• APS-C 332.3mm2
  • 18.0 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • APS-C 369.7mm2
  • 16.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 12,800

Buy From

Differences

Canon 7D advantages over Pentax K-01

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Eye-level vs Rear display only
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • Fast startup
    ~0.40 vs 2.4 sec
    Faster startup lets you catch the moment
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 800 vs 500 shots
    Capture more photos
  • More telephoto lens reach
    216 mm vs 61 mm
    Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Less shutter lag
    0.13 vs 0.80 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • Wider angle kit lens
    45 mm vs 61 mm
    Capture more of the scene with the included lens
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    8.0 fps vs 5.9 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    22 vs 9 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster shutter
    1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light

Pentax K-01 advantages over Canon 7D

  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs APS-C
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Yes vs No
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,135 vs 854 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    12.9 vs 11.7 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Lighter weight
    611g vs 1467g
    Lighter weight
  • Higher extended ISO
    25600 vs 12800 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • External Mic Jack
    Both provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • 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

  • Tilt-swivel screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Neither provide
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Buy From

Review Excerpt

  • Excellent 18-megapixel sensor with impressively low noise and superb detail; Very good high ISO performance, especially for 18-megapixel subframe sensor; Rugged construction with magnesium body and weather sealing; Fast autofocus and fast burst rate of 8 fps; Full HD (1920x1080) movies at 30/25/24p, 60/50p at 1280x720.

  • No dedicated AF-assist lamp (flash is used), and AF-assist adjustment is buried in the Flash Settings menu; Kit lens (28-135mm) isn't quite up to the resolving power of the 18-megapixel sensor, odd focal length for subframe DSLR; No continuous autofocus in Movie mode.

  • Very good image quality and excellent high ISO performance. Premium build quality. In-body image stabilization. Lots of creative features. Full HD movie capture with manual exposure control.

  • Barely any smaller than a standard SLR, but lacks viewfinder and phase-detect autofocus. Contrast-detect AF is slow and unreliable. Body design is clumsy and uncomfortable. Very slow raw burst shooting.

The Competition

Compared to Canon 7D Mark II

Canon 7D
Canon 7D Mark II
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Less shutter lag
  • $1647
  • APS-C
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Built-in GPS
Pentax K-01
Canon 7D Mark II
  • $359
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • $1647
  • APS-C
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Fast startup

Compared to Canon 60D

Canon 7D
Canon 60D
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • More cross-type AF points
  • Less shutter lag
  • $899
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Tilt-swivel screen
Pentax K-01
Canon 60D
  • $359
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $899
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Eye-level viewfinder

Compared to Nikon D7000

Canon 7D
Nikon D7000
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • More telephoto lens reach
  • More cross-type AF points
  • $699
  • APS-C
  • Larger sensor
  • Higher effective ISO
Pentax K-01
Nikon D7000
  • $359
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $699
  • APS-C
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • Fast startup

Compared to Sony A77

Canon 7D
Sony A77
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $1899
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Focus peaking
Pentax K-01
Sony A77
  • $359
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $1899
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Eye-level viewfinder

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro1

Canon 7D
Fujifilm X-Pro1
  • $1499
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Fast startup
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Pentax K-01
Fujifilm X-Pro1
  • $359
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $499
  • APS-C
  • Eye-level viewfinder
  • In-camera panoramas
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