@@T0ly113 haha, I have thought about that a lot. Some of the canon glass or third party glass is cheap enough because there's so many out there that I could almost buy a older Canon camera and nice wildlife lens for the price of just one Pentax wildlife lens. Hmmm... But this is working fine for me now. Not like I'm doing it enough or am good enough anyway. Just having fun.
You know me already so yeah my settings are mainly the same as you use but have you able the (have to check in the camera) possibility of using half stop isos? Dont know how to say it. The camera comes with iso 100-200, and goes doubling (doing double) but you can configure it to grow less than double so you can use Iso 1250 and so on. So you dont win grain while pushing a bit further than 800 iso for example. This way you'll have way more iso settings available and you wont need to push iso as high when no needed. Did you knew this? I've been told by a mate from the spanish forum so now my isos are 100-160-200-250-320-400-500-600-800-1000-1250-1600-200-2500-3200 and so on instead of 100-200-400-800-1600-3200
@@danigonzalez4299 I didn't realize you could do that! I've seen it happen in Tav mode automatically, so I guess there must be a setting active right now that lets it work like that in that mode. I'll look into that. Would be handy.
Forgot to mention my AF settings. So here they are... AF.C, SEL, expanded 9. Now here's the important part. AF hold, if it's horizontal panning and there's tree branches or other objects that may come between you and the subject, AF hold high so the camera will ignore the objects and maintain focus on the subject. If it's subjects moving towards or away from the camera, then turn off AF hold so the camera will concentrate on tracking the subject. AF hold low, med, high is basically just changing the duration of time where the camera will maintain the locked on focus plane as you pan. I've been able to shoot birds in flight through a heavy amount of tree branches and the birds were tack sharp and the branches were completely ignored.
One tip on focusing, amigo - manually override focus to be behind a subject, and then use auto-focus. Manual override is supported on all modern pentax lens. The reason to put focus manually behind the subject, rather than in front of it is because pentax AF is quicker when it goes from far to near, than when it goes from near to far.
Thanks for the tip on decoupline the AF button from the shutter release button; and the suggestion to use continuous focus. I still shoot my old K20D with great results most of the time, but your tips will make it even better. Next camera my be a K1, as soon as I can afford it. I shoot the community and environment around me, in Lapu Lapu City, PH. Wonder place to have a camera, seeing a country coming up from the third world. I'm in the right place at the right time, and glad to be here.
I acquired a secondhand Pentax K-x which I am using with a bunch of 90's film camera lenses. I also shoot alot of film on several MZ bodies. I am a novice photographer and a huge Pentax fan. Thank you for all the Pentax content!
I have both da☆ 300 and da☆ 200 and a k5iis. The 200mm2.8 is very nice for low light. It's an option if you can't afford 300 on k1. And it's lighter and a great portrait lens. Perfect lens for a walkaround in forest.
I've looked at that 200 a lot. I've heard from some people they have been even more impressed with it than the 300. That's got to be saying a lot, then!
Ok I can compare the Pentax K50, K70 & K3-11 with the 55-300 PLM WR ED lens. I have used the lens on all three cameras to shoot wildlife mainly bird photograph. All three can give you good bird pictures. The K3-11 has a higher shutter speed 8000 v 6000 for the other cameras with double the focus points 27v 11. You have to go into the menu 's on the K50& K70 to set up for continuous autofocus and focus points. The K3-11 has buttons to change autofocus and focus points. The K70 & K3-11 have back button focus buttons on the back of the camera without changing the setting.
Good question. The K3 gives you greater reach, lighter weight, faster FPS but the K1 has the greater resolution, more focusing points, better IBIS, better DR and ISO performance. I feel my KP is a great compromise (for me) between the two.
I've heard the image quality on the KP is superb 👍 Does seem like a good mix of the two. I'm waiting for it to get a bit older than I'll pick one up and try it out 😉
@@snappiness I upgraded from a K3 which I had for nearly seven years. I didn't really outgrow it since the performance was still fantastic but I did crave missing features like the tilt screen and the 5-axis IBIS but didn't want to wait for the K3 III and didn't need FF. In many respects, it was the best Pentax option for me.
Great video with an excellent comparison. Real world, straight talk about your experience with each camera. I trust in the field hands on testing so much more, and your calm, "this is how it is" presentation is spot on.
You're killin' me kid! I'm LITTERALLY shopping for a new Pentax (I feel I've out grown my K10D - My K100D Super needs sold, it's getting so dusty) and I've narrowed it down to the K-3ii, K-1, and KP (KP is spendy right now, so it is way down on my list, it doesn't seem comfy with a heavy lens, but I LOVE the retro style). Trying to keep it @~ $700'ish US (Body only) but they're going for a premium now a day. Most of my photography is walking around town, hiking in the mountains, and LOTS of night time images (I love city/mountain/sky photos at night). The size of the K-3 and K-1 had me a little skittish, but I really love the feel of my K10D so I think it's just a unnecessary worry. Thanks again for a great video, I'll see you in the forums :)
Hmm, it does sound like the KP would be a good fit for you then if you can find it at the right price. It has excellent low light performance. Feels comparable to my K-1 that way. The small size can be a little awkward with huge lenses, but then makes a great pairing with smaller lenses for walking around/hiking. But a used K-3 can't be beat either, especially for the price, and will perform very well even if a little less so than the KP sensor and processor wise. I personally really like the size and feel of the K-3. It's very similar to the K10D total size wise, but the grip feels way different. But in a good way. It's deeper. K-1 is quite a bit chunkier and heavier. If you care about the size, then I think you should rule the K-1 out as you'll have a better experience with the smaller and lighter cameras.
The K3iii with the DFA 150-450 is a great combination. I don't have the K1 so I can't make that comparison, but the difference between the K3 and K3iii is probably close to that between K200D and K3. I need to sell my DA*300 because after buying the DFA 150-450, I simply don't use the older lens. The HDDA 55-300 PLM is also very capable but not optically as good as the 300.
I also have both and fully concur with your views. Great review, nicely done in a laid back considered way. The K1 of course only gives the equivalent of 16MP on crop sensor DA lenses, but is still very good and no difference on screen viewing, only if you then want to print to huge sizes. Keep up the good (Pentax) work. Thanks.
Don’t get rid of your K3. It’s a nice camera. I have a KS two that I’ve had since it came out and I had a case 70 but I gave it to my granddaughter. I have a K-1 mark two and I love it. Only thing is it’s a heavy camera, and when you put a land on it like the 50 mm 1.4 it really gets heavy that’s like a tank so keep your cameras a good you don’t see a lot of advertisement about them, but they are a good camera
I have come around to realizing the k-3 and K-1 are more then capable wildlife shooting cameras. The K-1 is diffidently on my purchase list . The k-3 seems to be very capable camera. I have the KP but not the other two. I will have to change that.
For wild animals, who usually are moving slowly, I use crop bodies, K-5II and KP with the DA* 60-250 (with DA 1.4 teleconverter sometimes). Full frame is just too heavy and big for me. I use Pentax crop for landscapes too and can print beautiful, sharp images up to 30 inches no problem. I stay with crop because of size and weight. For international travel, I can fit a KP, DA*55, Sigma 8-16, DA 16-85, FA 135, DA 1.4, batteries, ND filters, cleaning equip, straps etc in a smallish carry on Thinktank sling bag. The tripod goes in checked luggage. APS-C, as a system, definitely has the edge over full frame when it comes to size. And with the KP I can easily push ISO to 6400 and still get good images. Though, more and more I just use my Sony RX100vii for everyday use on runs, hikes, city travel. I've been a fan of the RX100 series for years. But nothing can beat Pentax for all weather use. APS-C is the very good size and weight compromise for me for land/seascapes, animals, portaits.
So I use my K-3 with the da* 300/4 for birds and wildlife, and in good light, with the da 1.4x converter. In good light I am very please with performance and IQ. I agree that cropping images above 1600 ISO renders grainy noise, but I can usually clean it up with lightroom in most cases. Here is my reluctance to convert to a K-1: Price. Frame rates. FILE SIZE and WEIGHT/SIZE. Aren't the 36mp full frame files significantly larger than k-3 files? I'd have to buy a bigger, more expensive computer to process those files. And lugging around a larger kit doesn't really appeal to me either, especially when needing agility to capture wildlife. Want to talk about a beast? I have tried my A* 300/2.8 for birds on the k-3. It is very heavy. Easy to focus, and sometimes preferable over the 300/4 in low light settings. I've also experimented combining this with the FA AF 1.7x converter for a semi-AF 510/4.5. I lose some sharpness, but could be handy for slow moving wildlife. I've also experimented with the FA* 80-200/2.8 for birds in thickly-wooded settings where they would tend to be closer and in lower light. This works nice too. I can get around high ISO for birds in some cases by using a flash with the Better Beamer lens on it. Flash does not seem to bother the birds, but the rig is a bit more unwieldly, especially in crowded or tight surroundings.
That 300mm 2.8 is huge! Wow! The 80-200 (or a 70-200) 2.8 is a good idea. I imagine on APSC that's a pretty good focal length actually for those situations where you're closer and need that extra light. The K1 is definitely not an ideal wildlife camera, I was just surprised how well it held up, especially with the major cropping. At this point I still can't decide which one I want to take out everyday. What a problem to have, two fantastic cameras!
Many photographers like to carry a backup body, preferably of the same type, but the k3 would make a nice backup, the only problem would be different controls would need special attention when switching between bodies.
Other things worth mentioning are the better dynamic range of the K1. The increased FPS in crop mode. That you're often cropping for wildlife, so the vignetting with the 1.4x needn't be an issue. I used single spot for stationary subjects, and the cluster of 9 for birds in flight. Having said that, while I still have a K3, I haven't used it for 3 years. I now use a d500 for wildlife and the K1 for everything else.
Back in the 70s a saw an article on a Japanese photographer using a Spiratone 400mm lens on a 645 body. The vignette produced by the lens on the larger negative was used on purpose to frame some lovely shots of cranes in their nest.
Great comparison. I have both K-1 and K-3 Yes your quite right K-1 image quality is awesome. And I find shooting sports the K-3 has been awesome. I find the picture quality between the two can be bridged with Post processing. Then there is a lot less difference. Thanks again.
For what it's worth, I really like the noise on the K-3 @4:44. To be fair I'm also someone who likes noise, and I often add more to my images but I can understand wanting to start with a clean image
Great video, followed you on Insta! I really appreciate the tone and informative nature of your videos. I don't have an opinion on this subject in particular, as I only just recently got into DSLRs. One day I'll get that lens. Thanks for the great content!
I have both the K1 and K3. Just purchased the K3 Mark 3, the high ISO imho beats the K1 and blows away the K3 Mark 3. I have gotten very useable images at 12800 with the new K3. It was expensive but worth it for me. Keep the videos coming.
Great! That's what I hear too and what I've seen from the sample files. I'm usually behind the times quite a bit so I'll be looking to pick one of those up in two years or so ;) for now I just bought a KP for kinda a best of both worlds between the K3 and K1. More complicated then that, but at least for high ISO performance and getting better FPS and the crop for wildlife.
@@snappiness I would love to see a comparison between the KP and K3iii for wildlife for someone on a budget. KPs seem overpriced right now. So does the K3iii. I think the K1 would be perfect if only crop mode was 24mp instead of 16.
The da*300mm is a crop sensor lens I am sure the k-1 uses lens in crop mode so focal length in 35mm terms should be the same. Correct me if I am wrong. Enjoyed the talk and your photos are brilliant.
There is a confusing history to this 😄 Pentax originally advertised it as an APSC lens and I think that was because they didn't have a digital full frame camera back in 2008. Even now on B&H it is advertised as APSC. But it is in fact a full frame design, and even now on Ricoh's official Pentax lens roadmap it shows as one of the few DA* lenses that is full frame. So when placed on a K-1 it won't automatically go to crop mode, and will be a true 300mm 35mm equivalent focal length. Of course, I could always enter crop mode myself, but I could just do that in post so it wouldn't be terribly helpful. The extra reach on a crop body is very helpful in many situations. I often feel too far on my K-1. But when shooting at 10000+ ISO the K-1's cropped image comes out more usable to me, even if it's less MP. I've heard the KP is great image quality so that would be the best of both worlds. Or of course the new K3III, but I don't got that kind of money laying around ;) Thanks for your comment.
Thanks snappiness ! I have the new K3-iii and just purchased the DA* 300 and HD1.4x tele. Unfortunately, Covid lockdown has stopped me getting out and about with the combo. I can attest to the K3-iii's INCREDIBLE high ISO performance and frame rates but have only used the new body on a Tamron 70-200 f2.8, Sigma DC 18-38 f1.8 Art and an old Sigma APO 170-500 (which I am now selling due to the new 300). Very happy with the results so far - certainly a quantum leap ahead of the K3-i which was my previous body. I like sports action and wildlife but am yet to find the right combo of AF/mode/area/tracking and button settings to get the highest in-focus hit rates. With SO many settings it will take me a while but I definitely intend to take your advice and uncouple the AF from the shutter button - great idea. I'd love to hear from anyone using the new K3 for sports/action to see how they have set the config up and what they have found. I'd also love to see that dedicated DA* 300mm review that you said you would do in the future.
I think you will really like the DA* 300. You'll have to let me know how you like the hd da 1.4x. I am still saving up some money and convincing myself whether I need it or not 😄 The dedicated video on the 300 is out now. You can find it on my main channel page a couple videos back from the latest. I did upgrade my k3 to a KP. A bit of a downgrade in some areas, but the high ISO performance is much better and that is what I needed for these low light bird shots. The K3III definitely looks like a winner, just out of my reach right now. I'll pick one up in a few years on the used market :)
@@snappiness Yes I found the 300 video! My 1.4x is still on backorder and due in 2 weeks. I will certainly let you know how it pairs with the 300 and my 70-200. I also have a 600 mirror that the conv might play nicely with. What's your Instagram ID? There are quite a few snappiness variants. Mine is tony_stark_ironyman. Keep up the Pentax gear videos, we are quite a minority these days but no other maker innovates like Pentax.
I literally just bought a K3 last week mostly because of your videos. You drew me in on a bit on how good the K5 and some older models still are, then I watched some videos on the K3 while I was looking around for a good deal on a K5 and I ended up finding someone looking to unload their k3 with 6 lenses. I can't wait to take my first picture!
@@onirrapdivad Hope you have enjoyed your K-3. I have the K-3 mk III now but my old K-3.1 was very reliable and I still think I had a lot to learn from it. A very good camera.
the focal length does not change, there is no difference in reach. What changes is your "field of view". It is what you see through the viewfinder that changes. If you measure from the focal plane to the focusing element of the lens it is 300mm no matter what it is attached to.
You should look into a D300 nikon 300 f4 combo equivalent equivalent. The Nikon d300 is a legendary cheap alternative for sports and wild life photography.
Well, it has been more than 1 month using exclusively my K1 for birding. I find that my keepers are better on the K1 then K3. However, I have less keepers because I still have difficulty focusing when the bird (or subject) has something close to it. I use spot center focus for birds on branches and things like that. I have it setup in one of the user modes. However, bird in flight success is much better with the K1. I use the 9-center focus and it works great for me. Well.... so far for egrets and large birds.
I shoot a lot of birds with my K1ii and 300mm F4. I tried a few times with my K1ii but several of my pics were not focused right. Most of the time, however, they were birds surrounded by leaves or branches and maybe the center "spot" for metering is a bit bigger on the K1 than the K3. Anyhow, after listening to this video, I will try it out again. The burst rate is not very important for me since I do not often see birds in flight. Anyways..... thank you very much for this video ! ! ! !
Love my Pentax K3. Just belongs in my hand. And when I took some night shots...omg the image was just....there! One thing though: I cannot seem to calibrate my manual 50mm f1.4 lens so I can view my f stop and exposure. Is that function only on the mkii and mkiii? Great video and images - inspiring😁
I do wildlife maybe once a year, sometimes less... I use the 60 - 250mm f/4 on my k3s for that. For my use (mainly landscape), I know full frame is better, but aps-c is sufficient most of the times. In terms of iso performance, I keep my k3s under 6400 as noise doesn't anoy me at this level. The 300mm and the teleconverter are very tempting but not on my wishlist yet.
I don't think FF is better, just different. In this case the IQ differences are really just because of the age difference between the two cameras. And the K3 is no slouch. I am still constantly amazed by it.
Haha, two kidneys but amazing! I would recommend getting the lens first. That alone will improve IQ (depending what lens you are coming from). Even shooting it on my 15 year old Pentax K10d the images look great. That might tide you over for a bit until you get a new camera. And maybe by then the price will have dropped a bit (I predict the price of the new camera dropping significantly over a year). My two cents!
@@daellis130 I thought about this myself. I went for the 300 because I knew I would be using it on the long end the whole time. But the 60-250 would be very versatile depending on what you are planning to use it for. Also seems optically strong.
Good to hear your thoughts in using both bodies with the 300. It does sound like the k3iii is going to shore up all the weaknesses of the k3 OG against the K1. Man, is it CP+ yet? I need more deets on that k3iii. Lol.
Haha, I did a double take this week while making this video. I thought we already knew the release date on it, but I guess not. People are just really hoping they announce everything at CP+ like things have been pointed to. Soon!
@@snappiness me too! And yes, hahaha, pretty much all of the K3 threads are pretty entertaining. Some good voices of reason and some that make me wonder why they joined a forum for Pentax gear, and others that are still thinking it'll have a flippy screen haha.
Nice comparison/review. I got the DA*300mm and the HD 1.4 converter for a good second hand price last year. I have not become a wildlife photographer yet though, but it is fun to have at least one long telephoto lens! I think the lens is about as heavy as I comfortably will walk around with for longer periods, so I think the lens will stay :)
What's your feeling with the teleconverter? I'm still on the fence about whether or not it would be worth it. Some examples I have seen have been very good, and others not so good, but it's hard to tell if it's just the photographer or not, haha!
@@snappiness I am quite new to both the DA*300 and the 1.4 converter. I have used them with the K-3 II and so far my feeling is that it is quite good TC, but there is just a slight degradation in IQ, so stopping down slightly is good. Then we are at 420mm and around f/6, and even in daylight it could mean raising ISO. It also gets a bit unstable in the OVF. But it is not really any fault of the TC, just general observations :)
I'd be curious to see this same comparison for the K70 vs K3 and K1. The K70 is supposed to have great high ISO performance and is less expensive new than those cameras are used... very tempting for me. My K3 is a joy but I'm always pushing the ISO high indoors trying to get photos of my daughter.
Why would you use a tele converter that will only DEGRADE your image and cause a LIGHT LOSS too? You already have a teleconverter that wii NOT degrade your image and NOT cause a light loss. Want to know what it is? It's your Crop sensor Camera!!!! I use a Nikon D750 FX body with a D7200 DX sensor body. Both produce a 24MP size image at 6 frames per second. I use both AF and Manual Focus Tele Lenses with both Slow and Fast F Stop ratings. Back in the day I use to use both Pentax LX and MX bodies with Motor Drives and Bulk Magazine Backs for Sports and Wild Life. The motors topped out at 6 FPS. Always got Pro-Grade results using Sticks & Monopods with a Gimbal. The K-1 & K-3 is a good Full Frame and Crop Sensor combo too at 36 MP and 24 MP. If one is on a budget, buy Manual focus lenses. The Pentax SMC teles like the SMC 200 F2.5, SMC 300F4, SMC 400 F5.6 or the RARE SMC 500f5,6 Manual Focus lenses are All GREAT and Cheap to buy. Just learn how to Manual Focus and your Keeper Rates will nearly match any Auto Focus lens/camera combo out their. The Tamron 300 F2.8 Manual lens is also a good Speed lens to use. For Auto Focus, get a Tamron 70-200 f2.8. A very handy lens that is also cheap.You can pair it wirh a Tamrom 28-75 F2.8.
Excellent video. I'm going the other way, selling the K1 and sticking with aps-c . The old K5 will do me for now, I'll watch the K3iii with interest. One thing I do wish - that Sigma would make the 150-600 in K mount. That would really open things up for Pentax sports and wildlife.
That would be a fantastic addition. I've looked at that lens for other systems. I'm still on the fence still between which cameras to keep. I've had a lot of down time recently (lost power, yay Texas) and have almost decided. I have quite a few (too many) cameras and would rather consolidate and buy some lenses or equipment. For landscape, wildlife, etc the K3 is more than enough in my eyes. I love it to death. But for family stuff I have absolutely loved the K1 and FF lenses. That's my basic back and forth for now :)
@@snappinesssounds similar. Too many cameras. I have mirroless in the mix too. I've more or less settled on the Olympus Em5iii and small primes as a "daily/ultra compact travel " kit. But I still think SLr's have the edge for sport, so I'd like to keep one around for those uses (outdoor large field sports for me) . I suspect the next K3 will equal the K1 for image quality and likely smaller, so the crop factor will also help for sports and the smaller DA lenses will work fine. But as mentioned, the issue is lenses. Worst case, I should be able to find a 150-500 or Bigma. But it's a hassle when I can just buy a Nikon 7500 and Sigma 120-600 that would do the job. When / if I return to full frame, it'd likely be mirrorless. The Nikon Z's are similar to how I think Pentax would do it.
@@jshanni2066 those Nikon z's look very tempting. I have checked them out a few times. Becoming very competitive price wise too for their entry models, and very feature filled still.
I had a K-3 and a K-3 II. I chopped in the 3 for a low shutter count (9,000) K-1 and found it to be okay(ish) with long lenses but from 70mm down, the lens prices were/are so high it became a bad idea for a retired person like me, on a fixed income. As a result, after 6 months I swapped the K-1 for an almost brand new 3 with an even lower exposure count bundled with a brand new Pentax 16-85mm DC lens and what a combination those two are. I might consider the K-3 III and pair it with my K-3 II depending an how much my old 3 would get and I'm not holding my breath there!
I’ve been lusting for the DA 300 for a while now. I was about to pull the trigger for a used one but then there was a Sigma 100-300 f4 EX DG that popped up which is quite rare with the PK mount. It will be my wildlife lens. Check out the ratings on Pentax forums! I’m looking forward to using it! ✌️
I have read about that lens a lot. Mostly for Canon for my father-in-law. Seems like optically very very good, and then you get that nice versatility of the zoom. Have fun with it!
Still no 7D mk3. Might go to Pentax K-3 mk3, just for the ovf and recent sensor. Canon 40D here and many lenses. Needing 3 Pentax lenses for birds, landscapes on apsc and macro plus nice day-to-day general zoom lens. Oh thats 4. Huge financial problem here.
I just got a 40d! No lenses except the kit 18-55. Any affordable favorites for canon? When I shot canon before I just had the 18-135, which was great. I've been looking at the 24mm 2.8 because it's affordable, small, and gets good marks.
I think with the KP you kinda get the best of both worlds for wildlife. The APSC size, crop and speed advantages with the newer sensor and processor similar to the ISO performance on the K-1. Full frame can be cool for other reasons, but I think that's a nice setup!
I do agree with all what you say even thought i never tried a K1 but a question cames to mind. Do you shoot in Raw? I mean it because on the K3 i think you could be able to push a bit more the iso and recover on post. I will also tell you i also dont feel like pushing its iso more than 2000 or 3200. I mean if you can work that way (no idea if suits you) the K3 as you say has a better frame rate that helps getting *that* moment and a bit more reach which also usually is helpful.
Yes, that's a good point of cleaning it up in post. And as I've said I think the high ISO on the k3 is still amazing. Not many situations where I was pushing it past my limits, but just a few dark early mornings where I was. The frame rate really is such a big advantage. Especially for anything I know is going to be moving quick.
@@snappiness yeah exactly. 4,5fps of course is good enough. But sometimes you need a bit more. Anyways isn't the K1 the one that has a crop factor and a better frame rate of 8fps?
@@snappiness I think I found the option on the menu: You need to go to "C" where settings are and on Number 2 where it says something like "Sensibility Steps(?)" (Pasos Sensibilidad in spanish) you need to pick up number 2 ("As EV "steps" "). Let me know if it worked or I'll keep it another look and try to let you know how to do this.
Why is it that in the shadow of the camera, the Pentax does not create a pure gray color, but with a departure to purple? Is this a bug and a Sony matrix problem? In the photo with the stork, this purple appears instead of a pure lead color.
I am still wondering it the K1 ii or the k3 would be a good side step for me for some walkabout and event (low light) stuff. Compared to my xt4 which had lovely glass, but as a body I really dislike.
I do really love the ergonomics of Pentax, but I wish you could try one out in person before you buy if handling is the main draw. It's good to find a camera that works with you that way!
It is advertised as apsc only, but the lens design does cover a full frame sensor. I think even on the official pentax lens road map they mark it as an full frame lens, though on their product listing pages it's apsc. I think this is due to it being released almost a decade before their first digital FF camera. 👍
Hopefully this link works. It's in the section as DA lenses that cover full 35mm format pentaxrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pentax-K-mount-lens-June-2020-roadmap-2.jpeg hope that helps
@@snappiness Thank you... I have a K-5 and a KP and considered a K-1, but I have a LOT of DA* glass I would have to trade to effectively use the K-1. My only glass that's compatible is the DFA 150-450. I do shoot wildlife, mostly birds with the 150-450 on my KP.
@@tedtbc4261 Don't underestimate the DFA 28-105. It's a wonderful lens, tack-sharp and beloved by everyone who's reviewed it. Around $400 used in the USA, it could handle 75% of most anyone's general photography, with a few specialist lenses on the side.
PLEASE TALK TO ME...I too have a k3 and k1. I'm debating between the 300 prime and the 150-450 zoom. Your thoughts? Trip to Uganda in September. I'm a traveling Chef for Netfix Documentary crews. PLEASE RESPOND. THANKS....GREAT VIDEO BTW
I've never used the 150-450, but I do have the sigma 50-500 now. The 300 prime is lighter, smaller, and lets in quite a bit more light (f4). But no zoom, only 300. It's hard to say what you value more for that trip. If you need space and weight savings, the 300 is excellent and a personal favorite of mine. But if you want the flexibility of the zoom and longer range then you kinda have no choice but the 150-450...
I shoot wildlife (and other stuff) in Panama with my K3 and am still unsure how much I'm prepared to shell out for a decent long reach prime. I'm still using my Tamron 18-250 and get some great shots when the light is good but it's frustrating to miss when the conditions aren't perfect. The DA 300 is obviously fantastic but what else do you consider worth trying? BTW your focus set up is the same one I use.
I don't think it gives you any larger aperture compared to that 18-250, but I have seen really good things from the pentax 55-300 PLM version. Not cheap, but much cheaper than a prime. I have not used it personally, but it looks like it's sharp enough even on it's open aperture (6.3 or so when at 300mm I think) whereas other cheaper zoom telephotos I find only to be sharp on the long end starting at f10 or so. Not sure what your experience has been with that 18-250. The DA 300 doesn't replace it because it's less versatile and quite large and heavy. But when you want that brighter aperture, it's a good bet. They are tough to find used, but occasionally you can get them for around what I got mine for (~$500). Still really pricey, and it's only recently where I could commit to a purchase like that, but very nice. Hopefully that's helpful! Keep on shooting! Panama sounds very cool!
@@snappiness Thanks for the tips. I'll keep my eyes open for a bargain. There's no second hand market here in Panama (no one's even heard of Pentax 😉) but I do keep looking on Ebay. Thanks for the videos, I like your approach (I am at the budget end of the game) and enjoy your photography, keep it up. 👍
Consider the Pentax DA* 50-135 2.8 or the FA* 70-200 2.8 lenses. Both of them produce really sharp images. The * lenses are also AW (All Weather), which is a higher level of weatherproofing than the WR (Weather Resistant) rating of the non-* lenses. The constant 2.8 aperture lets you shoot at higher speeds when you need to, and the internal focus and internal zoom of both lenses means they never change their length. This also helps to keep out water, because when a zoom lens extends, air has to enter it. If it’s raining, water could enter, too. The only drawbacks of the 70-200 lens are that it’s big and quite heavy. The 50-135 is only about 1/3 of the weight of the 70-200, so I don’t think twice about taking it around town for casual shooting, while the big lens only comes out when I really need it. Also, the big lens is about 2-1/2 times the price of the small lens, here in Canada at least. As a result, I’m considering selling the 70-200, because I don’t use it very much, and I should be able to get a good price for it. So there you go. Both lenses are great, so choose the one that best suits your needs. Either one will let you get some really sharp pictures. You’ll impress yourself! Finally, B&H Photo in New York City has good prices and great service. I got my 50-135 there, because the prices in Canada were too high.
@@nomorokay Hey, thanks for the recommendations. I had looked at 70-200's and the Pentax gets great reviews, however one article I read was comparing it to the Tokina 80-200 f2. 8 and the summary was that there was little to choose between them in image quality. They don't come up for sale very often but I snagged one from Japan a month ago for $350. So far I'm very impressed. It's a step up from my Tamron super zoom and the 2.8 really helps with autofocus even if I stop down for the shot. Like the Pentax it's a heavy all metal beast but the smooth zoom and manual focus (when I need it) are a joy to use. Early days yet but I'm happy with it so far.
I was thinking the same thing that the K3 Mk III would be a good way to get the best of K1 and my KP. Like you noted, I’ll have to sell a kidney but that’s OK! 😅
@@snappiness Yes! Have been saving up since I first read about the new prism glass. (Prefer to compose and focus with the viewfinder more than the LCD like back in the heyday of film.)
Yes you need to keep the K3 (both with K1) :) The price today is so low, that it is not worth selling it and those two do complement each other. AF behaves +/- same, because it is the same SAFOX generation, jsut with few more AF points on K1. Just check if you have latest K3 firmware 1.41. My AF button on back is set to AF-OFF, so it simply switches AF OFF when pressed. Worked well on few airshows and I don't need to change settings if somebody else grabs the camera and wants to shoot too. But that is personal pref. AF on K3 needs to hit focus and stabilise the shot a little bit better due to slightly larger resolution per sensor area (K1 APS-C sized crop is around 15Mpix and if some distand bird in center is in focus, slight misfocus, movement or lens weakness is more noticeable on less forgiving 24Mpix APS-C. Similar difference can be seen nicely between for example D750 and D850, while both are FF cameras the low res D750 is a more forgiving on focus accuracy and lens quality. Slight issues are not visible, while that 45Mpix thing demands the best optics and steady well focused shot to shine and show all the details. Comparison with D700 is even more noticeable). Sony 60Mpix FF must be even more demanding. In Pentax world for example FA50/1.4 behaves like sharp lens on K100D even in F1.4-F2 range, but lacks a lot fine resolution and contrast on K3, where it starts to be interesting with F2.8+ K3 has some advantages.. it is more portable and with lens like 18-135 there is no light hiking alternative for K1 other than 28-105 and crop-zoom loosing details or some old 28-200 Tamron/Sigma FF lenses that have weak edges even with F8. Not to mention things like DA18-270 or Sig18-250/18-300 available for APS-C. Also for ultrawide shots there is no lens for K1 except very old and rare FF Sigma12-24. And with low-light, hi-iso and noise lenses like Sig18-35/1.8 can help a lot. I'm curious about the new K3-3 too.. lets hope it will come soon and will be ok. Unfortunately all we saw yet is that it is going to have pentaprism, grip, shutter button, no flash and fixed rear screen.. not a single word about image output, hi-iso behavior or AF performance :( And many years passed since K3 (8), K3II (6) and even KP (4) introduction..
Great background on some of those findings, thanks for the info! I don't know very much about those technical things. Just what I experience using it :) Good point about the nice compact lenses. I've heard really really good things about the 55-300PLM too. Seems like a winner. And we will see about the K3III. I don't buy new cameras anyway, so I'll have a few years to decide on it as the price drops. Numbers don't tell a while story (heck, that's what pentaxians are trying to tell people all along!) So I'll see what comes out of it as people use it. I'm pretty sure we won't be disappointed on the image quality and build quality, at the very least :)
@@snappiness Yes, even the classic DA55-300 from 2007 is nice small portable lens. AF might hunt if camera miss, but it is not action photography equipment anyway, so it happens rarely. It was my second lens. I bought it after Sig17-70 at the beginning with K20D. And even such combo of lazy autofocusing 3 fps camera and slow focusing consumer tourist oriented lens can do things like: i.imgur.com/Y1WmlCE.jpg i.imgur.com/dIHbBlA.jpg i.imgur.com/6FGtf7O.jpg i.imgur.com/KkJaACV.jpg i.imgur.com/6XEYUvB.jpg i.imgur.com/WvkshFh.jpg i.imgur.com/wHkx3Hn.jpg i.imgur.com/BvBIxqz.jpg i.imgur.com/qkvUfT4.jpg (And I was complete beginner having that K20D for just few months with only P&S experiences before.. ) :D For K1 there is no such lens. Nearest is probably Sigma 70-300 APO which is a bit older, or you have to grab some large elephant like DFA150-450. Many classic lenses are missing in Pentax FF portfolio... it really was a strange step. Good for owners of older FF lenses, but not much interesting for new customers. And now with Sigma out of K mount, options are even more reduced.
There are lots of great cameras, but if a used k-3 is in your price range and you want to use Pentax glass and a great all around camera, I would recommend!
It is actually the mark I. I think the k-3 III would clearly take the advantage. The only reason here in this video I preferred the K-1 was the high ISO performance, but the K-3 III not only does great there, it also has the best AF in Pentax by a bit from what I hear. I upgraded my K-3 to a KP about a month ago and now that's been my wildlife setup. High ISO is very similar to the K-1. Very good. Slower burst then the K-3, but because I'm shooting so early in the morning the high ISO was the most important for me. I'll get the K-3 III in a couple years. I always lag a few years behind because I'm cheap :)
IMHO you are comparing apples to oranges here. If you were to shoot a wildlife image requiring cropping you will actually have more effective pixels in the K3 than the K1. So for bird photography the K3 wins hands down on the final image because of the effective # of pixels in the final image. For landscapes the K1and a whole host of other reasons the K1 cannot be beat and that IS based on a scientific analysis. I will include a link here to explain it more clearly: th-cam.com/video/hi_CkZ0sGAw/w-d-xo.html
Totally! It looks like a huge leap in performance from what I've seen. I'll be looking at it in a year or two and see what the prices are on the used market. I bought this k-1 used two years old. Newest camera I've ever bought :)
Anyone here shooting wildlife with a Pentax?
Me! Using a K5II with the Sigma 150-500. AF is absolutely terrible, so i'm using MF mostly. If i had to choose again, i'd got with Canon for wildlife.
@@T0ly113 haha, I have thought about that a lot. Some of the canon glass or third party glass is cheap enough because there's so many out there that I could almost buy a older Canon camera and nice wildlife lens for the price of just one Pentax wildlife lens. Hmmm... But this is working fine for me now. Not like I'm doing it enough or am good enough anyway. Just having fun.
You know me already so yeah my settings are mainly the same as you use but have you able the (have to check in the camera) possibility of using half stop isos? Dont know how to say it. The camera comes with iso 100-200, and goes doubling (doing double) but you can configure it to grow less than double so you can use Iso 1250 and so on. So you dont win grain while pushing a bit further than 800 iso for example.
This way you'll have way more iso settings available and you wont need to push iso as high when no needed. Did you knew this? I've been told by a mate from the spanish forum so now my isos are 100-160-200-250-320-400-500-600-800-1000-1250-1600-200-2500-3200 and so on instead of 100-200-400-800-1600-3200
@@danigonzalez4299 I didn't realize you could do that! I've seen it happen in Tav mode automatically, so I guess there must be a setting active right now that lets it work like that in that mode. I'll look into that. Would be handy.
@@snappiness yes sir! Me neither until someone told me how to. Let me find how to. But its worthy doing so
Forgot to mention my AF settings. So here they are...
AF.C, SEL, expanded 9. Now here's the important part. AF hold, if it's horizontal panning and there's tree branches or other objects that may come between you and the subject, AF hold high so the camera will ignore the objects and maintain focus on the subject. If it's subjects moving towards or away from the camera, then turn off AF hold so the camera will concentrate on tracking the subject. AF hold low, med, high is basically just changing the duration of time where the camera will maintain the locked on focus plane as you pan. I've been able to shoot birds in flight through a heavy amount of tree branches and the birds were tack sharp and the branches were completely ignored.
Have not played with AF hold yet - great tip! I will now.
One tip on focusing, amigo - manually override focus to be behind a subject, and then use auto-focus. Manual override is supported on all modern pentax lens. The reason to put focus manually behind the subject, rather than in front of it is because pentax AF is quicker when it goes from far to near, than when it goes from near to far.
Cool tip! Thanks!
Thanks for the tip on decoupline the AF button from the shutter release button; and the suggestion to use continuous focus. I still shoot my old K20D with great results most of the time, but your tips will make it even better. Next camera my be a K1, as soon as I can afford it. I shoot the community and environment around me, in Lapu Lapu City, PH. Wonder place to have a camera, seeing a country coming up from the third world. I'm in the right place at the right time, and glad to be here.
I acquired a secondhand Pentax K-x which I am using with a bunch of 90's film camera lenses. I also shoot alot of film on several MZ bodies. I am a novice photographer and a huge Pentax fan. Thank you for all the Pentax content!
Loving the new background.
I have both da☆ 300 and da☆ 200 and a k5iis. The 200mm2.8 is very nice for low light. It's an option if you can't afford 300 on k1. And it's lighter and a great portrait lens. Perfect lens for a walkaround in forest.
I've looked at that 200 a lot. I've heard from some people they have been even more impressed with it than the 300. That's got to be saying a lot, then!
Ok
I can compare the Pentax K50, K70 & K3-11 with the 55-300 PLM WR ED lens. I have used the lens on all three cameras to shoot wildlife mainly bird photograph. All three can give you good bird pictures. The K3-11 has a higher shutter speed 8000 v 6000 for the other cameras with double the focus points 27v 11. You have to go into the menu 's on the K50& K70 to set up for continuous autofocus and focus points. The K3-11 has buttons to change autofocus and focus points. The K70 & K3-11 have back button focus buttons on the back of the camera without changing the setting.
Good question. The K3 gives you greater reach, lighter weight, faster FPS but the K1 has the greater resolution, more focusing points, better IBIS, better DR and ISO performance. I feel my KP is a great compromise (for me) between the two.
I've heard the image quality on the KP is superb 👍 Does seem like a good mix of the two. I'm waiting for it to get a bit older than I'll pick one up and try it out 😉
@@snappiness I upgraded from a K3 which I had for nearly seven years. I didn't really outgrow it since the performance was still fantastic but I did crave missing features like the tilt screen and the 5-axis IBIS but didn't want to wait for the K3 III and didn't need FF. In many respects, it was the best Pentax option for me.
Great video with an excellent comparison. Real world, straight talk about your experience with each camera. I trust in the field hands on testing so much more, and your calm, "this is how it is" presentation is spot on.
You're killin' me kid!
I'm LITTERALLY shopping for a new Pentax (I feel I've out grown my K10D - My K100D Super needs sold, it's getting so dusty) and I've narrowed it down to the K-3ii, K-1, and KP (KP is spendy right now, so it is way down on my list, it doesn't seem comfy with a heavy lens, but I LOVE the retro style). Trying to keep it @~ $700'ish US (Body only) but they're going for a premium now a day.
Most of my photography is walking around town, hiking in the mountains, and LOTS of night time images (I love city/mountain/sky photos at night). The size of the K-3 and K-1 had me a little skittish, but I really love the feel of my K10D so I think it's just a unnecessary worry.
Thanks again for a great video, I'll see you in the forums :)
Hmm, it does sound like the KP would be a good fit for you then if you can find it at the right price. It has excellent low light performance. Feels comparable to my K-1 that way. The small size can be a little awkward with huge lenses, but then makes a great pairing with smaller lenses for walking around/hiking.
But a used K-3 can't be beat either, especially for the price, and will perform very well even if a little less so than the KP sensor and processor wise. I personally really like the size and feel of the K-3. It's very similar to the K10D total size wise, but the grip feels way different. But in a good way. It's deeper. K-1 is quite a bit chunkier and heavier. If you care about the size, then I think you should rule the K-1 out as you'll have a better experience with the smaller and lighter cameras.
The K3iii with the DFA 150-450 is a great combination. I don't have the K1 so I can't make that comparison, but the difference between the K3 and K3iii is probably close to that between K200D and K3. I need to sell my DA*300 because after buying the DFA 150-450, I simply don't use the older lens. The HDDA 55-300 PLM is also very capable but not optically as good as the 300.
I also have both and fully concur with your views. Great review, nicely done in a laid back considered way. The K1 of course only gives the equivalent of 16MP on crop sensor DA lenses, but is still very good and no difference on screen viewing, only if you then want to print to huge sizes. Keep up the good (Pentax) work. Thanks.
Don’t get rid of your K3. It’s a nice camera. I have a KS two that I’ve had since it came out and I had a case 70 but I gave it to my granddaughter. I have a K-1 mark two and I love it. Only thing is it’s a heavy camera, and when you put a land on it like the 50 mm 1.4 it really gets heavy that’s like a tank so keep your cameras a good you don’t see a lot of advertisement about them, but they are a good camera
I have come around to realizing the k-3 and K-1 are more then capable wildlife shooting cameras. The K-1 is diffidently on my purchase list . The k-3 seems to be very capable camera. I have the KP but not the other two. I will have to change that.
For wild animals, who usually are moving slowly, I use crop bodies, K-5II and KP with the DA* 60-250 (with DA 1.4 teleconverter sometimes). Full frame is just too heavy and big for me. I use Pentax crop for landscapes too and can print beautiful, sharp images up to 30 inches no problem. I stay with crop because of size and weight. For international travel, I can fit a KP, DA*55, Sigma 8-16, DA 16-85, FA 135, DA 1.4, batteries, ND filters, cleaning equip, straps etc in a smallish carry on Thinktank sling bag. The tripod goes in checked luggage. APS-C, as a system, definitely has the edge over full frame when it comes to size. And with the KP I can easily push ISO to 6400 and still get good images. Though, more and more I just use my Sony RX100vii for everyday use on runs, hikes, city travel. I've been a fan of the RX100 series for years. But nothing can beat Pentax for all weather use. APS-C is the very good size and weight compromise for me for land/seascapes, animals, portaits.
That K5II is amazing, and the KP I've heard is something else too! Very nice setup. I would say you're covered.
So I use my K-3 with the da* 300/4 for birds and wildlife, and in good light, with the da 1.4x converter. In good light I am very please with performance and IQ. I agree that cropping images above 1600 ISO renders grainy noise, but I can usually clean it up with lightroom in most cases.
Here is my reluctance to convert to a K-1: Price. Frame rates. FILE SIZE and WEIGHT/SIZE. Aren't the 36mp full frame files significantly larger than k-3 files? I'd have to buy a bigger, more expensive computer to process those files. And lugging around a larger kit doesn't really appeal to me either, especially when needing agility to capture wildlife.
Want to talk about a beast? I have tried my A* 300/2.8 for birds on the k-3. It is very heavy. Easy to focus, and sometimes preferable over the 300/4 in low light settings. I've also experimented combining this with the FA AF 1.7x converter for a semi-AF 510/4.5. I lose some sharpness, but could be handy for slow moving wildlife.
I've also experimented with the FA* 80-200/2.8 for birds in thickly-wooded settings where they would tend to be closer and in lower light. This works nice too.
I can get around high ISO for birds in some cases by using a flash with the Better Beamer lens on it. Flash does not seem to bother the birds, but the rig is a bit more unwieldly, especially in crowded or tight surroundings.
That 300mm 2.8 is huge! Wow! The 80-200 (or a 70-200) 2.8 is a good idea. I imagine on APSC that's a pretty good focal length actually for those situations where you're closer and need that extra light.
The K1 is definitely not an ideal wildlife camera, I was just surprised how well it held up, especially with the major cropping. At this point I still can't decide which one I want to take out everyday. What a problem to have, two fantastic cameras!
Many photographers like to carry a backup body, preferably of the same type, but the k3 would make a nice backup, the only problem would be different controls would need special attention when switching between bodies.
Other things worth mentioning are the better dynamic range of the K1. The increased FPS in crop mode. That you're often cropping for wildlife, so the vignetting with the 1.4x needn't be an issue. I used single spot for stationary subjects, and the cluster of 9 for birds in flight. Having said that, while I still have a K3, I haven't used it for 3 years. I now use a d500 for wildlife and the K1 for everything else.
Good point about cropping in anyway. 👍
Back in the 70s a saw an article on a Japanese photographer using a Spiratone 400mm lens on a 645 body. The vignette produced by the lens on the larger negative was used on purpose to frame some lovely shots of cranes in their nest.
That's a good point! Sometimes I even add a vignette in post production for style. Definitely can be used as part of the image.
Great comparison. I have both K-1 and K-3 Yes your quite right K-1 image quality is awesome. And I find shooting sports the K-3 has been awesome. I find the picture quality between the two can be bridged with Post processing. Then there is a lot less difference. Thanks again.
Awesome, your take on both has really helped me! Thanks and keep up the Gr8 work 👊
Thanks!
For what it's worth, I really like the noise on the K-3 @4:44. To be fair I'm also someone who likes noise, and I often add more to my images but I can understand wanting to start with a clean image
Great video, followed you on Insta! I really appreciate the tone and informative nature of your videos. I don't have an opinion on this subject in particular, as I only just recently got into DSLRs. One day I'll get that lens. Thanks for the great content!
Cool, thanks for stopping by!
I have both the K1 and K3. Just purchased the K3 Mark 3, the high ISO imho beats the K1 and blows away the K3 Mark 3. I have gotten very useable images at 12800 with the new K3. It was expensive but worth it for me. Keep the videos coming.
Great! That's what I hear too and what I've seen from the sample files. I'm usually behind the times quite a bit so I'll be looking to pick one of those up in two years or so ;) for now I just bought a KP for kinda a best of both worlds between the K3 and K1. More complicated then that, but at least for high ISO performance and getting better FPS and the crop for wildlife.
@@snappiness I would love to see a comparison between the KP and K3iii for wildlife for someone on a budget. KPs seem overpriced right now. So does the K3iii. I think the K1 would be perfect if only crop mode was 24mp instead of 16.
The Pentax K1 is the best value in the camera industry.
I will buy it some day soon, but right now my budget doesn't permit.
The da*300mm is a crop sensor lens I am sure the k-1 uses lens in crop mode so focal length in 35mm terms should be the same. Correct me if I am wrong.
Enjoyed the talk and your photos are brilliant.
There is a confusing history to this 😄 Pentax originally advertised it as an APSC lens and I think that was because they didn't have a digital full frame camera back in 2008. Even now on B&H it is advertised as APSC. But it is in fact a full frame design, and even now on Ricoh's official Pentax lens roadmap it shows as one of the few DA* lenses that is full frame.
So when placed on a K-1 it won't automatically go to crop mode, and will be a true 300mm 35mm equivalent focal length. Of course, I could always enter crop mode myself, but I could just do that in post so it wouldn't be terribly helpful.
The extra reach on a crop body is very helpful in many situations. I often feel too far on my K-1. But when shooting at 10000+ ISO the K-1's cropped image comes out more usable to me, even if it's less MP. I've heard the KP is great image quality so that would be the best of both worlds. Or of course the new K3III, but I don't got that kind of money laying around ;)
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks snappiness ! I have the new K3-iii and just purchased the DA* 300 and HD1.4x tele. Unfortunately, Covid lockdown has stopped me getting out and about with the combo. I can attest to the K3-iii's INCREDIBLE high ISO performance and frame rates but have only used the new body on a Tamron 70-200 f2.8, Sigma DC 18-38 f1.8 Art and an old Sigma APO 170-500 (which I am now selling due to the new 300). Very happy with the results so far - certainly a quantum leap ahead of the K3-i which was my previous body.
I like sports action and wildlife but am yet to find the right combo of AF/mode/area/tracking and button settings to get the highest in-focus hit rates. With SO many settings it will take me a while but I definitely intend to take your advice and uncouple the AF from the shutter button - great idea. I'd love to hear from anyone using the new K3 for sports/action to see how they have set the config up and what they have found.
I'd also love to see that dedicated DA* 300mm review that you said you would do in the future.
I think you will really like the DA* 300. You'll have to let me know how you like the hd da 1.4x. I am still saving up some money and convincing myself whether I need it or not 😄
The dedicated video on the 300 is out now. You can find it on my main channel page a couple videos back from the latest.
I did upgrade my k3 to a KP. A bit of a downgrade in some areas, but the high ISO performance is much better and that is what I needed for these low light bird shots. The K3III definitely looks like a winner, just out of my reach right now. I'll pick one up in a few years on the used market :)
@@snappiness Yes I found the 300 video! My 1.4x is still on backorder and due in 2 weeks. I will certainly let you know how it pairs with the 300 and my 70-200. I also have a 600 mirror that the conv might play nicely with.
What's your Instagram ID? There are quite a few snappiness variants. Mine is tony_stark_ironyman.
Keep up the Pentax gear videos, we are quite a minority these days but no other maker innovates like Pentax.
@@snappiness Found your igram link. Nice shots !
👍👍 For the new background. Still thinking on shelf name ideas
Thanks. It's been a journey setting it up but it's starting to look nice. Much nicer than what I was using before at least haha.
I don't know man I kind of feel like you have to keep the k-3 considering you made so many of us buy it.🤷😜😂😂
Haha! That's right!
@@snappiness glad we are on the same page I would not have to want to send cancel culture after you.😜😂😂😂🕺🕺
I literally just bought a K3 last week mostly because of your videos. You drew me in on a bit on how good the K5 and some older models still are, then I watched some videos on the K3 while I was looking around for a good deal on a K5 and I ended up finding someone looking to unload their k3 with 6 lenses. I can't wait to take my first picture!
@@onirrapdivad Hope you have enjoyed your K-3. I have the K-3 mk III now but my old K-3.1 was very reliable and I still think I had a lot to learn from it. A very good camera.
@@vincemokry9643 it has been fantastic. The K3 mk1 is a joy to shoot with. It hasn't left my side since it arrived in the mail.
I just didn't think I'd had my K-3 so long!
It's hard to imagine... It certainly isn't showing it's age. Great camera!
the focal length does not change, there is no difference in reach. What changes is your "field of view". It is what you see through the viewfinder that changes. If you measure from the focal plane to the focusing element of the lens it is 300mm no matter what it is attached to.
You should look into a D300 nikon 300 f4 combo equivalent equivalent. The Nikon d300 is a legendary cheap alternative for sports and wild life photography.
Well, it has been more than 1 month using exclusively my K1 for birding. I find that my keepers are better on the K1 then K3. However, I have less keepers because I still have difficulty focusing when the bird (or subject) has something close to it. I use spot center focus for birds on branches and things like that. I have it setup in one of the user modes. However, bird in flight success is much better with the K1. I use the 9-center focus and it works great for me. Well.... so far for egrets and large birds.
Thanks for the review, love your wildlife shots. I'm Still on the fence on which one to buy (K-1 Mii or K-3 Miii). It's a hard choice.
I shoot a lot of birds with my K1ii and 300mm F4. I tried a few times with my K1ii but several of my pics were not focused right. Most of the time, however, they were birds surrounded by leaves or branches and maybe the center "spot" for metering is a bit bigger on the K1 than the K3. Anyhow, after listening to this video, I will try it out again. The burst rate is not very important for me since I do not often see birds in flight.
Anyways..... thank you very much for this video ! ! ! !
Love my Pentax K3. Just belongs in my hand. And when I took some night shots...omg the image was just....there! One thing though: I cannot seem to calibrate my manual 50mm f1.4 lens so I can view my f stop and exposure. Is that function only on the mkii and mkiii? Great video and images - inspiring😁
I do wildlife maybe once a year, sometimes less... I use the 60 - 250mm f/4 on my k3s for that.
For my use (mainly landscape), I know full frame is better, but aps-c is sufficient most of the times.
In terms of iso performance, I keep my k3s under 6400 as noise doesn't anoy me at this level.
The 300mm and the teleconverter are very tempting but not on my wishlist yet.
I don't think FF is better, just different. In this case the IQ differences are really just because of the age difference between the two cameras. And the K3 is no slouch. I am still constantly amazed by it.
i think you have to go for the KP ;) very good low light performance.
you did a great job with your videos. still perfect.
I have thought about it! Maybe in a year or so. Or maybe two years and I'll pick up the K3III used ;)
@@snappiness i will also wait until the k3iii ist payable. :D
Yes KP is almost on the same playing field as K-1 for ISO.
@@snappiness Selling my KP ;) ;)
@@SummersSnaps I'm still saving for that 31 man 😂
Great video again. Looking at both the lens and the k3 iii. As an upgrade from my k30. I think that's two kidney's!
Haha, two kidneys but amazing! I would recommend getting the lens first. That alone will improve IQ (depending what lens you are coming from). Even shooting it on my 15 year old Pentax K10d the images look great. That might tide you over for a bit until you get a new camera. And maybe by then the price will have dropped a bit (I predict the price of the new camera dropping significantly over a year). My two cents!
@@snappiness Spot on. Thanks for the advice. Would you go for the DA*300 or the 60-250mm?
@@daellis130 I thought about this myself. I went for the 300 because I knew I would be using it on the long end the whole time. But the 60-250 would be very versatile depending on what you are planning to use it for. Also seems optically strong.
Good to hear your thoughts in using both bodies with the 300. It does sound like the k3iii is going to shore up all the weaknesses of the k3 OG against the K1. Man, is it CP+ yet? I need more deets on that k3iii. Lol.
Haha, I did a double take this week while making this video. I thought we already knew the release date on it, but I guess not. People are just really hoping they announce everything at CP+ like things have been pointed to. Soon!
@@snappiness yeah, seems like mostly wild speculation and arguments on it at the pentax forums haha.
@@jbradfordphoto don't get me started about that thread 😂 some very confident people there. Still excited though!
@@snappiness me too! And yes, hahaha, pretty much all of the K3 threads are pretty entertaining. Some good voices of reason and some that make me wonder why they joined a forum for Pentax gear, and others that are still thinking it'll have a flippy screen haha.
Nice comparison/review. I got the DA*300mm and the HD 1.4 converter for a good second hand price last year. I have not become a wildlife photographer yet though, but it is fun to have at least one long telephoto lens! I think the lens is about as heavy as I comfortably will walk around with for longer periods, so I think the lens will stay :)
What's your feeling with the teleconverter? I'm still on the fence about whether or not it would be worth it. Some examples I have seen have been very good, and others not so good, but it's hard to tell if it's just the photographer or not, haha!
@@snappiness I am quite new to both the DA*300 and the 1.4 converter. I have used them with the K-3 II and so far my feeling is that it is quite good TC, but there is just a slight degradation in IQ, so stopping down slightly is good. Then we are at 420mm and around f/6, and even in daylight it could mean raising ISO. It also gets a bit unstable in the OVF. But it is not really any fault of the TC, just general observations :)
Yeah, sounds like the normal compromises of a TC. Interesting. I'll have to keep thinking about it!
I'd be curious to see this same comparison for the K70 vs K3 and K1. The K70 is supposed to have great high ISO performance and is less expensive new than those cameras are used... very tempting for me. My K3 is a joy but I'm always pushing the ISO high indoors trying to get photos of my daughter.
Great comparison video. 👍🏼
Thank you, very kind
Why would you use a tele converter that will only DEGRADE your image and cause a LIGHT LOSS too? You already have a teleconverter that wii NOT degrade your image and NOT cause a light loss. Want to know what it is? It's your Crop sensor Camera!!!! I use a Nikon D750 FX body with a D7200 DX sensor body. Both produce a 24MP size image at 6 frames per second. I use both AF and Manual Focus Tele Lenses with both Slow and Fast F Stop ratings. Back in the day I use to use both Pentax LX and MX bodies with Motor Drives and Bulk Magazine Backs for Sports and Wild Life. The motors topped out at 6 FPS. Always got Pro-Grade results using Sticks & Monopods with a Gimbal. The K-1 & K-3 is a good Full Frame and Crop Sensor combo too at 36 MP and 24 MP. If one is on a budget, buy Manual focus lenses. The Pentax SMC teles like the SMC 200 F2.5, SMC 300F4, SMC 400 F5.6 or the RARE SMC 500f5,6 Manual Focus lenses are All GREAT and Cheap to buy. Just learn how to Manual Focus and your Keeper Rates will nearly match any Auto Focus lens/camera combo out their. The Tamron 300 F2.8 Manual lens is also a good Speed lens to use. For Auto Focus, get a Tamron 70-200 f2.8. A very handy lens that is also cheap.You can pair it wirh a Tamrom 28-75 F2.8.
Excellent video!
Very helpful, thank you.
Excellent video. I'm going the other way, selling the K1 and sticking with aps-c . The old K5 will do me for now, I'll watch the K3iii with interest. One thing I do wish - that Sigma would make the 150-600 in K mount. That would really open things up for Pentax sports and wildlife.
That would be a fantastic addition. I've looked at that lens for other systems.
I'm still on the fence still between which cameras to keep. I've had a lot of down time recently (lost power, yay Texas) and have almost decided. I have quite a few (too many) cameras and would rather consolidate and buy some lenses or equipment.
For landscape, wildlife, etc the K3 is more than enough in my eyes. I love it to death. But for family stuff I have absolutely loved the K1 and FF lenses. That's my basic back and forth for now :)
@@snappinesssounds similar. Too many cameras. I have mirroless in the mix too. I've more or less settled on the Olympus Em5iii and small primes as a "daily/ultra compact travel " kit. But I still think SLr's have the edge for sport, so I'd like to keep one around for those uses (outdoor large field sports for me) . I suspect the next K3 will equal the K1 for image quality and likely smaller, so the crop factor will also help for sports and the smaller DA lenses will work fine. But as mentioned, the issue is lenses. Worst case, I should be able to find a 150-500 or Bigma. But it's a hassle when I can just buy a Nikon 7500 and Sigma 120-600 that would do the job.
When / if I return to full frame, it'd likely be mirrorless. The Nikon Z's are similar to how I think Pentax would do it.
@@jshanni2066 those Nikon z's look very tempting. I have checked them out a few times. Becoming very competitive price wise too for their entry models, and very feature filled still.
I had a K-3 and a K-3 II. I chopped in the 3 for a low shutter count (9,000) K-1 and found it to be okay(ish) with long lenses but from 70mm down, the lens prices were/are so high it became a bad idea for a retired person like me, on a fixed income. As a result, after 6 months I swapped the K-1 for an almost brand new 3 with an even lower exposure count bundled with a brand new Pentax 16-85mm DC lens and what a combination those two are. I might consider the K-3 III and pair it with my K-3 II depending an how much my old 3 would get and I'm not holding my breath there!
I have the Nikon version of that lens. If that one focuses anywhere as close, it really excels at suoer detailed large insects and dragonflies.
I've seen people do that but haven't tried it myself. I will have to look for opportunities to try!
I’ve been lusting for the DA 300 for a while now. I was about to pull the trigger for a used one but then there was a Sigma 100-300 f4 EX DG that popped up which is quite rare with the PK mount. It will be my wildlife lens. Check out the ratings on Pentax forums! I’m looking forward to using it! ✌️
... and it’s crazy cheap how much I bought it. 😎
I have read about that lens a lot. Mostly for Canon for my father-in-law. Seems like optically very very good, and then you get that nice versatility of the zoom. Have fun with it!
Still no 7D mk3. Might go to Pentax K-3 mk3, just for the ovf and recent sensor.
Canon 40D here and many lenses.
Needing 3 Pentax lenses for birds, landscapes on apsc and macro plus nice day-to-day general zoom lens. Oh thats 4. Huge financial problem here.
I just got a 40d! No lenses except the kit 18-55. Any affordable favorites for canon? When I shot canon before I just had the 18-135, which was great. I've been looking at the 24mm 2.8 because it's affordable, small, and gets good marks.
K3 is lighter that weight difference is very important on hiking
Nice video
Great job!
Thanks!
I have a DA" 300 lens, a K3 and a KP, I've felt the need to go full frame.
I think with the KP you kinda get the best of both worlds for wildlife. The APSC size, crop and speed advantages with the newer sensor and processor similar to the ISO performance on the K-1. Full frame can be cool for other reasons, but I think that's a nice setup!
I do agree with all what you say even thought i never tried a K1 but a question cames to mind. Do you shoot in Raw? I mean it because on the K3 i think you could be able to push a bit more the iso and recover on post. I will also tell you i also dont feel like pushing its iso more than 2000 or 3200. I mean if you can work that way (no idea if suits you) the K3 as you say has a better frame rate that helps getting *that* moment and a bit more reach which also usually is helpful.
Yes, that's a good point of cleaning it up in post. And as I've said I think the high ISO on the k3 is still amazing. Not many situations where I was pushing it past my limits, but just a few dark early mornings where I was.
The frame rate really is such a big advantage. Especially for anything I know is going to be moving quick.
@@snappiness yeah exactly. 4,5fps of course is good enough. But sometimes you need a bit more. Anyways isn't the K1 the one that has a crop factor and a better frame rate of 8fps?
@@snappiness maybe that is something worh a try?
@@snappiness I think I found the option on the menu: You need to go to "C" where settings are and on Number 2 where it says something like "Sensibility Steps(?)" (Pasos Sensibilidad in spanish) you need to pick up number 2 ("As EV "steps" ").
Let me know if it worked or I'll keep it another look and try to let you know how to do this.
Cool, worked for me! Thanks
i have option between nikon d5500 and pentax k3 -I like to take landscape,street photography ,night .which one do you guys suggest
I wonder if anyone has done comparisons with K1ii and K3iii for birding and wildlife.
K-50
I cannot even afford the K-70 ffs 🤗😂🤗
Why is it that in the shadow of the camera, the Pentax does not create a pure gray color, but with a departure to purple? Is this a bug and a Sony matrix problem? In the photo with the stork, this purple appears instead of a pure lead color.
K-1 is strongest in landscape photography!
A lorry is strongest in transporting heavy goods.
Any more news?
I am still wondering it the K1 ii or the k3 would be a good side step for me for some walkabout and event (low light) stuff. Compared to my xt4 which had lovely glass, but as a body I really dislike.
I do really love the ergonomics of Pentax, but I wish you could try one out in person before you buy if handling is the main draw. It's good to find a camera that works with you that way!
so you mean to tell me there is no light falloff in the corners on the k-1?
That's right. Pentax even marks it as a full-frame compatible lens on their lens line-up now.
The Pentax DA* 300mm is technically an ASP-C lens. Were you shooting the K-1 in crop mode? (24 vs.15 mpx)
It is advertised as apsc only, but the lens design does cover a full frame sensor. I think even on the official pentax lens road map they mark it as an full frame lens, though on their product listing pages it's apsc. I think this is due to it being released almost a decade before their first digital FF camera. 👍
Hopefully this link works. It's in the section as DA lenses that cover full 35mm format pentaxrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pentax-K-mount-lens-June-2020-roadmap-2.jpeg hope that helps
@@snappiness Thank you... I have a K-5 and a KP and considered a K-1, but I have a LOT of DA* glass I would have to trade to effectively use the K-1. My only glass that's compatible is the DFA 150-450. I do shoot wildlife, mostly birds with the 150-450 on my KP.
@@tedtbc4261 I imagine that combo with the KP is very nice. Dream lens! Maybe one day. We'll see :)
@@tedtbc4261 Don't underestimate the DFA 28-105. It's a wonderful lens, tack-sharp and beloved by everyone who's reviewed it. Around $400 used in the USA, it could handle 75% of most anyone's general photography, with a few specialist lenses on the side.
PLEASE TALK TO ME...I too have a k3 and k1. I'm debating between the 300 prime and the 150-450 zoom. Your thoughts? Trip to Uganda in September. I'm a traveling Chef for Netfix Documentary crews. PLEASE RESPOND. THANKS....GREAT VIDEO BTW
I've never used the 150-450, but I do have the sigma 50-500 now. The 300 prime is lighter, smaller, and lets in quite a bit more light (f4). But no zoom, only 300. It's hard to say what you value more for that trip. If you need space and weight savings, the 300 is excellent and a personal favorite of mine. But if you want the flexibility of the zoom and longer range then you kinda have no choice but the 150-450...
I shoot wildlife (and other stuff) in Panama with my K3 and am still unsure how much I'm prepared to shell out for a decent long reach prime. I'm still using my Tamron 18-250 and get some great shots when the light is good but it's frustrating to miss when the conditions aren't perfect. The DA 300 is obviously fantastic but what else do you consider worth trying? BTW your focus set up is the same one I use.
I don't think it gives you any larger aperture compared to that 18-250, but I have seen really good things from the pentax 55-300 PLM version. Not cheap, but much cheaper than a prime. I have not used it personally, but it looks like it's sharp enough even on it's open aperture (6.3 or so when at 300mm I think) whereas other cheaper zoom telephotos I find only to be sharp on the long end starting at f10 or so. Not sure what your experience has been with that 18-250.
The DA 300 doesn't replace it because it's less versatile and quite large and heavy. But when you want that brighter aperture, it's a good bet. They are tough to find used, but occasionally you can get them for around what I got mine for (~$500). Still really pricey, and it's only recently where I could commit to a purchase like that, but very nice.
Hopefully that's helpful! Keep on shooting! Panama sounds very cool!
@@snappiness Thanks for the tips. I'll keep my eyes open for a bargain. There's no second hand market here in Panama (no one's even heard of Pentax 😉) but I do keep looking on Ebay. Thanks for the videos, I like your approach (I am at the budget end of the game) and enjoy your photography, keep it up. 👍
Consider the Pentax DA* 50-135 2.8 or the FA* 70-200 2.8 lenses. Both of them produce really sharp images. The * lenses are also AW (All Weather), which is a higher level of weatherproofing than the WR (Weather Resistant) rating of the non-* lenses. The constant 2.8 aperture lets you shoot at higher speeds when you need to, and the internal focus and internal zoom of both lenses means they never change their length. This also helps to keep out water, because when a zoom lens extends, air has to enter it. If it’s raining, water could enter, too.
The only drawbacks of the 70-200 lens are that it’s big and quite heavy. The 50-135 is only about 1/3 of the weight of the 70-200, so I don’t think twice about taking it around town for casual shooting, while the big lens only comes out when I really need it. Also, the big lens is about 2-1/2 times the price of the small lens, here in Canada at least. As a result, I’m considering selling the 70-200, because I don’t use it very much, and I should be able to get a good price for it.
So there you go. Both lenses are great, so choose the one that best suits your needs. Either one will let you get some really sharp pictures. You’ll impress yourself!
Finally, B&H Photo in New York City has good prices and great service. I got my 50-135 there, because the prices in Canada were too high.
@@nomorokay Hey, thanks for the recommendations. I had looked at 70-200's and the Pentax gets great reviews, however one article I read was comparing it to the Tokina 80-200 f2. 8 and the summary was that there was little to choose between them in image quality. They don't come up for sale very often but I snagged one from Japan a month ago for $350. So far I'm very impressed. It's a step up from my Tamron super zoom and the 2.8 really helps with autofocus even if I stop down for the shot. Like the Pentax it's a heavy all metal beast but the smooth zoom and manual focus (when I need it) are a joy to use. Early days yet but I'm happy with it so far.
Hi,do you have problem with pentax AF accuracy ,anyway to adjust the old k 10D camera.🙏🏻🙏🏻😊
The only way to adjust on the Pentax K10D is in debug mode
I was thinking the same thing that the K3 Mk III would be a good way to get the best of K1 and my KP. Like you noted, I’ll have to sell a kidney but that’s OK! 😅
Don’t shoot wildlife, but would still like to have a star telephoto to zoom in on distant scenes from mountain peaks.
Are you thinking about getting the k3III?
@@snappiness Yes! Have been saving up since I first read about the new prism glass. (Prefer to compose and focus with the viewfinder more than the LCD like back in the heyday of film.)
Yes you need to keep the K3 (both with K1) :) The price today is so low, that it is not worth selling it and those two do complement each other.
AF behaves +/- same, because it is the same SAFOX generation, jsut with few more AF points on K1. Just check if you have latest K3 firmware 1.41.
My AF button on back is set to AF-OFF, so it simply switches AF OFF when pressed. Worked well on few airshows and I don't need to change settings if somebody else grabs the camera and wants to shoot too. But that is personal pref.
AF on K3 needs to hit focus and stabilise the shot a little bit better due to slightly larger resolution per sensor area (K1 APS-C sized crop is around 15Mpix and if some distand bird in center is in focus, slight misfocus, movement or lens weakness is more noticeable on less forgiving 24Mpix APS-C. Similar difference can be seen nicely between for example D750 and D850, while both are FF cameras the low res D750 is a more forgiving on focus accuracy and lens quality. Slight issues are not visible, while that 45Mpix thing demands the best optics and steady well focused shot to shine and show all the details. Comparison with D700 is even more noticeable). Sony 60Mpix FF must be even more demanding.
In Pentax world for example FA50/1.4 behaves like sharp lens on K100D even in F1.4-F2 range, but lacks a lot fine resolution and contrast on K3, where it starts to be interesting with F2.8+
K3 has some advantages.. it is more portable and with lens like 18-135 there is no light hiking alternative for K1 other than 28-105 and crop-zoom loosing details or some old 28-200 Tamron/Sigma FF lenses that have weak edges even with F8. Not to mention things like DA18-270 or Sig18-250/18-300 available for APS-C. Also for ultrawide shots there is no lens for K1 except very old and rare FF Sigma12-24. And with low-light, hi-iso and noise lenses like Sig18-35/1.8 can help a lot.
I'm curious about the new K3-3 too.. lets hope it will come soon and will be ok. Unfortunately all we saw yet is that it is going to have pentaprism, grip, shutter button, no flash and fixed rear screen.. not a single word about image output, hi-iso behavior or AF performance :( And many years passed since K3 (8), K3II (6) and even KP (4) introduction..
Great background on some of those findings, thanks for the info! I don't know very much about those technical things. Just what I experience using it :)
Good point about the nice compact lenses. I've heard really really good things about the 55-300PLM too. Seems like a winner.
And we will see about the K3III. I don't buy new cameras anyway, so I'll have a few years to decide on it as the price drops. Numbers don't tell a while story (heck, that's what pentaxians are trying to tell people all along!) So I'll see what comes out of it as people use it. I'm pretty sure we won't be disappointed on the image quality and build quality, at the very least :)
@@snappiness Yes, even the classic DA55-300 from 2007 is nice small portable lens. AF might hunt if camera miss, but it is not action photography equipment anyway, so it happens rarely. It was my second lens. I bought it after Sig17-70 at the beginning with K20D. And even such combo of lazy autofocusing 3 fps camera and slow focusing consumer tourist oriented lens can do things like:
i.imgur.com/Y1WmlCE.jpg
i.imgur.com/dIHbBlA.jpg
i.imgur.com/6FGtf7O.jpg
i.imgur.com/KkJaACV.jpg
i.imgur.com/6XEYUvB.jpg
i.imgur.com/WvkshFh.jpg
i.imgur.com/wHkx3Hn.jpg
i.imgur.com/BvBIxqz.jpg
i.imgur.com/qkvUfT4.jpg
(And I was complete beginner having that K20D for just few months with only P&S experiences before.. ) :D
For K1 there is no such lens. Nearest is probably Sigma 70-300 APO which is a bit older, or you have to grab some large elephant like DFA150-450.
Many classic lenses are missing in Pentax FF portfolio... it really was a strange step. Good for owners of older FF lenses, but not much interesting for new customers. And now with Sigma out of K mount, options are even more reduced.
Do you use autofocus hold?
Still buy k3 in 2021 for photo as a first camera ?
There are lots of great cameras, but if a used k-3 is in your price range and you want to use Pentax glass and a great all around camera, I would recommend!
OBSOLETE VIDEO:: you are using K-3 II so you ought to update to the Pentax K3 III to be fair and current!
It is actually the mark I. I think the k-3 III would clearly take the advantage. The only reason here in this video I preferred the K-1 was the high ISO performance, but the K-3 III not only does great there, it also has the best AF in Pentax by a bit from what I hear.
I upgraded my K-3 to a KP about a month ago and now that's been my wildlife setup. High ISO is very similar to the K-1. Very good. Slower burst then the K-3, but because I'm shooting so early in the morning the high ISO was the most important for me.
I'll get the K-3 III in a couple years. I always lag a few years behind because I'm cheap :)
10 years later and Pentax still has focus problems.
IMHO you are comparing apples to oranges here. If you were to shoot a wildlife image requiring cropping you will actually have more effective pixels in the K3 than the K1. So for bird photography the K3 wins hands down on the final image because of the effective # of pixels in the final image. For landscapes the K1and a whole host of other reasons the K1 cannot be beat and that IS based on a scientific analysis. I will include a link here to explain it more clearly: th-cam.com/video/hi_CkZ0sGAw/w-d-xo.html
Yes, they are very different types of cameras!
Swap yor K3 for a K3 mkIII, it will beat the K1 for wildlife.
Totally! It looks like a huge leap in performance from what I've seen. I'll be looking at it in a year or two and see what the prices are on the used market. I bought this k-1 used two years old. Newest camera I've ever bought :)