Pentax K-01 vs Sony A57

Cameras
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Pentax K-01 vs Sony A57

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APS-C 369.7mm²
16.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-01 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K-01.

APS-C 369.7mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A57 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A57.

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Differences

Pentax K-01 advantages over Sony A57

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
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-01 test data on DxO Mark A57 test data on DxO Mark

1,135 vs 785 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Thinner
58 mm vs 80 mm
Thinner
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Lighter weight
611g vs 828g
Lighter weight

Sony A57 advantages over Pentax K-01

Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
More telephoto lens reach
83 mm vs 61 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Wider angle kit lens
27 mm vs 61 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
10.0 fps vs 5.9 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
25 vs 9 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
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

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-01

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 40mm Lens

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A57

Review Excerpt

Very good image quality and excellent high ISO performance. Premium build quality. In-body image stabilization. Lots of creative features. Full HD movie capture with manual exposure control.
Barely any smaller than a standard SLR, but lacks viewfinder and phase-detect autofocus. Contrast-detect AF is slow and unreliable. Body design is clumsy and uncomfortable. Very slow raw burst shooting.
Read our Pentax K-01 Review

We haven’t finished our review of the Sony A57, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
See our Sony A57 First Shots

The Competition

Compared to Samsung NX10

Pentax K-01

Samsung NX10

$359
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Pentax K-01 vs Samsung NX10

Sony A57

Samsung NX10

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$700
APS-C

Thinner
Lighter weight

Compare Sony A57 vs Samsung NX10

Compared to Nikon D5100

Pentax K-01

Nikon D5100

$359
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Pentax K-01 vs Nikon D5100

Sony A57

Nikon D5100

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A57 vs Nikon D5100

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro1

Pentax K-01

Fujifilm X-Pro1

$359
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$499
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-01 vs Fujifilm X-Pro1

Sony A57

Fujifilm X-Pro1

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$499
APS-C

Thinner
Doesn't require an AA filter

Compare Sony A57 vs Fujifilm X-Pro1

Compared to Samsung NX20

Pentax K-01

Samsung NX20

$359
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$400
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-01 vs Samsung NX20

Sony A57

Samsung NX20

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$400
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
Thinner

Compare Sony A57 vs Samsung NX20

Compared to Pentax K-5 IIs

Pentax K-01

Pentax K-5 IIs

$359
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$497
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
Fast startup

Compare Pentax K-01 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Sony A57

Pentax K-5 IIs

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

Compare Sony A57 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

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