Review on 📷 Pentax K-3 Mark III Black Camera Body - Flagship APS-C, 12fps, LCD Touch Screen, Weather Resistant Magnesium Alloy Body with 5-Axis Shake Reduction. Enhanced 1.05x Optical Viewfinder for 100% FOV. by Tyler Cooley

(First unboxing, indoor and outdoor test) Pentax (Ricoh) have taken a liking to their guns. Instead of making another "Me Too" mirrorless camera, Ricoh decided to do what they do best - make an excellent DSLR. This iteration of the K3 was definitely worth the wait. True advances in design lie beneath its amazingly durable and weather-resistant magnesium body. Oh, you'll love that grip and durable construction. It's a masterpiece. I have a full range of Nikon and Canon DSLRs as well as a Pentax. I use whatever camera is best suited for recreational or professional use. Compared to other brands, Pentax are the best and most weather resistant in their class. It's just their brand's strength as well as backwards compatibility with very old lenses. Pentax's weakness has always been autofocus speed and tracking compared to Canon and Nikon. But I'm happy to report that Pentax has finally, yes finally, caught up with both manufacturers with the K3 Mk III. I compared it head-to-head with my Nikon D500 setup with a similar lens, and to my surprise, the K3 Mk III definitely doesn't fall behind in the autofocus department (both in good and low light!). I wasn't expecting it to live up to Ricoh's AF claims, but it does. It's time for Pentax! The image quality is the best I've seen with a Pentax APS-C sensor, the dynamic range and noise reduction are really impressive. It's even slightly better than the K70 (though not by much) that held that crown along with the CP. Compared to the D500 it definitely has a clear advantage in overall fine detail and even at high ISO values (though not by much). Along with many other improvements in responsiveness, menus, general controls and ergonomics, the K3 Mk III is truly the most impressive camera I have ever used or bought from them. I wasn't a KP fan and wanted more from my K3 (I have both I and II). Its viewfinder is very bright and clear. Yes, it's big for APS-C. Forget the 1.05x zoom specs for a moment though. The real highlight is how bright, sharp, and informative (modern) it is. The overlay of the LCD with all AF points leaves a good impression. Yes, Ricoh put a lot of emphasis on it (maybe they glossed over it), but the improvements are real. Just as the K1 was a huge success, I think the K3 Mk III will be known as the APS-C sensor DSLR that Pentax users have really enjoyed. in anticipation. The K1 duo is impressive, but the K3 Mk III takes things to an even higher level. Pentax users will not be disappointed. A real SLR that masters all tasks perfectly and feels at home on the sports field or in the remote mountains. Shooting it side-by-side with my K3 and K5 II, they feel mediocre in every aspect of sensitivity, from image rendering to continuous autofocus. Speed. I understand why it took Ricoh so long to bring this camera to market. This time it's a real leap forward, a really handy top-down performance upgrade that doesn't require a micrometer to measure. You will notice this in practice. Sure, it's not for everyone (what single camera is that anyway?), but it certainly lives up to the D500 as a do-it-all DSLR that can get the job done. I wish Pentax had faster, quieter focusing lenses like Nikon's, but who knows, maybe we'll get a few more options in the future. I'm pretty sure this camera will be sold out everywhere once word gets out. This will make the industry think twice about "moving away from DSLRs," that's for sure. And with that in mind, it's damn good that Ricoh is continuing to release DSLRs! My understanding is that the pro/enthusiast categories are roughly 50/50 split with mirrored and mirrorless options when it comes to preferences. It would be a shame if only one manufacturer continued to make DSLRs, but that would be great for Ricoh. Now all they have to do is increase the lens settings. Sigma should join us and do more with their Pentax lenses. I have several of their new generation lenses and they are all impressive (100-400mm DG f/5-6.4 Contemporary, especially at this price point!). It would be nice to have more options. Because the K3 Mk III is so busy, I couldn't go into every single element. In this respect they are very similar to their previous enthusiast DSLRs. Only this one really boasts of viewfinder, frame rate, autofocus tracking speed and overall responsiveness. The shutter/mirror cycle is so quiet and comfortable that it appears balanced and delicate. The touchscreen and updated menus are the icing on the great DSLR cake. Is it worth the price of $1996.99? I think so, but of course it's up to you. Inflation is starting to take over the camera market and Ricoh/Pentax aren't the only manufacturers raising prices. But to get a professional APS-C camera with such good performance, you have to pay. It's better built than my Nikon D500 (and you can tell right away) and I'd rather trust it in the backcountry or extreme weather. And Nikon came out five years ago at the same price! No matter how you split it, the price is a small change, but that cost could get you the best APS-C DSLR camera out of any manufacturer today. For now I'll call it a tie between the D500 and the K3 Mk III, a homage to the D500's price (for now) and a nod from Pentax in terms of build quality, optical viewfinder, menu system and weather resistance. Remember, the D500 came out in January 2016 for $1999.99. That was five years ago and it's still on sale for $1,499. That's a fair price considering it's been five years since the K3 Mk III, think about it! Very soon I will update the review with quality pictures. So far, it definitely lives up to the hype.