Since Pentax was bought from Hoya by Ricoh, it's seen a bit of an increase in new launches and development. The K-3 comes just a year after the Pentax K-5 II was launched, which arrived two years after the Pentax K-5 .

The K-3 is the latest iteration of what's become a very strong series of DSLRs - the K-5 added a great sensor to the excellent body introduced with the K-7 , the K-3 makes a big step forward in terms of focus capabilities as well as showing a great deal of tweaking and polishing.

Very high image quality; especially in Raw; Excellent ergonomics and handling; Extensive feature set; In-body stabilization works with all lenses; Extremely solid build quality; Large; bright optical viewfinder; Good level of customization; Well-chosen direct controls; Comprehensive in-camera Raw...

Disappointing JPEG color response; Rather clumsy JPEG sharpening (slightly improved by changing to 'Fine' sharpening; Many lenses don't appear to live up to camera's full autofocus potential; Video quality not up to standards implied by inclusion of mic and headphone jacks; SD-based Wi-Fi not as...

Even though the new Pentax K-3 offers a very robust and massive body, it is quite compact; it's only slightly larger than the ultra-compact Canon EOS Rebel SL1, although it's almost double the weight.

Have been owning the K-3 for less than a month yet, but already shot 600+ images with it, if that is any indication of the fun I've had with it. Coming from a K-7, which I used through nearly five years and 9,800+ actuations, I have been pleasantly surprised by the seamless transition to the new...

The PENTAX K-3 was made to compete with the top brands of the DSLR-world and the competition is close, but with its price and exemplary features, the PENTAX K-3 is creating some distance.

Great image quality; Rugged build; Water-resistant

Insufficient autofocus for video

At first click, I knew, immediately, that this was one hell of a camera! Even the jPegs are great. The layout took a little getting used to, but once I did,- oh boy! This thing is just loaded with features. And the Price! How the hell did they DO it?

Bought as an upgrade from my K5.Mostly for use when walking for taking landscapes and for architectural photography.I love the "green button" facility common to all Pentax cameras, enabling you to get a "starting point" for your settings and then using the relevant control wheel...

Durable; Great Features; Great Picture Quality; Simple Controls; Weatherproof

None; Weatherproof

I had been using my Pentax K10D for the past seven years, so this was a significant upgrade for me to move up to the K3 body. Having made a jump of about five versions, I had to read the instruction manual to acquaint myself with the many new features that the K3 offers.

I brought it for bird photography. This camera is amazing and takes beautiful photos.

Upgraded to the K3 from the K30. The K3 is awesome value for money when you compare it to Nikon/Canon rivals. The RAW files this camera produces are a joy to use. The build quality of this camera is awesome - the K3 makes similar priced cameras such as the D5500 feel like a toy.

great build quality and ergonomics; good stabilization; great IQ

shortish battery life