Canon 80D vs Pentax K-1 II

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Canon 80D vs Pentax K-1 II

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APS-C 337.5mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Canon 80D Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 80D in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 80D.
Compare Canon 80D image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 80D conclusion.

35mm 861.6mm²
36.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 819,200

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

Succeeded by the Canon 90D
Compare 80D vs 90D
Compare Canon 90D vs Pentax K-1 II

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Differences

Canon 80D advantages over Pentax K-1 II

Less expensive
$935 vs $1997
Save money for lenses or accessories
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.4 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

960 vs 670 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
216 mm vs 105 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
More cross-type AF points
45 vs 25
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
More AF points
45 vs 33
More AF points improve autofocus
Faster JPEG shooting
6.8 fps vs 4.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.7 fps vs 4.6 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
24 vs 17 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Pentax K-1 II advantages over Canon 80D

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm 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
Bigger pixels
~ 4.88 vs 3.75 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
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
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.59x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
36.4 vs 24.2 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Higher extended ISO
819200 vs 25600 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
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Pentaprism viewfinder
Both provide
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
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

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read 80D User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-1 II User Reviews

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Buy the Canon 80D

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Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

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Buy the Pentax K-1 II

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-105mm Lens

All K-1 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Very good image quality; Better RAW high ISO performance than predecessor; Improved buffer depth; Very fast AF; Dual Pixel CMOS AF is excellent; f/8 AF support; 1080/60p video; Headphone jack; Very good battery life.
New kit lens isn't very sharp; No 4K video; No clean HDMI out; 29:59 minute video recording limit; Phase detect AF not as sensitive in low-light as expected (Dual Pixel AF is better in low-light).
Read our Canon 80D Review

Excellent build and comfortable handling; Bright, roomy viewfinder and articulated LCD; Great image quality; Good performance for the class; In-camera stabilization, GPS and Wi-Fi; Incredibly feature-rich design.
Bulkier than APS-C DSLRs; Top ISOs are for the spec sheet, not the real world; JPEGs are a bit punchy by default; Slow startup; Below-average battery life; Only a relatively modest update to the K-1.
Read our Pentax K-1 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A77 II

Canon 80D

Sony A77 II

$935
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 80D vs Sony A77 II

Pentax K-1 II

Sony A77 II

$1747
35mm

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$1198
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A77 II

Compared to Nikon D7200

Canon 80D

Nikon D7200

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$1016
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
More dynamic range

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7200

Pentax K-1 II

Nikon D7200

$1747
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$1016
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Pentax K-1

Canon 80D

Pentax K-1

$935
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$1800
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 80D vs Pentax K-1

Pentax K-1 II

Pentax K-1

$1747
35mm

Higher extended ISO

$1800
35mm

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax K-1

Compared to Nikon D7500

Canon 80D

Nikon D7500

$935
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
NFC

$864
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D7500

Pentax K-1 II

Nikon D7500

$1747
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$864
APS-C

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Nikon D7500

Compared to Nikon D850

Canon 80D

Nikon D850

$935
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$2597
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 80D vs Nikon D850

Pentax K-1 II

Nikon D850

$1747
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
High resolution composite

$2597
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Nikon D850

Compare Other Cameras?