Thanks mate, that's what I set out to do so that's really awesome for you to say! I'm looking forward to finding out how all the other functions of the camera work!
It may be a good idea to put the FW version in the title as a reference point. The camera has gone through so much of an evolution, it would be good to know at what stage you are actually using and testing. You will find that as you upgrade, the options actually change and/or become more granular and detail oriented for specific situations, not to mention additional menu structures and completely new options. With that in mind, if coming from an much older FW version such as 1.50 or earlier (even up to 1.70), I strongly suggest resetting any saved settings, button remapping or user modes and rebuilding them with the new options once you are on the latest FW above 2.0.
Great first impressions vid, thanks Lee. I'm still on the K3 M1 due to my lottery numbers not coming up yet, but I have to say if anyone is watching this and thinking of getting the 55-300 ED PLM WR RE (I think that's right!!) my advice is GET IT! Super lens, sharp and light great for action and wildlife despite it's relatively small max aperture. Best Pentax lens I've bought!
Thanks mate I appreciate it. I still love my K3 and use it all the time especially with the 55-300PLM which I agree is my personal favourite all rounder lens from Pentax to date! I even use that lens ony K5 even though its not fully compatible, its still nice and sharp at f6.3! I must say it's another step up paired with the K3iii and the new AF system! I'm kinda sad that I sold my SDM lenses earlier this year 😢 I'd have loved to see the images from my old DA*50-135 and DA*200 paired with the K3iii.
Hallo Lee, du bist einer der wenigen, die gute Videos über Pentax ins Netz stellen. Ich freue mich für dich, das du jetzt die K3 III testen kannst. Mache wie du willst, es ist dein Kanal. Ich würde die Zeit nicht mit alten und überholten Firmware-Updates verschwenden. Wo ich meine 2022 gekauft habe, das erste was ich gemacht habe, die aktuelle Firmware eingespielt, es sind so viel Verbesserungen passiert und einiges hat sich grundlegend geändert. Es ist deine Entscheidung, sich mit alter Software herumärgern, oder gleich mit der neuen die Kamera richtig kennen zu lernen. Danke für das Videos, bitte weiter so. Grüße aus dem schönen Erzgebirge in Deutschland, tschüß Jo-Be 55 👍 📸
Danke, Jo-Be! Ja, ich denke, das ist wahrscheinlich das, was ich tun werde, die alten Firmware-Updates zu überspringen und mir das neueste zu holen. Ich habe gehört, dass sich das Menü und die Optionen in der neuen Firmware erheblich ändern.
Great, thoughtful opinions as always. I've kept with my dependable Pentax K3II, but if the money was there I would have a K3III. For now I'll enjoy it through your videos. 😁 Looking forward to the next one, cheers.
The K-3 does the same thing. If you hold back button autofocus, it will shoot slower to try and maintain focus between shutters. :P Have fun Lee! I went the FF route. Got the K-1 II a couple months ago. Was so happy to see I can easily use my DA* 300 / 60-260. Limited 40mm / 35mm macro, and finally my D FA 100mm WR feels like it's on the right body and actually really enjoy the REAL 100mm field of view. I think the only lens I "miss", is the Limited 20-40mm. But I mean, I love the GPS feature, the crazy good screen on the K-1 as well. I love it mainly as my camping camera for the GPS when I visit odd places hard to find on a map.
You know what, literally straight after I finished that video I was thinking 🤔 does my K3 or K5 do the same thing with AF? As I'm typing this I'm also going up into my office to find out haha 😄
So happy you got to head out and use the Mark III. As for the panning mode, I've had mixed results as well. It supposedly for "slow moving subjects" without stating what "slow" is. I've gotten more reliable results by just leaving SR as normal. But, they did make an improvement later in the firmwares regarding panning mode. I honestly haven't used it after that firmware though. Keep enjoying this huge box of tools in the form of a camera lol.
@@KobieMC Cheers mate. I was unsure if I'd like the new menu system in the K3iii but I must say I actually love it! I'm going to update to the latest firmware this weekend as I don't want to spend too much time getting used to the current firmware (original). It's crazy how much stuff is packed into this camera, the learning curve is not going to be a few walks out with the camera I know that for certain! Somthing else I didn't mention in the video and I'm sure you will agree is that this is the best feeling camera I've ever picked up so far! Fits like a glove!
As far as I know about the burst going slower while holding the focus button, my KP does that too when it's in focus priority. I found that out at a baseball game.
Lee A very detailed review for any type of action photos no other Pentax camera comes close to the K3Mark3 autofocus capabilities. For general photography the older Pentax cameras are just as capable of taking equally excellent pictures
I agree mate, this thing is levels above in terms of the AF capabilities. That's not to say we cant get those fast action shots with our older models but I now know it's much easier to get them with the K3iii. Looking forward to testing more features of the camera very soon!
Oh that's awesome you have both versions! So far I've been really impressed by the K3iii. I knew the build quality would be top quality, the feel of the camera in hand for me is the best I've felt to date it literally fits like a glove! I've since updated the firmware in the camera to the latest version so I'm looking forward to getting out to shoot with it and see the differences.
@@LeeIveson ya it's a big expense but I shoot a lot of street black and white and have a lot of pentax lenses... To me it's worth it.. i know I'm fortunate to be able to.. I save up
I'm finding your informal first observations actually using the K-3 III for your type of photography easily as helpful as a whole pile of so-called reviews of the more button-sniffing type, Lee. I bet the panning function will turn out to be a significant improvement as soon as you get a feel of how it handles these situations in detail. Dang, there will come a point when all the "substitute satisfactions" in the lens department - don't get me wrong, glass matters, a lot - no longer work and I will actually have to get this camera!
Thanks mate 👍 I'm now itching to upgrade the firmware! I wanted to give my honest opinion from day dot so that's what I've done, real world scenarios are the best way of doing this for me at least. I get what you mean too, I was really happy when I got the 55-300PLM as it transformed my K3 but I must admit this camera is already levels above in many departments.
@@LeeIveson Under normal circumstances, I would deem lens upgrades more important than camera changes. For example, even something as "small" as upgrading from smc to HD coatings has a noticeable impact if you're a sucker for backlight and sidelight situations like me. PLM and the more modern zooms generally were clear steps ahead. However, once you start skipping one or two camera generations, as I usually do, there may come along something new that really makes a difference, and by most accounts, the K-3 III does bring a few things to the table that would fall into that category. A bit like how the original K-3 was heads and shoulders above its by now almost forgotten forefather, the K-7, with which I started my Pentax journey back in 2009. That said, I'm still amazed by how much beauty I can pull from my K-3 in 2023, if only I do my homework, put some nice lenses on it, and add some DxO PhotoLab magic to it.
@@Needacreate Yep I'm exactly the same, but as you've said once we start skipping a few generations of camera bodies it becomes clear what improvements have been made along the way in development.
Great job Yeah, that's set up with the 55 to 300 is a great. You'll have to do a walk through on your sports. Setup in the back Menu. I might have to dig out my K70 and do a look through the View finder with the same lens on it For a comparison.
Thanks mate! Yes I'll be doing some settings videos, probably when I've updated to the latest firmware, as from what I've seen the menu and options change from what they are now? As for the view finder its just beautiful, when I compare to my K3 it's a fair amount bigger!
I had planned on such a video, thanks for the reminder! 👌Here's some panning info for the original Pentax K3 th-cam.com/video/RmawqvtHv6M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CHVZ9sVAX4ADdakY&t=357
Shutter sound from K7 up to K3iii is simply amazing. Wish my D500 had it. What clamp are you using to hold the camera to the strap of the backpack? I´m driving crazy trying to find a solution to have my camera at quick reach on the fly on my mtb. (by one hand, very important). Original camera strap doesn´t work well, having it oscillating hanging on the neck... :( Is there any situation where it makes sense not having AF to gain more fps on burst? I can´t draw it on my head. What lens are you using? I guess 55-300 plm? Regards from Spain.
Yep the shutter sound from my K5, K3 & the K3iii are all very pleasing! It's those little things right! The backpack clip I use is this one . . . amzn.to/45N1Ry4 I'm not sure about the need for more fps on burst, I'd rather have the continuous AF in operation if I'm honest. And yes the lens I was using was indeed the 55-300 PLM which is a fantastic all around lens, really fast focusing motor!
There is just something about those Pentax colors. I believed the lie and sold my Pentax gear. The user experience and colors I have not been able to replace. Now looking to get back in
It's true, as far as I can tell with my eyes anyways! When I've compared the images from my Canon 7Dii to my K3 or K5 or indeed the K3iii there's something that's just missing from the Canon images, even in post when I'm pulling & pushing the files from the Pentax cameras are just fantastic.
Thank you for your review of this camera. I currenty use the KP because of it's flip-up lcd screen. I mostly use the VF except when I want to shoot down low to the ground. Because of the flip-up screen I can do this and overcome my physical limitations. How easy is the K-3 III screen to read if viewing from a angle? At the present time if not using the rear lcd I either have to just lay on the ground or use a short tripod and view it with my cell phone. This is the main reason I have not purchased the new K-3 III.
Thanks mate, this was just my initial thoughts on the K3iii from my first walk out with the camera, I'll definitely be doing a review after I've put some more time on it. I have used live view for some down low shots, I was shooting in the mid day sun so its hard to say but for me I could see everything pretty well on the screen. I will say that the screen resolution seems to be much better than the Pentax bodies I own and have owned (K5,K3,K3ii,K70). But if you have physical limitations the KP, KF or K1 seem like the best choices to resolve that issue, they all have some form of articulating screen.
Th@@LeeIveson Thank you for the reply, I currently have two KP's and a K-S2, which all have the articulating screens. But I am wanting more low light capibility and functions the K3 III brings to the table. I wish I could hande a K3 III, but no one has one that I know of here in Wyoming.
Well, I finally made a decision, a used K-3 III was for sale on the Pentax forums site. It is now in my stable. Now I have a whole lot of learning to do. Time to make a pot of coffee and get started. I am mot a camera collector, so I think I will want to sell one of my KP's and the K-S2.
I can tell you now, you are not going to want to give it back especially after you see the transformation the latest firmware gives so best you start saving your pennies.
This is one of the fairest opinion videos on TH-cam about this amazing piece of kit. Well done Lee , and thank you for sharing this with us all Sir.
Thanks mate, that's what I set out to do so that's really awesome for you to say! I'm looking forward to finding out how all the other functions of the camera work!
It may be a good idea to put the FW version in the title as a reference point. The camera has gone through so much of an evolution, it would be good to know at what stage you are actually using and testing. You will find that as you upgrade, the options actually change and/or become more granular and detail oriented for specific situations, not to mention additional menu structures and completely new options. With that in mind, if coming from an much older FW version such as 1.50 or earlier (even up to 1.70), I strongly suggest resetting any saved settings, button remapping or user modes and rebuilding them with the new options once you are on the latest FW above 2.0.
Thanks for that! I'm just giving my experience of the K3iii as it is nothing more nothing less.
Great first impressions vid, thanks Lee. I'm still on the K3 M1 due to my lottery numbers not coming up yet, but I have to say if anyone is watching this and thinking of getting the 55-300 ED PLM WR RE (I think that's right!!) my advice is GET IT! Super lens, sharp and light great for action and wildlife despite it's relatively small max aperture. Best Pentax lens I've bought!
Thanks mate I appreciate it. I still love my K3 and use it all the time especially with the 55-300PLM which I agree is my personal favourite all rounder lens from Pentax to date! I even use that lens ony K5 even though its not fully compatible, its still nice and sharp at f6.3! I must say it's another step up paired with the K3iii and the new AF system! I'm kinda sad that I sold my SDM lenses earlier this year 😢 I'd have loved to see the images from my old DA*50-135 and DA*200 paired with the K3iii.
Hallo Lee,
du bist einer der wenigen, die gute Videos über Pentax ins Netz stellen.
Ich freue mich für dich, das du jetzt die K3 III testen kannst. Mache wie du willst, es ist dein Kanal.
Ich würde die Zeit nicht mit alten und überholten Firmware-Updates verschwenden.
Wo ich meine 2022 gekauft habe, das erste was ich gemacht habe, die aktuelle Firmware eingespielt, es sind so viel Verbesserungen passiert und einiges hat sich grundlegend geändert.
Es ist deine Entscheidung, sich mit alter Software herumärgern, oder gleich mit der neuen die Kamera richtig kennen zu lernen.
Danke für das Videos, bitte weiter so.
Grüße aus dem schönen Erzgebirge in Deutschland, tschüß Jo-Be 55 👍 📸
Danke, Jo-Be!
Ja, ich denke, das ist wahrscheinlich das, was ich tun werde, die alten Firmware-Updates zu überspringen und mir das neueste zu holen. Ich habe gehört, dass sich das Menü und die Optionen in der neuen Firmware erheblich ändern.
Great, thoughtful opinions as always. I've kept with my dependable Pentax K3II, but if the money was there I would have a K3III. For now I'll enjoy it through your videos. 😁
Looking forward to the next one, cheers.
Thanks mate. I still love my original K3 and use it too. The K3iii is crazy good though I must say!
Good first day!
It was! There's so much to talk about with this camera that it's going to take a while or a fair amount of videos 😅
The K-3 does the same thing. If you hold back button autofocus, it will shoot slower to try and maintain focus between shutters. :P
Have fun Lee!
I went the FF route. Got the K-1 II a couple months ago. Was so happy to see I can easily use my DA* 300 / 60-260. Limited 40mm / 35mm macro, and finally my D FA 100mm WR feels like it's on the right body and actually really enjoy the REAL 100mm field of view.
I think the only lens I "miss", is the Limited 20-40mm. But I mean, I love the GPS feature, the crazy good screen on the K-1 as well. I love it mainly as my camping camera for the GPS when I visit odd places hard to find on a map.
You know what, literally straight after I finished that video I was thinking 🤔 does my K3 or K5 do the same thing with AF? As I'm typing this I'm also going up into my office to find out haha 😄
@@LeeIveson 😅
Pentax is like a crazy box full 'o tools! The amount of times I learn something new...
So happy you got to head out and use the Mark III. As for the panning mode, I've had mixed results as well. It supposedly for "slow moving subjects" without stating what "slow" is. I've gotten more reliable results by just leaving SR as normal. But, they did make an improvement later in the firmwares regarding panning mode. I honestly haven't used it after that firmware though. Keep enjoying this huge box of tools in the form of a camera lol.
@@KobieMC Cheers mate. I was unsure if I'd like the new menu system in the K3iii but I must say I actually love it! I'm going to update to the latest firmware this weekend as I don't want to spend too much time getting used to the current firmware (original). It's crazy how much stuff is packed into this camera, the learning curve is not going to be a few walks out with the camera I know that for certain! Somthing else I didn't mention in the video and I'm sure you will agree is that this is the best feeling camera I've ever picked up so far! Fits like a glove!
As far as I know about the burst going slower while holding the focus button, my KP does that too when it's in focus priority. I found that out at a baseball game.
It's funny, all this time I'd have never known! It's only because I did that FPS spray test that I found out 😂 At least I'm not going crazy then haha
Lee
A very detailed review for any type of action photos no other Pentax camera comes close to the K3Mark3 autofocus capabilities. For general photography the older Pentax cameras are just as capable of taking equally excellent pictures
I agree mate, this thing is levels above in terms of the AF capabilities. That's not to say we cant get those fast action shots with our older models but I now know it's much easier to get them with the K3iii. Looking forward to testing more features of the camera very soon!
Love the k3iii .. bought the monochrome version to.. great cameras.. built like tanks to
Oh that's awesome you have both versions! So far I've been really impressed by the K3iii. I knew the build quality would be top quality, the feel of the camera in hand for me is the best I've felt to date it literally fits like a glove! I've since updated the firmware in the camera to the latest version so I'm looking forward to getting out to shoot with it and see the differences.
@@LeeIveson ya it's a big expense but I shoot a lot of street black and white and have a lot of pentax lenses... To me it's worth it.. i know I'm fortunate to be able to.. I save up
nice vid as always. Cheers!
Thanks Lee! 🍻
I'm finding your informal first observations actually using the K-3 III for your type of photography easily as helpful as a whole pile of so-called reviews of the more button-sniffing type, Lee. I bet the panning function will turn out to be a significant improvement as soon as you get a feel of how it handles these situations in detail. Dang, there will come a point when all the "substitute satisfactions" in the lens department - don't get me wrong, glass matters, a lot - no longer work and I will actually have to get this camera!
Thanks mate 👍 I'm now itching to upgrade the firmware! I wanted to give my honest opinion from day dot so that's what I've done, real world scenarios are the best way of doing this for me at least. I get what you mean too, I was really happy when I got the 55-300PLM as it transformed my K3 but I must admit this camera is already levels above in many departments.
@@LeeIveson Under normal circumstances, I would deem lens upgrades more important than camera changes. For example, even something as "small" as upgrading from smc to HD coatings has a noticeable impact if you're a sucker for backlight and sidelight situations like me. PLM and the more modern zooms generally were clear steps ahead. However, once you start skipping one or two camera generations, as I usually do, there may come along something new that really makes a difference, and by most accounts, the K-3 III does bring a few things to the table that would fall into that category. A bit like how the original K-3 was heads and shoulders above its by now almost forgotten forefather, the K-7, with which I started my Pentax journey back in 2009.
That said, I'm still amazed by how much beauty I can pull from my K-3 in 2023, if only I do my homework, put some nice lenses on it, and add some DxO PhotoLab magic to it.
@@Needacreate Yep I'm exactly the same, but as you've said once we start skipping a few generations of camera bodies it becomes clear what improvements have been made along the way in development.
Great job Yeah, that's set up with the 55 to 300 is a great. You'll have to do a walk through on your sports. Setup in the back Menu. I might have to dig out my K70 and do a look through the View finder with the same lens on it For a comparison.
Thanks mate! Yes I'll be doing some settings videos, probably when I've updated to the latest firmware, as from what I've seen the menu and options change from what they are now? As for the view finder its just beautiful, when I compare to my K3 it's a fair amount bigger!
will be nice a tutorial how to use the panning function in the k3.3 and older models too or in any camera! great video
I had planned on such a video, thanks for the reminder! 👌Here's some panning info for the original Pentax K3 th-cam.com/video/RmawqvtHv6M/w-d-xo.htmlsi=CHVZ9sVAX4ADdakY&t=357
Shutter sound from K7 up to K3iii is simply amazing. Wish my D500 had it. What clamp are you using to hold the camera to the strap of the backpack? I´m driving crazy trying to find a solution to have my camera at quick reach on the fly on my mtb. (by one hand, very important). Original camera strap doesn´t work well, having it oscillating hanging on the neck... :( Is there any situation where it makes sense not having AF to gain more fps on burst? I can´t draw it on my head. What lens are you using? I guess 55-300 plm? Regards from Spain.
Yep the shutter sound from my K5, K3 & the K3iii are all very pleasing! It's those little things right! The backpack clip I use is this one . . . amzn.to/45N1Ry4
I'm not sure about the need for more fps on burst, I'd rather have the continuous AF in operation if I'm honest. And yes the lens I was using was indeed the 55-300 PLM which is a fantastic all around lens, really fast focusing motor!
There is just something about those Pentax colors. I believed the lie and sold my Pentax gear. The user experience and colors I have not been able to replace. Now looking to get back in
It's true, as far as I can tell with my eyes anyways! When I've compared the images from my Canon 7Dii to my K3 or K5 or indeed the K3iii there's something that's just missing from the Canon images, even in post when I'm pulling & pushing the files from the Pentax cameras are just fantastic.
I love the Pentax colours and use the original k3, K5ii with da* lenses. I do a mix of wildlife and portrait work.
Good night, sir. Add some grounds to that coffee. :P Also, excellent video.
😂 I'm pretty basic when it comes to coffee, thanks mate!
Thank you for your review of this camera. I currenty use the KP because of it's flip-up lcd screen. I mostly use the VF except when I want to shoot down low to the ground. Because of the flip-up screen I can do this and overcome my physical limitations. How easy is the K-3 III screen to read if viewing from a angle? At the present time if not using the rear lcd I either have to just lay on the ground or use a short tripod and view it with my cell phone. This is the main reason I have not purchased the new K-3 III.
Thanks mate, this was just my initial thoughts on the K3iii from my first walk out with the camera, I'll definitely be doing a review after I've put some more time on it. I have used live view for some down low shots, I was shooting in the mid day sun so its hard to say but for me I could see everything pretty well on the screen. I will say that the screen resolution seems to be much better than the Pentax bodies I own and have owned (K5,K3,K3ii,K70). But if you have physical limitations the KP, KF or K1 seem like the best choices to resolve that issue, they all have some form of articulating screen.
Th@@LeeIveson Thank you for the reply, I currently have two KP's and a K-S2, which all have the articulating screens. But I am wanting more low light capibility and functions the K3 III brings to the table. I wish I could hande a K3 III, but no one has one that I know of here in Wyoming.
Well, I finally made a decision, a used K-3 III was for sale on the Pentax forums site. It is now in my stable. Now I have a whole lot of learning to do. Time to make a pot of coffee and get started. I am mot a camera collector, so I think I will want to sell one of my KP's and the K-S2.
Pentax moves ahead with photography instead of TH-cam /Internet myths about what we need...
"bazar" or bizarre ❓ 😅
😂 So much Coffee was drank, thanks for the quick save 😂👌
@@LeeIveson You mean.. "drunk" right?
So much coffee.. was drunk!
@@GODSPEEDseven 🙈 I'm an illiterate 🤣
I can tell you now, you are not going to want to give it back especially after you see the transformation the latest firmware gives so best you start saving your pennies.
I know mate, I'm planning on enjoying my time with the camera for as long as I have it!