K3 First Impression :-)

In York today and as always I do a bit of window shopping at the York CameraMart and I couldn't resist. Now the proud owner of a shiny new K3. So I rushed home and unpacked it - paired it up with a SMC-F 50 f1.4 and had a walk around the garden. Really pleased with the initial results.
Examples;


and


This is quite a generous crop of the above



These were shot as PEF and processes using Aperture, as per an earlier post I found that whilst Aperture reported the Lens used OK with my K5 with the K3 version of PEF Aperture doesn't report the Lens. Switching to DNG resolves this - guess another update from Apple is needed.

Really need to sell my K5 now.

Dang . Still resisting. I could do without testimonials like this

Like it Pal, still more than happy with my IIs to want to go with the K3, but as Northgrain says, " I could do without testimonials like this!!"

i'm itching to get out and try it with a range of glass - but I'm working tomorrow

Debating with myself on the Fluard - i'd like to try the remote options. any thoughts anyone?

John

I'd defiantly get the Flu card Pal, the vids I've seen really do sell it for me. It would be good on a shoot being able properly tether, so the customer can see the results almost instantly.

Very nice shots these, great colours and DOF. The K-3 is a fine camera, I haven't found anything yet that I don't like about it.

Why not have both Daz? I actually prefer the K-3's images, they are warmer than the K-5IIs and if you have quality glass you will really notice the resolution difference. I've had to re-appraise my lens collection since buying a K-3 as it demands good glass.

Regards
David

10 days

I'm currently going through my glass, looking at what is absolutely pin sharp and what isn't. Yeah I know sharpness isn't the be all and end all, but you can always soften a sharp shot but you cat sharpen a ...blah ..blah...
My IIs is currently getting a service and SRS loand me a 5 while mine is away. To be honest I didn't like it...So I sent it back and carried on with the 7. So the idea of a 3 is very tempting, having a IIs as a back up!!
Shit David I think you talked me into giving SRS my next wage! LOL!!!

Does this mean you're upgrading Steve? Why ' 10 days?'?

New 645

Even more expense.

Looks like my 28mm Miranda may have met its match at last. (Some would say: not before time.)

9 days

Really like the first image. Nice rich colours and contrast. The other two look pasty and lack contrast and richness and are overexposed.

Pentax 50/1.4 lenses are great. I have an FA50.1,4 and love it. If you want real bokehlicious get a Pentax A 50mm/1.2.

Hi Smeggypants

First image was pretty much a straight conversion from RAW to jpg. I did tinker with the other one a bit - just starting to use Aperture for PP.

I'll have a look at these tonight along with the in camera jpg and see if they are any different.

These first few images were just a quick blast around the garden before the light went - I just had to take something with my new best friend:

Thanks for the feed back.


John

The only slight downside I've found with the K3 is that the RAW files seem slightly less tolerant to extreme processing than the K5's, introducing a bit more noise than I got with the K5. However, the increase in resolution is worth it, even though that was not really in my considerations when I bough the camera; I just wanted one without an AA filter, as shooting through glass (windows) seems to exaggerate the effect of an AA filter.

I've been trying out my K3 with some old lenses, and been quite surprised by the results. Iwas expecting to see some flaws I'd not noticed beofre due to the extra resolution, but have been pleasantly surprised. The Sigma 24mm f2.8 Super-Wide II is excellent, as expected. My smc-A 50mm f1.4 works about as well as expected, it's a tad soft wide-open but sharpens up very nicely by f4.

The biggest surprise has been my preset Takumar 200mm f3.5, it's superb. Wide-open there's a bit of CA, but nothing I can't remove. I knew it was sharp, but have only just realised how good it actually is. I can see me using this lens much more than I have been, in spite of it being a bit clumsy to use. My Tamron SP 90mm f2.5 BBAR 52B macro lens is also excellent on the K3.