Pentax K-3 II

The Pentax K-3 II is an APS-C DSLR released in 2015, built around the Pentax KAF lens mount. Its defining traits are weather sealing, a built-in GPS unit and in-body stabilisation, a combination aimed squarely at photographers who work outdoors.

In-body stabilisation matters here because the sensor itself moves to counter shake, so every KAF lens you attach benefits. Framing is through an optical pentaprism viewfinder, which shows the scene directly with no display delay.

Carrying it takes some commitment. It weighs 800 g and measures 131 x 100 x 77 mm, so this is a substantial DSLR rather than a light travel option.

The K-3 II earns a good Optics score of 74, putting it in the top 17% of cameras in our database for Optics. The 24.35 megapixel APS-C sensor leaves room for cropping and large prints, with the Prime III processor on board.

In-body stabilisation is the standout for practical shooting. Because the sensor moves to counter camera shake, handheld work stays steadier with any KAF lens, which helps indoors and at longer focal lengths where shake bites hardest.

Shooting speed is solid rather than record setting. The 8.3 fps maximum burst covers short runs of action, while the 1/8000 s top shutter speed freezes fast subjects and can enable wider apertures in strong light. The ISO range spans 100 to 51200, so raising sensitivity remains available as light drops.

Framing happens through a full optical pentaprism viewfinder. You see the scene directly and instantly, with no electronic delay, which makes it easier to follow moving subjects and read the scene naturally.

The Video score is a good 70. Video tops out at Full HD resolution, which suits everyday clips, family footage and web use, and recordings are written as MOV or AVI files, both widely used formats.

Frame rates reach up to 60 fps, fast enough for smooth motion in normal playback and useful when you want a slowed-down look in editing. With Full HD as the highest resolution supplied, this is a camera for occasional video alongside stills rather than a primary video tool.

A built-in timelapse function handles interval shooting without any external remote. Set your interval and the camera fires the sequence itself, which suits slow-changing subjects such as clouds, plants or building projects.

The Features score is a modest 59. The 3.2 inch LCD is sharp, with just over a million dots making focus checks and live view detailed. However, the screen is fixed and offers no touch input, so low and overhead angles mean crouching rather than flipping a screen out.

For outdoor work the camera is better equipped. Weather sealing guards against dust and moisture, though it is not waterproofing, and the built-in GPS can tag frames with shooting coordinates, which helps with cataloguing landscape and travel work.

There is no built-in flash, so flash work requires an external unit. Nor is there Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so moving images to another device has no built-in wireless route.

Two card slots accept the common SD, SDHC and SDXC types, so there is plenty of room for storage on a long shoot. That flexibility suits a camera aimed at outdoor work.

The D-LI90 battery is rated for 720 shots, a figure that feeds into the good Storage and Battery score of 65. Treat it as a rating rather than a promise, since actual endurance depends on how you shoot.

There is no USB charging, so you cannot top the battery up through a USB cable while out shooting. Anyone planning long days away from mains power should simply carry a spare D-LI90 battery.