Canon T5 vs Pentax K-S2

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Canon T5 vs Pentax K-S2

APS-C 332.3mm²
18.0 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon T5 Review.
How does it shoot? Canon T5 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the T5.
Compare Canon T5 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon T5 conclusion.

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

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-S2 Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-S2 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-S2.
Compare Pentax K-S2 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-S2 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon T6
Compare T5 vs T6
Compare Canon T6 vs Pentax K-S2

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Differences

Canon T5 advantages over Pentax K-S2

Less expensive
$399 vs $499
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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

500 vs 410 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
88 mm vs 75 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens

Pentax K-S2 advantages over Canon T5

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.
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More cross-type AF points
9 vs 1
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Pentaprism viewfinder
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
Higher-res screen
230k vs 154k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.12 vs 0.31 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.63x vs 0.50x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Faster JPEG shooting
5.2 fps vs 3.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
28 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
5.2 fps vs 3.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
9 vs 6 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 12800 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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
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
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read T5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-S2 User Reviews

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Buy the Canon T5

Kit with 18-55mm lens

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-S2

Body Only (White)

Body Only (White)
Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Black/Orange)
Kit with 18-50mm WR Lens (Black)
Kit with 18-50mm WR Lens (Black/Orange)
Kit with 18-50mm WR Lens (White)

Review Excerpt

Very good image quality with great color accuracy; Lightweight and compact design; Great value for the money; Canon EF-S mount provides access to a vast array of lens options; Feature Guide and Creative Auto helps new users.
Slow burst mode; Shallow buffer; Without AF assist from flash low-light AF can struggle; Dynamic range and high ISO performance not as good as some competing models; No continuous AF in movie mode; Mono sound; No external mic jack.
Read our Canon T5 Review

Very compact for a weather-sealed DSLR; Good ergonomics and great viewfinder; Excellent image quality; Decent performance for its class; Articulated screen is great for difficult compositions; Offers features not found in other Pentax DSLRs
18-50mm kit lens is fiddly and prone to jamming when retracted; Wi-Fi is slow and unintuitive; Slow startup; Limited movie mode; Poor battery life for a DSLR; Priced too close to its enthusiast-grade sibling
Read our Pentax K-S2 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A58

Canon T5

Sony A58

$399
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T5 vs Sony A58

Pentax K-S2

Sony A58

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

$598
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Longer stills battery life

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A58

Compared to Canon T5i

Canon T5

Canon T5i

$399
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$539
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Canon T5 vs Canon T5i

Pentax K-S2

Canon T5i

$499
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$539
APS-C

Touchscreen
Fast startup

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Canon T5i

Compared to Pentax K-500

Canon T5

Pentax K-500

$399
APS-C

HDMI out

$597
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T5 vs Pentax K-500

Pentax K-S2

Pentax K-500

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

$597
APS-C

Longer stills battery life
Higher-res screen

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-500

Compared to Pentax K-S1

Canon T5

Pentax K-S1

$399
APS-C

$502
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T5 vs Pentax K-S1

Pentax K-S2

Pentax K-S1

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

$502
APS-C

Higher-res screen

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-S1

Compared to Canon T6

Canon T5

Canon T6

$399
APS-C

Less expensive

$550
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

Compare Canon T5 vs Canon T6

Pentax K-S2

Canon T6

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Focus peaking

$550
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Canon T6

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