After a year of teases from Pentax, the new Pentax K-3 Mark III has finally been released! Building upon the foundation of their design principles, this new contender in a shrinking market dominated by mirrorless cameras contains almost everything a DSLR user could ask for, let’s take a look…
Yes, it’s finally here! The long-awaited APS-C DSLR flagship from Pentax since their last crop-sensor DSLR release, the 2017 Pentax KP and succeeding their 2015 workhorse Pentax K-3 II.
I was fortunate to be granted early access to a pre-production unit of the K-3 Mark III courtesy of Ricoh/ Pentax Japan to test and produce content during the latter stages of firmware development.
In a market that is exponentially shifting to the production of mirrorless cameras, Pentax has made the decision to stick with and improve upon their namesake DSLR offerings and design principles. Pentax’s commitment to the viewfinder and pentaprism mechanism is on show with this new model and celebrates their heritage as the first manufacturer of the optical reflex system at a time when rangefinder-style cameras dominated the market.
Pentax is dedicated to the future of SLR photography and has articulated that their strategy is based upon tradition, brand value and the best user experience of photography rather than chasing the best available technologies.
The new K-3 Mark III makes significant improvements on the user experience, most notably in the form of a new larger and brighter viewfinder which simulates that of a full-frame camera despite the APS-C sensor, a more compact weather-sealed body and an ergonomically redesigned grip which gives the middle finger to the competition….
The K-3 Mark III has been in pre-production for months now, there is a wealth of information to be read about the system upgrades and design decisions here, or by watching the comprehensive introduction video below:
Features To Get Excited For
No doubt the specifications of the Pentax K3 Mark III have been carefully dissected, discussed and directly compared to cameras from other brands already… This brief hands-on look, for context, is from the perspective of a photographer that has always kept a digital Pentax in their kit, for the comprehensive feature set, reassurance from the rugged construction and the experience (nostalgia?) of actually looking through a viewfinder.
The Pentax’s which have resided in my kit have been the P-30, K-30, K-50, K-S2, MZ-60, K1000 and most recently, the K-70.
Despite the multitude of features available to Pentax cameras via external controls and buttons, the camera feels natural to use, and previous Pentax shooters will find no issue in quickly becoming acquainted with the interface… everything is within reach of your thumb and index fingers.
You would have noticed by now… no flippy screen! I would admit, this did feel like a strange omission at first, but having used the new viewfinder and grip, it is a camera that is meant to be shot handheld. Pentax stated that any added articulation to the rear screen would also detract from its slim form factor. This screen also features a special resin injected between the screen and the tempered glass to improve visibility in outdoor conditions.
A first for Pentax! Who would have thought that the addition of a joystick could bring so much… joy? My shooting style is predominantly via a single AF point selection, and having been spoilt by Sony cameras, I realised how valuable this little luxury is. Despite this, I have found the new SAFOX 13 AF system consisting of 101 focus points to be quick and confident, no doubt an improvement made possible via the new PRIME V processor and high capacity RGBIr image sensor.
The Ricoh GRIII has been a camera that has become part of my EDC, and one of my all-time favourites. One feature carried over which I find indispensable is the implementation of a touch screen. When shooting in live-view, it offers instantaneous focus point selection and focusing, pinch to zoom and swipe to advance in playback. This is also functional for navigating the menu system and certainly makes inputting copyright information less of a chore. For the newly upgraded video functionality, touch capabilities mean less sound is recorded from user input during recording.
Three dials for control is crucial for me, as someone who predominantly shoots in manual mode (with the dials operating: Shutter speed, Aperture, ISO/ Exposure Compensation). Here, Pentax has taken the dual dial controls for Smart Functionality from the K-1 and KP and redesigned it as a Smart Function button and Smart Function dial, meaning you never have to take your eye away from the viewfinder to quickly adjust functions such as AF, burst shooting or any of the 22 functions. You can dive in-depth into this design decision here.
The top LCD is a convenient feature from the K-3 and K-1 line of cameras, and certainly reassuring to review settings at a glance… One that I have come to appreciate from other brands and a first for me on a digital Pentax body after being accustomed to the top LCD on my film Pentax MZ-60.
New to me, but perhaps not for existing K-3/ K-1 owners, and perhaps one of the things that held me back from picking up a KP. I did have a terrible habit of leaving SD cards in my computer so two slots has always been reassuring… However, that may not be the case now, with the USB-C port on the camera allowing for both charging and data transfer, I have found myself ejecting the memory card less.
FINAL MUSINGS… FOR NOW
When looking at the specs alone for the Pentax K3 Mark III, it does face stiff competition from other manufacturers that have shifted to the mirrorless format. But based upon the existing Pentax cameras line and evolution, this may be their finest crop sensor camera yet, finally addressing autofocus performance and video recording functionality, all whilst keeping a sturdy weather sealed body in a compact form factor, and robust feature set.
It’s the gradual and measured technical improvements, paired with the dedication to design principles and the improvements to the pentaprism viewfinder whereby Pentax remains not just committed to improving the output, but the experience of photography itself.
The tactile feeling, something slowly eroded away by the advancement of mirrorless cameras, is certainly unquantifiable and will take more time to ruminate upon. Stay tuned for a second part to this review with sample images and shooting experience in the next few weeks!
Thanks for the timely review. It certainly does look a major evolution for Pentax, and addresses most of the issues (and more) that people have had with their DSLRs. I for one hope that mirrorless does not take over completely.
Thank you Paul, I think this is the strongest contender to a mirrorless camera from Pentax yet, the AF is certainly the best improvement whilst still retaining that special feeling of viewfinder photography.