Pentax K3 III Monochrome Full Review With Lots Of Images

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Would you buy a digital camera that only shoots black and white images??

[@kingsamvisuals]

Nope. At least not unless it’s pretty cheap.

[@dentontay]

I did!

[@warrenmerrill532]

Absolutely! Of course if you can only afford one camera then a color sensor it is. But for a second, or in my case fourth camera, a monochrome does far more than just give you black and white images. It vastly improved my overall photography skills, forcing me to be more cognizant of contrasts and shapes, the interplay of shadow and light. That directly plays into my use of standard sensor cameras, reducing the reliance on color for interest and now adding what I learn from giving more attention to luminance. It's short-sighted to believe that deciding to see what some color photo will look like converted to black and white will deliver the same experience and learning opportunity.

[@dentontay]

@@warrenmerrill532 exactly. It reminds me of how photography was back in the film days. When you left the house to take some photos, you either loaded up with color film, or b&w. Unless you were well off and had two bodies, or even more well off and had a Hasselblad with two backs. If you only had one camera with b&w film, it forced you into a certain way of seeing and thinking. And that's what the Monochrome is making me do now, and I'm having a great time with it.

[@dentontay]

@@warrenmerrill532 exactly. It reminds me of how photography was back in the film days. When you left the house to take some photos, you either loaded up with color film, or b&w. Unless you were well off and had two bodies, or even more well off and had a Hasselblad with two backs. If you only had one camera with b&w film, it forced you into a certain way of seeing and thinking. And that's what the Monochrome is making me do now, and I'm having a great time with it.

[@recreationalplutonium]

we need a ricoh griii monochrome

[@zipfelchefchen6816]

would buy definitely buy one

[@EdwardMartinsPhotography]

It's digital Black and White film. It's all about the "micro tonality." (To coin a phrase.) Black and white lives or dies by it's representation of tones, color converted black and white is a computer simulation of what those tones should be, this is not that. A lot of people won't understand it. Pentax made this within reach of most photographers that can appreciate it, and Pentax deserves a lot of praise for that.

[@hellogregory3449]

I have been a Fujifilm user for approximately 9 years now. When I saw this camera I knew I wanted one. I have been using and loving it with no regrets on purchasing it. I would consider myself a hobbyist photographer who has been shooting images for nearly 50 years now. Cheers, G

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Pentax did a wonderful job with this one. Enjoy!

[@Amia67360]

Show us more B&W photos taken with this wonderful camera, nature and street photos too!

[@dukenukem5768]

Fair review. Minor point - the Pentax flagship is the full frame K1 ii. The K3 iii is the top Pentax APS-C camera though.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks for the clarification!

[@Stories-in-Black-and-White]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures about this camera. The pictures looks great for me, but the camera is - let’s say “very special”. I can’t image to have really fun to shoot with this body.

[@ironmonkey1512]

All of the reviews so far have had really soft images, this is the first one I have seen with a good lens. Looks amazing!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Great to hear!

[@Beckkerable]

Very professional review. Thanks a lot!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

My pleasure!

[@robgutkowski7141]

Very informative review. I am a lifelong Pentax user, and the K-3iii Monochrome really has my interest since Black And White imagery holds my interest as I learn more about shooting portraits.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the review.

[@bluewhistleschannel6058]

Enjoyed that!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Happy to hear it!

[@gdbriggs4]

I have one and love it, especially with the Limited lenses. 21mm f3.2 is my personal favorite. K-70 owner as well; this is my upgrade.

[@XATNEP1]

Thanks for the review, I have one and so far am really enjoying using it. I still use the Liveview to get a feel for how the image will render in monochrome and then use it as a DSLR for actually capturing the images. Yes I am a longtime Pentax user with a collection of Pentax lenses both old and new, I also have the colour version of the camera, yes I can use the colour camera and convert the image to monochrome, however the images from the monochrome version have extra depth to my eye. The camera does seem to blow out the highlights easily and I find that I need to dial in -0.7 exposure compensation and expose like I am using slide film to protect the highlights. When processing the images, the ability to bring out details in the shadows is amazing. Overall I am very pleased with the camera and look forward to using it for a very long time.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Great idea to shoot with the -0.7 exposure compensation! Glad you enjoyed the review.

[@joedusel]

Great review. Thanks Pete. It was nice to see a review with studio images. I could personally see using this as a second camera for events with horrible lighting since I have seen images from the K3 iii Monochrome at ISO 32000 that look perfectly usable. And of course I would also like to use it for some studio work. I will personally wait until the excitement dies down a bit and the camera drops in price before I consider buying one.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it. I think waiting a bit is wise, the price is steep for a monochrome only camera.

[@b.2221]

@@PeteCocoPhotoIt’s anything but expensive compared to the other manufacturers of Black and White cameras Leica being a case in point it’s a bit of a bargain high quality with out having to pay for the made in Germany overpricing.

[@bloodswarms]

I really wish Sony would make an A7R Monochrome model. An A7R monochrome model with the same price as the normal A7R series camera would be a smash hit. I've wanted an e-mount camera that shoots monochrome for half a decade.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

That would be cool

[@SabahHamad-b4b]

Nice and thorough review. Thank you

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks!

[@karim2k]

Saving money for this beauty

[@SummersSnaps]

I appreciate the little things you pointed out that cement the experience, this is the Pentax way (and doesn't nearly get enough credit). Kudos to Pentax for producing a camera that dares to be different. Niche of a niche is still a market nonetheless.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@mg-leisure-monochrome]

Would like to compare this K-3IIIm to K-1 monochrome and GR III monochrome in debayered version for dynamic range and image quality at different ISOs.

[@stormfalconstudios]

I'm shooting a lot of B&W for art projects, including some film work. I have this canera and a couple of lenses on my radar.

[@jakubstrumillo]

I actually wpuld love to shoot with this camera, even if i adore color grade of files from Pentax.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

It was fun to use!

[@Edwin1947D]

Really enjoying your channel Pete - very well done. Also enjoy those occasional snarky/comical remarks interjected here and there - reminiscent of "back in the day" at CC

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Hi Ed! Nice to hear from you and I'm glad someone appreciates my sarcasm! Believe it or not, I miss those days at CC. It was a great time in my life.

[@krishnansrinivasan830]

Nice & Thanks :)

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@luissalazar2021]

Thanks for sharing Pete, I am looking for some upgrades my sadly Fuji, have you tried the Nikon d850, I do like the way Pentax is built, but I am a battery freak.

[@sandrafoxley735]

anyone practicing astrophotography knows the benefits of monochrome cameras - and the thought of being able to use my colour filters to advantage is just great - this camera is next on my list.................

[@Michael-fw5ef]

I like black and white photos for close up and mid-range compositions because they force my eye to look at what is in the picture, instead of the colors of the picture. For landscape, I prefer color photos.

[@shenZ007]

How different are the images compared to the b/w photos from the normal K3 mark iii ?

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

I couldn't tell you as I don't have the regular K3. Compared to other cameras I would say that the images look a touch cleaner.

[@ricblessing3400]

From having an older monochrome camera, I’d recommend think less how the output would be different than a similar model color converted and more how your shooting and processing will change when you don’t have the color option.

[@charliejg]

It wouldn't be practical for an amateur/hobbyist to spend that much money on a BNW DSLR. However, like you said, someone who is specifically shooting BNW and is already invested in Pentax lenses and who has the spare money to do just might love it. I have a vintage Pentax 50mm f1.7 lens I adapt to my X-T3 that I really like for black and white. That Batman image was pretty cool btw!! Have a great weekend!

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Those old Pentax lenses are very nice. I didn't have one to try it with but I would have been interested to see the results. I agree, it's quite a lot to spend for a b&w only camera. And the differences in the quality over just converting from a color sensor are negligible IMO.

[@dukenukem5768]

Wrote : _"It wouldn't be practical for an amateur/hobbyist to spend that much money on a BNW DSLR"_ But they are! This camera is selling well even to amateurs.

[@charliejg]

@@dukenukem5768 That's interesting! But, I guess it's a nod to all of the creators out there inspiring all of us! Cool!

[@ironmonkey1512]

practical depends on how much money you have

[@charliejg]

@@ironmonkey1512 Good point! Same thing in the car world I guess!

[@yungsookevinhong7943]

What happen to the camera layer out is that , the joystick used to be when the green button is and the play button is where the Green button is now, that is kind of confusing , and these two button out of all others p, these two can con be customisable

[@sasisasi8531]

We need the classic pentax dslr camera like Nikon ZF :)

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

That would be cool

[@FullFrameAlchemy]

Just wondering, the K Frame lenses you talk about, do you mean the older ones for the 35mm cameras? if so, you can use them but of course this is an APS-C camera so cropping will happen, correct? The saving grace is that what you see in the viewfinder represents what you should see on the actual photo, right? BTW, good review and i like your photos as well.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks! Yes, you can use old K mount manual lenses on this camera and there will be a 1.5 crop factor, which you will see in the viewfinder.

[@dukenukem5768]

It makes no difference. Eg : A 50mm focal length lens designed for a FF (full frame) camera but used on a APS-C camera will give the same picture as a 50mm focal length lens designed for APS-C. The only problem might be the opposite way round in that a lens designed for APS-C will probably cause vignetting in the corners if used on FF - but the picture will be the same as far as it goes.

[@GODSPEEDseven]

@@dukenukem5768 The focal length may not "change", but the crop factor WILL affect your photo! Which is why we often talk about a 1.5x crop factor. That 50mm lens, x1.5 will provide a field of view equivalent to a 75mm lens. This is important in the lens-buying decision. Because lenses ##mm number are based off 35mm (or Full-Frame) dimensions. Thus, that common 18-50mm kit lens, is actually equivalent to a 27-75mm lens in terms of 35mm film or full-frame sensor. It's important, because the field of view is what most photographers need to compose their images properly.

[@dukenukem5768]

@@GODSPEEDseven I think you misunderstood my post. To put what I said another way, as an example : on an APS-C camera like the K3iii, a 50mm lens designed for FF such as the Pentax-D FA 50mm F2.8 Macro will produce the same picture in terms of field of view as a 50mm lens designed for APS-C such as the Pentax-DA 50mm F1.8.

[@GODSPEEDseven]

@@dukenukem5768 Maybe I misunderstood what you meant. Hopefully that argument could be seen in a friendly way as well. Not here for a fight :) I might have misread you and I guess I said the same thing you said in a way. 😅 My bad! 🍻

[@jimzielinski946]

I'm one of those "die hards"! I can't wait to get one. I heard a rumor that Pentax might be considering an "astro" version with h-alpha sensitivity. I suspect that model would come closest to my absolute favourite b&w film, Kodak tech pan, which had extended red sensitivity.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

You will definitely love it!

[@stormfalconstudios]

I miss technical pan.

[@michaels8607]

I entered the Pentax world and never looked back...It's for serious shooters, it's a mindset of intellect, not for the bandwagon shooters who have nothing better to do with their lives but debate about Cheetah AF,54-2334 MP, 56FPS, mythical antirollingshutter,etc,etc...Yeah, we heard the film and DSRL were dead 3,445,243,276 times, and personally I do not care...

[@ShutterKnack]

One thing that people don't usually touch on when it comes to optical and electronic viewfinders is eye strain.

[@classicturn]

I had a bridge camera with an EVF and after prolonged use, my eyes would start to tear up. So not i. Any rush to go mirrorless. To be fair, I haven't used the modern mirrorless cameras yet.

[@jordanlaine7412]

I think for that price, I would buy a used a7riii and send it in to remove the Bayer filter.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

good point

[@yungsookevinhong7943]

Leica R has the longest flange length on DSLR, and Leica M has the longest flange distant on non mirror camera,

[@Amia67360]

Leica R is "passé" ! Today you have only Leica 'S', 'SL', 'M' and 'Q' !

[@matthew_montoya_]

Pick Me Pete 📸!!!

[@nomadsails]

Pick me Pete 📸

[@VidabyLuis]

Pick Me Pete 📸

[@rwalden87]

Pick me Pete📸

[@MichealSeaghdha]

That was a good, honest review. I agree that existing Pentax users are likely to provide the bulk of potential users for this camera. I had a bad experience with a new Pentax DSLR, the K-5, back in 2012. It was a camera that had received glowing reviews, but I immediately found the sensor to have oil spots, which were removed by an authorised repairer in the UK. Later it emerged that the image stabilsation system didn't work and all but one of the four lenses I purchased suffered from unreliable focus accuracy on static subjects. It seemed pretty obvious to me that the quality control standards for Pentax were appalling and after a couple of years I concluded that it was foolish to throw good money after bad. My advice to any of your viewers is to invest in Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus or Panasonic. It is remarkable that Pentax has survived this long and I personally find it a complete mystery. In answer to your question, I love black and white but, aside from portraits, it's a bit pretentious isn't it? The world is made up of millions of colours and to rub them out is killing beauty at a stroke. So no, I won't be buying a b/w camera by Pentax or anyone else. But I wouldn't judge anyone for feeling differently to me.

[@gamingwithstand6886]

I feel when companies make engineering mistakes it's maybe because they brought on new engineers and someone really messed up. One of my friends is a engineer for a large company and this friend just worked on one small part. So out of a team of engineers it takes one person to mess up a product. A good company like Toyota will fix those problems fast even do free recalls before the government has to get in. Hyundai and Kia and BMW and a lot of other car companies are trash and continue to make junk because there is a new sucker born ever second.

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Thanks, Michael. The amount of trouble you had with your camera and lenses is very sad to hear. Pentax is such a niche brand but they do have their loyal followers which I suppose keep them going. I don't think black and white is pretentious, but having a monochrome only camera might be! LOL

[@dukenukem5768]

I find that surprising because one of the selling points of Pentax is that they are well made, even if they don't keep up with the very latest focussing speed. There was an issue (since resolved) with a substandard solenoid of some cameras sold some years ago, but I had never heard of oil spots. Perhaps yours had been used as a demonstrator, or was an Amazon return.

[@MichealSeaghdha]

@@dukenukem5768 It was purchased brand new from a dealer. The build quality appeared OK, but unfortunately looks can be deceptive.

[@GODSPEEDseven]

Hum. Ok.. But you do realise, that QC is something that effects EACH and EVERY company on this planet, right? Imagine if the amount of billions of dollars invested in something precise like a space shuttle can blow up on launch. Imagine if we just said, hey, just scrap that, never try again. We wouldn't get anywhere. It REALLY sucks when we buy something new, and we are the extremely unlucky person to get the lemon! I get that. Happened to me too, once. I had bought a K-7 back then. Sensor had a dust spot. It was sent in to Pentax. They replaced the sensor free of charge. Got the camera back in my hands in under 2 weeks. That camera is still used for photography to this day. I use it alongside the K-1 and K-70. Only single problem I ever had with any Pentax equipment, from SDM lenses to old and new lenses from the film era. Your assessment and recommendation comes off as sort of biased, and also - somewhat - ill-willed. Seriously, to tell everyone to stay away from Pentax, but invest in any other brand is not only shallow, but is a complete disregard for the actual thing that Pentax is well-regarded for; reliability and longevity. I STILL to this day, use OLD and NEW Pentax stuff. I'd say EVERY brand sells incredible cameras! We are so fortunate to have so much choice in the camera world. For each and every taste and necessity. But, every brand has it's lemons. Every brand has some issues with a model, or an issue with a lens. Back and front focus aren't a "Pentax" issue, but an issue with DSLR's as a whole. It's part of the way they function, sometimes a minor adjustment is needed. Pentax is among the only who offer that setting in-camera on all their bodies, even the budget ones. For other brands, you'd need to trade your body, or send it to the manufacturer for tweaking. And, by the way; It is very possible that the person who did the cleaning on the sensor actually busted the Shake Reduction system in the camera. To clean the sensor (which I do myself), one requires a soft touch, pressing too hard WILL damage the mechanism behind the sensor. Making shake reduction useless and dysfunctional. It's like you had a simple cleaning issue to get resolved, but that turned into a nightmare. That honestly sucks! But to just disregard the entire brand on one single instance, sorry, not fair. Been using Pentax for over 20 years. Only ever had 1 issue, and was solved lightning-quick!

[@tonesnaps]

PICK ME PETE 😂❤

[@yungsookevinhong7943]

Pentax is the second longest flange distance of the whole DSLR family, which can not even fit the Leica R lens on without changing the R lens origin mount.

[@skeeveskeeve]

would be hard to go back to DLSR and lose MF peaking.

[@stormfalconstudios]

But at least you get an optical viewfinder instead of watching TV to compose your scene.

[@skeeveskeeve]

@@stormfalconstudios honestly I adapted to the evf pretty quickly

[@stormfalconstudios]

@@skeeveskeeve I still haven't found one I like as well as an optical.

[@alien4898]

Why not to by a fujifilm camera with superb bow simulations…

[@PeteCocoPhoto]

Yep.

[@MichaelFrederickPhoto]

I have a B&W recipe in my XH2, that I love the deep blacks. I find I shoot a lot of B&W with the Fuji.

[@dukenukem5768]

There is a fundamental difference with a camera _designed_ for monochrome. With a colour sensor, it takes four sensor points to create one pixel; two to measure green and one each to measure red and blue. This is done by a matrix of minute red blue and green filters in front of the sensor. But designed for monochrome there is no filter matrix, so every sensor point can create its own data point : the resolution and light gathering can therefore be much higher.

[@Amia67360]

Love your very clear explanation! @@dukenukem5768