Sony A7R vs Pentax K-1

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Sony A7R vs Pentax K-1

35mm 861.6mm²
36.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R.

35mm 861.6mm²
36.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 204,800

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-1 Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-1 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-1.
Compare Pentax K-1 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-1 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7R II
Compare A7R vs A7R II

Succeeded by the Pentax K-1 II
Compare K-1 vs K-1 II

Compare SONY A7R II vs PENTAX K-1 II

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Differences

Sony A7R advantages over Pentax K-1

In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Thinner
48 mm vs 85 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
465g vs 1015g
Lighter weight

Pentax K-1 advantages over Sony A7R

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
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
Fast startup
~1.20 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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.
K-1 test data on DxO Mark A7R test data on DxO Mark

3,280 vs 2,746 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
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

760 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
0.09 vs 0.36 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
4.6 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
74 vs 15 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
4.6 fps vs 4.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Higher extended ISO
204800 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
Tiltable Screen
Both provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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 A7R User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-1 User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A7R

Body Only

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-1

Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Resolution that rivals a medium-format camera; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Decent performance bearing in mind its extremely high resolution; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Extreme resolution makes focus and lens quality critical; Modest performance; Loud shutter; Lacks hybrid autofocus of the A7; Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Slow X-sync; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7R Review

Unlocks the full potential of full-frame Pentax lenses; Excellent image quality; Great ergonomics and build; Very compact for full-frame; Decent performance; Fast autofocus with great low-light capabilities; Very wide sensitivity range; Bright, accurate viewfinder; Articulated LCD; Stabilization, Wi-Fi and GPS in-camera
No built-in flash strobe; Quite heavy compared to APS-C flagships; Somewhat soft images and blown highlights by default in JPEG mode; Warm Auto white balance indoors; Slow startup and buffer clearing; Small top-deck status display; Weak viewfinder illumination; Below-average battery life for DSLR
Read our Pentax K-1 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7

Sony A7R

Sony A7

$2149
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A7

Pentax K-1

Sony A7

$1800
35mm

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
35mm

Bigger pixels
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-1 vs Sony A7

Compared to Canon 5DS

Sony A7R

Canon 5DS

$2149
35mm

Focus peaking
Bigger pixels

$1299
35mm

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R vs Canon 5DS

Pentax K-1

Canon 5DS

$1800
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1299
35mm

Fast startup
More cross-type AF points

Compare Pentax K-1 vs Canon 5DS

Compared to Sony A7R II

Sony A7R

Sony A7R II

$2149
35mm

Less expensive
Lighter weight

$2898
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Shoot 4K video

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A7R II

Pentax K-1

Sony A7R II

$1800
35mm

Lens selection
High resolution composite

$2898
35mm

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-1 vs Sony A7R II

Compared to Leica M (Typ 262)

Sony A7R

Leica M (Typ 262)

$2149
35mm

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$4995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Longer exposure

Compare Sony A7R vs Leica M (Typ 262)

Pentax K-1

Leica M (Typ 262)

$1800
35mm

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$4995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Thinner

Compare Pentax K-1 vs Leica M (Typ 262)

Compared to Sony A9

Sony A7R

Sony A9

$2149
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3147
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A7R vs Sony A9

Pentax K-1

Sony A9

$1800
35mm

Lens selection
High resolution composite

$3147
35mm

Bigger pixels
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-1 vs Sony A9

Compare Other Cameras?