Official Stupendous Pentax K-1 and K-3 III thread

Well I'm sure very few people read this but sold the K-3 III yesterday and it will be off to it's new owner today. Shame really as it was a really good camera but a lot of money for a crop DSLR and after using mirrorless bodies recently I much prefer them so waiting patiently for the R7

The autofocus is much improved on the MKIII though, I was catching shots with it that I couldn't get the next day with the 7D MKII and 150-600mm Sport.

Back to the K-1 for the time being, I may get myself another K-3 III when they come down to what I consider a more sensible price.

K-3 III and 150-450mm


Tern Fishing
by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr
 
Well I'm sure very few people read this but sold the K-3 III yesterday and it will be off to it's new owner today. Shame really as it was a really good camera but a lot of money for a crop DSLR and after using mirrorless bodies recently I much prefer them so waiting patiently for the R7

The autofocus is much improved on the MKIII though, I was catching shots with it that I couldn't get the next day with the 7D MKII and 150-600mm Sport.

Back to the K-1 for the time being, I may get myself another K-3 III when they come down to what I consider a more sensible price.

K-3 III and 150-450mm


Tern Fishing by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr

What are you like!
(I’m loving the K1 - but not for birding)
I shot a lot of images at a recent special day at the golf club with the K1 and D FA 24-70mm. the club photographer said his Nikon setup was not in the same class.
 
What are you like!
(I’m loving the K1 - but not for birding)
I shot a lot of images at a recent special day at the golf club with the K1 and D FA 24-70mm. the club photographer said his Nikon setup was not in the same class.

I have someone interested in my K-1 ..... Would leave me without a Pentax body for the firs time in 14 years :thinking:
 
Strangely enough my middle name begins with B .....



Nice and sharp ... whoever sold you that lens must be kicking themselves.

I wonder who that could have been ?
I know I paid “over the top” for it :sneaky:, but it’s a great lens.:ty:
 
I wouldn't say that, I have been looking for another and every one has been more expensive (and in rubbish condition).

I ended up buying another 60-250mm f/4 but although it's a great lens it's not full frame or f/2.8 so it won't hang around for long.

I’ve done a head to head comparison between the K1 with the Tamron 70-200 and the A7iv with the FE70-200 GM - I honestly cannot see the Sony setup being any better in terms of image quality (worlds apart on autofocus though).
 
My second steam train in 14 years .... hitting the station at 6.50am, next station at 7.10am ... I know just the spot so I did a bit of scouting a couple of days ago and it was perfect, I should be able to catch the train as it came into sight and get a full length shot as it went past with the smoke billowing out of the chimney.

Got there at 6.30am, picked my spot eventually and waited.

Carriages are there alright but where's the bloody steam train then !!!


Half a steam train by Mike.Pursey, on Flickr
 
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Brush Class 47s need a bit of love... Regular sight on the NW Coast Main Line for many years.....
 
Just got back from a holiday on the Algarve (my wife thinks the main objective is golf) but I managed to spend some time with the K3iii and Sigma 100-300mm APO EX DG.
Although the autofocus is not the quickest (both lens and body), I believe some of the results are very acceptable. The Sigma is very sharp.

Black Headed Gull (Summer) by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr

Black Crowned Night Heron by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr

Black Crowned Night Heron by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr

As per normal, these images are best viewed on either my Mac or Flickr!!
 
K1 +24-70:52550027620_39eb15d033_o.jpg52549849379_c90e620765_o.jpg

Couple from Venice... bit annoyed about the boat in the 2nd image...wasn't there earlier in the afternoon (but at least the idiots on the bridge had gone back to their boats/hotels).

For this type of activity the K-1 is a joy to use - I used all 3 D-FA lenses (15-30, 24-70 and 70-200) and my 77mm limited.
 
I took this a couple of months ago, I quite like it as it shows the attractive colour a Lapwing possesses.
Taken with the K3iii and Sigma 100-300mm f4 lens. Large crop, resized in Topaz Gigapixel.

Lapwing.jpg by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr
 
Nice image Malcolm.

Good to see the colours on the lapwing, you caught the light just right.

I was looking at a set of photos I took 4-5 years ago during a Kingfisher workshop... I was travelling light,,,,,, D810 + 80-400, D500 + 300/4 + 1.4TC and K-1 + DA300 + 1.4TC... Guess which images had the most 'pop'.....
 
Nice image Malcolm.

Good to see the colours on the lapwing, you caught the light just right.

I was looking at a set of photos I took 4-5 years ago during a Kingfisher workshop... I was travelling light,,,,,, D810 + 80-400, D500 + 300/4 + 1.4TC and K-1 + DA300 + 1.4TC... Guess which images had the most 'pop'.....
Impressive array of kit you were carrying - you’re obviously a strong chap!
It‘s got to be the K1 + DA300 - It is a Pentax thread :):pentax:
 
Correct!

Car has large boot (Saab 9-5) so not far to carry the stuff to the hide.. 80-400 has since been to Nikon to be serviced (and it is much improved) and I have the Nikkor 200-500. Both 300s have gone, but the intention is to get a 150-450 in the not too distant future. (Mike's was on sale at the wrong time for me).
 
Correct!

Car has large boot (Saab 9-5) so not far to carry the stuff to the hide.. 80-400 has since been to Nikon to be serviced (and it is much improved) and I have the Nikkor 200-500. Both 300s have gone, but the intention is to get a 150-450 in the not too distant future. (Mike's was on sale at the wrong time for me).

I‘m going the other way - I’ve just bought a DA*300 to supplement my 150-450 on my K3iii.
 
This Kestrel allowed me to take a couple of shots from the car as it was hovering roadside.
Unfortunately the light was awful, and this is the best I could do - I do like Kestrels.
Shot with the K3iii and DA* 300mm f4.

Kestrel.jpg by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr
 
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This Kestrel allowed me to take a couple of shots from the car as it was hovering roadside.
Unfortunately the light was awful, and this is the best I could do - I do like Kestrels.
Shot with the K3iii and DA* 300mm f4.

Kestrel by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr
B
E
A
U
T
I
F
U
L
!!!
 
I noticed a few Kingfisher pics being posted on other threads lately and thought I would revisit a few I had taken in past years. I re-edited this one slightly as it looked a bit dark but think it holds up well against modern equipment. It was taken on a Pentax K5IIs with a Sigma 50-500mm lens in 2014.


Kingfisher
by Mike Pursey, on Flickr
 
Went out on Monday evening with my camera club, starting at Vauxhall and heading towards Battersea Park via the US Embassy at Nine Elms. Our president remarked that she'd never seen anyone in the Sky Pool, but I saw a shadow and confirmed someone was indeed taking the swim of faith. Anyway, Madame President and 1 or 2 others strolled closer to take photos from beneath while I concentrated on the embassy itself.

Anyway when I downloaded my photos last night I was quite happy that I did capture the swimmer from quite a distance with the K-1 plus FA*85/1,4. Only unhappy that I didn't follow the group. Apparently a very 'supple' young lady swimmer...
Swimmer in the Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens (1).jpg
 
In the late spring the Laburnum arch at Bodnant, South of Llandudno Junction on the A470, comes into life. Captured with the K-1 and gorgeous D-FA24-70... Unfortunately nothing I can do about the 'visitors'. This was taken late May, pre-peak, late afternoon. Optimum time methinks.


IMGP1681 Laburnum Arch Gardd Bodnant.jpg
 
I am not much concerned about the technical qualities of this picture., It's taken outside the Princess of Wales house in Kew Gardens on a nice sunny afternoon with blue skies.... There is a mojo quality with the K-1 I couldn't find in the D810. Pictorially, I am happy with the sequence of images I took at the moment - other days I would take the D810 and come back with nothing...(D850 is another level though, so Ricoh hint K-1 Mk3,....)

IMGP7824 Kew Gardens Flowers.jpg
 
Has anyone been following the K1iii rumours??

My K1 hasn't had so much use since Vienna, but it is going to Bruges and then Venice. Last big used was Austria when my 77mm decided to jam. The Z-1p has been used mostly, as have my P50 and newly acquired T70..
 
Has anyone been following the K1iii rumours??

My K1 hasn't had so much use since Vienna, but it is going to Bruges and then Venice. Last big used was Austria when my 77mm decided to jam. The Z-1p has been used mostly, as have my P50 and newly acquired T70..

Been looking now and then but imo it's not looking like Ricoh are in any hurry (as usual) to release a MKIII. They are relying on the committed Pentax owners to keep the brand going which considering the average age of users is a pretty bad strategy I would have thought, and besides, without new product there is only so much people are willing to buy.

Personally I have all but given up on photography in the last 12 months but do miss my Pentax gear (hard not to after 15+ years of using it) and hope they keep going but am starting to think the doooom spreaders may be proved correct finally.
 
I hope you are wrong about that Mike (in your last post). I'm a big Pentax fan, mainly film but love my K3iiiM and I've a number of prime lenses for it, I would like a K1iii if it arrived, although I fear the price might make it difficult, unless I sold some Nikon or Olympus kit, which I don't want to do. I think Ricoh (Pentax) listen primarily to what the Japanese market wants, which we are not easily apprised of over here.
 
I hope you are wrong about that Mike

So do I, as someone who bought into Pentax all those years ago (after being told on here not to waste my money as they were already dead in the water) I have loved using their cameras (despite the glacial autofocus up to the K3 III) and the lenses have been superb but at the very least all the full frame screw drive lenses need a complete overhaul with decent motors and there are still major holes in the lineup.

Time will tell I suppose.
 
We all know that Pentax's AF has lagged behind Minolta-Sony/Canon/Nikon since the dawn of the AF age. And one of the reasons for going for Nikon Full-frame (as I could suddenly afford a D3) was the superb AF.... then the 2nd body was the superb D7100 which I had concurrently with my K-3. I soon discovered that during airshows using the Pentax was more satisfying; it might not have acquired the plane as quick as the D3/D7100 but as soon as it did it could go on and on and on, buffer full? wait a second and then continue - both Nikons would fill up and only when the buffer was clear could I continue, the lag would be several seconds.... I shoot RAW plus JPEG.

Now I have D850 and D500, neither of which suffer the buffer issues - these are the motorsport/wildlife cameras. The K-1 is the city/landscape camera and is still an absolute joy to use; the screw-drive lenses might be archaic but I do enjoy the sound they make (and their visual appeal).
 
Discovered via Daniel Bridge when he spoke at our club (he was pleasantly surprised when there was a Pentaxuser in the audience) the interesting feature called Interval Composite on the K-1 and some K-3 variants, tried it out in Bruges and Venice recently, so will see how it works.

8 years after buying the camera I must get round to reading the manual to see what else the camera can do.... :rolleyes:
 
Some recent images in the 'boats' and 'dogs' threads on here...Quick snaps but some of the night-time and interval composite ones will pop up on here as soon as I have done my Blurb books...
 
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