Pentax K3III Monochrome Camera Review
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- Опубликовано: 11 апр 2023
- During the first few days of spring I was asked by Ricoh Imaging if I would be interested in using a new Pentax monochrome camera to see what my thoughts and experience would be applying such a camera as this into capturing landscapes.
I must admit I was a little sceptical at first. I love colour and everything that nature gives us to capture with regards to colour. So applying a whole new approach to watch attracts me in nature and applying that in black and white I thought would be a very difficult task.
However I am always ready to learn something new with regards to photography and I love pushing beyond my artistic boundaries, so I accept the challenge, and within a few days this soon to be released camera with a Da 16-50mm lens arrived in the mail.
Within a few days I took the camera out on the field to a few local Italian destination I know that I thought would make for an attractive black and white photograph.
So, I hope you enjoy this video of me outdoors, giving my experience of the new Pentax K3III Monochrome Camera
#pentaxkIIImonochrome #pentaxmonochrome #pentax
I just bought the K3iii Monochrome a week ago. Your video is very timely for me. Video tells a whole story, color photos leave room for interpretation. Monochrome let's the viewer imagine more. @yespentax to see a few of my first monochrome images. I am not a pro like you are, Matt. Just loving the creativity of the niche.
Great photographs young feller , and all top notch quality just like Pentax itself. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us all Sir.
That’s lovely for you to say so. Appreciate that and I hope your found the video in some form useful to your curiosity
Thanks Matt. Lovely images.
Cheers bud
Couldn't think of a better guy to demonstrate the new pentax camera than you Matt, love those beautiful images, looks like a great camera. Great hearing you and Bill Ward chatting about photography and thanks so much that. Always enjoy your informative and very inspirational videos Matt 👍
That’s very kind of you to say so and glad you enjoyed the chat with Bill. He’s a great bloke
Thanks Matt, a fascinating thought provoking video! As you say, monochrome is definitely worth exploring for landscape photography. Challenging yet so rewarding! Also interesting to see you using the 16-50 PLM lens, I'm using mine about 90% of the time on my K3iii. Great to see Pentax continuing to release to quality gear.
Cheers buddy. Glad you found the video interesting. Yea the 16-50 was great to use. A little workhorse that’s extremely responsive on the k3iiii
Thanks Matt for this interesting video! The location choices were brilliant and really show the power of the new monochrome camera.
Thanks mate. The certainly weren’t my best shots of all time but time and location choices were limiting. Hope the video was useful to you mate!
I’ve idea that fell! Love them shots! Specially the detailed shots
Cheers buddy
Good to see You're getting excited about a camera. I am always excited to take photos regardless which camera. Nobody has ever asked me which camera I have used for my work.
Extraordinary results from this camera and you sure take full advantage of your locations
I am very excited by this camera. Taking a photo in black and white forces you to think carefully on multiple levels about every shot you take and is to me what bringing art into photography is about. While a few would pass by monochrome images immediately, others pause just that little longer when looking at each image - it could be my imagination but I think not since black and white images are striking and forces you to think about what you are seeing.
Couldn’t agree more. Very well said Casper
Wow. I'm excited for this camera.
It’s a great tool!
Great video Matt. It took me a long time to get black and white.I used to use Ilford XP2 film on weddings which was great with a really large dynamic range.
It does take time for sure. This was just the beginning for me. Would be interested in looking further into monochrome landscapes for sure
Very beautiful photos
Thanks for saying so
Great Video Matt!! Alfie the dog is just lovely!
Grazie mille amico mio
The dynamic range seems crazy good. I’ve gotten used to the incredible flexibility of the raw files with the K-1ii with colour but this looks next level
Yes it is. The shadows open so well and at 20,000 iso it’s crazy clean
Grande Matt! Che spettacolo!
Grazie mille
I just developed my first negative film taken by my MX... I usually shot in bnw with my GR3x and this sounds like my next step definitely! Thank you Matt for your great video! I can't wait to to get a test ride with it... :-)
Thanks a lot and great for you!!!!!
Ciao Matt,
I just bought a medium format film camera PENTAX 6x7. Awesome !!!
Hey Matt, K3-III owner (well and a list of gear also) here. Thanks for posting. I think Pentax did a bold move.
I do shoot motorsports and I wish the buffer on the cameras would be way way bigger.
Yet I find this monochrome camera very interesting for other purposes.
For sure. Thanks for your comments and time
Super Video ❤
Cheers
I reckon those who can’t afford a leica mono camera should look into this. Great value from Pentax
14.40 I thought that fella was gonna male off with your camera!
Interesting video, would love to have a play with that.
Hahahahjaja. Thanks mate
Hi Matt, I'm next at bat to use the K-3 IIIM. Should arrive before my birthday too. I'll be doing an old school text review of it too. Great video and congrats to you.
Briiliant mate. Looking forward to your experience. I only had the camera for a few days so my findings were very limiting
Yep a few days isn't enough as you have eluded at least for a deep dive but your review here was very thorough overall and much better than the typical "review shops" out there ;)
Please test it with color filters too (red, orange, green).
Color Camera's switched into black and white only desaturate a color image, where as the Leica or now Pentax Monochrome camera is registering tonality. Its also done away with the RGB sensor which makes the image sharper and giving more 3D pop, losing that "Bayer Blur".
Even color cameras in monochrome mode can most of the time produce fantastic, dramatic and more dimensional looking images, and I really like monochrome. But this K3ii monochrome will probably be a significant step up from a sensor with an RGB (Red Blue Green) filter interpolating (guessing) the colors.
Well done Pentax! Its a very niche product, and I can't wait for the Pentax Forums people to do their K3iii RGB versus K3iii monochrome comparison to really see the benefits.
All
Very good statements put forward
I've done plenty of testing comparing BW sensors and color sensors - with Leicas. Until you get into really high ISOs, which nobody I know ACTUALLY uses, you can't see any difference between a Leica monochrome and a Leica color camera. I can't imagine it's any different with Pentax. ;)
@@buskman3286 id be interested to see some of your side by side findings.
I simply adored the Frozen water! I'm sick to death, of white blur, looking like cotton waste (cotton wool).I have old Minolta that does great Monochromes! It can do colour but even after 12 years, never worked out menu! Good tones! Not sure how much better Monochrome better than colour De-saturated? The aspens lacked bite? See Ansel Adams pix.. Still I love Pentax, super colours! Great video. Bravo.
Yeh the aspens were shot in terrible whether I didn’t want to push those white too far for testing sake for the viewers. I shot the waterfall at high shutter speed to see how far the camera would push in regards to details and it certainly did. Thanks for popping in and writing and comment. Much appreciated
Thanks for posting! I think black & white photography has quite a bit going for it and I agree with your comment about how it affects what (and how) you shoot. Even blown highlights can look quite good on B&W (on colour its more noticeable as you lose your colours those areas).
In theory with a black & white sensor (presumably they have just removed colour filter from existing sensor?) there should be advantages in high ISO noise levels and potentially dynamic range. Have you noticed any improvements / changes in these areas?
I certainly did notice the changes. It tends to be more responsive and even at 20000 iso and recovering shadow details it was surprisingly powerful
@@MattBishopPhotography Did you test the camera with a red filter in front of the lense? A red filter needs two stops of light. So a red filter brings two stops more noise and two stops less dynamic range to the monochrome camera.
My initial reaction to this is the complete opposite, I have an irresistible urge to use a monochrome camera, despite its obvious drawbacks. I recently got a crazy deal on a Pentax Kp, 16-85 HD, ad 55-300 PLM at my local second hand shop where I traded in an older camera and got the Kp and lenses for almost nothing. I thought I was done with DSLRs, but I stumbled on that Kp, a camera I'd always wanted. I thought I'd regret getting it, but now, this is announced, and its more exciting to me than any digital camera I can remember, and, I already have lenses for it, I even have a K mount Helios that'll clip right on there. The only thing I don't have is 2100 extra dollars, but I am fixated on this thing, I've bought a few lottery tickets since the announcement lol.
Ahhhh. Great little kit you’ve got there. Very exciting indeed. Hope the winner comes through on the lottery ticket!!!!!
Great vid Matt! Question out of curiosity... Did you use the color K-3 III to see if you could replicate the black and white output from the monochrome? Or at least get cose to the output? Obviously it would have to be out of camera jpegs. Just wondering since I have a user mode set up strictly for B & W photos.
No I didn’t mate. I only shot the camera in RAW using my standard settings
Nice vid. I’m still waiting on the K-1 with a 50-60 megapixel sensor and some new full frame lenses.
There is a new 44 MP Sony sensor on its way. Maybe we can expect that beast in a new K1 mark III?
Thanks for the video Matt, did you try any filters with the monochrome camera, back in my film days , red, green and yellow filters worked well in landscape photography, does the sensor have a similar response to the filters that film used to have?
No i didn’t. I had only a few days with the camera unfortunately. A lot of things I wanted to try out. There just wasn’t the time
Nice & Thanks :)
Your welcome
09:07 amazing!!
Yes I was quite happy with the results of this one. Showcases well the monochrome details
Many thanks Great review. Did you try adding any colour filters to effect the tonal range.
Unfortunately I didn’t. I only had a limited time with the camera
nice that more manufacturers come up with monochrome cameras
Certainly is. Widens the market for all
@@MattBishopPhotography a Ricoh GR monochrome would be nice too :) I mean I am happy with my Q2M ;)
Remember that you don't need to disable SR if you use a remote to shoot or you enable mirror lock! These are the little details I love about Pentax!
Love the sample photos after 10:10. Would be nice to see how the monochrome output looks when printed. Does it have different B/W JPEG profiles?
I only had the camera in my hands for a few days. Unfortunately I didn’t have the spec details with me at the time with regards to built in jpeg filters
Highlight preservation is the Hallmark of b&w film. Any monochrome digital would have to deal with extreme highlights very well to be a viable alternative for fine art work. I would be interested to see how well the new Pentax Mono conveys compared to the Fuji X sensor in monochrome mode. Its pretty excellent really. And I'm a 40 + year Pentax guy!
Yes for sure. To think though at the waterfall is was dealing with very harsh light so I always exposed for the highlights. Those shadows I was pulling them all up noise free. Very powerful sensor indeed
A dedicated monochrome sensor is more sensitive vs using a color sensor in monochrome mode. That’s like comparing ilford hp5 vs Kodak ultraMax edited in “B&W” makes no sense
Mono is about composition, texture, tonality. It needs a different eye. The other thing that camera has is different response curves that would let you cope with the lighting. Drama can be gained using filters yellow, orange and red are typical colour filters. Perhaps Pentax could recreate the effects of filters in camera. Polarisers are a great filter for mono images.
All very good points indeed
I like the idea of it, but SO SO SO wish it was the full frame K1ii body that got a monochrome version. I've moved on from apsc to full frame sensor and really have no interest in going back. Regardless, wish Pentax/Ricoh all the success in the world with this camera
I am praying that the new FF standard k1 iii will be out soon.
I think so because a FF sensor has one stop more dynamic range than an apcs sensor and one stop less noise too.
@@MattBishopPhotography Me too, it's driving me crazy waiting for it. My K1 just died, and I really, really don't want to buy a MK II just to have the III release in a few months!
I so want this camera for street work.
With a nice prime 43mm Ltd for example this camera would shine for street for sure
@@MattBishopPhotography Was actually thinking the 20-40. That would cover the complete Street gambit. I usually like a little faster lens but I'm usually zone focusing at F8.
Black and white camera should be much better in gathering light and much less noice. As i understand that bayer filter cut of much light and then there is color noice too. Did you found that to be true and if it have any higher impact to end results compared with regular camera with black and white filter applied?
Did you notice if they kept the HDR feature from the color model in this? I'm curious about pushing 2 stop HDR in a blown out highlights scenario. Especially considering how the higher range means there is a lot of detail to pull out of the shadows.
I am afraid I didn’t come across this feature your referring to. However I might add that for me the DR on the camera is incredible. If you expose for your highlight under 1600 iso you can pull the shadows with great details
Nice video Matt. Personally this camera is not for me, not at the moment at least, but I can defiantly see a market for this camera within & even beyond the Pentax community. There seems to be a growing number of niche spaces developing in the photography world which all seem to be moving away from the latest & greatest mirrorless offerings.
It’s not for everyone. It’s a camera for a niche market. For craftsman that require precision tools
I wish I could justify owning a B&W-only camera. I would LOVE to have one.
They are a great investment for who enjoys monochrome that’s for sure
I am curious, what if any software have you used to process these images?
You neglected to start out with a description of the new camera. Some of us might mistake the term "Monochrome" for something other than a camera that only takes B&W images. Also, is this camera APC or full frame? Lens compatibility? And importantly, can you get the same results in post from a color image?
Thanks for the tip
I am always thinking if the monochrome cameras have a really visible benefit vs taking a color image and convert it, or use Fuji BW simulation instead.
24/26mp monocromo
6mp RGB
Not a single reviewer put a good quality prime Pentax lens on this Monochrome camera, and that is what this camera has been made for. Pentax primes are small, with a minimum amount of glass; the 3D quality of the image and amount of detail they can deliver is superior to any zoom and in Monochrome, the images will look spectacular. And that is the secret of the Leica Monochrome too; not the sensor itself, but the use of Leica's prime lenses.
I totally agree to your comments regarding the lenses. Unfortunately I only had the camera for a few days and I was asked by Ricoh to take some images for them of landscapes with the 16-50 and to also mix it up with some of my own lenses. I have the fa35mm and A 50 1.7 which would have worked beautifully but with time constraints never got around to it. I apologize
Is there a new normal prime lense for that Pentax K3iii monochrome? I did not find a 35mm 1:1.2 or something else. I found only the 31mm 1:1.7 limited. There are no Sigma lenses with Pentax mount too. Is that camera really made for prime lenses? I just found zoom lenses. Can you help me?
@@torstenw5168 Matt referenced a FA 35mm lens. FA is a film designation, this is a lens from the film era. Made for digital era lenses will have a DA prefix. Pentax make a stellar DA 35mm macro lens which is sharp, and contrasty, and would pair wonderfully with the BW camera.
There are literally dozens of DA and FA designated lenses that would pair with this camera, and if you want to play around with older lenses, everything ever made by Pentax since the late 50's will work, and meter with this camera (you will need an inexpensive adapter to convert older screw mount lenses to the K mount bayonet.)
And then there are literally hundreds of lenses from manufaturers such as Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, Helios, and a panoply of others.
Personally I have around 50 lenses ranging from Ancient Takumar's to the DA 24 -70 and 15-30 (which admittedly are FF lenses), which will work on this camera.
If you are interested in primes, I reccomend you have a look at the DA 15, DA 21, DA 35, DA 40 pancake, DA 70.
Made for film, but spectacular lenses, are the '3 amigo's', 'the princesses', 'the trimvurate' 'the holy trinity' - they have different nicknames depending on who you talk to - the FA 31, FA 43 and FA 77 each a truly unique and spectacular lens.
I have the older sibling of the 16-50 Matt was shooting with, and it an excellent lens which could probably be bought cheap these days, and it 'Pair' the wonderful DA 50-135.
There is no shortage of Pentax lenses despite misinformation to the contrary.
For me, this camera could be the reason to get a Pentax camera again. But first I would like to download two raw files of the same subject. One made with a K-3 Mark III Monochrome, and the other with the K-3 Mark III. The examples ricoh-imaging has on their site are useless.
For sure. I regret not doing a side by side comparison
Thank you for your thoughts, Matt. Back in my film days, I mainly used black and white because I had my own darkroom, and I couldn't afford to process colour film (and didn't want the associated faffing about) or use a professional laboratory. Results from high-street film processing outlets were generally sub-standard, but were okay for snapshots. After a little while, I learned how to "see" in monochrome and predict how the final image would look. Of course, I didn't have a rear monitor to show me how it would appear (we are so spoiled these days). I, too love colour photography, but I convert many images to B&W if I think they will benefit from the transition. Monochrome is all about about shape and light and has its place in photography, I'm convinced. I've often been tempted by the Leica Monochroms, but could not justify to myself spending £5k and upwards for a secondary camera, as colour will remain my main interest. I will, however, be buying this Pentax.
This great news. I am sure a lot of people are going to be attracted to this camera for many reasons and the ones you suggested. The black and white experience for me was certainly an briliant creative process
@@MattBishopPhotography I know that many people consider B&W to be a "pure" form of photography, and I can see where they are coming from. Using the interplay of colours in photography is a different skill from those needed for monochrome work, though there is obviously an overlap. I can see no reason why one cannot develop and enjoy both.
Did the ISO get limited to 200? I wonder why. Perhaps the sensor without the color filters is too sensitive? Also, try a CPL with that monochrome camera to get some really black skies and clouds that pop!
I am not sure exactly the reason. I am not that technically aware as some other photographers out there. I will post it to social media when I find the exact details why
Yes of course. But if you use a green filter in front of the lense you will have effective ISO 100 again or ISO 50 with a red filter.
I gather, since it is an optical viewfinder, that you still see in colour though the eyepice, and obviously the liveview mode would only show BW, as there is no bayer array.
How do you reconcile seeing the world in colour through the viewfinder, but seeing the results in BW?
Very good question. My brief experience with the camera taught me that it’s more about training the eye to notice those highlights and shadows that we know that making pleasing black and white images and focus on those to accompany the landscape
Does this camera have both color and ir filter removed?
So do the pro guys in here see a significant difference compared to black and white photos to taken with a normal sensor? Would you be fascinated by the photos if you didn't know that these pictures were taken with a monochrome sensor? No offense, just curiousity!
No offense taken at all. That’s the question that everyone asks. I noticed a huge difference in the amount of detail with regards to the RAW files, however the big mistake I made was not doing a side by side comparison with the standard k3iii. I have apologized to so many subscribers about this. Unfortunately I only had a the camera for a very very short time
What would be the best lens pairing for monochrome ?
IR?
I appreciate all the benefits of a monochrome sensor. However, having not used one myself I wonder whether you lose a lot of flexibility in adjusting the tonal representation of different colors in editing. With a monochrome sensor you’re stuck with the chromatic response of the sensor, unless you start using glass filters again, which would seem a bit silly.
I can see where you are going with this but from my brief experience with the camera and observing the RAW files the fact that each pixel only picks up monochrome is actually more beneficial with regards to information absorbed. I am no technician that’s for sure and could be wrong, but after observing the raw files this detail is evident
Any colour as long as it's black & white ! (I take it that if you want to use filters , it is back to the filters from yesteryear ?)
Filters? Sorry didn’t quite understand what you are referring to
@@MattBishopPhotography Hi Matt, filters in front of the lens? Or can you use the built in ones (if any) Cheers?
I shoot Pentax and mainly b&w. Not sure I understand the full benefit of shooting only this way vs removing colour in edit?
Better details, more responsive camera on field and better ISO performance
@@MattBishopPhotography iso on Pentax k3iii already good enough for me.. I'd like to see difference in detail between the 2.. don't think it's worth another 2000 euro for those if us with colour version
@@Tkarma77 I think it comes down to one’s needs. If black and white in your workflow is extremely important the benefits are there
So, none of these images are out of the camera jpegs? They're all processed raws?
Yes they are all RAW images with balanced lights and shadows.
Oh wow, is this the correct embargo date? The official pentax youtube session is still not out!
Yes
@@MattBishopPhotography I see it now, everyone's review is out. awesome release
@@mipmipmipmipmip yes today is the embargo date
I would love to see - Side by Side - K3 III color versus Monochrome - picture examples.
-
I know what difference is - but I would love to see the benefits in real
I really should have done those. I know. I am so sorry
I’d think that astrophotography would be one of the primary uses of a camera like this… I wish that you’d provided some night-sky images
I wish I could have done a lot of thing with this camera. They only let me use it for less than a week!
Is there a raw-file available so we can Look at the quality?
To display a RAW file isn’t that easy on social media. I can post a JPEG image with no in camera or post production editing for viewing if needed.
I am very curious for the quality and dynamic range, From Raw you could check the dynamic range. I'd like to check one, It surely sounds awesome all those specs. I'm almost drooling ;)
why should I buy a monochrome camera since I can convert any photo I want to monochrome?
Good question! Did you know that each pixel on a monochrome sensor absorbs only monochromatic data and not RGB hence far greater detail is absorbed? For those who enjoy monochrome photography this is a very important factor to consider. Also the monochrome performance wise is a higher achiever with regards to focus speed and accuracy, ISO and dynamics range
When it reaches a reasonable price point I would consider it. Just not worth $2300. It would have to be $1800 or less. I mean the previous camera, the K3 III that was most recently introduced can be had for $1700 US. New
Compare it to a Leica
@@MattBishopPhotography no comparison, Leica is much more modern and the quality is vastly better, they have had monochrome sensors years before Pentax. I shot Pentax for 35 years but when they decided to stay the course and not improve their lineup I moved on. I do still shoot Pentax film however with the Super Program I bought in 1984 in Germany. I can shoot a lot of film for over $2300 US for this camera.
chicken shrimp in da barby
Interesting feedback
@@MattBishopPhotography thank you. I hope you're having a good day.
The ONLY problem with pentax is that there is not ring adapter for his mount, if you want to shoot in BW, you need to buy an entire set of lens from zero. Or... pay 9.5k$ for Leica M11, nothing of this options convince to me.
I am waiting for a fuji XH2 40Mp BW, would be a dream camera
You would be surprised the massive gamma of lenses new and old available from Pentax. If black and white is your thing and you want to invest in a system you can easily get a very nice choice of high quality lenses and the camera body for $4000 dollars.
I had no idea they black and white digital cameras.
Yes, Leica does too
Is this monochrome a full frame?
Sorry I never clearly stated this in the intro. It’s an ASPC. It’s a k3iii monochrome
Personally, I'd buy a K1000, and a few dozen rolls of Tri X and FP4 plus.
Gotta love the k1000!!!!
@@MattBishopPhotography I agree, the simpler the better.
I have the k1000 and I love it. Wondering if the vintage lenses are compatible with the model presented in the video above? I might consider jumping to digital photography.
Do you have a traditional darkroom? Otherwise I don’t get it.
@@Thekennel177 I do, but I prefer to scan at the moment.
I'm sure this is a minority view here but I'm failing to see the logic of this camera unless monochrome is all you ever want to take. Otherwise you are going to need to throw £1800 for a comparable quality colour sensor camera to do colour work. If you roll the £2200 for this in there you are comfortably into full-frame a7RV territory with sensitivity and resolution to outstrip this camera.
The same argument applies to the Leica M11 monochrom that is more than the price of. Medium format Hasselblad X2C 100C.
It all depends on what your priorities are I suppose. The fact that it has already sold out and orders will be up and running again for after summer shows that the market demand is there
@@MattBishopPhotography Indeed, but despite being very fond of monochrome images (I started photography in the late 50s when it was the majority medium) I fail to see the logic. I, for example, take a lot of cloudscapes and finish in monochome (by far the best way to present them). In the days of film this would mean digging out say a 3x Red and screwing it onto the front of the lens - a process that not infrequently cost the magic moment (cloudscapes can be surprisingly transient). Taking a colour image and applying colour filter techniques in post saves that problem and gives flexibility in the conversion to mono that I never had shooting good old FP3 🙂
Todos los fotositos son B/N
La igualaria una formato medio de 100mp (fase,haselback,...)
I'm not interested in crap sensor cameras. For b&w I'm using only film.
That’s great. Everyone has their own gear suited to their own needs and that’s great. That’s what sets us apart. Not one system suits all, that’s for sure.
@@MattBishopPhotography
I agree with that. Thank you for replying.
Just for the record, was that a typo? Are you referring to image size or trash-talking?
Nothing you can't do with a full frame K-1 or a K-3III. This is not worth the money. Set your preview to monochrome on the camera you have and adjust how you shoot. You'll do more for yourself by getting better compositions than you will with hyped fad gear.
You have to understand the technical part of what goes on with the absorbed information onto a monochrome sensor to better understand that your statement is inaccurate. It may be that case for you, but anyone passionate enough to shoot in monochrome will appreciate the benefits like I have discussed in the video. Hence the demand it has for not only Pentax users but also for first Pentax purchasers. The camera has been sold out already and will start selling again around summer time. Unless you have used one yourself and studied the RAW files it’s hard to fathom the benefits. Trust me, I too was skeptical at first
Sorry I don't like your video.
Наконец-то нормальные фотографии ... Но честно сказать. . такое ощущение что у лейки монохром как-то получше . тут будто цветной фильтр стерли с матрицы да. И закончили на этом . ну как-то вобщни незнаю даже .
Sorry? I don’t speak not comprehend the translation from your language. I do apologize
Not full frame? I’ll stick with my D810 and shoot raw in monochrome mode.
Great camera the 810