Pentax K-3II Pentax DSLR (Body Only)

I was originally looking at a Nikon D5500. They have the same Sony sensor, and while both omit the anti-aliasing filter for better resolution, the Pentax gives you so much more with the built-in anti-aliasing option (using their pixel shifting technology), a weather sealed body (and lenses), Pixel Shift Resolution for greater color saturation, Pentaprism vs PentaMirror viewfinder (much brighter), Dual SD slots instead of one, GPS with GeoTracking (the omission of the dinky on camera flash is a non-issue for me-just get a real flash), Astrotracer, In-Camera image stabilization is much better than in the lens, and In-Camera lens focusing works fast (yes a bit noisier but too many have had their In-Lens focus motors die just after the warranty in all the major brands-and it is an expensive repair!), 7.3 fps vs 5 fps, 1/8000 vs 1/4000 shutter speed, 200,000 vs 150,000 shutter durability, and the Pentax has both headphone and Mic-In jacks for video. The menu system is great once you learn it and gives you incredible control over your pictures. I used to shoot Olympus (OM-1) and Canon (AE-1P) in the film days and getting back into serious photography I was leaning towards the Nikon but could not deny the real benefits of the extra features that Pentax throws in for the money. In addition, I can use virtually any Pentax lens made over the last 50 years on this camera including those sweet SMC/SMC-A 35mm and 50mm f1.4 and f1.7 lenses that you can buy on Ebay for less than $80! The only con so far is that Pentax uses a compression algorithm for their Video encoding that makes the video a little soft. I am hoping that Pentax is listening to the only grip on all the web reviews and fix this in a firmware update in the near future. Also note that this camera offers you the option to save your RAW files in Adobe DNG rather than the Pentax PEF formats (better in Photoshop and Lightroom). The camera is a bit larger than the Nikon D5500 but for a large guy like me it fits much better in my hands; and by the way, this camera has a well formed grip that feels good to hold (The Nikon was just too small for my hands).I just love this camera and cannot say enough about how Pentax has worked to bring this level of quality and professional control to a camera at this price-point! Sometimes we just follow the crowd, but sometimes something comes along and makes you think outside the box--and this camera is it! I like Pentax because they think outside of the box and make available what the others won't!It is a tank of a camera that will serve you well for many years and in tough environments--don't hesitate to become a Pentaxian!

Long time Pentax user, and this is junk or at least the one I got was. I love my K5 IIs... thought I would upgrade, images not as sharp as I would like, it had trouble with the auto focus feature and yes I'm a professional photographer... this camera almost makes me want to give up on Pentax and that is saying a lot considering I have owned a couple dozen of them. sad...

How about 6 stars?I have been a Pentax fan since 1973 - I grew up with (and put myself through college with) Pentax Spotmatic F. Over the years I tried some Canon, Nikon, and most recently Canon G series. But I wanted to get back to my roots with an SLR. DSLR to be precise.After significant searching, the K-3II seemed to be the best compromise of quality (image sensor) and flexibility (lens choice).This camera truly delivers.The number and placement of controls takes getting used to (after all I had Canon G series for almost 10 years) but does make sense once you get used to it. You have to remember what the front and back dials do relative to the current menu, and you have to learn where the buttons are, to get through some initial sessions.Once you get comfortable with the controls, Pentax ergonomics start to make sense. I particularly like the hand grip, for my hands it is perfect. I like the large display, very bright, on the back. It is easy to read even in daylight.Then there is image quality. The colors are very bright, to me reminiscent of original Ektachrome - not as surreal as Kodachrome, but faithful and vivid. The skin tones are pleasing, and the shadow details is superb. Highlights may be a bit washed out, but I have some experimenting to do to determine if that is the camera, or my choice of settings.The lenses I have tested so far (50mm f1.8, 18-135 f3.5-5.6) have been outstanding. The autofocus is fast and precise. It is important to make sure you are focusing on the correct area, once or twice I noticed it was getting confused by specular lighting, but that only required repositioning. I highly recommend the Pentax lenses.Battery life seems to be good so far. In shooting 350 pictures, rapid fire, at a wedding the battery was down at most 20%. Not bad at all.Two memory chips for JPG and RAW functions is a wonderful option and well thought out.There are decent camera outputs, but I frankly don't really care about hooking the camera up to the computer, I'd just as soon pull the chips and plug them in directly to my laptop for faster transfers.Finally, the instruction book (yes, a paper booklet) is clear, concise, and easy to read. I look forward to many more hours learning about this camera.I am very pleased with the K-3II and consider it a fine addition to the Pentax family.

My second Pentax. The first was a 1968 Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic, that I loved so much I've now paid more than sanity to have it refurbished to shoot wildlife and scenery. The K3II came after a number of other pocket-sized digitals. I love the K3II. With telephoto lenses, it weighs about the same as the Spotmatic, but feels less bulky and feels balanced. Like most people, I suspect, I use only a few of functions, I like the layout of the controls. Rumor has it that a K3 III is in the works. The best endorsement I can give the II is that when the III comes out, I'll buy it, subject to Ricoh fixing the minor deficiencies noted next.Why take away one star? The Pentax remote. Despite the claims, the range on the rear is only about 4". I don't know if the problem is the remote (now returned) or the camera. It doesn't matter -- it didn't work. Infrared is so 1990s. Bluetooth or even built in WiFi makes more sense in the period it was designed. Also, the Pentax-branded WiFi card specs (I've not bought one) look anemic and overpriced.Having said that, would I buy a K3II again. YOU BET!Canned Squirrel for Lunch. That's an anti-squirrel can for our bird feeders.

Bought a used camera worked briefly but one day turned the camera on and the Auto Focus was messed up would focus just saw little red lights dancing around the viewfinder. Long and short returned camera.