• APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200
  • 35mm 861.6mm2
  • 42.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 25,600

Buy From

Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Sony A7R II

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Less expensive
    $830 vs $2898
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • High resolution composite
    Yes vs No
    Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
  • Built-in GPS
    GPS vs None
    Geotag your photos
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 720 vs 340 shots
    Capture more photos
  • Top deck display
    Yes vs No
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • Less shutter lag
    0.14 vs 0.21 sec
    Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
  • Dual card slots
    Yes vs No
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Optional anti-aliasing filter
    Optional vs None
    Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    8.1 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    60 vs 23 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster RAW shooting
    8.2 fps vs 5.0 fps
    Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Sony A7R II advantages over Pentax K-3 II

  • Larger sensor
    35mm vs APS-C
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Bigger pixels
    ~ 4.51 vs 3.91 microns
    Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
  • Shoot 4K video
    4K (UHD) vs 1080p
    Make sure you have a fast computer
  • In-camera panoramas
    Yes vs No
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Wi-Fi vs None
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Yes vs No
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Better color depth
    26.0 vs 23.6 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    3,434 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
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.78x vs 0.63x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    42.4 vs 24.4 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Slow-motion videos
    Yes vs No
    Shoot slow-motion videos
  • Higher extended ISO
    102400 vs 51200 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Focus peaking
    Both provide
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Both provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • 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
  • Headphone jack
    Both provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • 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
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Internal flash
    Neither provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Buy From

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

  • Superb image quality; Very high resolution; Surprisingly good high ISO performance; Fast autofocus; Compact, comfortable body with lots of customization potential; Bright, roomy and clear viewfinder; Tilting LCD display; Five-axis stabilization; Intuitive Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity

  • Movie button is poorly located; No touch screen; Not as fast to start up or shoot photos as a similarly-priced SLR; Rather slow buffer clearing; No built-in flash; Single card slot; Not weather-sealed to the same degree as some rivals

The Competition

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
Sony A7R II
Canon T6i
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $549
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

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
Sony A7R II
Pentax KP
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
  • $999
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Canon T7i

Pentax K-3 II
Canon T7i
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • APS-C
  • Tilt-swivel screen
  • Touchscreen
Sony A7R II
Canon T7i
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
  • $700
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive

Compared to Sony A9

Pentax K-3 II
Sony A9
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
Sony A7R II
Sony A9
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-camera panoramas
  • More pixels
  • $3147
  • 35mm
  • Bigger pixels
  • Touchscreen

Compared to Sony A7R III

Pentax K-3 II
Sony A7R III
  • $830
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $2248
  • 35mm
  • Larger sensor
  • Bigger pixels
Sony A7R II
Sony A7R III
  • $2898
  • 35mm
  • In-camera panoramas
  • $2248
  • 35mm
  • Less expensive
  • Touchscreen
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