The Pentax K-3 II was a flagship

APS-C Advanced Photo System type-C (APS-C) is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System film negative in its C ("Classic") format, of 25.1×16.7 mm, an aspect ratio of 3:2 and Ø 31.15 mm field ...

DSLR A digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is a digital camera that combines the optics and the mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera with a digital imaging sensor. The reflex design scheme is the primary difference between ...

camera announced by

Ricoh is a Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company. It was founded by the now-defunct commercial division of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) known as the ''Riken Concern'', on 6 February 1936 as . Ricoh's hea ...

on April 23, 2015. It is differentiated from its predecessor by inclusion of a GPS module with AstroTracer functionality (automatic tracking of the passage of stars across the sky, i.e. compensation of the rotation of the Earth; allows sharper, more detailed (less noisy) astrophotographs from longer exposures) and by "Pixel Shift Resolution", a capture mode giving higher spatial resolution. The integrated GPS module can also record positions of the camera while not in use, which allows subsequently reconstructing the path taken by the photographer. The GPS module occupies the space formerly given to the onboard flash, which has been omitted. Pixel Shift Resolution records four separate images in quick succession and combines them into a final image. The higher spatial resolution results from the fact that the sensor is shifted by one pixel between each pair of sequential exposures, such that all four colour filters in the Bayer pattern are applied once for each pixel (two green, one red, one blue). Therefore, the full colour spectrum is available for each pixel, giving more accurate (non-interpolated) colour and higher resolution. Pixel Shift images can be saved as JPEG or RAW, as can normal images. A Pixel Shift RAW file contains embedded in it the original four captures in RAW format. This capture mode is best used for static subjects, as approximately 1.3 seconds pass between the first and last exposure. This also dictates use of a tripod or other stabilisation for the camera. Of further note is the image stabilisation system, which according to CIPA standard has been improved from 3.5 to 4.5 stops in effectiveness since the K-3. The manufacturer further states that autofocus has been improved.

References

External links

Official product page
Ricoh Imaging Japan
Official product page
Ricoh Imaging US {{Pentax digital interchangeable lens cameras Cameras introduced in 2015 Live-preview digital cameras K-3 II Pentax K-mount cameras