few months after purchasing it I begin to understand that it never really made me better or helped/fitted in my kit in any appreciable way. Usually it occurs by the time the return policy expires (if there is one) haha.

[@snappiness]

Haha, yes and by that time I sell it. I've done that many times and have learned to embrace it. Better than it perpetually collecting dust. This kind of feels like, "I bought something super expensive and it feels eerily similar to my less expensive cameras..." So, we'll see.

[@DoctorPhoto]

Congrats on the new purchase! I wish I could have gotten my hands on one. Definitely think the autofocus system could win you over eventually, especially as you dive deeper into wildlife!

[@snappiness]

I'm still doing some side-by-side tests, but it feels dramatically improved. Up to this point the last decade has been only marginal improvements in AF for Pentax cameras, but this feels like a leap. It'll depend too if I decide it makes a practical difference for my wildlife photography or not. It could be great, but if I'm just not at the level to take full advantage of it I might switch back too. We'll see. For now I'll enjoy it :)

[@SummersSnaps]

@@snappiness My testing showed ZERO improvement in LV mode, AF is essentially the same as K-1. My testing also showed in OVF mode that it would decide the fact something was in acceptable focus (green hex toggles on/off) to being WAY off. It would toggle on when things were CLEARLY out of focus (happened more with the FA Ltds than other lenses like PLM). This in reality would make a lot of FA Ltd shots soft and almost impossible to fine tune. Unpopular opinion but I happen to think the K3III has the WORST AF of all the Pentax cameras to date. What it DOES give is a boost in keepers, because now Pentaxians are actually (for the first time) understanding the benefits of 'spraying and praying'. The burst rate can keep up long enough for the AF system to 'reacquire' and 'catch up' whereas in the past on other units it simply hits the wall too soon. But Pentaxians will like mistake this for being 'better AF' and stick to their 'spraying is praying' is bad mentality (because other brands have been riding on this benefit for so long and don't want to appear hypocritical). So for sure, AF seems better, and I was able to get BiF shots I could not get with K-1 and KP, but this was not due to advancements in AF imo, but rather buffer and fps boosts.

[@DoctorPhoto]

@@snappinessMaybe it won’t make you better, but less missed moments and more in-focus frames are absolutely an improvement!

[@pwolkowicki]

I have that remorse after buying Tamron 35-150. Mostly because it's so heavy that I rarely take it with me.

[@ivarnordlkken8082]

I have alway used Pentax (with one exception). I just bought a Pentax K70 (used), as K3 is too expensive for me. For the GPS and Astrotracker on the K70 I must buy a separate GPS-item to use it, which is pretty expensive. Around $500 I think. Please enjoy!

[@snappiness]

I don't know what currency you are using, but I see it new for $200USD, or used on PentaxForums around $100USD usually. For the O-GPS1 unit. The K-70 is a great camera though! I used one for a few weeks and really liked it.

[@Xitrun]

Congrats!

[@snappiness]

Thanks!

[@shassan5287]

My K3iii related buyers remorse - when I realised it only shoots 24p video so I had no hope of working in well with my GH5s as a secondary camera; why Pentax couldn't release it with 25p like every other camera is beyond me. The camera sat dormant for months till I was asked to shoot a local cricket match, paired with an old F* 300/4.5 it made for a surprisingly slick and modern experience; something I knew my K-1 couldn't have delivered I'm still on the fence though... (25p video firmware update would probably seal the deal for me)

[@snappiness]

I don't really have any hope for video with Pentax, unfortunately :/ It's too bad because I think more and more people would really appreciate some updates in that department. It wouldn't even need to be groundbreaking stuff, just catch up to a 5 year old panasonic would be great :D

[@christianlainesse4281]

I view having multiple digital camera bodies the same way as I view having different films to choose from for a film camera. It gives me options, so I never have buyer's remorse and sell any gear. Call me a camera gear hoarder, but at this point I have pretty much anything I need to photograph whatever I feel like photographing at any moment.

[@kcphotogeek6207]

Hi James. If you have the money buy and enjoy it the low light performance seems to be better though, seen very positive comparisons to the K-1 and the Sony A7 III. I’d say buying an old camera and learning how to overcome the weaknesses of that camera will make you a better photographer. Like on the Pentax Mx-1/Ricoh GXR dealing with the slow speed of those cameras improved my timing on street shots which in turn improved my hit rate.

[@snappiness]

I agree with that assessment. I've learned a lot from using my older cameras. And will continue to use and learn from them. That's my bread and butter, really ;)

[@fosterb300]

Was it on MPB? I had it my shopping cart as well lol, then slept on it for a day, and decided it was a no go. Then being a sensible responsible adult, I just put a payment on student loan debt instead. I don't use Pentax for chasing birds like you do, so I decided to stick with the KP. The PLM 55-300 and KP work just perfect for the larger wildlife I photograph, and planespotting. I'll be patient to see the used market prices drop eventually, plus the looming idea of swapping to the K1 is always in the back of my mind. The Nikon Z7, I got recently was less than the K3 III. It took 3 years for them to finally fall under the 1400 mark if you hunt hard enough, so I'll play the waiting game I've lost track of your camera collection at this point, just curious what's it latest lineup? It seems to change day by day. I'm looking forward to your thoughts later on more in depth on the K3 III. Maybe it'll grow on you with time.

[@snappiness]

Yes, it was the one on MPB back in December. It dropped to $1,399 and then I used some credits from affiliate work to go even lower. At that price it was hard not to give it a try now, even though I'm sure it will drop by hundreds more in a year. I have actually heard that the 55-300 PLM is such a jump in speed that I'm curious if it and a KP/K-3 classic would be similar/better AF system that the K-3III and my old somewhat sluggish DA* 300mm. All that is to say I think you chose correctly. There really is no reason to upgrade except for potential gains in AF/FPS, and for most photographers that isn't the case. And really for me might still not be. The question is can I take full advantage of it at my level of photography or not. So, right now with Pentax I have the K-1, K-3iii, k-5iis and K10D. The k-5iis is a camera I've wanted for a while and I was going to use more until I got the K-3iii. In the Pentax world people would sware by that sensor. Even to the point that there's threads when the K-3 classic was released where people wouldn't switch, stating the 16mp sensor was better. I think that was mostly debunked, but still, cool piece of kit.

[@jbp6759]

I've been obsessing over Katie for weeks now. My birthday is coming up and I've been trying to justify it (to myself and my wife). The appeal for me over my K3 is the ISO performance, larger viewfinder (I am told it works better for people with glasses), user modes (3 is not enough!), but mostly the autofocus. However, I have been learning and practicing and trying different settings and I recently had a 91% keeper rate on a shoot with a doggo running all around, including straight towards me. 50mm and f/8.0, so the DOF helped. But still, maybe the AF of the K3 is better than I thought, and maybe it's plenty for me. My best BIF shots are with a K10D, after all... So I hear you when you say a new camera does not make me a better photographer. But it makes it easier. And it's such a cool camera. And it's so fun to own the latest tech (equal but different feeling as owning cool old tech). Sometimes we just can't help ourselves. You got a smokin deal so forget that buyer's remorse and enjoy it. Do you need it? No. Do you need the K1? No. Do they make you excited when you pick them up and make you want to go make photographs? That's what matters most. Plus us viewers love go see it. Can't wait to see more videos on it, and comparisons as well!

[@snappiness]

Thanks for soothing the pain 😁 If you were closer I'd totally let you play with it and see. It is true that you can gain a lot from learning some tricks and best practices with AF. That's what I did all of 2020 and 2021 with my wildlife work and it made a huge difference. But you're also right that sometimes a camera is just better and it makes it a little easier. I feel like that is the way with this camera, but not 100% convinced. AF does feel noticeably faster allowing me to catch a bird flying better, but still not fool proof, and I haven't decided how many actual more keepers I've gotten. Also been hard since all my birding spots have been dead quiet this month...

[@jbp6759]

@@snappiness That's very kind! Probably for the best that I can't play with one. 🤣 I would love to hear your thoughts on the K3iii's eye-detect autofocus and how successful it is. Aside from wildlife and general tracking improvements, eye detect is the feature I think may be the most beneficial for me. Toddlers are *fast* 😂

[@theharper1]

Going from the K3 OVF to the K3iii OVF is night and day. It's so much easier to focus the K3iii or to see if the AF has the focus right. You have a K1 so perhaps this is less of a quantum leap for you.

[@snappiness]

I have heard from others that they really appreciate it. To me it's nice, and like I said in the video is noticably larger/brighter, but I don't think it's making any actual difference for me vs using the smaller one on my KP/K3/k5. I think it was a nice move by Pentax though. Everytime a new mirrorless camera comes out they bump the EVF resolution and people get excited. I think this was pentaxs way of solidifying staying with an ovf by giving it a major overhaul. Haven't tried manual focusing through it yet. That might be noticeably easier.

[@ryankwan1934]

I feel like the buyer's remorse comes from those of us who shoot for a hobby. Cameras are so absurdly capable now that they take a lot of the technical challenge out of shooting. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you get paid to shoot. It frees you up to focus on composition and artistic style, but for those who enjoy(ed) the technical aspects, a newer camera is not necessarily better. I went through a period where I went back to shooting with my K1000 and Panasonic GM5 with manual lenses for a year just to push my technical skills. I'm sure if I was shooting to get paid I would be like "What? Screw that, give me the A1 or R5 and let me get my results faster!".

[@snappiness]

Those are good points! I think that's exactly it. And it's the much expensive purchase I've made for any of my hobbies, so that stung a little too...

[@ryankwan1934]

@@snappiness Yes, I know the feeling. I purchased an Olympus E-M1 III and it picks faces out of the frame when they're the size of one focus point. It simulates a six stop ND filter, does in-camera focus stacking for macro photography, 50 and 80 MP high-res shots stacked in-camera, and live composites (adds to the frame when light changes) for star trails automatically. It's like...I guess I just point the camera at things? :|

[@ye_liyan]

We all know purchasing a new camera won't make us better at photography, but from time to time, we still need new toys to play with to keep our enthusiasm in photography. I guess that's the mindset I use to prevent buyers remorse :) I was also considering purchasing a K-3 III to utilize Pentax lenses from my parents. From other reviews, I already know K-3 III is a wonderful photography-centric camera, but I still wonder if I can use earlier lenses for occasional video work (like interview-style talking head)? It seems that modern PLM lenses work fairly good in terms of video AF-C, but how about screw drive or SDM lenses?

[@B9scrambler]

Woohoo! Congrats. Beast of a cam :D

[@snappiness]

It really is! Newest camera I've ever bought (only a year old! 🤣)

[@B9scrambler]

@@snappiness I had a similar experience with the Sony A7siii. Had noooo intention of getting anything even remotely that modern, but one popped up on FB Marketplace for 1k CAD. No way I was passing on that.

[@Hey_Beau]

Love the intro!

[@snappiness]

Cool, thanks! :D

[@dbkfrogkaty1]

I'm about to retire and I was considering getting a used K-3II, with battery grip. ( I always get the grip with my cameras) Then I started looking at used K-3 III... I think for me the extra investment in the III is a bit to much. I pretty much do static photography. Fast autofocus is not a priority, Then again I could change that if I had faster autofocus! Of course that then requires faster glass...

[@snappiness]

I think that's a good way to think about it. The K3III is a great camera, but the K3 and K3II really are still spectacular. The improvements with high ISO performance and AF are useful in some scenarios, but if I shooting static stuff with decent light, the K3 original is more than enough. Save the money and spend extra on good glass - that makes way more of a difference!

[@LeeIveson]

You did it! But now wish you hadn't haha classic. I'm sure it's great though, but I'm in the same boat as you . . . Before you bought the K3iii, I'm just to much of a tight ass to buy one that's my main reason. Look forward to some more videos on how you get on with it & if you stick with it long term.

[@snappiness]

Hey, if you still don't have it in a year or so I'll let you try mine. I'll be headed to the UK at some point. I think that's where you've mentioned you're at. Parents just moved there for a job and that's a great excuse to visit ;)

[@LeeIveson]

@@snappiness That's awesome 👌 Who knows I might end up with one when they start to come down in price on the pre owned market!

[@snappiness]

@@LeeIveson and I think they will continue to drop. They dropped pretty fast to $1500usd here used, and then now under that. I bought this one for under $1400. I said earlier I thought $1k by two years old and I think we're on pace for that.

[@StephenPieri]

I do appreciate your videos, I will be watching to see further if the buyers remorse turns to buyers regret, I don’t think so but you never know. I was deciding between the K3 iii and a Fuji X-T4 or to go full frame K1 or Sony a7iii. I sold both my K5’s and still have a K3ii that is just fine, but I did want something that A) was priced well B) had good image quality C) focused well D) flip out screen E) had good video capability (video was a more recent addition as my old Sony is just…no good and still tapes) anyway I had purchased an X-T10 very cheaply and that got me into the beginning of appreciation of the flip out screen and beautiful straight out of camera jpegs and accurate focusing, not faster just accurate. because the K3iii didn’t tick all the boxes it was ruled out(sadly). I saw some comparisons between Sony/Fuji and figured that the benefits of full frame for my style didn’t matter a great deal and as there are not many cheap K1’s on the market, I ended up jumped purchasing a New X-T4 when it was on a sale that put it cheaper than Sony 2nd hand and K1 2nd hand…so then the dilemma, do I keep the k3 ii or sell? but like you the K series do feel so good in the hand and some lenses are really, really nice…it is hard to let go and I hate sellers remorse 😂 keep up the great work!

[@snappiness]

Awesome! The XT4 is an amazing camera from what I hear and sounds like it would tick all your boxes nicely! Did you pick up any lenses for it you like? I've always said if I wasn't shooting Pentax it'd be Fuji... Although I guess for wildlife it's a little bit different of a story. Probably Nikon for that.

[@StephenPieri]

@@snappiness i already had the 27mm f2.8 pancake prime and the 16-45mm f2.8-f4.0 so that was another reason choosing Fuji, not sure what to get next, the 50-140 looks incredibly good but a bit pricey, some of the primes such as the 56mm etc look great too...soo will wait and see what comes available, am also toying with idea of k mount to fuji convertor and then could continue using all my Pentax glass 😉

[@denisg_photographies]

We have only one life! Enjoy!

[@snappiness]

Thanks :) I will

[@jbp6759]

Watched again. Had some distractions the first time. Caught your t-shirt comment this time. Yes, let's support Pentax and buy some t-shirts! 🤣 The Pentax fashion line is top quality, full of features you won't find from Levi or Polo. Unfortunately, to keep costs competitive they had to drop the weather sealing they are known for. Is it really a Pentax t-shirt at that point? I dunno... :(

[@snappiness]

This one shirt I have from them they gave me for free during the 100th anniversary. It's great quality 😊

[@unbroken1010]

I hope you got a really good price.

[@johncantrell614]

One thing one of the other KZbin people are claiming is that the new k3 has enough better resolution that some of the older lenses now seem sharper with it. Perhaps you should compare the original k-3 with the kit lens with the new k-3 with the same lens and see if there is a difference……

[@snappiness]

Would this just be because it's 26mp over 24mp? But that's good news if the kit lenses are resolving more than 24mp to notice the difference.

[@johncantrell614]

@@snappiness not sure, but the guy was saying he saw such a difference that he has decided not to sell the kit lens that came with it. Not sure if true, or someone just hyping it. But would be great if it turns out true!🙂

[@snappiness]

@@johncantrell614 I don't have any kit lenses to try, but it does do well with my high end glass too 😆 my bet is a lot of Pentax glass can resolve higher resolutions, so I would think that claim is pretty true.

[@ajandrade1]

Still no tilt screen can’t understand because it would be very usefull specially using tripod witch is used often.

[@snappiness]

Agreed!

[@gearhead-quarters30]

I don't do much shooting that requires AF. I don't trust it on any of my cameras, and 90% of my lenses are vintage MF lenses. I have been taking my K5 out here and there with lenses I didn't have when it was my main body. I will be shooting more with my K10 when I get back to Indiana. It's fun revisiting old cameras I already bought, but the thought of spending more on an APS-C than my K-1 was new is sickening to me. I make my money shooting full time freelance work and barely get by. Maybe if I had a real job I'd feel different about experimenting with newer stuff. I'm interested in how long you hold on to it. I can see the uncertainty in this video hahaha.

[@snappiness]

Yeah I mean I'm just so in love with my older gear! You can just imagine how much vintage glass the K-3 III could buy, haha. At least that's what I think about. Or buying a newer mountain bike. Too many expensive hobbies :) But the AF advantage is really nice, and I really was/still am considering switching my wildlife setup to a used D500. Figured I would give this a shot first. Switching to Nikon would mean selling my wildlife lens and buying a new one. But, Nikon has a lot more options that way too. For everything else, all my older gear is more than adequate. But I've gotten so hooked on wildlife that it's what I do almost every trip I take out nowadays. It's harder to find nice scenery to take pictures of where I live, than it is to find birds.

[@gearhead-quarters30]

@@snappiness Yeah, I'm currently saving to rebuild my vanagon transmission and 2k is my goal. I've been at it since August of last year. All of my money coming in is through my photography. Mostly automotive. I travel from Indiana to Washington to be able to make a profit and actually save some money while staying with friends. I knew I didn't have vanagon money, but I was getting really lucky with everything I was doing with it and getting a ton of help from friends. The one thing I can't fix myself was the transmission. So, naturally it failed 3k miles after I did a full engine swap on it in 2 weeks up in Seattle and drove it back to Indiana. 😅 I also bought 2 lenses between now and then hahaha. Found an amazing deal on a 77mm on pentax forums in Canada and felt like I couldn't NOT buy it. Bam at back 460 bucks. Then I saw someone on the Facebook group selling the 100mm f2.8 macro wr...... and they were in Chicago which is on my way to Minneapolis....soooooooooo I booked a shoot in Illinois that was also on my way and did a baby shoot for an old friend, caught up a bit, then met the guy at work and affective only was set back 175 dollars after factoring in the photo shoot. Everything I do is usually ultimately to buy another Takumar lens for the last few years come to think of it. That and this westy vanagon which now eats all of my money 😭 I honestly just don't expect AF performance from Pentax in general. Luckily I literally don't know what I'm missing and I've gotten really good at manually focusing so I'm not lusting after Sony or Canon gear that I would have to save a whole year or more to afford. Pentax made a lot of really nice gear over the years. Mostly lenses that can be adapted to any mirrorless camera with more functionality than anything pentax offers. I don't like the EVFs and can't afford anything that I could justify replacing the K-1 with. I think I just need new glasses to keep up with my manual focusing.

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

I wish you would buy a K3 monochrome and to a tutorial on how to use the thing at 72 my brain can't get around the book. The same with the K3111.

[@Emma-zk6it]

I am on the fence between buying the camera or getting the 11-16 or the 150-450. Camera bodies come and goes but lenses stay.

[@snappiness]

What body do you have right now?

[@Emma-zk6it]

@@snappiness KP

[@snappiness]

@@Emma-zk6it As someone who went through the same question you are facing, and ended up buying the k-3iii, my advice would be go for the lenses. I still think about selling it and using the funds for a 150-450. It's an amazing camera, but I just feel like it's only marginally better than the KP, and then only in some ways.

[@Emma-zk6it]

@@snappiness thanks for your advice., I use the KP for birding, hiking and astro. I noticed that if you adjust your AF settings you can get decent results with hummingbirds which was my main struggle with the AF.

[@snappiness]

@@Emma-zk6it the AF is definitely better in some ways, but nothing beats better technique which is something I've learned through trial and error. It's tough though because with those faster action shots you just want the best you can get, and that's what sold me on trying the camera.

[@tedtbc4261]

I agree, the Pentax K-3 III did NOT make me a better photographer. However (after the initial learning curve) it made my photography a lot more exciting...

[@sdhute]

what lens are you using to film this? left pentax and now wanting to get another one either k70 or KF. Not sure the k3 iii is going to be much of an advantage for the price.

[@柯宗賢-k7v]

I wonder if you encountered any problem of overheating while using the k-3iii

[@snappiness]

I have not yet. Both in video and stills.

[@柯宗賢-k7v]

@@snappiness Thanks for responding

[@unbroken1010]

What up with the gain in video ? Has it been fixed since the k1?

[@SokolHazizi]

We all know (as pentax users) will want to get our hands on a k3iii at some moment in time, I mean, this could be the last apsc dslr ever produced, so I personally would think of it as a keeper. I get why you might still not be able to enjoy it, its winter alright. Once the day is longer and the spring colours show up, you might start to use it to its full capabilities, and therefore bond to it. But hey, being a cheapskate my self, I totally understand why it might be a burdain to your conscience right now. I have no specific question about it, I would just want to hear your honest opinion about it. Happy snappin!

[@snappiness]

I think you're right. Being winter right now has a lot to do with it. I have been out with it quite a few times in the last month, but hard to find something to photograph (wildlife wise). So, then it feels like an expensive camera on a shelf. :D But I'm excited to keep trying it and hopefully get some good stuff that uses it's full capabilities soon. Especially in the AF department, because if it can be better than the previous models, that will make it worth it to me.

[@TheSquirrelMafia]

I'm more interested in your AF findings overall. I'll be watching.

[@snappiness]

Yes, that's the big question for me too. Everything else doesn't really matter to me too much, but for wildlife, it's this or switch my dedicated wildlife setup to a different brand. I'm not well versed or well equipped enough to do a very thorough or objective assessment of the autofocusing system. So, I'm trying to figure out what would be most helpful. I know how I feel about it, for how I use it and compared to other Pentax bodies, but I'm not sure me rambling about my feelings is that helpful. I don't know :)

[@TheSquirrelMafia]

@@snappiness A semi-comparison between the K-3III & the K-3II or KP would be nice, but if you can't, no worries. I know there are tons of variables involved & it does take time to do. We're all pressed for time. Hahaha! I have been gathering lots of K-3III info from different websites & KZbin & though it's all kind of random, it all seems to point to the K-3III having better AF performance than the Nikon D7200 and D7500. The AF is not quite at the D500 level, but it's a step in the right direction. The only thing is that some sites also mention that the AF can be inaccurate at times. That does leave me scratching my head a bit wondering if they're using the camera properly & stuff. I have a K-3II & a Nikon D7200. When it comes to tracking, the K-3II is not as good as the D7200. To put it bluntly, the tracking on the K-3II is horrible when compared to the D7200, but AF.S is about the same on both. I figure that I'll be ecstatic if the K-3III can track a subject better than the D7200. Then I can finally dump the D7200. Hahaha! But yeah! You keep doing what you're doing. I do enjoy your channel quite a lot!

[@b.2221]

So you broke your own rule , and who cares it is your choice only you can decide for yourself what you think about it. In saying that you have already had it for a month and you can’t quite make up your mind yet? well I find that strange to say the least. What I will say is that getting rid of the brilliant little KP was a mistake , and at some stage you will regret parting with it as it can do things the K3 cant , and vice versa. I love watching your channel , and in no way am I having a dig at you because I think that the K3 is an incredible dslr I just hope that you enjoy using it and giving us your fullest perspective on it 👍 Tam.

[@snappiness]

Thanks for stopping by. I think the KP will be a classic for years to come - I probably will regret letting it go! They can sometimes be tough to find. If I had all the money in the world I definitely would have kept it, but for now it was one or the other. I would have liked to have finished my wooden grip for it too. Had it about half-way done.

[@b.2221]

Thank you Sir for your honesty I really thought I had upset you , and in no way was that my intention I am an old feller who loves watching a young talented guy give us perspectives from a clever but educational slant on either modern or not so well known equipment. Much respect ✊ Tam 👍.

[@ivanlupi5123]

But to enable the astrotracer function you must have the unit plugged in separately don’t you? It’s not integrated inside the body.

[@snappiness]

Right, so it will accept the ogps-1 from what I understand and then the new one they teased but still haven't released. But the feature I mentioned in the video doesn't require GPS or an extra unit of any kind. It's a different method of determining how to move the sensor. It doesn't work with stationary subjects (trees) in the shot. Can only be stars.

[@bryzabone]

I’d love real world tests of dynamic range vs the k3mk1, especially at high iso (like the kp could manage) and backlit subjects…. Love the handling of my k3, but keep taking the heavier k1mk2 coz its got more keepers for my poor photography wildlife skills..but so heavy! I shoot FF coz i can (da*2.8/200) but still crop anyway..

[@snappiness]

I don't have a K3 anymore to side-by-side test unfortunately. There's some still life ISO comparisons out there on the web that are marginally helpful. My feeling so far is that it performs like the KP at high ISO, which is to say very good and a noticeable improvement from the original K-3.

[@speedygonzales9993]

Awesome camera. Now, pair it w/ the Sigma 18-300 mm lens.

[@normanskistreet]

It's clearly gonna be better than an older Pentax camera and the improved AF will get you more keepers but could that investment be better served with a mirrorless camera? That is the real question to be asked. I sold my KP but bought back in with a K5 II because I still had some Pentax AF glass I couldn't sell. To me the K5 is a classic that marks the peak of Pentax endeavour and they lost their way after that model. The FF K1 was a gift to Pentaxians but came a few years too late to save Pentax from falling in popularity.

[@snappiness]

For me I don't know if the question is mirrorless specifically, but at least a used high-end DSLR from other systems. But potentially mirrorless in the future, not opposed, just price shopping. Fuji packs a punch for their camera body prices, but the wildlife lenses for their system are few and quite costly. But yes, that is the question indeed.

[@BartRos1980]

Its mostly because cameras are a VAT + 3 year full writeoff. And sadly trips are not. I am kinda interested in the K3 iii. My first semi pro body was a K3. Sadly its such old tech now.

[@OneMonthTwoCameras]

I feel so seen :) I'm telling myself I don't need the just announced OM-1, which I absolutely don't. Doesn't stop me from wanting it, though :P

[@snappiness]

Haha, I did watch a video review on that this morning ;) I haven't shot with any modern Olympus cameras, but I may have an excuse to. Friend of mine is looking for a compact telephoto backpacking setup, and I think his needs just scream m4/3. Good excuse to check them out :)

[@OneMonthTwoCameras]

@@snappiness I chase the APSC and full frame dragon but always keep coming back to M43. I just love it.

[@jbp6759]

@@OneMonthTwoCameras Nice! The sensor size arguments are stupid. If it does what you need then it is the right size sensor. The majority of people running around with full frame absolutely do not need it, they are just wasting hard drive space. But they like it and that's what matters. Same with MFT.

[@gezaszemok8627]

This broken rule made you even more likable... Pentaxians Unite!

[@snappiness]

I'll always be a Pentaxian :) Even if I don't have the latest camera.

[@douglashouck6556]

Give it time. I have a K5iis and K3ii and I've finally retired them.

[@snappiness]

It's a great camera. I just need to get over the sticker shock 😅 it gets better the more I use it.

[@ratedrrr]

Hey, great video and I totally get the buyers remorse phase after purchasing a camera. I recently purchased a fuji x100v and I'm still in the getting to know you phase Question for you, how would you say the k3 mark 3 compares to the K1?

[@snappiness]

x100v seems like a great camera, have fun learning it. Well, they are really different cameras in a lot of ways. I really adore my K-1, but the K-3iii is a faster camera in pretty much every way, smaller/lighter, crop with all the advantages/disadvantages that come with that. It's better suited for my wildlife adventures in some ways, so that's why I got it. Now will those differences translate to my photography and potential results? Still trying to figure that out :)

[@Ronroncho]

video 4k is quite bad? i ve been watching videos from a Japanese Pentaxian, called PENTABI, he have plenty of videos with k3.3 and are superb, will be nice to check it out to see if is quite bad or regular etc. great video as usual :D

[@snappiness]

Well, like most things maybe I shouldn't compare to other cameras too much. By itself the video is okay and certainly usable. Better than any other Pentax camera. And I shoot all my video on my channel with my K-1 so I do use Pentax video. But I've also owned a Panasonic g85 which was released in 2016 and it looks wayyyy better (and has more features.) That's just an example, but most photographic centered cameras have better video than this starting in 2015. But, like I said maybe it's best not to compare and just look at it for what it is, and in that case it looks alright. Not amazing but the best Pentax video and certainly usable for many applications. The added resolution helps make up for the softness which is still pretty strong in the video, and too bad there's not more frame rate or codec options. I didn't buy the camera for video though and I don't think anyone else would either :)

[@saikatbose7646]

Sir, what is the difference between k3 and k3 mark3...?

[@snappiness]

There's quite a few too many to list... use a website like cameradecision to get a basic overview of specs, and then you can dive into technical reviews to learn more of the changes.

[@borderlands6606]

I love the idea that Pentax keep making DSLR cameras without the slightest desire to buy one.

[@snappiness]

Hahah! I mean, I'll buy them - five years down the road like I always have :) Doesn't do them any good, unfortunately.

[@sierrascale]

Understand completely. Went to the hobby shop yesterday for some paint and sanding sticks. Owner: we got all these old WWII aircraft kits in and thought of you. Me: uh, I already got a basement full of unbuilt kits, most of which I bought here. Owner: $20 each. Me: Me: gonna need a big box for all these. Well, I usually hesitate, but I had a pile of money from selling 1,000 aircraft slides, and had actually watching most of these go for big bucks on eBay (company long out of business.) Anyhoo, happy coincidence. Speaking of cameras, I just traded two old m43s and one Fuji cameras to MPB for two newer m43s; just fedexed the Fuji before the hobby shop visit. Painless transactions and much easier than eBay. I love Pentax and almost went with a K-3 II, but I have too much invested in m43 glass at this time.

[@snappiness]

Haha! Well, nice score! I am enjoying my m43 bodies. I feel like I could get into that system one day if I ever decided to drop Pentax. And of course I would never drop all my Pentax, probably keep the K-1 for the memories and fun :)

[@vincemokry9643]

Keep it!

[@snappiness]

Don't have to tell me twice 😄

[@punkrachmaninoff]

Still very happy with my K3, but I am jelly. Edit: please put the tshirt link in the box...

[@snappiness]

I'm trying to not make anyone jelly, be content with your K-3 :D What do you mean the tshirt link?