Pentax K-3 II vs Canon 6D Mark II

Cameras
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Pentax K-3 II vs Canon 6D Mark II

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-3 II Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-3 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-3 II.
Compare Pentax K-3 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-3 II conclusion.

35mm 861.6mm²
26.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 40,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 6D Mark II Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 6D Mark II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 6D Mark II.
Compare Canon 6D Mark II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 6D Mark II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Pentax K-3 III
Compare K-3 II vs K-3 III
Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Canon 6D Mark II

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Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Canon 6D Mark II

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Less expensive
$830* vs $1799
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
K-3 II test data on DxO Mark 6D Mark II test data on DxO Mark

13.6 vs 11.9 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Faster JPEG shooting
8.1 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.2 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Canon 6D Mark II advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Bigger pixels
~ 5.67 vs 3.91 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
6D Mark II test data on DxO Mark K-3 II test data on DxO Mark

2,862 vs 1,106 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

1200 vs 720 shots
Capture more photos
More cross-type AF points
45 vs 25
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
More viewfinder magnification
0.71x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More AF points
45 vs 27
More AF points improve autofocus
Bigger JPEG buffer
98 vs 60 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 51200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Built-in GPS
Both provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Pentaprism viewfinder
Both provide
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 24-105mm IS II USM lens
Kit with 24-105mm IS STM lens

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Review Excerpt

Top-notch image quality; Spectacular detail from Pixel Shift Resolution; Better performance than K-3; Geotag images with no accessories; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Clever on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots
No built-in flash strobe; No wireless flash support out of the box; AstroTracer function can be finicky; AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a prosumer DSLR; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors
Read our Pentax K-3 II Review

Great vari-angle touchscreen; Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Good image quality in most situations; Impressive performance for its class.
Disappointing dynamic range; No 4K video; Optical viewfinder comes up short; Narrow AF point coverage through viewfinder.
Read our Canon 6D Mark II Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D610

Pentax K-3 II

Nikon D610

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1271
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Nikon D610

Canon 6D Mark II

Nikon D610

$1399
35mm

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$1271
35mm

Fast startup
More dynamic range

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Nikon D610

Compared to Nikon D750

Pentax K-3 II

Nikon D750

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1698
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Nikon D750

Canon 6D Mark II

Nikon D750

$1399
35mm

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1698
35mm

More dynamic range
Internal flash

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Nikon D750

Compared to Canon T6i

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T6i

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T6i

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon T6i

$1399
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Internal flash

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Canon T6i

Compared to Pentax KP

Pentax K-3 II

Pentax KP

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in GPS

$999
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax KP

Canon 6D Mark II

Pentax KP

$1399
35mm

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Pentax KP

Compared to Canon T7i

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T7i

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$700
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T7i

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon T7i

$1399
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Internal flash

Compare Canon 6D Mark II vs Canon T7i

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