Pentax K-3 Mark III

The Pentax K-3 Mark III is an APS-C DSLR released in 2021. It serves photographers who prefer an optical viewfinder and traditional handling, and it carries a fairly large body at 820 g and 135 x 104 x 74 mm.

In-body stabilisation and weather sealing make it well suited to landscape, wildlife and other outdoor photography, where dust and damp are part of the day.

Lenses attach via the Pentax KAF2 mount, which keeps things straightforward for anyone already shooting Pentax glass. Two card slots add capacity for extended outings.

At its heart sits a 26 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with the Prime IV processor. That resolution leaves room for cropping and large prints from each frame.

Autofocus offers 101 points, and the maximum burst rate is 12 frames per second. Treat that rate as a peak figure rather than a sustained speed, because the mode and duration behind it are not documented.

In-body stabilisation shifts the sensor to counter camera shake, so handheld shots at slower shutter speeds come out steadier. It has no effect on subject movement, so freezing motion still depends on shutter speed.

The pentaprism viewfinder shows the scene directly through the lens with no lag, which helps when following action. The shutter reaches 1/8000 second, and the ISO range spans 100 to 1,600,000 for bright daylight through very dark scenes.

Video recording tops out at 4K, and the highest available frame rate is 60 fps. Whether those two figures combine in a single recording mode is not confirmed here, so check the available settings before planning a shoot. 4K resolution also leaves room for cropping in the edit.

A built-in timelapse function creates sequences from the camera alone, without an external intervalometer. That suits landscape and architectural work where you set the camera on a tripod and let it run.

Clips save as MPEG-4 or MOV, so you can choose between two file formats when recording.

Framing happens on the fixed 3.2-inch rear screen, since an optical finder cannot show a live video image. Without a hinge, low or overhead angles involve crouching or estimating the frame, which matters most for handheld filming.

The rear 3.2-inch TFT LCD offers 1,620,000 dots, enough sharpness for checking focus and fine detail after a shot. It works as a touchscreen and supports live view, so reviewing and adjusting settings stays quick.

The screen is fixed rather than hinged. That keeps it simple, but waist-level and overhead framing mean working from awkward positions or trusting live view at a guess.

Weather sealing protects the body against dust and moisture in the field. That protection is not the same as waterproofing, so treat heavy rain with care.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth let the camera connect to other devices. There is no built-in GPS, so the camera itself does not record location data, and with no built-in flash you will want an external flash unit for indoor or fill light.

Two card slots take SD, SDHC and SDXC media, and one slot is UHS-II compatible for faster card writing. That slot suits burst shooting, and the second slot adds capacity so you carry more storage without swapping cards mid-shoot.

The D-LI90 battery carries an 800-shot rating, though the conditions behind that figure are not given. Heavy live view, video and touchscreen use will draw more power, so pack a spare for demanding days.

USB charging lets you top the battery up from a laptop or USB charger between shoots. Charging while the camera is in use is not confirmed, so plan recharge time into your routine rather than expecting it mid-session.