Nikon D5100 vs Pentax K-50

Cameras
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Nikon D5100 vs Pentax K-50

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APS-C 368.2mm²
16.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Nikon D5100 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the D5100.

APS-C 372.1mm²
16.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-50 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K-50.

Succeeded by the Nikon D5200
Compare D5100 vs D5200

Succeeded by the Pentax K-70
Compare K-50 vs K-70

Compare NIKON D5200 vs PENTAX K-70

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Differences

Nikon D5100 advantages over Pentax K-50

Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
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

660 vs 480 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Bigger JPEG buffer
100 vs 30 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Pentax K-50 advantages over Nikon D5100

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
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 viewfinder magnification
0.61x vs 0.52x
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 3.9 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 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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read D5100 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-50 User Reviews

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Buy the Nikon D5100

Body Only

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Buy the Pentax K-50

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses
Kit with 18-55mm lens

All K-50 Deals

Review Excerpt

Side-mounted tilt / swivel LCD screen; same sensor and processing as the Nikon D7000; good speed and battery life; in-camera HDR and filter effects; Full HD video capture with aperture control; audio levels control and external microphone jack.
AF-S lens mount doesn't offer autofocus with screw-drive lenses; popup flash isn't the greatest; no built-in wireless flash control; HDR function doesn't microalign source images.
Read our Nikon D5100 Full Review

We haven’t finished our review of the Pentax K-50, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
See our Pentax K-50 First Shots

The Competition

Compared to Sony A55

Nikon D5100

Sony A55

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$734
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
In-camera panoramas

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A55

Pentax K-50

Sony A55

$149
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$734
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Sony A55

Compared to Sony A33

Nikon D5100

Sony A33

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$540
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A33

Pentax K-50

Sony A33

$149
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$540
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Sony A33

Compared to Sony A57

Nikon D5100

Sony A57

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A57

Pentax K-50

Sony A57

$149
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

$800
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Sony A57

Compared to Sony A37

Nikon D5100

Sony A37

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Sony A37

Pentax K-50

Sony A37

$149
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

$600
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Sony A37

Compared to Nikon D3300

Nikon D5100

Nikon D3300

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Bigger pixels

$367
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Higher effective ISO

Compare Nikon D5100 vs Nikon D3300

Pentax K-50

Nikon D3300

$149
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$367
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Nikon D3300

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