RANKING

Rank 29 out of 48 Summarized in this category Rankings based on: • Pros-to-cons ratio • Number of reviews • Category average

Pentax

K-3 II

Name: K-3 II
Brand: Pentax

around $799

All prices are estimates and may vary from actual prices.

105 Pros

73%
9 reviews (1h 8m)

39 Cons

The Pentax K-3 II is a robust DSLR offering a compelling blend of features for enthusiasts, particularly those drawn to landscape and astrophotography. Its 24MP CMOS sensor, devoid of an anti-aliasing filter, delivers sharp, detailed images with vibrant "Ricoh-esque" colors. The unique AA filter simulator allows you to introduce the effect of an A...

Summary of pros and cons from human reviewers, put together by AI

69%

20 vs 9

Usability/Handling

74%

14 vs 5

Image Quality

38%

6 vs 10

Video Capabilities

86%

19 vs 3

Features

0 vs 4

Autofocus System

Reviewer verdict

Across 9 YouTube reviews, the Pentax K-3 II earns an Index score of 3.9/5, ranking #29 among DSLRs. Reviewers most often praise its usability/handling, features, performance, while the most common criticisms concern video capabilities, usability/handling.

The Pentax K-3 II is repeatedly praised for its outstanding usability and handling, with many reviewers (20 mentions) highlighting excellent ergonomics, a large 100% viewfinder, well-placed customizable controls, and a comfortable grip that makes it very pleasing to use. Reviewers also frequently applaud its rich feature set (19 mentions), especially pixel shift resolution, dual card slots, DNG RAW support, astro-tracer GPS functionality, and the AA simulator for reproducing anti-aliasing. Performance and reliability are commonly noted (17 and 16 mentions) — reviewers report fast shooting rates (around 8–8.3 fps), high shutter speeds, effective in-body stabilization, rugged weather-sealed magnesium alloy build, and generally very good still image quality and dynamic range. Several also emphasize good value for money for landscape and astrophotography use and useful connectivity options like built-in GPS and USB 3.0.

Criticisms center most strongly on video capabilities (10 mentions), with reviewers pointing out limited video modes (maxing out at 1080p/30fps in many comments), rolling shutter, lower dynamic range in video, and a desire for higher bitrate or log options. Handling complaints (9 mentions) include the camera’s weight and grip size for some users, a non-articulating/fixed screen, and occasional stiff manual-focus feel with certain lenses. Image- and autofocus-related concerns appear less often but consistently: lower low-light/noise performance versus modern mid-range mirrorless, chromatic aberration on the kit 18–135mm lens, odd Pixel Shift results for some shots, and an autofocus system that reviewers say lags behind current standards. A few reviewers also cite limited lens ecosystem, lack of a built-in flash, and comments about price/age/value.

Analysis based on 9 YouTube reviews (1h 8m of video) with 105 pros and 39 cons extracted.

Pros (105)

Usability/Handling (20)

ergonomics is absolutely fantastic ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 5:34
100% view, 0.95x magnification ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:21
best camera feeling camera that I've ever picked up and used ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 5:36
actual pentaprism and not a pentamirror ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:26
Great ergonomics ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 3:12
Buttons are very well placed ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 3:20
ergonomics. Layout of the controls ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:31
really nice large viewfinders ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:16
very pleasing camera to use ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:11
user manuals are like a course in photography, they're absolutely brilliant ▶ Pentax K-3 II UK review, opening box 30-5-15 K3II @ 1:47
the button placement is perfect ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 1:16
the grip is outstanding ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 0:56
every all these buttons are customizable this is the most customizable camera i've ever used and i think it's probably the most customizable camera on the market ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 3:04
within five minutes i've got my tripod on, got this calibrated against gps and i'm taking images. very handy if you only have a short window of opportunity before the clouds come in ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 6:03
the screen the the resolution to be it's just incredible looking images on the back of the screen ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 1:37
it's got the new viewfinder ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 3:47
it does have a touchscreen now ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 1:45
the viewfinder is superb ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 5:11
it's got the new menu system ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 3:47
it's not too heavy ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 4:11

Features (19)

pixel shift resolution technology that moves the image sensor unit in minutes increments a single pixel pitch at a time to capture four shots ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 2:13
Pentax k-mount has a very long history. You can adapt M42 screw mount lenses ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 4:17
option to reproduce anti-aliasing using sensor shake ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 4:04
pixel shift ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 0:53
record in DNG format as well as the PEF format ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:19
Dual card slots ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:38
automatic horizon correction with the shifting sensor ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:02
DNG RAW format is well supported ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:30
new aa simulator a highly innovative function developed specifically for the k32. This allows users to effectively minimize more without actually installing an optical a filter in the camera ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 3:28
dual sd card slots ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 1:06
pixel shift resolution merges those shots into a single image to generate an ultra eye definition image ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 2:28
dual card slots ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:32
it doesn't have a pop-up flash ▶ Pentax K-3 II UK review, opening box 30-5-15 K3II @ 2:51
filter free shooting for a given scene or subject ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 3:43
raw files can be saved in dng format so if you're using lightroom and photoshop it just makes life so much easier no more conversions ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 7:48
really good for astro photography using the astro tracer function ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 0:28
Manual focus is supported (it is smooth with 18-135mm lens) ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 1:34
you can also use some vintage lenses ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 1:38
dual card slots ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 4:34

Performance (17)

shoot up to 8 frames per second ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 1:36
high precision exposure control with a newly designed 86 000 pixel rgb light metering sensor ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 1:41
in-camera shake reduction at 4.5 stops ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:51
use a lot of older Pentax lenses, and still get that shake reduction ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:55
no problem keeping up with most modern cameras, even of the mirrorless variety ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 4:11
isp continuous shooting at approximately 8.3 images per second ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 1:34
Shutter speeds go up to 1/8000th of a second ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:40
definitely keeps up with what is on offer on the market ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 6:24
1/8000th of a second maximum shutter speed ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:34
in-body image stabilization ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 1:33
very high frame rate at 8.3 frames per second ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 4:17
very own in body stabilization called anti-shake, works great for photography ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 4:30
this one is just so responsive ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 2:06
If the aperture is fully opened, zooming is very smooth. ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 2:22
it is a lot better than those other cameras ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 8:45
you'll definitely get more hits than you would with any of the previous pentax models ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 6:41
the shutter on this thing is ridiculously fast ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 7:03

Build Quality (16)

pretty rugged camera ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 3:12
weather sailing ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 1:37
better weather resistance ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:36
weather ceiling that they put in their cameras which is some of the best on the market ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 4:50
weather resistance ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 0:59
very rugged ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 1:54
feels immensely solid ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 3:24
magnesium alloy casing ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 1:02
cold resistance ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 0:59
build quality is absolutely superb ▶ Pentax K-3 II UK review, opening box 30-5-15 K3II @ 3:02
handsome camera ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 1:00
dust proof weather resistance body construction ensure dependability ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 2:39
looks nice ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 6:55
nice pentax quality ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 6:44
completely weather sealed ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:57
weather sealed ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 4:46

Image Quality (14)

world's first air air filter simulator which was designed to eliminate false color and more air ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 1:26
image quality which is brilliant ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 5:09
does not have an anti-aliasing filter ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 0:59
24 megapixel CMOS sensor without any air air filter ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 1:21
No anti-aliasing filter for sharper photos ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:53
editing the images was very nice ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:14
image quality is beautiful ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 4:17
color science out of them is actually pretty exceptional ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 4:19
original colors are very rico-esque and pleasing to look at ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:20
files are very flexible ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:16
produce very nice quality images ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 1:10
Dynamic range is very good in still (especially in RAW) ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 0:27
quality of the kit lens ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 4:40
this one is even better um it depends on the scene though i i found myself getting up to like a stop and a half better what i thought from the the kp and the k70 ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 8:26

Value for Money (7)

amazing camera ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 6:21
great camera ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 1:34
great product ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 3:47
sub 500 bucks ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 3:34
the bomb ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 2:37
for less than 500 pounds you can get yourself a nice landscape camera that does great milky way images ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 8:01
this is the best crop sensor camera i've ever used and i think it's the best crop sensor camera out there ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 11:08

Video Capabilities (6)

headphone and microphone ports ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 4:13
video features held up very well ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 5:00
the 4k video is is outstanding ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 10:32
it's got 4k ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 3:45
the 4k video is really good ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 9:54
it's got 4k video ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 9:47

Connectivity (5)

USB 3.0 port ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:13
built-in GPS, with astro-tracking ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 0:53
wireless connectivity ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:00
Integrated GPS with astro- tracking ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:44
built-in GPS ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:36

Battery Life (1)

the battery in here is the same battery that you might be using with your k3 one or two or the k1 ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 4:37

Cons (39)

Video Capabilities (10)

if it included a v-log option of some sort, it would be perfectly fine for actual paid work ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 5:10
Video recording modes are limited. Maximum of 1080p 30 frames a second ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:17
would probably like some more bit rate options ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 5:05
Rolling shutter effect ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 2:51
Night video is not very good ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 2:55
not looking for its video specs ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 4:40
in body stabilization not so much on the video end of things ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 4:36
maxes out at full hd 30 frames per second ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 4:52
not 4k 60 12 bit ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 5:34
Dynamic range is worse in video ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 0:27

Usability/Handling (9)

not a lightweight "Chuck it in your man purse" type of camera ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 6:16
weight ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 6:40
short grip ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 3:04
everything's a little bit too small ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 2:18
something that i don't like about the viewfinder it's the same on the k1 but on the kp and the k70 there's a feature in there that i like using because you would think i was born on a boat it's the leveling system ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 5:36
you have to apply higher force to turn the manual focus ring with the 18-135mm lens ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 1:34
screen doesn't articulate ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 5:16
i didn't really like the grip on it the buttons were kind of out of place a couple of millimeters off and stuff ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 1:02
it's a fixed screen ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 5:29

Image Quality (5)

not going to be up to a mid-range mirrorless camera a modern day one in terms of like low light performance. you're going to get a bit of noise in your images if you're shooting at really high ISO ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 5:14
probably not as nice in low light the color roll off is probably obsolete compared to the new version ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 5:55
Kit 18-135mm WR lens suffers from very high chromatic aberration ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 0:45
weird results with Pixel Shift ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 3:54
sports the old sensor, it's not backlit like the new version has, older color science, and it's a megapixel less than its younger sibling ▶ Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the origin @ 5:43

Autofocus System (4)

auto-focus issues in the past ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:46
on older lenses the AF probably does not keep up ▶ Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DS @ 5:27
auto focus system, by today's standards it's definitely not going to be winning any awards ▶ The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most @ 6:09
a lot of people complain about the the autofocus when they illuminate they're not bright enough and it's hard to tell if they're which one they're actually using ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 6:09

Value for Money (4)

a bit pricey ▶ Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review @ 1:20
about 2 000 a lot of money ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 12:15
it's quite old this is 2016 ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 3:12
i don't think anyone really looks at pentax ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 7:31

Features (3)

No built-in flash ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:24
quite a limited number of lenses are available for this system ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 0:37
disadvantages of astro tracer unlike using a tracer when you use wide angle these stars do begin to smear. and that's because of the way the light rays are actually hitting the sensor as the sensors moving you get to the edge of the center they can't track so accurately so it begins to look like they're smearing out so when you do your images especially if you're doing a panorama you do have to crop ▶ An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K- @ 6:20

Performance (3)

it's too fast ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 7:08
If the aperture is stopped down, it makes high noise during optical zooming ▶ Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples @ 2:35
dc motor lenses working you know they don't really work that well ▶ Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review @ 10:40

Connectivity (1)

needs special FLU card for wireless in second card slot ▶ Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion @ 2:04

Review sources

Pentax K-3 II Hands-On and Opinion by Scott J. Waldron — 27 pros, 5 cons
Pentax K-3 mark III full DSLR camera review by leehaze1 — 20 pros, 7 cons
Pentax K-3 CLASSIC: Hands on and why I still love the original by Matt's Notes — 13 pros, 7 cons
Why The Pentax K3 Mark III Might Be The Last Stand of the DSLR! by Zakari Kha — 10 pros, 4 cons
An alternative DSLR for Milky Way photography? The Pentax K-3 II by Jason Durrant Photos — 9 pros, 5 cons
The best DSLR ever made overlooked by most by Lee Iveson — 9 pros, 3 cons
Pentax k 3 11 DSLR - Review by Amazon Pre-Order — 11 pros, 1 cons
Pentax K-3 II Video and Pixel Shift Samples by Digimanie.cz — 3 pros, 7 cons
Pentax K-3 II UK review, opening box 30-5-15 K3II by z1bamster — 3 pros, 0 cons

Frequently asked questions

Is the Pentax K-3 II worth buying?

Based on 9 independent YouTube reviews, the Pentax K-3 II scores 3.9/5 with 105 positive and 39 negative points mentioned by reviewers, placing it #29 in the DSLRs category.

What do reviewers like most about the Pentax K-3 II?

The most praised aspects are usability/handling, features, performance — Usability/Handling (20 mentions), Features (19 mentions), Performance (17 mentions).

What are the most common complaints about the Pentax K-3 II?

Reviewers most frequently criticize video capabilities, usability/handling — Video Capabilities (10 mentions), Usability/Handling (9 mentions).

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