© 2015 – Yvon Bourque June 2015 K-3II Release. K-3II

am pleased that you purchased one of our Pentax K-3 – Everything you need to know…..and then some Ie-book. As an enthusiastic photographer for many years, I have had many Pentax cameras. My first “new” camera was a Pentax Spotmatic, purchased when I was still in Junior High.

When Pentax stepped into the Digital SLR market, I was de- lighted. Their first few DSLRs (The *ist series) were the smallest DSLRs on the market but were not particularly special with the 6MP CCD. When the K10D was introduced, everything changed and Pentax was suddenly a major player. The K10D was a breakthrough, in my opinion. It had the capabilities of Professional DSLRs with the price of entry-level DSLRs. It had some unique features found nowhere else at any price. In January of 2008, Pentax announced the K20D. It was not a revolution as the K10D was, but it certainly was an evolution of the revolution. The K200D and the K2000/KM, the K-x all followed with no exceptional or marginal im- provements. On May 2009, Pentax made history again by introducing the Pentax K-7. On October 2010, the K-5 is an- nounces as the flagship of the company.

As I write this e-book, the K-5/K-5II and K-5IIs are still available and so are the K-50 and K-500. Pentax has just announced the K-3 It’s amazing to me how Pentax keeps break- ing barriers. The K-3 has front and rear e-dials, which are usually only found on much more expensive cameras. It is also weather sealed and at the current selling price, it’s unique.

This book is not about me as a photographer. It is about you and what information you will need when using this marvel of engineering that the K-3 is. The book complements the Pentax user’s manual and explains in simple terms how to use the camera. It contains techniques, shortcuts, explanations, tips, examples and photographic information applicable to the K-3 as well as other DSLRs in general.

We offer the K-3 e-book in a downloadable e-book form only. We save production costs and you save money, and get you book much quicker.

Your feedback is always important to me. Yvon Bourque

I always appreciate comments from my readers, including those who let me know about typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors. However, please understand that English is not my first language. You can always let me know by emailing me directly at: [email protected]

Foreword Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Table of Content Know your K-3 How to use your K-3

Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Processing your images The Pentax System Photography Techniques

Chapter 6 Addendum Appendix

HD Video Recording Additional Information Glossary

Click here to jump to the K-3II

Yvon Bourque PENTAX K-3 Everything you need to know… and then some. Foreword

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced on any form or by any means, or stored in database or retrieval system, without prior written permission. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of the United States and International copyright laws.

This book is sold as is, printed or in e-book format, without any warranty of any kind, either ex- pressed or implied, respecting the contents of this book, including but not limited to implied war- ranties for book’s quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose. The author nor dealers or distributors shall be liable to the purchaser or any other person or enti- ty with respect to any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this book.

All terms or Company names mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been carefully and appropriately noted. The author cannot attest to the accuracy of this information.

The contents of this book are strictly the view of the writer. The explanation and suggestions, as to the operation of the equipment as such, is derived from the author’s own experience and con- clusions. The accuracy of the instructional articles has not been verified by the respective manufacturers. This book is not associated with Ricoh - Pentax or its affiliates.

The author is not endorsing any equipment manufacturers nor is the author being compensated by any manufacturer for the editorial content of this book. Any text resembling any other published material is coincidental as this book is focused on the teachings of the use of the equipment, which is derived from the manufacturer’s instructions. The book is written, whenever possible, in a non- technical manner and is geared toward entry level and amateur photographers, although some material may be useful to professionals.

Pentax is a trademark of Ricoh - Pentax Corporation and its affiliates Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements are trademarks of Adobe®

About the Author:

Back when most of his classmates were dealing with growing up, the author was nurturing a serious enthusiasm for photography. Son of a Montreal carpenter, he en- rolled in photography courses, soaked up theory, bought his first camera, shot rolls of film, and learned how to de- velop and print. All this was before leaving junior high school. He had many dreams and like many aspiring young photographers, he dreamed of getting assignments from National Geographic and traveling the world over.

Decades later, the road has led him into other directions. With the responsibilities of a career and family, his plans were altered, but only slightly. The enthusiasm of the young boy and the love of photography are still strong. He never abandoned his photography dreams. One of his biggest frustrations is that he does not have enough time for more.

He has used all types of photography formats, but now, uses Digital SLR cameras almost exclusively. He states “Technology is good. The freedom to unleash one’s creativity has never been greater. You either follow the flow of progress, or you are left behind”.

His work has given him the opportunity to travel across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. His photography career never took-off as he had dreamed, but as a second career, he has spent countless hours during the past decades capturing not only the beauty and the people of America but other countries as well. He has won numerous awards, written articles and books on his beloved subject, and sold his work throughout the places he lived.

Where does a tireless hobbyist go from here? Like all other areas of our modern life, photography has gone digital. As an artist, he is fascinated with all of the new digital possibilities. He is finally contemplating the idea of replacing his present career shingle for one stating Yvon Bour- que, Photographer. “With perseverance, all is possible.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD IV

CHAPTER 1 ● KNOW YOUR K-3 23 Nomenclature 23 Viewfinder available Information in details 29 LCD Panel available information in details 31 Specifications 34 What is so special about the PENTAX K-3? 38 Quick rundown 38 K-3 new breed of camera 38 AA-filter-free 24 megapixel CMOS sensor 38 In-body Shake Reduction mechanism 39 The world’s first AA filter simulator 39 Newly developed PRIME III imaging engine 40 Top sensitivity of ISO 51,200 40 Effective compensation of lens aberration, fringe and moiré 40 86,000-pizel RGB light-metering sensor 41 Pentax Real-time Scene Analysis System 41 Reliable auto-exposure control down to minus 3EV 42 State-of-the-art SAFOX II 42 27-point AF system with 25 cross-shaped sensors 43 High Precision AF with f/2.8 luminance flux linear sensors 43 Dependable AF at super-low minimum luminance of minus 3EV 44 AF point select 44 Zone select 44 Select-area expansion 45 Auto tracking 45 AF customization 45 AF operation setting 46 AF hold setting 46 AF hold off 46 AF hold high 46 High-speed continuous shooting at 8.3 images per second 46 Three-motor mechanism 47 Mirror-bounce damper mechanism 47 Mirror-up position / mirror down position 47 60-image continuous shooting 48 Multi-mode exposure system 48 Program Line 49

Auto ISO Parameters 49 1/8000-second high speed shutter 50 Multi-mode light metering 50 Hyper Control system 50 Live View shooting 52 High-speed continuous shooting during Live View shooting 52 Digital level 52 Auto level compensation 52 Auto level compensation for extra-fine adjustment 53 Compatibility with GPS unit 53 Custom images 53 Custom image selection 54 Digital filters 54 Digital filters available during playback only 55 Interval shooting / Interval composite 55 HDR shooting 55 Multiple exposure 56 4K-compatible interval movie shooting 57 Full HD movie recording 57 Audio recording 57 In-body RAW data development 58 RAW data development parameters 58 Latest software included * Silkypix 58 Optical finder with 100% field of view 59 Wireless LAN remote control operation 60 3.2-inch Air Gapless LCD monitor 60 Dual SD card1 slot 61 Newly installed control parts 61 AF mode button 62 Mode dial unlock lever 62 Magnesium alloy casing and metallic chassis 62 Cold resistance down to minus 10 degree C 62 Dustproof, weather-resistant construction 63 DR II (Dust Removal II) mechanism 63 Dust alert system 63 Dependable shutter unit 64 Shooting modes 65 GREEN (AUTO) 65 (P) Program Mode 65 (Sv) Sensitivity Priority Mode 65 (Tv) Shutter Priority Mode 66 (Av) Aperture Pririty Mode 66

(TAv) Shutter & Aperture Priority Mode 66 (M) Manual Mode 67 (B) Bulb Mode 67 (X) Flash X-Sync Speed Mode 67 (USER) Modes 68

CHAPTER 2 ● HOW TO USE YOUR K-3 70 How to use your K-3 (Quick Start) 72 The Guide display 73 The Standby Mode Status Screen 73 The Control Panel 74 Shooting Info Display Selection Screen 74 Battery 75 Battery Installation / Removal 76 Installing / removing memory card 76 Installing / removing lenses 77 Turning the camera On/Off 78 Focusing Method 78 AF Modes 79 Adjusting the viewfinder diopter 80 Language 80 Date and time 81 Sound effects 82 Taking pictures 83 Program Line 83 E-dial programming 84 Picture quality 86 Shake reduction 87 White balance 88 AUTO mode 88 Instant review 91 The Menus 92 Setting playback display 93 Histograms 95 Preview Method 96 Digital preview 97 Rotating Images 97 Image file format 98 Raw File Sizes and Quality 98 RAW File Sizes and Quality 98 Why not take pictures in RAW files? 99 RAW Mode Explained 99

Shooting and Saving in RAW 100 Shooting and Saving in JPEG 100 Differences Between RAW and JPEG 100 Why Shoot JPEG? 101 Why Shoot RAW? 101 Summary RAW/JPEG 102 RAW/Fx Button 102 AF Button 103 Setting Sensitivity (ISO) 104 Setting EV and ISO Incremental Steps 106 White Balance Adjustments 107 White Balance Menu 108 White Balance Settings 109 Setting to AWB 109 Setting to Multi Auto White Balance 109 Setting to Daylight White Balance 110 Setting to Shade White Balance 110 Setting to Cloudy White Balance 110 Setting to Fluorescent White Balance 111 Setting to Tungsten White Balance 111 Setting to Flash White Balance 111 Setting to CTE White Balance 112 Setting to Manual White Balance 112 Setting to Color Temperature White Balance 112 Fine Tuning White Balance 113 Fine-Tuning White Balance results 114 Metering System 115 Linking AE and AF points 116 Meter Operating Time 116 Built-in-Flash 117 Flash Compensation Output 118 Allowing Flash Shooting While Charging 119 Built-in flash distance and aperture 119 Calculating Maximum Flash Distance from a Set Aperture 120 Flash Modes 121 Flash on 121 Flash on + Red-Eye 121 Slow-Speed Sync 122 Slow-Speed Sync + Red-Eye 122 Trailing Curtain Sync 123 Wireless Mode 123

Multiple Flashes 124 Using the Flash in (Tv) Shutter Priority Mode 124 Using the Flash in (Av) Aperture Priority Mode 124 P-TTL Mode External Flash 125 Daylight-Sync or Fill Flash 125 Autofocus System 126 TTL Phase-Matching AF options 127 AF Active Area Auto (27 AF Points) 128 AF Active Area Zone Select 128 AF Active Area Select 129 AF Active Area Expanded Area AF (S) 129 AF Active Area Expanded Area AF (M) 130 AF Active Area Expanded Area AF (L) 130 This is AF Active Area Spot 131 Contrast Detection AF options (Shooting through the Live View monitor) 131 Contrast AF Face Detection 131 Contrast AF Tracking 132 Contrast AF Multiple AF Points 132 Contrast AF Select 133 Contrast AF Spot 133 Focus Peaking 134 Catch in focus 134 Autofocus Fine Adjustment 135 Autofocus Accuracy, Back & Front Focusing Problems 135 Live- View 148 Color Space 149 (AE-L) Button - Memorizing Exposure 150 Exposure Bracket Mode 151 Multiple exposures 154 Using multiple exposures 154 Remote Control 157 Drive Modes 158 Single-Frame Shooting 158 Continuous Shooting 158 Self-timer 159 Remote Control Unit 159 Exposure Bracketing 160 Mirror Lock-up Shooting 160 Multi-exposure 161 Interval Shooting 161 Interval Composite 161

Shake Reduction 162 Dust Removal 163 Sensor Cleaning 164 Pixel Mapping 164 Anti-Aliasing Filter Simulator 165 Screen Views of the Menus 166 More on Exposure Modes 170 (P) Program Mode 170 (Sv) Sensitivity Priority Mode 171 (Tv) Shutter Priority Mode 172 (Av) Aperture Priority Mode 172 (TAv) Shutter & Aperture Priority Mode 173 (M) Manual Mode 173 (B) Bulb Mode 174 (X) Flash X-Sync Speed mode 175 User Mode (U1, U2 and U3) 175 Saving settings User (U1, U2 and U3) 176

CHAPTER 3 ● PROCESSING YOUR K-3 IMAGES 178 Camera Processing of Images 179 Editing Images (One image or multiple images) 179 Image Rotation 180 Digital Filters 180 Color Moiré Correction 182 Resize 182 Cropping 182 Index 183 Protect 184 Slideshow 184 Save as manual white balance 184 Save cross processing settings as favorite 185 RAW development 185 Movie edit 185 Image Copy 186 Eye-Fi Image Transfer 186 Custom Images 187 Using Digital Imaging Software 192 Printing Images 195 Pentax Supplied Software 196

CHAPTER 4 ● THE PENTAX SYSTEM. 198 Short Pentax History 199 The Pentax DSLRs 201 Optional Accessories for the K-3 206 External Flash Units 206 AF540FGZ Features 206 AF360FGZ Features 207 New AF540FGZII & AF360FGZII 208 Specifications 209 AF200FG Features 212 AF160FC Features 213 Remotes 214 Remote Control-F 214 Remote Control Waterproof O-RC1 214 Cable Switch CS-205 215 AC Adapter 215 Favorite Accessory – D-BG5 216 The O-GPS1 accessory unit and operation 216 Viewfinder accessories 221 Right-Angle Viewfinder 222 Lenses Compatibility 223 DA Lenses 224 DA Limited Lenses 227 New DA Limited Lenses with HD coating 228 DA * Lenses 229 FA Lenses still available 231 D FA lenses 232 FA J Lenses 233 FA Lenses 234 K-Mount Manual “A” Lenses 238 K-Mount Manual “M” Lenses 240 Set up your Pentax K-3 to use older M-series and S (screw) mount lenses 241 M42 Screw-Mount Manual Lenses 243 Medium Format Lenses 244

CHAPTER 5 ● PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES 246 Aperture Scale Explained 248 Shutter Speed Scale Explained 249 ISO Value Scale Explained 250

Combining All Three Elements with the K-3 250 Adjustments to Consider 251 Photography Techniques 252 Rule of Thirds 254 Close-up 255 Flowers 256 Leading Lines 257 Panoramic Pictures 258 Black & White 260 Selective Focusing 261 Children 262 Slow speed blurring 263 Silhouette 264 Travel Photography 265 Back Lighting 266 Shooting at Night with a Tripod 267 Bad Weather 268 Commercial Photography 269 Get Closer 270 Automobiles 271 Patterns 272 Changing your point of view 273 Action 274 National and state parks 275

CHAPTER 6 ● HD VIDEO RECORDING 276 Movie recording 277 Settings for movie recording 278 Exposure setting 279 Highlight Correction 279 Shadow Correction 279 Digital Filter 280 Face Detection 280 Focus Peaking 280 AF Assist Light 281 Sound Level (Recording and playback) 281 Memory Card Options 282 Recorded pixels 282 Framerate 282 Movie SR 283 Interval Movie 283 Let’s record a movie 284

Watch Movie 285 Movie editing 286

ADDENDUM 287 Modern DSLR cameras 288 Other K-3 functions 288 HDR (High Dynamic Range) 289 Programmable Embedded Copyright 291 Composition Adjustment in Live View 291 Electronic Distortion Adjustment 292 Lateral Chromatic Aberrations Adjustment 293 Peripheral Illumination Correction 293 Anti-Aliasing Filter Simulation 293 Status Screen Color Scheme 294 Using a Wireless Memory card 295 Stay in level 297

APPENDIX 298 Lens Compatibility Chart 300 Pentax Lens Mount Facts 301 Glossary 304

Pentax K-3II supplement...... 315 Performance...... 316 Specifications...... 320 New Features...... 322

Foreword

I wrote this book for all users of the Pentax K-3. No matter what your experience level is, you will find something useful in this book.

Less than a few decades ago, most amateur and professional photographers alike were using film cameras for their picture taking. Within the film cameras, several formats were used. The general public and a good number of professionals used the 35mm format. A select few preferred using medium and large format cameras main- ly because of the size of the negatives. Larger negatives rendered better pictures, better colors and fantastic enlargements. Film cameras had evolved to very sophisti- cated instruments and took great pictures. It’s no wonder that almost every family owned a 35mm camera.

When the first digital cameras started to appear, the quality was less than desirable, but the potential was certainly there. For several years, many photography maga- zines were debating whether or not the digital cameras would replace film based cameras. Over time, the quality has so improved, that today, in our opinion, digital cameras exceed the quality of film based cameras. Of course, we are comparing the 35mm and medium format film cameras with the new breed of Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras. It has taken many years to get where we are today, but digital is here to stay. Some of you probably never used a film camera before.

It wasn’t all that long ago when a top DSLR with a sensor in the 2 megapixels range was costing the consumers nearly five thousand dollars or more. For a while, as soon as you spent thousands of dollars for a top-of-the-line DSLR, it was replaced within months with a new and better model. I am sure that some of you remember these times of tribulation.

The market, as this book is written, has stabilized, and the norm in a non- professional DSLR is now around the 12 to 25 megapixels, 25 megapixels and above for most professional DSLR cameras. All are enough to produce very good enlargements up to about 16” x 20” and beyond. Full size (roughly 36mm x 24mm, or the same size as a 35mm frame) sensors are available on many DSLRs. The perceived advantage of full frame is that you can use your 35mm format lenses without any correction factor. Pentax is using a smaller sized sensor (APS-C roughly 24mm x 16mm) requiring a correction factor of around 1.5 to 35mm format lenses. If you

Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Table of contents and Foreword shoot with telephoto lenses, it works to your advantage as a 200mm f/2.8 lens acts like a 300mm f/2.8 telephoto at no additional cost. We know that a 300mm f/2.8 telephoto lens is very expensive. The downside is that wide angle lenses will no longer perform as such, but the maximum aperture will remain. Today most companies manufacture super-wide lenses that, when converted to a 1.5x factor, still gives you a nominal wide angle comparable to a 20mm on up in the 35mm format. Wide angle lenses are cheaper than telephotos. In our opinion, full-frame sensors are overrated, especially with the new K-3. The K-3 uses a new 24.4 megapixels CMOS sensor, adapted by Pentax engineers for the K-3, drastically reducing the digital noise at high ISO. It also allows sizeable cropping.

Unless you want to print your pictures billboard size at 300dpi resolution, the current CMOS sensor will be sufficient to produce stunning pictures and enlargements that were only dreamed of a few years ago. The CMOS sensors use less power and produce very little digital noise at higher ISO.

In the past few years, we have seen many brand names in the camera field disap- pear. Some acquisitions and mergers took place and some companies just abandoned the competitive digital photography market altogether.

In the past decade, two companies appear to have dominated the market; and indeed still do. There is no doubt that they manufacture good products, but the brand loyal- ty and recognition may have played an important role in their success.

With (Ricoh) Pentax introducing the K-3, the gap between these two giants is nar- rower and there is no doubts that Pentax will once again take a greater share of the market with good products. Pentax took a while before producing its first Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR). Some changes are about to happen. Pentax is not new to changing the photographic world. Pentax pioneered the Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera in 1952 with the introduction of the Asahiflex I camera. In 1954, the Asahiflex II was introduced with the first instant mirror return. In 1964, Pentax did it again by introducing its Pentax Spotmatic camera featuring the first through-the- lens (TTL) metering system in a Pentax camera. A version of the Pentax TTL system is now found in virtually all 35mm SLR cameras and applied to the design of DSLRs as well. Many of us learned photography by using the ever popular Pentax K1000.

The new Pentax K-3 is aimed at amateurs to advanced amateur photographers but can certainly be used by entry-level photographers on one hand and Professional photographers on the other hand. It’s a camera that will help expand your photographic expertise. It can be as easy to operate as a point and shoot, but it also has all of the professional features that you will demand as your experience grows. All Pentax lenses ever made will work with the K-3. It is often said that the glass are the most important factor in taking great photographs. There are many reasons to choose the K-3 for your digital photography endeavors. We have dedicated a whole section on the camera’s features alone.

This book is organized in the following way:

Foreword and Table of contents

Chapter 1 “Know your K-3” is dedicated to the general specifications of the K-3 and the review of the many functions of the camera in general.

Chapter 2 “How to use your K-3” explains the multiple functions of the K-3, and includes many pictures and illustrations. It clarifies the use of the camera’s functions from screen menus to actual buttons and switches. There are no simple icons on this camera mode dial, which really makes it easy to shoot like a Pro, without being a Pro. The advantage of this camera is that you can tailor its operability to your liking or photographic skills. The three basic shooting elements; Aperture, Shutter Speed and the Sensitivity (ISO) are all adjustable with the K-3 in ways that will make the competition rethink their approach. It will not be long before other manufacturers try to mimic the K-3.

Chapter 3 “Processing your K-3 Images” is a brief review on how to manipulate your images within the camera as well as with a computer. This topic alone is wor- thy of a book by itself, and there are indeed many books on Digital Imaging readily available. Pentax “Silkypix” software and other digital imaging software such as Photoshop®, Lightroom®, and Elements®, as well as Apple’s Aperture® are briefly visited. The possibilities are endless and are only limited by your ability or desire to manipulate and post-process your images.

Chapter 4 “The Pentax System” is dedicated to the Pentax System. Pentax is truly the only manufacturer with 100% backward compatibility. It includes all lenses ever

Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Table of contents and Foreword manufactured by Pentax, both 35mm and medium formats. There are about twenty five million+ genuine Pentax lenses out there. There are probably that many more lenses manufactured by companies such as Tamron ™, Sigma ™, Tokina ™ and other brands. Currently available accessories are also covered and explained in this chapter.

Chapter 5 “Photography Techniques” is full of techniques and example pictures along with some suggestions on composition.

Chapter 6 “HD Video recording” is dedicated to the HD video capabilities of the K-3. This new generation of DSLRs with still pictures and HD video capabilities is changing the digital photography landscape. It opens up new possibilities. It is going to be very popular for documenting and photojournalistic approach to your under- takings. The K-3 has outstanding video capabilities.

Addendum is comprised of additional K-3 functions, last minute changes, revisions to software or firmware and any additional information found to be useful at the time of writing.

Appendix section includes menu setting tables, factory default tables, lens compatibility chart, mount types, and an index to guide you through this book.

Check our Pentax Blog, “The Blogspot”; we constantly post articles about Pentax products and photography in general. We also have a website showcasing our e-books. You can download useful information, samples or purchase an e-book for your Pentax DSLR.

Other Pentax e-books are available at http://www.ebooks4cameras.com/

Click on the image above to go toe the ebooks4cameras e-commerce.

Click on the image above to go to our website/blog.

Know your K-3

Page 22

Nomenclature 6 4 5

7 2 8

1. Self-timer lamp Blinks for self-timer. Serves as remote control receiver. 2. Front e-dial Changes set values. (Customizable) 3. Main switch Move to turn camera on or off and to see preview. (Customizable) 4. AF Assist Light Lights up when AF is difficult to attain in darker scenes. 5. Lens mount index Reference point to install lenses. 6. Mirror Mirror lifts up during exposure. APS-C sensor is under the mirror. 7. AF coupler Handles the AF drive between the lens and the camera. 8. Lens info contacts Exchanges info between the lens and the camera for exposure. 9. Lens unlock button Press to remove or install a lens.

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15 13 17 12 16 14 5 18

29 20

1 1 21 28 22 27 8 10 23 26 25 24

10. LCD monitor Displays exposed pictures, allows access to menus. 11. AE metering/Delete Press to change metering mode or delete current picture. 12. Playback button Toggle switch between Playback and Capture mode. 13. Viewfinder Viewing through the lens method instead of live view. 14. Live View/REC button Displays Live View images or start/stop movie recording. 15. Diopter adjustment Adjust the viewfinder to your eye. 16. Rear e-dial Changes values. (Customizable for each menu) 17. AF button Focus without pressing shutter release halfway. (Customizable) 18. AE Lock button Locks exposure value. In Playback, saves the last JPEG as RAW. 19. Green button Resets the values being adjusted to defaults. 20. Stills/Movie switch Toggle between stills shooting and movie shooting. 21. Four-way controller Four-way controller right ► or Custom Image in direct keys. 22. Card access Flashes when writing to memory card. 23. AF Point/Memory card Changes AF point or toggles between SD1/SD2 in Playback mode 24. Menu button Press to display menus. Press again to return to previous screen. 25. Info Button Press to change the display style on the monitor. 26. Four-way controller Four-way controller down ▼ or Flash Mode in direct keys. 27. OK button Press to acknowledge selected item. 28. Four-way controller Four-way controller left ◄ or White Balance in direct keys. 29. Four-way controller Four-way controller up ▲ or Drive Mode in direct keys. Page 24

78 79 80 77 81 82 76 83

84 75 85

74 86

73 87

92 88 96 95 94 91 90 89 97 93

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SPECIFICATIONS:

Camera Type Digital SLR with Interchangeable lenses Lens Mount Pentax K Camera Format APS-C / (1.5x Crop Factor) Pixels Actual: 24.71 Megapixel Effective: 23.35 Megapixel Max Resolution 24MP: 6016 x 4000 @ 3:2 Other Resolutions 14MP: 4608 x 3072 @ 3:2 6MP: 3072 x 2048 @ 3:2 2MP: 1920 x 1080 @ 16:9 Aspect Ratio 3:2, 16:9 Sensor Type / Size CMOS, 23.5 x 15.6 mm File Formats Still Images: DNG, JPEG, RAW Movies: AVI, MOV, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Bit Depth 14-bit Dust Reduction System Yes Noise Reduction Yes Memory Card Type SD, SDHC, SDXC, Eye-fi, Flucard Image Stabilization Sensor-Shift

Focus Type Auto & Manual Single-servo AF (S), Continuous-servo AF (C), Manu- Focus Mode al Focus (M) , Focus Lock AF Area Mode Autofocus Points Phase Detection: 27

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Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Chapter 1 - Know your K-3  Select-area expansion*: Choose one of 27 AF points to focus on the subject, and the K-3 automatically tracks the subject and refocuses on it with the help of the neighboring points, even when it moves away from the initial point. You can select the desired expansion area from S (eight points), M (24 points) and L (26 points). * This mode is not available in the AF.S (single) focus mode.

 Auto tracking**:

The PENTAX Real-time Scene Analysis System accurately detects the color, shape and movement of a subject, and keeps monitoring it throughout the imaging process. With the help of this innovative system, the K-3 automatically shifts the AF point to trace the subject’s movement with great speed and precision. Thanks to a wide AF area covered by 27 AF points, it maintains the sharp focus on the subject, even when it’s moving at high speed or when you are using the high-speed continuous shooting mode. ** This function is available when the camera’s AF mode is set to AF.C (continuous) or AF.A (auto).

 AF customization:

Every photographer has his or her own preferred AF settings for specific subjects, photographic conditions and subject-tracking maneuvers. The K-3 accommodates these preferences with its extensive list of AF customization menus.

Page 45

 Wireless LAN remote control operation:

The K-3 accepts the optional O-FC1 FLUCARD FOR PENTAX 16GB to provide wireless LAN functions** using a smartphone or tablet computer. You can release the K-3’s shutter and change exposure settings from a distance while checking the Live View image, and download and browse captured images on your smartphone/tablet monitor.

** These functions are available with smartphones and tablet computers supported by iOS and Android operating systems.

 3.2-inch Air Gapless LCD monitor:

The K-3’s Air Gapless LCD monitor has a special resin layer applied between the protective panel and the LCD screen to effectively cut down the reflection and dis- persion of light and assure excellent visibility even under bright sunshine. Its 3.2- inch screen displays a large subject image at 3:2 aspect ratio, while the protective panel is made of tempered glass to keep it free of scratches and abrasions.

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Chapter 2

How to use your K-3

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Selective focusing

This image is de-saturated, giving a hint of colors.

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How to use your K-3 (Quick Start)

You may be a professional photographer, you may be an advanced amateur or perhaps you are just getting into digital photography. This camera has so many features that it is up the user to decide how much of the technology is needed to suit his or her needs. On one hand, it can be a fully auto-everything camera, giving effortless and excellent results every time. On the other hand, it can be a fully manual camera, challenging your photographic skills, but with the benefit of advance electronics double checking your settings, just in case. The reality is that it can be customized to fill anyone’s photographic requirements. Photography has never been this good.

In this chapter, we start from the very beginning and work our way to the advanced features of this camera. Just pick and choose which sections suit your skills or preferences. No matter your level of expertise, you’re bound to learn something new.

You finally received your K-3 and you are understandably excited, or you are contemplating purchasing a K-3. Either way, this book can help. We believe that anyone looking for a DSLR in the K-3„s price range will see what a great value the K-3 really is. It is, in my opinion, a semi-pro camera available at a reasonable price.

If you haven’t done so, you should perhaps read the preceding chapter first. You can learn and appreciate some of the camera strongest features.

As you read this book, refer to the nomenclature in Chapter 1 often until you are thoroughly familiar with all parts of your camera.

Navigate through menus of the camera with the four-way controller shown here and illustrated in this book as ▲ for up, ▼ for down, ◄ for left and ► for right. The same buttons (Direct keys) are also used to access the Drive modes ▲, the White Bal- ance settings ◄, the Flash modes ▼ and the Custom image ►. The OK (acknowledgement) button is in the center.

☻ indicates special notes or comments.

(00) = Nomenclature item description. See Chapter 1. Page 72

Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Chapter 2 - How to use your K-3 ☻ To recap, while in the “standby mode” (camera ready to shoot), pressing the IN- FO button toggles between the Control Panel, the Shooting Info Display Selec- tion Screen and the Standby Mode Status Screen.

______

Battery

The camera uses a Pentax rechargeable lithium-ion battery D-L190. Other manufacturers may offer comparable batteries at a cheaper price. Make sure it is compatible with the camera and the charger before using an off-brand battery. In this writer’s opinion, it is always safer to use OEM equipment. You should recharge the battery before you use it for the first time.

Connect the AC plug cord to the battery charger (D-BC90), and then plug the AC cord to a power outlet. Slip the battery in the charger face down. The battery will lock in place. The Pentax Charger shows a green LED while the battery is charging. The LED goes off when the battery is fully charged.

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Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Chapter 2 - How to use your K-3 Although many other options and settings are still available, the current settings are fine for almost any photographic situation. In fact, the current settings are similar to a very good point-and-shoot camera…only better. That is to say, that you could leave these settings as they are and just use the K-3 as a point and shoot camera. Your pictures should always be of high quality with little effort.

You are now ready to take pictures in the AUTO mode. Try shooting your first picture(s) outside during daylight. That will work best. Chances are that the lighting will be sufficient and the flash will not be needed. Find your subject and while looking in the viewfinder, press the shutter release button halfway while composing your picture. The camera autofocus comes on, and confirms when in focus, with a beep and a red illuminated box in the viewfinder.

The information is displayed in the viewfinder:

A B

A B C D E F

Page 89

A. If the lighting is insufficient, the flash indicator blinks. You may need to use the flash by pressing the flash up button.

B. The K-3 sets the shutter speed the automatically.

C. The K-3 sets the Aperture the automatically.

D. The Focus indicator is on when you are in focus. You also hear a confirmation beep and the focus point illuminates.

E. If the Shake Reduction (SR) is on, it will appear in the viewfinder.

F. With the Electronic Level activated, it is shown in the viewfinder.

G. Auto ISO is activated and the ISO number is shown in the viewfinder.

You have taken your first picture(s) with the K-3. Yeah!

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Histograms are a digital way to see if an image is properly exposed, shown as a graph. The gadget-oriented and technical photographers will not keep an image if the exposure histogram is not perfect. An image with a less than perfect histogram may still be a prize winning picture because of its composition or subject. With that said; use the histogram as a tool to learn how to take properly exposed pictures. The composition, in our opinion, is much more important.

Essentially, the exposure histogram shows the overexposed and underexposed area of your image. The histogram horizontal scale measures the brightness, from totally black (0) on the left to totally white (255) on the right. The vertical scale measures the amount of pixels of any given shade. There is no perfect histogram as images in nature are not perfectly lighted. There are shadows and bright areas. What is important is that if the black areas of the picture create a spike on the left side, part of the image is underexposed. If a spike occurs on the right side, part of the image is overexposed. The human brain is better equipped to distinguish a good image from a bad one, many times better than a digital histogram. The K-3 also shows RGB (red, green and blue) histograms. This is a way to show the distribution of color intensity. Again, humans can decipher colors much better than any digital device invented thus far. So the bottom line is that it is good to use histograms to check your image quality, but we would recommend using exposure bracketing instead as the extra shots won’t cost you anything but time and space on your memory card. You can instantly delete the pictures you don’t like. Page 95

Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Chapter 2 - How to use your K-3 To access the White Balance screen, press the (WB) button while in Capture mode. Use the four-way controller ◄ toward the WB.

White Balance Settings

☻ (See Fine-Tuning at the end of the White Balance settings)

Setting to AWB

In the White Balance screen, move ◄ ► with the four-way controller to the Auto White Balance icon. At that point, you can press the OK button and the White Balance will be set to AUTO. It is surprisingly accurate and can be used most of the time. The settings are somewhere between 4,000K and 8,000K.

Setting to Multi Auto White Balance

In the White Balance screen, move ◄ ► with the four-way controller to the Auto White Balance icon then ▼ to Multi Auto White Balance. In this White Balance setting, even if various light sources are present at the shooting location, the K-3 adjusts the White Balance according to the light source of each area.

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The middle picture is the way it should be. The picture on the top shows a front- fo- cusing problem, and the picture on the bottom shows a back-focusing problem.

This image seems to be front focused.

This image seems to be focused properly.

This image seems to be back focused.

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Acceptable Focusing Front Focusing Problem Back Focusing Problem

A Word About Autofocus Sensors

Sensors are either vertical, horizontal or cross type. The Pentax K-3 has 27 cross type sensors and two vertical sensors. Vertical sensors detect the sharpest horizontal contrast within its area of coverage and lock the focus on that point. Alternatively, the horizontal sensors detect the sharpest vertical contrast within its area of coverage and lock the focus on that point. You guessed it; the cross type sensors detect the highest vertical or horizontal contrast and lock the focus on that point. Since we use the center focus point of our camera, which is a cross type sensor, our chart was deliberately designed without any vertical lines in the center so that the focus can only lock at the intersection of the black and white portion of our target. Note that in your viewfinder, the little red square indicates the focus area but the cross sensor is not necessarily dead center. It merely shows you the area of the sensor, but is not an exact focus point as the sensor will lock on the point of maximum contrast.

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A complete book could be written about color space definition. The color space will probably not be very important for most of us but the K-3 has two color spaces available; sRGB and Adobe RGB.

In general, the color range or gamut for diverse input and output devices such as digital cameras, computer moni- tors, and printers are different. This color range is also called the color space. A defined color space tends to help standardize how colors will appear on one’s computer monitor. For example, an image that appears on one monitor should theoretically be the same as what appears on

another monitor. In HcolorT theory,TH the gamut or color range

of a device is the portion of the visible colorHT space TH that can be revealed, perceived, or reproduced. The basis for all color spaces is RGB (Red, Green and Blue).

The most common color space is sRGB. The sRGB color space is an RGB (Red, ® ®

P P Green and Blue) color space popularized by HP P and MicrosoftP because it ap- proximates the color gamut of most computer display devices. It has become the standard color space for displaying images on the internet. The sRGB color gamut ®

P shows about 35% of the visible colors. Adobe RGB was designed by AdobeP to show most of the colors achievable on CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) printers, but by using RGB primary colors on a device such as a computer monitor. The Adobe RGB working space covers roughly 50% of the visible colors, and as a result, is an improvement over the sRGB gamut.

In the end, the goal is to reproduce the colors in the pictures taken with your camera in a way that it will look the same on the camera LCD monitor, a computer monitor, or on a printing device, as it looked in real life.

A computer monitor or camera LCD monitor uses an additive color system. This is to say that all colors reproduced on the screen are emanating from Red, Green or Blue light emitting sources. All other colors are reproduced by mixing the RGB sources. Adding all of the RGB colors produces white. Black is reproduced by the

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Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Chapter 2 - How to use your K-3 Note that you can set the K-3 to take all shots with one push of the shutter release. It is found in the Custom Setting menu page 2, under custom setting No. 9, One-Push Bracketing. It can be set to on or off.

The exposure bracketing sequence setting is as follow: Once in the Exposure Brack- eting screen, push the four-way controller down  and set the number of images with the front e-dial and the bracketing increments with the rear e-dial.

You can set the bracketing to start with the Self-timer or with a remote control.

Under Exposure Normal Exposure Over Exposure

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Multiple exposures

You can take multiple exposures on the same frame. The K-3 allows from 2 to 2000 exposures on the same frame. That’s crazy. I would like to see a 2000 multi exposure. Wait! Time lapse photography! Read more on that later.

 You can also select Average where the composite final image will have an average exposure.  You can select Additive where the composite final image will have cumulatively added exposure.  You can select Bright where the composite final image will combine only the bright parts.

Using a tripod for instance, you can have a person move up ten times within the viewable area of your image and at the end; it will look like the same person is at 10 different positions within the picture, although they would appear like ghosts. With double exposures, a person could mimic having a twin with him or her in the picture, etc. In the old days, you had to calculate the exposure for the total number of exposures, and for the most part, it never worked properly. Kids will love the effects of them being in the same picture several times. You can put a moon in the night sky, enlarged by a zoom lens, over a city or landscape, giving the impression of a large rising moon. It’s a creative tool and as a creative tool, it’s only limited by your imagination. It’s nice to know that you have that option already imbedded in the electronics of the camera.

You can set Multi-exposure in single shutter release, Multi-exposure+Continuous, Started by Self-Timer, or started by Remote Control.

Using multiple exposures on the K-3 instead of neutral density filters

IT read all kind of questions on various forums and blogs about using neutral density filters. The use of neutral density filters can diminish the light reaching the sensor, and in turn, allowing a slower shutter speed during bright daylight. I assume that you know why this is useful, but here is a brief scenario. It’s mid-afternoon with the sun directly above the scene. The scene is of a waterfall or of water rushing in a riv- Page 154

(Tv) Shutter Priority Mode

You can set the shutter speed to freeze action or slow speed to heighten movement. The aperture is automatically set for proper exposure. To set the camera to Shutter Priority Mode, turn the mode dial to Tv. The shutter speed is adjusted with the front e-dial.

The shutter speed and the aperture are displayed on the screen and the viewfinder.

The EV compensation button can be used to change the EV compensation in this mode. If the subject is over or under exposed, the aperture will blink on the screen and the viewfinder.

If the subject is too bright, try using one or more neutral density filter(s). If the subject is too dark, try using a flash or a tripod if the subject is still.

☻ When using a lens with an aperture ring, set the aperture to the “A” position.

(Av) Aperture Priority Mode

This mode lets you set the desired aperture, allowing the control of the depth of field. Selective focusing can easily be achieved in this mode.

To set the camera to aperture Priority Mode, turn the mode dial to Av. Adjust the aperture with the rear e-dial.

The shutter speed, aperture, and the sensitivity are displayed on the screen and the viewfinder.

The EV compensation button can be used to change the EV compensation in this mode. If the subject is over or under exposed, the shutter speed will blink on the status screen, the viewfinder, and the LCD panel.

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Chapter 3

Processing your K-3 images

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Camera Processing of Images

RAW and JPEG images can be processed and manipulated in-camera. This enables you to process your images without the use of a computer.

Editing Images (One image or multiple images)

Make sure that you have images recorded on the memory card. Press the Playback button [►] to activate the Play- back screen. Using the four-way controller ▲ ▼ ◄ ►, navigate to the image you want to edit until displayed on the LCD monitor. Press the four-way controller ▼ down. The camera displays the Playback mo de palette.

The Playback mode palette is one of the most powerful features of this DSLR. Working without a computer or external software, you can perform the following enhance- ments and modifications to one image or to multiple images.

Image Rotation Rotate your image(s) Digital Filter ** Add various digital filter effects to your images Color Moiré Correction Eliminates Moiré Resize ** Change the number of recorded pixels or quality Cropping Crop you image to your desired taste Index Joins multiple images to create a photo montage Protect Protect image(s) from being erased Slideshow Play the images sequentially as a slide presentation Save as Manual WB Copy the White Balance from one image as manual WB Save Cross Processing Saves Cross Processing as favorite RAW development * Convert RAW image(s) to JPEG or TIFF format Movie Edit Divides movie or extract segment Image Copy Copies image between cards in SD1 and SD2 slots Eye-Fi Image Transfer Transfer selected images from Eye-Fi card

☻ * Indicates that the effect is available for RAW files only.

☻ ** - Indicates that the effect is available for JPEG files only.

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Chapter 4

The Pentax System

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Ever since Pentax introduced their first 35mm SLR in 1952, the Asahiflex I, backward compatibility has been a strong reason for owning a Pentax camera. This is still true today. Here is a partial list of Pentax innovations:

In 1952, the Asahiflex I was the first Japanese camera introduced to the world. Un- like its competitors, the camera was not a replica of German technology.

In 1954, the Asahiflex II was the world’s first instant return mirror system.

In 1957, The Asahi Pentax model used a pentaprism in the viewfinder of a Pentax single lens reflex (SLR) camera, introducing the concept of eye-level viewing. It was the first camera to be marketed under the Pentax name.

In 1964, Pentax introduced its Spotmatic camera featuring the first through-the-lens (TTL) metering system in a Pentax camera.

In 1971, the Pentax ES SLR camera, the world's first SLR camera with a TTL aperture-priority AE control, was introduced. Pentax also introduced the Super-Multi Coating (SMC) system for the Asahi Optical Takumar lens series. Other manufacturers followed suit.

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Worldwide, millions of Pentax lenses are available. Let’s look at the lens mounts produced by Pentax over the years, and see what functions are still usable when using them on your K-3. The current lens mount KAF2, is a version of the Pentax K- mount. The K mount has undergone a number of evolutions over the years as new functionality was added.

M42 screw-mount: The original screw mount standardized in the U.S. by Pentax. Lenses with the M42 screw-mount can be used on the K-3 with adapters and with some limited compatibility.

K mount: The original K mount is a simple bayonet connection with three tabs, introduced with the K series of cameras.

KF mount: This was Pentax's first attempt at an autofocus system.

KA mount: It allows the lens aperture to be set by the body.

KAF2 mount: This added two extra contacts to the inside of the mounting ring for power zooming. On the K-3, these power contacts can also power SDM lenses.

All K mount lenses will mount effortlessly on the K-3. However, the “A” series of manual lenses will lose the autofocus function but most other functions will work. The “M” series of manual lenses will mount but in addition to the lack of autofocus, the aperture will not work properly in all modes. Most of the problems can be over- come with the use of the K-3.

M42 lenses (screw mount) fit on the K-3 with an adapter.

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Although the above picture does not show all Pentax lenses, it shows a combination of newer and older lenses, all compatible with the K-3.

DA Lenses

The Pentax DA series of lenses are manufactured exclusively for the Pentax Digital SLR cameras. The lenses are smaller on account of the APS-C sensor size. The image circle is smaller and matches the sensor size. They cannot be used on 35mm cameras.

DA 10-17mm f/3.5 – f/4.5 DA 12-24mm f/4.0 ED DA 14mm f/2.8 ED [IF] AL[IF] Page 224

DA 16-45mm J f/4.0 DA 17-70mm f/4 Al DA 18-55mm f/3.5 – 5.6 AL ED/AL [IF] SDM II

DA 18-55mm f/3.5 – 5.6 DA 18-250mm f/3.5 – DA 18-135mm f/3.5 – 5.6 AL WR 6.3 ED AL [IF] ED AL [IF] DC WR

DA 35mm f/2.4 AL DA 50-200mm f/4 – 5.6 DA 50-200mm f/4 – 5.6 ED ED WR

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Photography Techniques

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The aperture, being the lens diaghphram opening, lets more or less light pass through the lens. The f/number (aperture opening) is proportional to the ratio between the lens focal length and aperture diameter, which is proportional to the square root of the aperture area. Big lingo, but what does it mean for you? Well, lenses are usually marked with the f/numbers ranging from the largest aperture to the smallest aperture. For example, a typical lens could have an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/16. The lens would be marked as follow : f/16, f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4, f/2.8. In this example, the largest aperture would be f/2.8 while the smallest would be f/16. Have you noticed something a little surprising here? The larger the number is, the smaller the aperture is. You need to remember that. Furthermore, each (f-stop) number to the right lets twice the amount of light in as the (f-stop) number to its left and each (f-stop) number to the left lets half the light in as the (f-stop) number to its right. For example, f/4 lets twice as much light in as f/5.6 but only one half the light of f/2.8, and so on. One unit of increment in aperture is called a stop.

An f/stop number to the right lets twice as much light in than the number to its left. f/16 f/11 f/8 f/5.6 f/4 f/2.8 An f/stop number to the left lets half as much light in than the number to its right.

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 Lines such as a fence, road, railroad etc, leads the viewer’s eyes to the important elements of your composition.

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 It is a little difficult to emphasize on taking black & white pictures, when modern DSLR cameras do such a good job with colors. Shooting, or rather, turning your photo to black & white or even sepia tone can make an otherwise bland photo, interesting. Black & White pictures have gained popularity in the past few years. Perhaps it is because of the nostalgia it projects. Because you only have two colors to worry about, (black & white) you can play with the contrast, the clarity, the vibrance, the saturation and the luminance of colors. In Photoshop Lightroom, which I use, although the luminance is in color, it acts like a filter for black & white photography. Adjusting the blue will darken or lighten the sky. Adjusting the yellow and green will make the foliage darker or lighter and so on. Give it a try.

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 Shooting at night, with the camera mounted on a tripod can give rewarding results. Big cities have a lot of illuminated signs and moving cars, making a long exposure exciting.

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Chapter 6

HD Video Recording

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Copyright Yvon Bourque - All rights reserved Chapter 6 – HD Video Recording The K-3 can capture beautiful, true-to-life movie clips in up to 16:9 fullHD proportions (1920x1080 pixels) at a frame rate of 24p, 25p, 30p, 50i, and 60i frames per second. It also records in HD (1080x720) at 24p, 25p, 30p, 50p and 60p.

☻ The numbers (24p, 25p, 30p, 50i and 60i) represent how many times the video frame is displayed per second. The letters indicate if the video frame is displayed using an interlaced (i) or progressive (p) format.

Interlaced video displays even and odd scan lines as separate fields; the even scan lines are drawn on the screen, then the odd scan lines are drawn on the screen. Two of these even and odd scan line fields make up one video frame.

 The 24p video frame rate is closer to that of film in theatrical motion pictures.  The video frame rates 50i and 60i are recommended for normal recording.  The 25p video frame rate is used in countries outside of the United States and Canada.  The 50p video frame rate has double information per unit time. This is great for creating slow motion clips.

Progressive video content displays both the even and odd scan lines (the entire video frame) at the same time.

The K-3 also provides greater possibilities in visual presentation in movies, especially through the application of custom images and digital filters. With its large image sensor, with performance rivaling professional video cameras, high- performance imaging engine, and a wide selection of acclaimed Pentax interchangeable lenses, you can easily capture unique, eye-catching movie clips.

Movie recording

Pentax really raised the bar as far as movie recording. Not only does the K-3 record in fullHD at all frames-per-seconds, the camera can record sound from the built-in microphone. The onboard microphone is monaural, but an external stereo microphone can be used. You wouldn’t want to record any serious movie anyway, with the onboard microphone, as the camera focus and audible noise would also be Page 277

Addendum

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Lens Compatibility Chart

LENS MOUNT  All - LENSES F - LENSES A - LENSES FUNCTION DA / D FA /  FA FA J / FA Autofocus Available Available Not Available Manual Focus Available Available Available Eleven Auto Focus Points Available Available Center Only Power Zoom KAF2 Lenses Not Available Not Available Aperture Priority Auto Exposure Available Available Available Shutter Priority Auto Exposure Available Available Available Manual Exposure Available Available Available P-TTL Auto Flash * Available Available Available 16 Multi-Segment Metering Available Available Available Auto Focal Length with SR Available Available Not Available

* With Built-in flash, AF360FGZ, AF540FGZ, AF540FGZ II, AF360FGZ II and AF200FG flash units.

The chart above can be a little confusing and does not reflect Pentax’s 100% backward compatibility claim with all their lenses produced in the last fifty years. I am referring to the twenty-four million lenses sold worldwide. The fact is that all lenses can indeed be used, with the use of adapters, and a little creative use of the Pentax K-3.

1. The K-Mount Manual lenses can be used. See Chapter 4. 2. The M42 Screw-mount lenses can be used. See Chapter 4. 3. The Medium Format lenses (645 & 6x7) can be used. See Chapter 4.

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Here what’s new with the Pentax K-3II.

Page 315 Extracted from Ricoh/Pentax.

Performance Note: The features unique to the K-3II are emphasized in blue.

Building upon the legacy of the award-winning K-3, the PENTAX K-3 II offers outstanding image quality and operability to meet a photographer’s greatest demands. It features an impressive 24.35 effective megapixel AA Filter-less APS-C CMOS sensor, along with a high-performance 27-point AF system and 8.3 frames per second of continuous shooting. The addition of the newly developed Pixel Shift Resolution Sys- tem delivers more truthful color reproduction and finer details while significantly low- ering the level of high-sensitivity noise. With the updated PENTAX Real-time Scene Analysis System, supported by the 86K-pixel RGB light-metering sensor, the K-3 II has the most responsive subject tracking of all PENTAX DSLRs. Thanks to its new high-precision gyro-sensor, the K-3 II assures more effective camera-shake compensation up to 4.5EV steps. The K-3 II’s newly integrated, built-in GPS and Electronic Compass extends the range of your photo shooting outing, while the built-in ASTRO- TRACER function simplifies astrophotography by eliminating the need of an extra accessory to capture celestial objects such as stars, nebulas and planets. With a weather-resistant and dust proof magnesium alloy body, this exceptional field camera allows you to get closer to the action in the most extreme conditions.

24 effective megapixels in an APS-C sized CMOS sensor Designed for the demanding photographer, the K-3II features a 24.35 effective megapixel AA Filter-less APS-C sized CMOS sensor for outstanding image quality. The Prime III image-processing engine assures high quality image output up to ISO 51200. SAFOX II 27-point AF System The SAFOX II autofocus module maximizes 27 AF sensors and a vast light sensitivity range of –3EV to +18EV. This focus module includes 25 cross sensors and three AF sensors designed to detect the light flux of an F2.8 lens, making it easy to obtain pinpoint focus on the subject when using a large-aperture lens. The Expanded AF area allows for accurate focusing, even on moving subjects.

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