Nikon D3100 vs Pentax K-500

Pentax K-500 advantages over Nikon D3100

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Less expensive
  $600 vs $700 (MSRP)
  Save money for lenses or accessories
• In-Camera Image Stabilization
  Yes vs No
  Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
• 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-500 test data on DxO Mark D3100 test data on DxO Mark
  1,087 vs 919 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  K-500 test data on DxO Mark D3100 test data on DxO Mark
  13.1 vs 11.2 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• 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

  710 vs 550 shots
  Capture more photos
• 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
• More dots on screen
  922k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.61x vs 0.53x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Faster JPEG shooting
  6.0 fps vs 2.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (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