Panasonic GX7 vs Pentax K-3 II

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Panasonic GX7 vs Pentax K-3 II

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4/3 224.9mm²
16.0 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Panasonic GX7 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the GX7.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-3 II Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-3 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-3 II.
Compare Pentax K-3 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-3 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Panasonic GX85
Compare GX7 vs GX85

Succeeded by the Pentax K-3 III
Compare K-3 II vs K-3 III

Compare PANASONIC GX85 vs PENTAX K-3 III

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Differences

Panasonic GX7 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Fast startup
~0.90 vs 1.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Thinner
54 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/320 vs 1/180 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
10.7 fps vs 8.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 60 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Panasonic GX7

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
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-3 II test data on DxO Mark GX7 test data on DxO Mark

1,106 vs 718 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-3 II test data on DxO Mark GX7 test data on DxO Mark

13.6 vs 12.2 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
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

720 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
24.4 vs 16.0 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Bigger RAW buffer
22 vs 9 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
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
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read GX7 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

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Buy the Panasonic GX7

Kit with 14-42mm Lens

Kit with 14-42mm Lens
Body Only

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Buy the Pentax K-3 II

Body Only (Black)

All K-3 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Sharp retro design and solid build; High resolution, tiltable electronic viewfinder and LCD touchscreen monitor; Competitive still image quality; Very good video quality, recording Full HD at frame rates up to 60p; Fast autofocusing and all-around performance; Robust Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities, including remote shooting when paired with a smart device
Weak built-in flash; No external mic or headphone jack for video recording; Some poor results when shooting in Creative Panorama mode
Read our Panasonic GX7 Review

Top-notch image quality; Spectacular detail from Pixel Shift Resolution; Better performance than K-3; Geotag images with no accessories; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Clever on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots
No built-in flash strobe; No wireless flash support out of the box; AstroTracer function can be finicky; AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a prosumer DSLR; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors
Read our Pentax K-3 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M5

$648
4/3

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$900
4/3

Higher effective ISO
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Panasonic GX7 vs Olympus E-M5

Pentax K-3 II

Olympus E-M5

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$900
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Olympus E-M5

Compared to Olympus E-M10

Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M10

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Fast startup

$399
4/3

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

Compare Panasonic GX7 vs Olympus E-M10

Pentax K-3 II

Olympus E-M10

$830
APS-C

Larger sensor
High resolution composite

$399
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Olympus E-M10

Compared to Olympus E-M5 II

Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-M5 II

$648
4/3

In-camera panoramas
Internal flash

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
High resolution composite

Compare Panasonic GX7 vs Olympus E-M5 II

Pentax K-3 II

Olympus E-M5 II

$830
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

$899
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Olympus E-M5 II

Compared to Canon T6i

Panasonic GX7

Canon T6i

$648
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GX7 vs Canon T6i

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T6i

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T6i

Compared to Pentax KP

Panasonic GX7

Pentax KP

$648
4/3

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
High resolution composite

Compare Panasonic GX7 vs Pentax KP

Pentax K-3 II

Pentax KP

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in GPS

$999
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax KP

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