Pentax Unveils Next Flagship APS-C DSLR

2020.10.27

Five years after the arrival of their current flagship APS-C DSLR, Ricoh has been teasing the design of their next camera with a series of showcases and interviews featuring a number of prototypes, each time looking more polished. Following so much anticipation, Ricoh today unveiled the Pentax K-3 III.

For half-a-decade of development, the incremental naming is decidedly underwhelming and clearly does not do justice to the immense leap forward that K-3 III brings over the excellent-yet-aging Pentax K-3 II. Even though the next flagship looks strikingly similar, every minute aspect of this DSLR has been revisited and refined where improvements were possible. To clear the high bar of besting one of the most capable APS-C DSLR ever made while aso offering a competitive edge over mirrorless cameras, Pentax concentrated on achieving the maximum performance possible with state-of-the-art technology in this form-factor.

The new Pentax K-3 III is built around an ultra-high-sensitivity 26 megapixels APS-C CMOS sensor with an unprecedented standard maximum sensitivity of ISO 1,600,000! This is a full 5 stops ahead of the K-3 II and matches the maximum expanded sensitivity of the Nikon D500 reviewed here, which is the highest sensitivity ever achieved by an APS-C sensor.

Pentax maximized the low-light capability of the K-3 III by mounting its extremely sensitive sensor on a 5-axis image-stabilization system that can compensate for up to 5½-stops of camera shake over hand-holding. This mechanism delivers all the unique capabilities of its predecessors:

A newly designed shutter mechanism can handle continuous shooting at 12 FPS, almost 50% faster than on its predecessor. It offers a shutter-speed range from 1/8000s to 20mins, plus longer Bulb exposures. Along with the faster burst rate comes a deeper buffer for 37 JPEG images or 32 RAW files, either in PEF or DNG format. Readout from the new sensor support 4K Ultra-HD video capture at 30 FPS or 1080p Full-HD at 60 FPS.

Debuting in the Pentax K-3 III is the new SAFOX 13 autofocus system which comprises a 101-Point Phase-Detect AF system with 25 Cross-Type points sensitive to -4 EV. This promises a significant leap over the 27-Point AF system in the K-3 yet is far from being class-leading now that certain cameras reach -7 EV.

The amount of features in this DSLR at least matches its predecessor which remains the most feature-rich DSLR to date. This includes unique exposure modes, an Interval-Timer, Multiple-Exposure, Time-Lapse Photography, HDR, Highlight Weighed Metering and an extensive number of bracketing modes. GPS can record position, elevation and orientation. The K-3 III adds both WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 LE connectivity.

Ergonomics of Pentax DSLRs have always been best-in-class and Ricoh promises to further improve it on their newest flagship. The Pentax K-3 III features triple control-dials, a rarity among DSLRs, a traditional mode-dial, an AF joystick and plenty of customizable controls. The shape of the grip and shutter-feel has been carefully tuned for the best photographic experience according to the design team.

Pentax focused on improving the viewfinder which distinguishes itself from electronic ones on mirrorless cameras by its reflex optical view. The new OVF in the K-3 III shows 100% coverage at 1.05X magnification, making it largest among APS-C DSLR. Many modern mirrorless cameras though offer a larger view despite an even smaller sensor size since they are not limited by optics. The new OVF is paired with an Eye-Start Sensor to automatically switch off the rear 3.2" air gapless 1.6 megapixels LCD screen.

Just likes its predecessors, the Pentax K-3 III is built to last. Its compact body is fully weatherproof and freezeproof to -10C, while the LCD is completely fixed to the camera to avoid hinges that can break. This lets this DSLR remain remarkably compact and relatively light at 735g. The body houses dual SDXC UHS-II memory-card slots. Power is provided by the same battery as the K-3 II but efficiency improvements allow the K-3 III to reach 800 shots-per-charge which is about 10% more.

Ricoh expects to announce pricing and availability early next year, around the CP+ convention which is usually held in February. Check out the Pentax K-3 III page for complete specifications or compare the Pentax K-3 III and II right here.

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