RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome camera, exclusively designed to capture monochromatic (black-and-white) images.

The concept of a monochrome-specific digital SLR camera attracted a great deal of attention and interest from photographers visiting PENTAX Meeting Online 2021, a fan event held in November 2021. PENTAX has since made extensive research on the development of a commercial product based on this concept.

The new model's design is based on the PENTAX K-3 Mark III -- the flagship model of PENTAX's APS-C-format series that integrates remarkable imaging performance and a host of advanced features in a compact, durable body -- while adding a new, monochrome-specific image sensor.

The camera is the only monochrome-specific digital SLR camera currently on the market. It captures high-resolution monochromatic images rich in gradation, allowing users who enjoy using all their senses when taking photographs and applying their imagination to express a view of the color-rich world in plain, black-and-white images.

Although there is no production limit for the PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome, it will be produced only in small quantities at a time, because of the difficulty of acquiring the exclusive parts and components on short notice and other unique factors involved in its production process. This means that delivery to buyers can be delayed. We advise them to note this in advance.

Main features of the PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome

1. Monochrome-specific CMOS image sensor

To optimize the quality of monochromatic images, the camera incorporates a monochrome-specific, APS-C-format CMOS image sensor free of an AA (anti-aliasing) filter with approximately 25.73 effective megapixels. Typical color image sensors are designed to receive light passing through red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color filters, so each pixel detects only one color-data component. To compose a monochrome image, color sensors must convert color data into monochromatic data by interpolating the color data they collect. The new monochrome-specific image sensor, however, can faithfully reflect the brightness data obtained by each pixel in the image -- without the interpolation process -- to produce extra-fine monochromatic expression, in images high in resolution and rich in gradation.

2. Image quality exclusively designed for monochrome photography

The image quality produced by the original PENTAX K-3 Mark III was thoroughly re-evaluated and totally redesigned to optimize the imaging characteristics of the new monochrome-specific image sensor. The result is highly sensitive expression with a natural bokeh (defocus) effect, rich gradation and extra-fine sharpness -- an image only the monochrome-specific image sensor can deliver.

3. A selection of monochrome-specific finishing touches

The PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome provides three Custom Image modes exclusively designed for monochrome photography to provide distinctive finishing touches. In addition to Standard mode, it also provides Hard mode to produce high-contrast images, and Soft mode to create high-key, low-contrast images. Each mode provides minute adjustment of parameters such as tone, key, contrast and sharpness. This allows the photographer to personalize their images with the desired finishing touch.

4. Exterior design reflecting the monochrome photography concept

The PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome provides white backlight illumination on the LCD data panel positioned on its upper panel, while featuring "Monochrome" lettering printed on the upper-left shoulder of the back panel. Its menu screen features a black-and-white visual scheme as default, while the SR (Shake Reduction) badge is finished in silver. The icons printed on buttons and switches across the camera's exterior are finished in three shades of gray to assist the users with their camera operation. All in all, the concept of monochrome photography is evident throughout the camera body.

Note: Since the PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome is solely designed for monochrome photography, some of its features and functions may differ from those of the PENTAX K-3 Mark III. Refer to the specification table attached to this release for other original features and functions.

PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome Specifications

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 capture unit

Image Sensor	Monochrome, 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/200 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
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:6192x4128)、M(15M:4752x3168)、S(9M:3648x2432)、XS(2M:1920x1280) RAW:(26M:6192x4128)
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 Cards * UHS-1/UHS-II compatible (UHS-II is only available for the memory card inserted in the SD1 slot.)
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 (4x4 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

Autofocus System

Type	TTL: Phase-matching autofocus
Focus Sensor	SAFOX 13, 101 point (25 cross type focus points)
Brightness Range	EV-3 to 19 (ISO 200 / at normal temperature) *-3 EV is only available for AF points that support F2.8 light flux when an F2.8-light-flux compatible lens is attached.
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), Select(XS), 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-2 to 21 (ISO200 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
Shutter Speed	Mechanical shutter: 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.) Electronic shutter: Auto:1/16000 to 30 sec., Manual: 1/16000 to 30 sec. (1/3EV steps or 1/2EV steps)

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. 55 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. 100 frames, RAW: up to approx. 40 frames, RAW+: up to approx. 33 frames Max. approx. 2.5 fps, JPEG ( L: ★★★ at Continuous L): up to approx. 100 frames, RAW: up to approx. 100 frames, RAW+: up to approx. 65 frames * The number of images captured in the continuous shooting mode is an approximate figure, tested at a sensitivity of ISO 200. The number may vary depending on the type of memory card used and/or the photographic conditions. * The continuous shooting speed may decrease depending on the type of lens used and/or the aperture, shutter speed and sensitivity selected by the user. * A certain amount of time is required for the playback of images captured in the continuous shooting mode. The time required may vary depending on the number of captured images and/or the recording format.

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	Standard, Hard, Soft
Digital Filter	Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Tone Expansion, Grainy Monochrome
Clarity	Adjustable ±4 step
HDR	Auto, HDR1, HDR2, HDR3, Advanced HDR, Exposure bracket value adjustable, Automatic composition correction function
Lens Correction	Distortion Correction, Peripheral Illumin. Correction, Diffraction Correction
D-Range Correction	Highlight Correction, Shadow Correction
Noise Reduction	Slow Shutter Speed NR, High-ISO Noise Reduction
ASTROTRACER	Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 *Type 1 and Type 2 available with O-GPS1/O-GPS2(Optional)
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(3840x2160, 30p/24p) Full HD(1920x1080, 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.
Custom Images	Standard, Hard, Soft
Digital Filter	Retro, High Contrast, Invert Color

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 (4x4 Grid, Golden Section, Scale, Square(L), Square(S), Grid Color: Black/Gray/White), Rotating, Histogram (Y 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	Single image, All images, Selected images, Folder, Images on the selected shooting date, Instant review image
Digital Filter	Base Parameter Adj, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Tone Expansion, Grainy Monochrome, Miniature, Soft, Fish-eye, Slim, Frame Composite
RAW Development	RAW file select: Select Single Image, Select Multiple Images, Select a folder, Select a shooting date RAW Development Parameter: Custom Image, Sensitivity, Digital filter, Clarity, HDR, Distortion Correction, Peripheral Illumin. Corr., Diffraction 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, 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 Operation, Eye Sensor, Viewfinder Display, LCD Panel, Monitor Display, Instant Review, Zoom Review, Warning Display, Control Panel, Memory, EV Steps, ISO Sensitivity 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)

Operating Environment

Temperature	-10°C～40°C (14°F～104°F)
Humidity	85% or less (no condensation)

Accessories

Included	Strap O-ST162, ME Viewfinder Cap, Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery D-LI90, USB Power Adapter, Power Plug, USB Cable I-USB166 <Mounted to the camera> Eyecup FU, Hot shoe cover FK, Sync socket 2p cap, Body mount cap KII, Battery Grip terminal cover
Software	Digital Camera Utility 5

Storage capacity

<Still>

	JPEG												RAW
Recorded Pixels	L: 26M			M: 15M			S: 9M			XS: 2M
	6192x4128			4752x3168			3648x2432			1920x1280			6192x4128
Quality Level	★★★	★★	★	★★★	★★	★	★★★	★★	★	★★★	★★	★	PEF
8GB	411	704	1120	694	1185	1872	1168	1978	3105	4021	6630	9812	126

shots

<Movie>

Recorded Pixels	4K		Full HD
	3840x2160		1920x1080
	30p	24p	60p	30p	24p
8GB	00:08′39″	00:10′46″	00:12′17″	00:24′09″	00:29′56″

hh:mm:ss

The maximum file size is 4GB for movie.
The maximum length is 25 minutes for movie.

System Requirements

<Windows>

OS	Windows 11, Windows 10
CPU	Intel Core i5 or higher
RAM	8GB or more
Free Disk Space	Program installation and start-up: 100 MB or more of available space Image file saving: Approximately 15 MB per file (JPEG) / approximately 50MB (RAW)
Monitor	1280 x 1024 dots, 24 bit full-color or more

<Macintosh>

OS	macOS 13 Ventura, macOS 12 Monterey, macOS 11 Big Sur, macOS 10.15 Catalina
CPU	Intel Core i5 or higher
RAM	8GB or more
Free Disk Space	Program installation and start-up: 100 MB or more of available space Image file saving: Approximately 15 MB per file (JPEG) / approximately 50MB (RAW)
Monitor	1280 x 1024 pixels, 24 bit full-color or more