Pentax K-3 Review

Main Features

24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO 100 - 51200

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3.2″ Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

8 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

No Optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter

800g. 131 x 100 x 77 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced by Pentax K-3 II - Compare

$869.00

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Pentax K-3 Overview

First introduced in April 2014 , Pentax K-3 is a 24.0MP Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor. Pentax later replaced Pentax K-3 with Pentax K-3 II. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Pentax K-3 vs Pentax K-3 II

Pentax K-3 has an Overall Score of 84/100 and ranked #18 out of 195 in DSLR cameras (Top 10 DSLR), and ranked #29 out of 1119 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Pentax K-3 Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Pentax K-3 Compared to other DSLR Cameras

PROs

Image Stabilization

1920 x 1080 Max Video Resolution

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

24.0MP - High Resolution Sensor

51.200 Max ISO

27 Focus Points

Large 3.2″ Screen

1.037k dots LCD Resolution

1/8000s High Shutter Speed

8.0fps Fast Continuous Shooting

Long Battery Life (560 shots)

External Microphone Port

External Headphone Port

Environmental Sealing

Timelapse Recording

Good Low Light ISO - 1216

25 Cross Type Focus Points

2 Storage Slots

Top LCD Display

Flash Sync Port

AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)

Anti Alias Filter Simulator

Dual-axis Electronic Level

Buy Pentax K-3 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Articulating Screen

No Touch Screen

Heavy Body: 800g

Not so wide AE Bracketing Range: ±2 EV

What type of Photography is Pentax K-3 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Pentax K-3 in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the K-3 compares with the average DSLR camera.
Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

Pentax K-3 for Portrait Photography

Pentax K-3 has a score of 83 for Portrait Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-3 for Portrait Photography

Pentax K-3 for Street Photography

Pentax K-3 has a score of 85 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing

Image Stabilization
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-3 for Street Photography

Pentax K-3 for Sports Photography

Pentax K-3 has a score of 91 for Sports Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
27 Focus Points

Good Battery Life: 560 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-3 for Sports Photography

Pentax K-3 for Daily Photography

Pentax K-3 has a score of 71 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Environmental Sealings
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body

800g
Body Thickness 77mm

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-3 for Daily Photography

Pentax K-3 for Landscape Photography

Pentax K-3 has a score of 64 for Landscape Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Landscape Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Live-view
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor

Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Pentax K-3 for Landscape Photography

Pentax K-3 Lens Mount and Lenses

Pentax K-3 has a Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 141 native lenses available for this mount. Pentax K mount has backward compatibility for all the K mount lenses produced since 1975 so Pentax users has access to a large selection of manual era native lenses in addition to the modern AF lenses.

K-3 also has a sensor based image stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on K-3, and this is a big advantage. There are also 21 lenses with weather sealing for K-3 that you can couple with its weather sealed body.

Here are some of the most popular Pentax K-3 Lenses on Camera Decision:

	Focal Length on K-3	Max Aperture	Weight	Focusing	Price
HD Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR	82.5-450mm	F4.0 - F5.8	466gr	AF	$417.89
Pentax D FA 70-200mm F2.8ED DC AW	105-300mm	F2.8	1755gr	AF	$1,596.95
Pentax DA 18-50mm F4.5-5.6 DC WR RE	27-75mm	F4.0 - F5.6	158gr	AF	$302.09
HD Pentax D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR	36-105mm	F2.8	787gr	AF	$1,096.95
Pentax smc DA 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 ED SDM	27-405mm	F3.5 - F6.3	453gr	AF	$529.95

Check our Pentax K-3 Lenses page or use our Smart Lens Finder tool for more detailed lens search.

Pentax K-3 Sensor and Photography Features

Pentax K-3 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime III processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 6016 x 4000 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. K-3 has a native ISO range of 100 - 51200 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Pentax K-3 is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Sigma Quattro with its 29.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Pentax K-3 vs Sigma Quattro or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

Anti-Aliasing Filter

Another important feature about Pentax K-3's sensor is the lack of anti-alias (Low-pass) filter. Removing anti-aliasing filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but on the other side it also increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes. But wait! K-3 takes care of this problem for you. It has a unique and adjustable Anti-Aliasing Filter Simulator mode which can create the effects of a Low Pass filter electronically when you want to avoid moire.

Let's look at how the size of the Pentax K-3's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Pentax K-3 Physical Specs

Pentax K-3 weighs 800 g (1.76 lb / 28.22 oz) and has external dimensions of 131 x 100 x 77 mm (5.16 x 3.94 x 3.03″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 773g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 77mm, it also has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

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Pentax K-3

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Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Pentax K-3

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Here is the front and top view image of Pentax K-3 with the dimensions:

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Pentax K-3, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Pentax K-3 has environmental sealings on its body which makes it a weather resistant camera. If you like outdoors photography and want to be able to use your camera in extreme conditions, Pentax K-3 will serve you well. If you attach one of these Pentax K-3 weather Sealed lenses to K-3 you will have a great all weather kit.

Pentax K-3 Other Featuress

LCD and Viewfinder
Pentax K-3 has a Fixed Type 3.2″ LCD screen with a resolution of 1,037k dots. The Pentax K-3's 3.2″ screen is larger than average and its resolution is up to the class standarts.

K-3 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. The viewfinder has a coverage of 100% and a magnification ratio of 0.64x.

Photography Features
Pentax K-3 can shoot continuously at max speed of 8 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/8000 sec . K-3 has a built-in flash, and you can also mount your external flashes too.

Pentax K-3 features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 27 focus points and 25 of these sensors are of Cross-type. Cross-type sensors locks focus faster and more accurate compared to single type sensors.

Video Features
With Pentax K-3, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 60i,50i,30p,25p,24p fps and save in MPEG-4 and H.264 formats. Full HD resolution of Pentax K-3 will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.
K-3 has a built-in Mono microphone and a Mono speaker. Pentax K-3 also has a port for an external microphone and a headphone port for connecting external headphones which make Pentax K-3 a very suitable camera high quality videography.

Connectivity and Storage

You can connect your camera to other devices through HDMI port or via USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) port.

Battery Pentax K-3 is powered by D-LI90 battery which provides a shooting life of 560 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of DSLR type cameras is 877 shots, Pentax K-3 has a short battery life for its class so we strongly recommend K-3 owners to buy some extra batteries.

Battery Life Comparison in Semi-Pro DSLR Cameras

Pentax K-3

Min

Average

Max

Nikon Df with its 1400shots is the model with longest battery life among Semi-Pro DSLR cameras. Check the comparison of Pentax K-3 vs Nikon Df or take a look at Longest Battery Life DSLR cameras list.

Lowest Price
Current Lowest price for Pentax K-3 is $869.00

$869.00

Pentax K-3 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Pentax K-3 compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of K-3 and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Pentax K-3 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Pentax K-3

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Pentax K-3 amongst Camera Decision readers.

Pentax K-S2

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Pentax K-3 II

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Nikon D7200

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Pentax K-5 II

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Nikon D7100

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Nikon D5500

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Pentax K-50

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Pentax K-70

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Pentax K-3 Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Pentax K-3 with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Pentax K-3's price range.

Sony A7