• APS-C 366.6mm2
  • 24.4 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200
  • 1/2.3 inch 28.1mm2
  • 16.1 megapixels
  • 23.00mm - 900.00mm (35mm eq.)
  • Detailed specifications
  • Pentax K-3
  • Nikon Coolpix B500
Links
Prices: Compare Prices Compare Prices
Manufacturer URL: Manufacturer website Manufacturer website
Predecessor:   Nikon L840
L840 vs B500
Successor: Pentax K-3 II
K-3 vs K-3 II
Nikon B600
B500 vs B600
General
Model Number: K-3 B500
Alternate Model Number(s):    
Camera Format: Pro SLR Mid-Sized
Currently Manufactured: No Yes
Retail Price: $1149.95 $299.95
Street Price: $699.00 $321.95
Date Available: 2013-11-01 2016-04-15
Tripod Mount: Yes Yes
Weight: 43.7 oz (1,240 g)
includes batteries, kit lens
19.1 oz (541 g)
includes batteries
Size: 5.2 x 3.9 x 3.1 in.
(132 x 100 x 77 mm)
4.5 x 3.1 x 3.8 in.
(114 x 78 x 96 mm)
Waterproof: No No
Waterproof Depth: n/a n/a
Image Sensor
Sensor Type: CMOS CMOS
Sensor Manufacturer:    
Effective Megapixels: 24.4 16.1
Sensor Format: APS-C 1/2.3 inch
Sensor size: 366.6mm2 (23.50mm x 15.60mm) 28.0735mm2 (6.17mm x 4.55mm)
Approximate Pixel Pitch: 3.91 microns 1.34 microns
Focal Length Multiplier: 1.5x n/a
Aspect Ratio: 3:2 4:3
Color Filter Type: RGBG  
Anti Aliasing Filter: Optional None
Self-Cleaning: Yes No
Sensor shift image stabilization: Yes No
On-Sensor Phase Detect: No No
DxO Sensor Score: 80  
DxO Color Depth Score (bits): 23.7  
DxO Dynamic Range Score (evs): 13.4  
DxO Maximum Effective ISO Score (iso): 1,216  
Image Capture
Image Resolution: 6016 x 4000 (24.1 MP, 3:2),
4608 x 3072 (14.2 MP, 3:2),
3072 x 2048 (6.3 MP, 3:2),
1920 x 1280 (2.5 MP, 3:2)
4608 x 3456 (15.9 MP, 4:3),
3264 x 2448 (8.0 MP, 4:3),
2272 x 1704 (3.9 MP, 4:3),
1600 x 1200 (1.9 MP, 4:3),
640 x 480 (0.3 MP, 4:3),
4608 x 2592 (11.9 MP, 16:9),
3456 x 3456 (11.9 MP, 1:1)
Image File Format: JPEG (EXIF 2.30), 14-bit RAW (.PEF, .DNG), RAW+JPEG JPEG
Continuous-mode frames/second: 7.1 7.4
Video Capture
Can take movies: Yes Yes
Movie Resolution: 1920x1080 (60i/​50i/​30p/​25p/​24p)
1280x720 (60p/​50p/​30p/​25p/​24p)
1920x1080 (60i/​50i/​30p/​25p)
1280x720 (30p/​25p)
640x480 (30p/​25p)
1920x1080 (15p/​12.5p)
640x480 (120p/​100p)
Movie File Format: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (MOV), Motion JPEG (AVI) for interval movie record MP4 (Video: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Audio: AAC stereo)
Composite Video Out: No Yes
NTSC/PAL Switchable Video: n/a Yes
Video Usable as Viewfinder: n/a
HD Video Out: Yes Yes
HD Video Connection: HDMI HDMI
Lens & Optics
Lens Mount: Pentax K (KA/KAF/KAF2/3) n/a
Lens: smc Pentax 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AL [IF] DC DA WR Zoom-Nikkor ED VR; 12 elements in 9 groups including 3 ED elements
Focal Length (35mm equivalent): 27 - 203mm 23 - 900mm
Focal Length (actual): 18 - 135mm 4 - 160mm
Zoom Ratio: 7.50x 40.00x
Aperture Range: f/3.5 - f/22 (wide) / f/5.6 - f/40 (tele) f/3.0 or f/6.0 (wide) / f/6.5 or f/13 (tele), via electronically controlled ND filter (-2.0 AV)
Integrated ND Filter: No No
Normal Focus Range: 40 cm to Infinity
15.7 in to Infinity
30 cm to Infinity
11.8 in to Infinity
Macro Focus Range:   1 cm to Infinity
0.4 in to Infinity
Filter Thread: 62.0mm n/a
Thread Type: n/a n/a
Optical Image Stabilization: No Yes
Digital Zoom: Yes
Digital Zoom Values:   Up to 4x; 2x Dynamic Fine Zoom
Auto Focus
Auto Focus: Yes Yes
Auto Focus Type: SAFOX 11 TTL phase-matching - 27 point (25 cross type focus points in the center) Contrast Detection: Center, Face priority, Manual with 99 focus areas, Subject tracking, Target Finding AF
Auto Focus Assist Light? Yes Yes
Manual Focus: Yes No
Viewfinder
Viewfinder: Optical / LCD No / LCD
Viewfinder Type: SLR type; eye-level pentaprism, ~100% coverage, 0.95x mag., TBDmm eyepoint, -2.5 to +1.5 diopter  
Focus Peaking: Yes No
EVF Resolution: n/a n/a
Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent): 0.63x  
Viewfinder Magnification (nominal/claimed): 0.95x  
Display
Eye-level Viewfinder: Yes No
Rear Display: Yes Yes
Rear Display Size (inches): 3.2 3.0
Rear Display Resolution: 1,036,800 dots (345,600 px) 921,000 dots (307,200 px)
Touchscreen: No No
Articulating Screen: No Yes
Tilt Swivel Screen: No No
Selfie Screen: No No
Max Playback Zoom: 16.0x  
Top Deck Display: Yes No
Exposure
Maximum ISO (native): 51200 6400
Minimum ISO (native): 100 125
ISO Settings: Auto, 100-51200 (1, 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps) Auto, 125, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200*, 6400*; *Available when using Auto mode
Auto ISO Mode: Yes Yes
White Balance Settings: Auto, Multi Auto WB, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent Light (D: Daylight Color, N:Daylight White, W:Cool White, L:Warm White), Tungsten Light, Flash, CTE, Manual (up to 3 settings), Color Temperature (up to 3 settings) Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Preset Manual
Shutter Speed Range: 1/8000 - 30 sec 1/1500 - 1 sec
Bulb Mode: Yes No
Exposure Compensation: +/- 5.0EV in 0.3EV steps +/- 2.0EV in 0.3EV steps
Metering Modes: TTL open-aperture: Multi-segment with 86K-pixel RGB sensor, Center-weighted, Spot Matrix, Center-weighted (digital zoom less than 2x), Spot (digital zoom 2X or more)
Program Auto Exposure: Yes Yes
Aperture Priority: Yes No
Shutter Priority: Yes No
Full Manual Exposure: Yes No
Creative Exposure Modes: Sensitivity Priority, Shutter and Aperture Priority; Digital filters (capture): Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Unicolor Bold, Bold Monochrome; HDR: Auto, HDR1, HDR2, HDR3. Smart Portrait, Backlighting, Beach, Bird-watching, Close-up, Dusk/Dawn, Easy Panorama, Fireworks Show, Food, Landscape, Moon, Night Landscape, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Pet Portrait, Portrait, Scene Auto Selector, Short Movie Show, Snow, Sports, Sunset, Special Effects
Self Timer: 2 or 12 seconds 10 or 2 seconds
Time Lapse (intervalometer): Yes  
High Resolution Composite: No No
Flash
Built-in Flash: Yes Yes
Flash Modes: P-TTL, Red-eye reduction, Slow-speed sync, Rear Curtain Sync. High-Speed Sync and Wireless Sync also available with PENTAX dedicated external flash. Auto, Auto w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off, Flash On, w/ Red-eye Reduction, Flash Off; Slow Syncro
Flash Guide Number (ISO 100): 13.0 m / 42.7 ft. n/a
Flash Range Description: Depends on lens Auto ISO: [W]: 0.5 to 6.9m [T]: 1.5 to 3.5m
Max Flash Sync: 1/180  
Flash Exposure Compensation: -2 to +1 EV in 0.5EV steps  
External Flash Connection: Hot Shoe, PC Sync socket n/a
Built-In Wireless Flash Control: Full TTL exposure No
Image Storage
Usable Memory Types: SD / SDHC / SDXC SD / SDHC / SDXC
UHS Support: UHS-I  
Other Memory:    
Dual Card Slots: Yes No
RAW Capture Support: Yes No
Uncompressed Format: 14-bit RAW (.PEF, .DNG), RAW+JPEG  
Movie File Format: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (MOV), Motion JPEG (AVI) for interval movie record MP4 (Video: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, Audio: AAC stereo)
Included Memory: No memory included 20.0 MB
Included Memory Type:   Internal
Connectivity
Built-In Wi-Fi: No Yes
NFC: No Yes
Bluetooth: No Yes
Built-In GPS: No No
Microphone Jack: Yes No
Headphone Jack: Yes No
External Connections: USB 3.0 Super Speed USB 2.0 High Speed,Bluetooth,WiFi
PictBridge Compliant: No No
DPOF Compliant: Yes Yes
Remote Control: Yes Yes
Remote Control Type: Optional Wired or IR Via Wi-Fi
Connections (extended): Micro (Type D) HMDI, USB 3.0 Micro B, DC input, wired remote jack, 3.5mm external stereo mic jack, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack Micro (Type-D) HDMI
Performance Timing
Cycle time for JPEG shooting in single shot mode (seconds per frame, max resolution): 0.79  
Cycle time for RAW shooting in single shot mode (seconds per frame): 0.64  
Buffer size for RAW shooting in single shot mode (frames): Unlimited  
Cycle time for RAW+JPEG shooting in single shot mode (seconds per shot): 0.69  
Camera penalizes early shutter press? No
JPEG shooting speed in burst mode (fps, max resolution): 7.1 7.4
Buffer size for JPEG shooting in burst mode (frames, max resolution): 75 7
RAW shooting speed in burst mode (fps): 7.1  
Buffer size for RAW shooting in burst mode (frames): 24  
RAW+JPEG shooting speed in burst mode (fps): 7.1  
Buffer Size for RAW+JPEG shooting in burst mode (frames): 25  
Shutter lag (full AF, wide/mid): 0.14 seconds  
Shutter lag (full AF, tele):    
Shutter lag (full AF, live view - DSLR): 1.01 seconds  
Shutter lag (prefocused, live view - DSLR): 0.226 seconds  
Shutter Lag (manual focus): 0.097 seconds  
Shutter lag (full AF, with flash): 0.33 seconds  
Shutter Lag (prefocused): 0.096 seconds  
Shutter Lag (notes): Full AF lag, Wide-area mode, OVF = 0.157s Live View: Center mode AF lag = 1.014s Wide-area mode AF lag = 1.005s Prefocused = 0.226s  
Startup Time: 0.9 seconds  
Play -> Record Time: 0.6 seconds  
Flash cycle time, full power: 2.3 seconds  
Power
Battery Life, Stills (CIPA Rating Monitor/Live View):    
Battery Life, Still (CIPA Rating OVF/EVF): 560 shots  
Battery Life, Video:    
Battery Form Factor: Proprietary D-LI90 4 x AA
Usable Battery Types: Lithium-ion rechargeable Alkaline, Lithium disposables; NiMH rechargeables
Batteries Included: 1 x Proprietary D-LI90 Lithium-ion rechargeable 4 x Alkaline AAs
Battery Charger Included (dedicated charger or AC/USB adapter): Yes No
Dedicated Battery Charger Included: Yes No
Internal Charging Supported: No No
Software
Included Software: Software CD-ROM S-SW140  
OS Compatibility:    
Miscellaneous
Notes & Features: Image stabilization system also acts as a selectable AA filter, 8.3 fps full-res burst mode, new 27-point AF system, new 86,000 pixel RGB metering system, Full HD video up to 60i with H.264 encoding, dual SD card slots, freeze-proof, dust-proof, weather-resistant magnesium alloy construction, USB 3.0 port. Available in black and red.