Ricoh launches the Pentax K-3 Mark III, its flagship APS-C digital SLR camera



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After months of hype and an unexpected delay, Ricoh has finally announced the Pentax K-3 Mark III digital SLR. The flagship camera features an optical viewfinder, rugged body, AI-assisted subject recognition technology and a 25.73-megapixel BSI sensor with ISO sensitivity of up to 1,600,000.

Pentax / Ricoh (henceforth referred to simply as Pentax) says that the K-3 Mark III is the sum of its five principles: Designing cameras out of sheer devotion, producing cameras with the power to capture images with direct communication with subject, design cameras that make it possible to take advantage of each process of creating an image, pursuing a level of quality and performance that cannot be measured by numbers alone, and respecting and valuing the photographic experience of its users.

To that end, there are some very specific reasons why Pentax chose to make this camera the way it did, the most notable being that it is a DSLR and not a wireless device. mirror.

As a digital SLR, the K-3 Mark III features a classic pentaprism optical viewfinder, which the company claims has an “almost” 100% field of view and 1.05x magnification. It also says its new high-refraction glass prism “provides comfortable viewing with a wide field of view equivalent to that of a full-frame SLR.” It also features a distortion-correcting optical element and an optimized lens coating to provide that clear, “lifelike” viewfinder image – which is 10% brighter than that found on the K-3 Mark II – than the K-3 Mark II. company thus places a lot of emphasis on.

Incorporating a Natural Bright Matte III focusing screen – known for its ease of focusing when shooting with manual focus – it also delivers a crisp and clear subject image with faithful reproduction of the effect. bokeh. In addition, its transparent display allows the user to monitor a wide range of operational data in the viewfinder window.

The 25.73 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor is combined with an AA filterless optical design to produce what Pentax calls “super high resolution images”. The sensor is powered by the company’s new PRIME V imaging engine and a next-generation accelerator which it claims will deliver well-defined images with minimal noise while maintaining resolution at all sensitivities. That said, it does have an AA filter simulator (which can be turned on and off), which the company says effectively reduces moiré patterns to the same level as an AA optical filter. It does this by applying microscopic vibrations to the image sensor at the sub-pixel level during exposure.

Pentax says it was able to improve noise reduction performance at higher ISOs, allowing the camera to boast a maximum sensitivity of 1,600,000.

The K-3 Mark III is also equipped with Pentax’s SR II Shake Reduction System which offers 5-axis camera shake compensation and 5.5 shutter steps. This 5.5 step reduction is the highest ever achieved by Pentax and is compatible with almost all Pentax lenses, including screw mount lenses, 645 and 67 systems via an adapter, although it may not have all features.

This shake reduction system also allows the camera to offer a high-resolution pixel-shift capture mode, which shifts this sensor four times by a single pixel to create a synthesized composite with larger color data and finer details. To make this system more useful with a wider range of scenes and subjects, the camera also has a motion correction feature, which can be turned on and off and only detects moving parts of the image. during continuous shooting and minimizes negative effects during the synthesis process. .

The rear LCD screen is a 3.2 inch monitor with approximately 1,620,000 pixels that supports touch operation. It also has a special resin material injected into the space between the LCD layers and the tempered glass cover which Pentax claims reduces glare to improve visibility when shooting outdoors.

The K-3 Mark III features Pentax’s SAFOX 13 autofocus system which has 101 focus sensors. SAFOX 13 is a newly developed phase-adaptive AF sensor module that Pentax claims is reliable for precision autofocus operations. 25 of the 101 sensors are cross-type positioned in the middle to help focus on the subject at minimum brightness levels as low as -4 EV. It also has a new high capacity RGBIr image sensor with around 307,000 pixels and a newly developed image tracking algorithm, Pentax claims that the camera also ensures precise tracking of subjects moving at high speed. variable or in an irregular movement. A new AF point selector allows the user to select the desired AF point more intuitively (up to 41 points).

In addition to this, Pentax’s real-time scene analysis system is supported by artificial intelligence. Powered by the PRIME V processor and RGBIr image sensor, the AI ​​is able to detect face and eyes and perform real-time motion analysis adjustments. Using deep learning, the system promises to provide precise subject detection and more reliable scene judgment.

The Pentax K-3 Mark III offers a maximum shooting speed of 12 fps in AF-S mode and 11 fps continuously.

The body of the DSLR is dust and weatherproof and the top, bottom, front and back panels are all made of magnesium alloy. These are combined with special anti-dust gaskets applied to crucial parts of the body. The result is a camera that has “exceptional” cold resistance and is able to promise stable operation at temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Fahrenheit). The shutter unit is also durable and designed for 300,000 actuations.

The camera can shoot 4K videos at up to 30 frames per second and Full HD 1080p videos at up to 60 frames per second, both in H.264. It has a mic jack and headphone jack and the audio recording levels and monitor volume can be switched individually. The camera also supports touch control of its features during recording to limit the amount of sound the camera produces while recording.

Other notable features include DR II (Dust Removal II) mechanism, support for charging via USB Type-C, HDR function that saves captured images as RAW format files, dual card slot SD (one UHS-I and the other UHS-II) and compatibility with older lenses without electronic contacts (shooting with such lenses is supported in Aperture Priority mode and the focal length of the lens is saved as Exif data).

The Pentax K-3 Mark III will be available April 6 at 5 p.m. ET for $ 2,000. The company also produces two limited edition kits: a Pentax K-3 Mark III Black Premium Kit and a Silver Premium Kit.

Each includes the camera body and battery grip (the Silver Premium kit comes with a silver camera body and a silver battery grip exclusive to this set), as well as a spare battery and strap in “exclusive” leather. These premium kits will be available at the end of April for $ 2,300.



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