Progress report on PENTAX’s new APS-C-format digital SLR flagship camera: officially named PENTAX K-3 Mark III
RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. have been developing a new PENTAX K-series digital SLR camera, which will be positioned as the flagship model of the APS-C-format SLR lineup.
Currently in development, the new camera now has its official name: the PENTAX K-3 Mark III. Designed to be a camera embodying The Five Principles of PENTAX (described in the PENTAX STATEMENT* featured on the RICOH IMAGING official website), it will incorporate an array of functions and features to showcase the significance of SLR photography, and also to optimize the joy of picture-taking for those photographers who regard photography as their lifetime passion.
The product prototype was exhibited last year at the PENTAX Meeting 100th Anniversary Special fan event. At the event, we announced that it would be launched by the end of 2020 — and it is now in the final stage of development. Once development is complete, we will then begin streamlining the camera’s production system. It will take a bit more time for all this to happen, so we appreciate your patience as we give you an overview of the product, as below. We’ll provide you with more specific product information, such as the timing of the official product announcement and the scheduled market launch date, as soon as they are finalized.
Also, we would like you to visit our RICOH IMAGING website for videos giving more information on the new PENTAX APS-C-format digital SLR flagship, and to get ready for the arrival of the camera that we expect to set new standards for the future of SLR photography.
Overview of the new product in development:
・Product name: PENTAX K-3 Mark III
・Launch date: The launch target is around the period of the CP+ camera exhibition, which will be held from February 25 to 28 in 2021.
・Price: Not decided
Main Features
Model Description
| Type | TTL autofocus, auto-exposure SLR digital-still camera |
|---|---|
| Lens Mount | PENTAX KAF2 bayonet mount (AF coupler, lens information contacts, K-mount with power contacts) |
| Compatible Lens | KAF4, KAF3, KAF2 (power zoom compatible), KAF, KA mount lens |
| Image Sensor | Primary color filter, CMOS. Size: 23.3 x 15.5 (mm) |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 25.73 megapixels |
| Total Pixels | Approx. 26.78 megapixels |
| Dust Removal | Image sensor cleaning using ultrasonic vibrations “DR II” |
| Sensitivity (Standard output) |
ISO AUTO/100 to 1600000 (EV steps can be set to 1EV, 1/2EV or 1/3EV) |
| Image Stabilizer | Sensor-shift shake reduction “SR II”(5-axis) Auto/Panning/Off Compensation effect of 5.5 steps *Measured in conformity to CIPA standards |
| AA Filter Simulator | Moiré reduction using SR unit. OFF/Low/High/Bracketing (2 images)/Bracketing (3 images) |
File formats
| File format | RAW (PEF/DNG), JPEG (Exif 2.3), DCF2.0 compliant |
|---|---|
| Recorded Pixels | JPEG:L(26M:6192×4128)、M(15M:4752×3168)、S(9M:3648×2432)、XS(2M:1920×1280) RAW:(26M:6192×4128) |
| Quality Level | RAW (14bit): PEF, DNG JPEG: ★★★ (Best), ★★ (Better), ★ (Good), RAW + JPEG simultaneous capturing available |
| Color Space | sRGB, AdobeRGB |
| Storage Medium | SD, SDHC and SDXC Memory Card (Conforms to USH-I, UHS-II standards) * UHS-II supports slot 1 only |
| Dual SD slot | Sequential Use, Save to Both, Separate RAW/JPG, Image copy between slots possible |
| Storage Folder | Folder Name: Date (100_1018,101_1019…) or User assigned folder name (Default “PENTX”) |
| Recording File | File Name: “IMGP****” or User assigned file name File name numbering: Sequential, Reset |
Viewfinder
| Type | Pentaprism Finder |
|---|---|
| Coverage (FOV) | Approx. 100% |
| Magnification | Approx. 1.05x (FA 50mmF1.4 at infinity) |
| Eye-Relief Length | Approx. 20.5mm (from the view window), Approx. 22.0mm (from the center of lens) |
| Diopter adjustment | Approx. -4.0m to + 1.0m-1 |
| Focusing Screen | Natural-Bright-Matte III focusing screen |
| Viewfinder Overlay | AF Points, Grid Display, Electronic Level, AF Frame, Spot Metering Frame, Crop, Smart Function, Operation Control Lock |
Live view
| Type | TTL method using image sensor |
|---|---|
| Focusing Mechanism |
Contrast detection (Auto Area, Zone Select, Tracking, Select(L/M/S), Spot) |
| Functions | Focus Peaking, Face detection, Touch AF |
| Display | Field of View approx. 100%, Magnified view (up to 16x), Grid Display (4×4 Grid, Golden Section, Scale, Square(L), Square(S), Grid Color: Black/Gray/White ), Histogram, Bright area warning, Composition Adjustment |
LCD monitor
| Type | Wide viewing angle TFT color LCD, Air-gapless glass |
|---|---|
| Size | 3.2 inch (aspect ratio 3:2) |
| Dots | Approx. 1620K dots |
| Touch Screen | Capacitive sensing method |
| Adjustment | Brightness, Saturation and Colors adjustable |
| Outdoor View Setting | Adjustable ±2 step |
| Night Vision LCD Display | ON/OFF |
White Balance
| Type | Method using a combination of the image sensor and the RGBIr sensor |
|---|---|
| White Balance | AUTO WB, Multi Auto WB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent Light (D:Daylight Color, N:Daylight White, W:Cool White, L:Warm White), Tungsten Light, CTE, Manual WB (up to 3 settings), Color Temperature Configuration (up to 3 settings), Copying the white balance setting of a captured image |
| Fine Adjustment | Adjustable ±14 steps on A-B axis or G-M axis |
Autofocus System
| Type | TTL: Phase-matching autofocus |
|---|---|
| Focus Sensor | SAFOX 13, 101 point (25 cross type focus points) |
| Brightness Range | EV-4 to 18 (ISO 100 / at normal temperature) *EV-4 with luminance flux based on F2.8 levels |
| AF mode | Single AF (AF.S), Continuous AF (AF.C) |
| AF Point Selection | Auto Area, Zone Select, Select, Expanded Area(S, M, L), Select(S), Spot |
| AF Assist Light | Dedicated LED AF assist light |
Metering
| Type | TTL open aperture metering using 307K pixel RGBIr sensor, Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot and Highlight-weighted |
|---|---|
| Metering Range | EV-3 to 20 (ISO100 at 50mm F1.4) |
| Exposure Mode | Scene Analyze Auto, Program, Sensitivity Priority, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Shutter & Aperture Priority, Manual, Bulb, Flash X-sync Speed, USER1, USER2, USER3, USER4, USER5 |
| EV Compensation | ±5EV (1/2EV steps or 1/3EV steps can be selected) |
| AE Lock | Button type (timer type: two times the meter operating time set in Custom Setting); Continuous as long as the shutter button is halfway pressed |
Shutter
| Type | Electronically controlled vertical-run focal plane shutter * Electronic shutter when using Pixel Shift Resolution |
|---|---|
| Shutter Speed | Auto:1/8000 to 30 sec., Manual:1/8000 to 30 sec. (1/3EV steps or 1/2EV steps), Bulb (Timed exposure setting possible from 1 sec. to 20min.) |
Drive modes
| Mode Selection | Single Frame, Continuous (H, M, L), Bracketing (2, 3 or 5 frames), Depth of Field Bracketing, Motion Bracketing, Mirror-up, Multi-Exposure (Average/Additive/Bright), Interval Shooting, Interval Composite |
|---|---|
| Self-timer | 12s, 2s |
| Remote Control | 0s, 3s |
| Continuous Shooting | Max. approx. 12 fps, JPEG ( L: ★★★ at Continuous H): up to approx. 37 frames, RAW: up to approx. 32 frames, RAW: up to approx. 30 frames Max. approx. 7.0 fps, JPEG L: ★★★ at Continuous M): up to approx. 60 frames, RAW: up to approx. 37 frames, RAW: up to approx. 33 frames Max. approx. 2.5 fps, JPEG ( L: ★★★ at Continuous L): up to approx. 90 frames, RAW: up to approx. 39 frames, RAW: up to approx. 37 frames *Depending on shooting conditions *Continuous shooting speed slows down with High sensitivity |
External Flash
| Flash Modes | Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync * Contrast-control-sync and High-speed sync requires 2 or more dedicated external flash |
|---|---|
| Sync Speed | 1/200sec. |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | -2.0～+1.0EV |
Capture Settings
| Custom Image | Auto Select, Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Flat, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, Cross Processing |
|---|---|
| Cross Process | Random, Preset 1-3, Favorite 1-3 |
| Digital Filter | Extract Color, Replace Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Unicolor Bold, Tone Expansion, Bold Monochrome, Grainy Monochrome |
| Clarity | Adjustable ±4 step |
| Skin Tone | Type1/Type2 |
| HDR | Auto, HDR1, HDR2, HDR3, Advanced HDR, Exposure bracket value adjustable, Automatic composition correction function |
| Pixel Shift Resolution | Available, Motion Correction On/Off |
| Lens Correction | Distortion Correction, Peripheral Illumin. Correction, Lateral Chromatic Aberration Correction, Diffraction Correction |
| D-Range Correction | Highlight Correction, Shadow Correction |
| Noise Reduction | Slow Shutter Speed NR, High-ISO Noise Reduction |
| Horizon Correction | SR On: correction up to 1 degrees, SR Off: correction up to 2 degrees |
| Composition Adjustment | Adjustment range of ±1.5mm up, down, left or right (1mm when rotated); Rotating range of 1 degree |
| Electronic Level | Displayed in viewfinder (Horizontal and vertical); Displayed on LCD monitor (Horizontal and vertical) |
| Program Line | AUTO, Normal, Hi-speed Priority, DOF Priority (Deep), DOF Priority (Shallow), MTF Priority |
Movie
| File Format | MPEG-4 AVC/H.264(MOV) |
|---|---|
| Recorded Pixels | 4K(3840×2160, 30p/24p) Full HD(1920×1080, 60p/30p/24p) |
| Sound | Built-in stereo microphone, external microphone (Stereo recording compatible) Recording Sound Level adjustable, Wind Noise Reduction |
| Recording Time | Up to 25 minutes or 4GB ; automatically stops recording if the internal temperature of the camera becomes high. |
| White Balance | AUTO WB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent Light (D:Daylight Color, N:Daylight White, W:Cool White, L:Warm White), Tungsten Light, CTE, Manual WB (up to 3 settings), Color Temperature Configuration (up to 3 settings), Copying the white balance setting of a captured image |
| Custom Images | Auto Select, Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Flat, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome, Cross Processing |
| Cross Processing | Random, Preset 1-3, Favorite 1-3. |
| Digital Filter | Extract Color, Replace Color, Retro, High Contrast, Invert Color, Unicolor Bold, Bold Monochrome |
Playback
| Playback View | Single frame, Multi-image display (20, 48, 70 segmentation), Display magnification (up to 16, 100% display, quick zoom and Focus Magnification available), Grid display (4×4 Grid, Golden Section, Scale, Square(L), Square(S), Grid Color: Black/Gray/White), Rotating, Histogram (Y histogram, RGB histogram), Bright area warning, Auto Image Rotation, Detailed information, Copyright Information (Photographer, Copyright holder), GPS information (latitude, longitude, altitude, Coordinated Universal Time) , Orientation, Folder Display, Calendar Filmstrip Display |
|---|---|
| Delete | Delete single image, Delete all, Select & delete, Folder delete, Calendar delete, Delete instant review image |
| Digital Filter | Base Parameter Adj, Extract Color, Replace Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Unicolor Bold, Tone Expansion, Bold Monochrome, Grainy Monochrome, Miniature, Soft, Fish-eye, Slim, Monochrome, Frame Composite |
| RAW Development | RAW file select: Select Single Image, Select Multiple Images, Select a folder, Select a shooting date RAW Development Parameter: White Balance, Custom Image, Sensitivity, Digital filter, Clarity, Skin Tone, HDR, Pixel Shift Resolution, Distortion Correction, Peripheral Illumin. Corr., Lateral Chromatic Aberration Correction, Diffraction Correction, Color Fringe Correction, High-ISO Noise Reduction, Shadow Correction, File Format (JPEG/TIFF), JPEG Recorded Pixels, JPEG Quality, Aspect Ratio, Color Space |
| Edit | Protect, Image Rotation, Image Copy, File Transfer, Save RAW Data in buffer memory, Resize, Cropping (Aspect ratio and Slant adjustment available), Levels Adjustment, WB Adjustment, Color Moiré Correction, Movie Edit (Divide or delete selected frames), Capturing a JPEG still picture from a movie |
Customization
| Settings | USER Mode, Fx Button, AF/AE Lock Settings, Preview Dial, E-Dial Programming, Smart Function, Monitor Touch Opperation, Eye Sensor, Viewfinder Display, LCD Panel, Monitor Display, Instant Review, Zoom Review, Warning Display, Control Panel, Memory, EV Steps, ISO Sensitivity Steps, Color Temperature Steps, Input MF Lens Focal Length, Save Rotation Information, Aperture Information Record, AF Fine Adjustment, Copyright Information |
|---|---|
| Language | English, French, Germany, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Thai, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese |
Power supply
| Battery Type | Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery D-LI90 |
|---|---|
| AC Adapter | AC Adapter Kit K-AC166(Optional) |
| Battery Life | Number of recordable images: Approx.: 800 images Playback time: Approx. 250 minutes * With a fully-recharged Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery. Tested in compliance with CIPA standard. Actual results may vary depending on the shooting condition. |
Interfaces
| Connection Port | USB Terminal(USB Type-C), External cable switch terminal(2.5mm diameter), X-sync socket, HDMI output terminal (Type D) , Stereo microphone input terminal, Headphone terminal |
|---|---|
| USB Connection | USB 3.2 Gen1, Data Transfer: MTP/CD-ROM, Battery Recharge/Power Supply (Optional AC Adapter required) |
Wireless LAN
| Standards | IEEE 802.11b/g/n |
|---|---|
| Frequency (Center Frequency) | 2412MHz～2462MHz (1ch～11ch) |
| Security | Authentication: WPA2, Encryption: AES |
Bluetooth
| Standards | Bluetooth® v4.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy） |
|---|---|
| Frequency (Center Frequency) | 2402MHz～2480MHz (CH0～CH39) |
Dimensions and Weight
| Dimensions | Approx. 134.5mm (W) x103.5mm (H) x 73.5mm (D) (excluding protrusions) |
|---|---|
| Weight | Approx. 820g (Including dedicated battery and SD Memory Card), Approx. 735g (body only) |
* The designs and specifications are identical to those first announced publicly about the camera’s development, and are subject to change without notice.
