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I have a monochrome and k1. As far as I'm concerned they can also release it in 2030 :) but I understand that many have different needs. I was hoping to have some signs by now and at the moment everything is focused on the films. In my opinion, if it is released in 2025 they should still release news on a slow side to avoid the usual speculation. I think a couple of releases would be very welcome .It would be like saying, have patience, the k1III is coming. In the meantime, look here! :)

Glad you didn't say pop-up flash, it's a snap-shooter's feature. Also reducing weight & size shouldn't be a priority with a serious FF camera - if that's important to anyone they should get a APS-C or better still a phone camera. Pentax should aim to make this the best specified FF DSLR available which means they should beat the Nikon D850 as a yardstick, like sensor 46 Mpx at least, a K-3iii grade pentaprism, & keep the K-1 ergonomics and flippy screen.

I've been using the K-1 over the last two years and having great success with it. In the company I'm contracted out to, I have the reputation of producing the images with the best color, and that's entirely due to the K-1 and the Pentax lenses I shoot with, since everyone's images are given the same PP treatment. One thing I'm not sure is fully appreciated is how good all the current gear from all makers is, especially in terms of detail acquisition. The fact is the digital cameras and lenses from at least 2008 and on capture far more detail than most photographers ever are going to use or need. So detail acquisition (i.e., sharpness) is not quite the summon bonum that everyone seems to think it is, because the camera industry has mostly solved that problem. So what's the most important differentiator for image quality. It's not sharpness, it's color. And in my experience it's precisely in color that Pentax has an edge over other brands.

I'm still very happy with the original K-1 for my color work. I might be interested in buying a hypothetical K-1 Monochrome if they ever release one.

Actually a Pentax Japan guy said recently that the K1 Mark III is in the works. So a few years out, but at least they are thinking about it.

I got tired of waiting and finally bought the K-1 II last month for my birthday.

The only word from Ricoh/Pentax has been in December of 2023 when they commented about the state of K-1 mk3; that they were having trouble getting raw materials. But thats all thats been mentioned about it. At the very least it confirms its in active development. I'm 50/50 confident of it coming out in 2025 though. The top 5 things i want to see: - Better AF. This is a must. The K-3 mk3 has OVF subject tracking even, so im pretty confident we'll see similar performance with the K-1 mk3. - A good bump in mechanical FPS and buffer size would be hugely welcome. - USB-C charging in-camera. They have the D-BC177 so they know how to do it right, and the K-3 mk3 has it too so this is probably going to 100% happen. - I'm actually not a fan of the K-1 mk2 top-mounted LCD, doesn't show a whole lot. Hope they go back to something like what the K-3 mk3 has. - Please for the love of all that is good, keep the metal-legged moon-lander articulating screen for the mk3. Honestly if the new K-1 mk3 can't exceed or even match something like a 2017-era Nikon D850 (FPS and buffer size, 3-D OVF subject tracking, AF performance) then Pentax is going to have some serious issues staying in the market.

Pentax is one of my primary kits. On the Nikon side it's the Z9 mostly with f-mount glass. Will get a K-1 III when comes out... Eventually... Maybe... Who knows. Took me what seemed forever to find the macro set settings in the Z9 menus. If it was a book it would have been on page 80 of 100.

damn was hoping for news and i hear maybe 2026 wtf

I've been shooting the K-1 for about 4 years now and I own quite a bit of their full frame lenses. I would push back on the noise reduction aspect of what you're saying. The sentiment from the community (which I agree with) is that noise reduction is something that needs to be optional. There are at least a few software options for controlling noise. Things that weren't as accessible when the K1ii rolled out. It's understandable to implement this in something like the K3iii. That was geared towards handheld fast shooting where it's going to be common to push ISO. They need to prioritize clean beautiful files for a K1iii though. The K1 was heralded for for its RAW files and the K1ii lost some of that admiration with the built in noise reduction. A K1iii needs to get back to clean beautiful files that allow the photographer to decide how much noise they're willing to accept and how to deal with it. A BSI sensor in the 45-60MP range would be a necessity. Obviously the improved AF system from the K3iii. An OVF update would be nice but not necessary in my opinion. A focusing screen that is a little more manual focusing friendly would be great, or at least an alternative screen for the system would be cool for the vintage lens shooters. As far as frame rates go, faster would be necessary in an update, but it doesnt need to be amazingly fast. 6-10 fps in full frame RAW and maybe 8-12 in the apsc crop mode would be good. Keep the GPS. Keep the body relatively the same. Improve the live view and focus peaking modes. They need to keep at it with the lenses. I have the DFA 21mm ltd. It is an absolutely beautiful lens. I started shooting with the DFA zooms but have slowly migrated towards the limited lenses. They need to continue more modern limited lenses. A zoom could be fun, something similar to the DA 20-40. A 28-55mm F1.8-2.8 (something like that) could get people excited. Then maybe something in the 120-135mm range down the road would be awesome. They should obviously continue to put out modern DFA glass as well. I really like my K-1, and I'm hoping a K1iii would hit on most of these points. I don't think most people need anything too incredible. I feel like the biggest reason people leave the system (why I would consider it) is because they just aren't transparent enough to even assure us that the ship isn't sinking. The 645z essentially being discontued is kind of scary. That's a lot of people that bought into a system that died out relatively quickly. People don't want to end up being the ones stuck on the ship when they find out it's sinking. Slow development cycles are not the end of the world, but not knowing if development is happening is problematic. This gear is expensive, and an investment. Ricoh needs to understand the bind they're asking consumers to put themselves in when they're less than forthcoming about their goals for their systems. I've been following you for years now, and always enjoy seeing where your photography is going. Love the images you put out. Happy shooting.

There aren't any "rumors" persay about the K-1 Mk.iii but it was confirmed by Pentax last December that the K-1 Mk.iii was under development but it was being slowed due to supply chain issues. So yeah, its coming though unfortunately not soon.

I can't 100% share the admiration of Pentax cameras. In the K-1, K-1 ii, KP, K-3 iii models, there is a problem with the noise reduction mechanism, as well as about the amount of information in the RAW files. These models lose details and color information when shooting in poor lighting conditions, even with noise reduction turned off. There is no such problem in Nikon SLR cameras, which were produced in parallel. When shooting on the D850 and K-1 ii at night using the astrotracer, the D850 camera wins because it retains details and colors where there is a terrible confusion of pixels on the K-1 ii. Also, RAW files from full-frame Pentax cameras weigh less, and accordingly less information is available for processing. I can send a lot of research about this problem from one of the Pentax brand ambassadors. I would like Pentax to release a software update for the camera models listed above so that you can save RAW files without aggressive noise reduction and with a lot of information. p.s. The images from the K-5 II S and K-3 II have more detail due to the lack of a separate noise reduction coprocessor, which cannot be explicitly turned off in the latest Pentax cameras.

Thank you for posting a video about Pentax camera. Keep shooting Pentax!!!!

I enjoy the OVF over the EVF for shooting photography. Especially after spending my whole workday behind a computer screen. The Pentax 50mm and 43mm and 77 lenses are smaller than my Lumix full frame lenses.

LOL, the mythical K-1iii? Hey Matt, you forgot the most fabulous feature of the K-1 which are the LED lights. 😎 I still use my K-1 and K-1ii cameras to shoot events and portraits. And my clients are very happy with their images. But, I sure would like better autofocusing, better high ISO performance - and I would be thrilled to pieces if this mythical K-1iii had some sort of hybrid OVF/EVF so that I could shoot video looking through the viewfinder. LOL, I almost always get someone asking me what kind of camera I am shooting. "Pentax? Do they still make cameras?", or from younger folks, "Pentax? I have never heard of that brand." I kinda wish Godox would buy Pentax from Ricoh. Then we would have a new camera around every two years that worked with all of the Godox lighting gear.

K1III makes no sense. Either it will be at least somewhat modern camera with new sensor and modern AF, but then it will be prohibitively expensive and completely incompetitive with $5000+ price range. Or it will reuse most modules from K1II and then it will be expensive obsolete camera with zero customers, because current K1/K1II users won't spend $3000 for camera with barely better stats. If you think these prices are exxagerated, just take a look at K3III price now. 2015 tech camera released in 2021 now cost about the same as completely new FUJI X-H2. Disgusting. Other serious problem is, that FF K mount portfolio is missing many important lenses and now there is not even single 3rd party lens manufacturer supporting it with AF lenses. Development and NPI of such camera cost several millions of $ and you need sales to cover such cost + make some profit. But FF DSLR market barely exist now and Ricoh share on that tiny market is completely laughable. We are talking about at least 40k bodies you need to sell per year for several consecutive years. Which is NOT going to happen. Even current K1/K1II had serious issues on market after initial rush that was mainly caused by slow production ramp-up. After 1/2 year since introduction sales went down. Then Ricoh tried to improve situation by K1II modification, but with little success. Compare that to Fuji who release camera and already have 500k preorders. That is the functional bussiness. K1III will be financial suicide even worse than K1 was. K1 sucked a lot of R&D resources, but in fact as a result removed large amount of K mount customers who were waiting for K5/K3 replacement. Instead we got gutted KP which had MUCH lower sales than K5/K3. And FF K1 which in 2016 had 2012 technology but AF even significantly worse than D800. It sucked so much resources, that they abandoned Q mount and even mighty 645 system because of this. Those customers who left during 2014-2021 are not going back too. K1 was interesting camera for some landscape guys and owners of old K mount film lenses, but thats about it. There are no ultrawide lenses, no fast wide lenses, in general no modern hi-res lenses comparable to competitors. Current portfolio is supported by three severely overpriced OEM Tamron DSLR lenses that are no longer produced 15-30/2.8, 24-70/2.8 and 70-210/4. Once stock is depleted, they are gone like PenTamron 18-270. Then we have large heavy slow focusing DFA*70-200/2.8, barely interesting 150-450/4.5-5.6 variable aperture 3x zoom and two somewhat modern F1.4 lenses at 50+85mm. Done. 28-105 is uninteresting kit lens. DFA21/2.4 cannot compete with 20/1.4 or 24/1.4 lenses all competitors have. Ricoh does not have resources to fix large gaps in lens portfolio and release any modern camera. We saw evidence for that during last 10+ years. Worse than Hoya. Compare that with Sony, Nikon, Canon and L mount. These systems started recently, they now all have IBIS, weather sealed bodies and LENSES. Tons of lenses. Own, 3rd party and adapted. Or if you include APS-C, then Fuji is the new king here as they completely surpased Pentax that used to be APS-C leader 10 years ago. In fact Fuji enjoys the old Pentax strategy of APS-C for general users and medium format for hi-end pro/enthusiasts which works well. But somebody in Ricoh said no, lets commit suicide and lets join overcrowded FF DSLR market right in time before it collapses. Who could expect the result... now you have to search for camera store that sells Pentax cameras and barely any store have them on display. Compare that with all other brands including OM Digital (dead Olympus). They all have much wider support. K3-IV with articulating screen, improved live-view, phase detect on sensor and much larger buffer will make sense. And also K70/KF replacement is important if they still want to continue with K-mount. But in general it will be better to ditch obsolete K mount, create nice functional adaptor for new mirrorless system and focus on modern cameras which will be able to use legacy lenses with such adaptor including AF if somebody needs that.

You are speculating about wet dreams. The Poles will have melted before Pentax comes out with another superseded camera. Pentax is not as exciting as it once was. Still have the K3 Mark1 and the K5 IIs though and use them for giggles every now and then.

I also loved my K1 but I gave up on it in the end for various reasons but mostly because I didn't like the huge filter system I needed to use for the 15-30 lens and because I was also using the 645z at the same time. Both systems together was too heavy. I now have a dual system of Lumix S1r with Lumix G9 as backup. Smaller ligher MANY more lens options. L-mount is where its at I think for a future proof camera/lens system. However I would like to buy the k3 monochrome at some point in the future and I still own and regularly use my 645z / 28-45 kit as a stand alone single camera landscape kit. In the end I doubt Pentax will bring out another full frame camera because it is hampered by lens selection. Better off sticking the APS-C system, GR's and film cameras.

We can only hope. The current K1 has a market. The marketing of cameras has been towards the advantages of mirrorless operation. The trick that Pentax may need to achieve is to be a valid alternative. The form factor of DSLR without too many drawbacks. Image quality and focus acuity with viewfinder aids. The DSLR is niche now so that niche design needs to be a selling point that’s advantageous. Great Video, pithy and thoughtful!

One more thing: Pentax has introduced a lot of F series lenses. A camera to rejuvenate their sales would make sense.

Essential: processing speed of K3 Mk iii or better The same tilt swivel screen on K1 ii More internal memory for longer high speed burst Faster (10fps or better) high speed burst Faster and more accurate auto focus than K3 iii Prism of K3 iii In camera focus stacking More pixels (40 meg) Brighter / sharper LCD panel Much faster, more accurate live focus Now, pair the above with new PLM macro lens and new PLM f2.8 super zoom and that will definitely rejuvenate Pentax. The 55-300 is great but for wildlife / nature a 60-300 or 50-300 f2.8 PLM would be welcome. Nice to have: better video. I don’t use that but many people do.

Sorry Pentax but I got tired of waiting on you after being a Pentax user since 1985 when I had a Super Program Plus. Finally sold my K1 mkii and K5 and moved over to a Lumix S5 which I absolutely love. If you ever step into the modern world I may come back because you still hold a place in my heart.

We will be waiting till doomsday, Pentax is gone. If (and that`s a big if) they somehow would pull it off, it definitely won`t be a DSLR anymore. If they would do that anyway, it would really be the final nail in the coffin.

I'm another K-1 Mk 1 user. I still love the camera and agree with you that the size is pretty good, it feels great in the hands and I wouldn't want them to shrink it too much. In fact I have never bothered getting a grip for my K-1 (just an L bracket). The K-1 mk ii didn't offer anything compelling for me personally, but the K-1 mk 1 is getting a bit long in the tooth! I shoot a lot hand held (except for night shooting / low light of course) and I'm generally comfortable shooting the K-1 with RAW at up to ISO 3200, when needed, but sometimes it needs to be much lower (and rely on stabilisation + multiple shots) for adequate dynamic range in post. One thing that would be greatly appreciated would be a reduction in shutter shock when using lighter lenses (and the DFA 28-105). While generally the results are still acceptable, I know I'm missing out on some IQ and it often leads me to avoiding 1/30s to 1/200s or changing to LV (with electronic shutter turned on). Its not a marketing feature but would likely lead to even better reviews (due to more consistent sharpness).

And where is my Penax 102mp 645?

In two years even more Pentax users will have died off. They need to do something to bring new users in.

The K one mk III may be under development but is it needed?....Both K 1 models do product and landscape and portrait reasonably well, while the K33 does the rest at a good level(talking about STILLS forget moving pictures.)...A faster K1 for WHAT?...it wont compete with any of the mirrorless cameras, their capability is beyond what Ricoh can achieve.....Development $$$ should be spent on lenses.

I clicked this knowing it was "Click Bait" but I so so so hope Pentax fires off the K-1 Mkiii sooner than later (I traded my Mark ii for my very used K-3 Mark iii off MPB - HUGE step up but I do miss the full frame sensor). I love my Pentax beefy bodies (I'm a hiker street taker and car show attender), love knowing if it rains my camera isn't going to be junked, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I can still use my 1970's lenses on my newest Pentax body. Fun video, thanks Matt. P.S. I need people to stop keeping the value of DFA* lenses up.. I'm getting tired of my old glass :) ..

i'm definitley thinking in moving to sony for my next camera if pentax not release a successor to K-1, i do own a K-1 and love it. I might wait one more year... It would be great at least if Pentax made some announcement that they are working on K-1 III and some estimated release date.

Hi Matt, great video and love what you had to say here, I'm sure there's gonna be a K1mrk iii on its way and much improved, great to see you back and looking forward to hearing your more about your great talent on the next Photography Landscape podcast 👍

Inspirational and consoling

Flippy screens are not that reliable. So far the K1 flippy design is holding up but the KP not so much.

Pentax made the terrible mistake of not weatherproofing the limited series when they updated them

Volevo provare una reflex ho una mirrorles, quindi ho appena comperato una kp con 60/250 , fantastica lente, e il 20/40 che sto provando in questi giorni..costruzione di camera e obiettivi più che solida..tutto metallo niente plastica o quasi ...Ho scelto Pentax perché mi piace come lavorano, occupano una nicchia hanno poco budget ma hanno il coraggio di osare, vedi monocrome e pellicola, e a me le persone così piacciono...prossimo passo, con calma, la k3 Monochrome che ho provato....bellissima...Complimenti per il canale continua così

So, you are still thinking that the potential new K-1iii will still have a full frame sensor??

This is why I sold up everything Pentax and now have gone Sony.

Soy usuario de Pentax desde hace ya 12 años. Empecé con un Kx, después pude conseguir una K5 de segunda mano y ahora ya llevo unos cuantos años con la K-3. El problema que estoy viendo a Pentax , ya no es que no saque cámaras nuevas, que también es un problema, es que ya casi no tiene terceras marcas que saquen objetivos más asequibles. Para mí eso es un gran problema, el mayor. Ahora mismo estoy viendo un objetivo MEIKE 85mm F1.4 realmente barato.

Hi Matt, I'm not sure if just a K1 III Body will solve the things the whole system is missing. The lens line-up is lacking some newer lens designs with fast linear motors and new lens designs. I would love to see a 50mp-ish sensor and also a monochrome version - I had the pleasure using the K3 III Monochrome for some months and I wished it would have been a full frame body. I also would love to see a bold move from Pentax to push their 645 System again to the market as "real medium format" camera system.

A K-1 mkIII with the same body and upgrade internals would be enough for me to pick up. All the features of the K-3 mkIII with built in GPS. Biggest upgrades I’m excited about would be usb-c, sensor improvements, K3 MKIII focus accuracy and speed. I would be seriously bummed without built in GPS and the screen design. An identical body would make it so that old L-Brackets etc work and the ergonomics are superb.

With flagships focusing more on speed and fps, like the R1, over MPs, Pentax could have an edge in the portrait and landscape arena.

I am lucky enough to have the KP and Kiii mrk iii. You are spot on with your synopsis if you want eye lash detection then Pentax is not for you. It may be owned by Ricoh, but the CEO i think is a traditionalist photographer who keeps the company history alive in all aspects of the invention and ground making pentaprism which other companies can’t hold a candle to. I feel that you were very kind as to the abysmal build quality of other manufacturers who are making very flimsy products which are packed with high end electronics and very expensive. Not so with the Pentax even my humble KP is a brick and oozes quality. Thank you for this great video lad you bring hope and clarity to us Pentaxians.🤞

As a tribute to you and Eric I watched this even though I'm sticking with my doorstop. 😂

Bigger buffer & dual card slots that are uhs-2 compatible would be great

For me a serious omission on my K-70 and K-1 is a focus stacking feature. I have to shift focus manually for e.g. mushrooms pics with risk of changing camera position. I know Canon and Nikon cameras have this feature built in. Further I hope GPS will be retained in a new K-1 model.

Here is what I'm wishing for in a K-1 III: - BSI sensor. - no on-sensor PDAF (avoiding loss of or compromised sensor sensels for imaging because they need to focus). - no mandatory denoising (accelerator unit), make it a user choice. - automated micro AF adjustments (user just to provide AF target). - improved AF (including option to automatically confirm focus via CDAF after PDAF acquisition, perhaps after stopping down to avoid focus shift). - automated AF compensation for the "focus and recompose" technique (cf. Hasselblad) [not a must, but would be super cool]. - PixelShift with Flash (trigger flash during PixelShift). - faster WiFi transfer. - faster USB port (USB3). - keep D-LI90 battery. - use identical button layout on camera and battery grip.

i love Pentax cameras and lenses, but the company takes way too long to produce new cameras. the k1 mark 3 should have been out last year.

Maybe the Mark III is going to be a mirrorless K mount camera.

Regarding size, I wouldn't want the K-1 III to be smaller than the K-1. If one mounts a bigger lens then the camera needs to provide sufficient purchase to handle the combination. The K-5 is already a bit too small for me as I cannot comfortable get all my fingers on the grip. I hope I'll never be forced to use one of those miniaturized MILCs where the designers seem to have forgotten that hands don't shrink accordingly. Some manufacturers appear to have noticed, though; at least Sony started allowing a sufficiently wide gap between grip and lens to put one's fingertips in that space.

Hello Matt , glad to see your video ! i wanted to ask you something ! am about to buy a new camera , but am still considering my options , am not a pro but am a photography lover , my interest are , City landscape photography (avenues, streets , panoramic, squares , crowds etc) , also portrait photography and landscape, !! my options are as follow ; Nikon Z7II , Z6II , Sony A7R IV , Fujifilm GFX 50s II , XH2 , Lumix DC S1R , and of course the beautifull PENTAX K1 Mark II , the PENTAX has a very atractive price right now , which one of these cameras would you recomend me to purchase , i want a camera that allows me to have very colorfull and definned images , images with very good details ! would you recomend me something like the Pentax ? something i love about PENTAX is that they are kind of artisanal brand those are like swiss whatches !!

The K3 Monochrome and the new split frame film camera is all you need to know about Pentax's race to the bottom. While I love my K-1, the lack of third-party lenses and other gear is problem. All new camera technology is aimed at mirrorless. Sure, a MKIII with a faster burst rate, faster AF and, crazy as it sounds, full function adapter rings for the latest competing lens brands, could breath new life into a highly competent camera system.