Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T6

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Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T6

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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.

APS-C 332.3mm²
18.0 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon T6 Review.
How does it shoot? Canon T6 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the T6.
Compare Canon T6 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon T6 conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Canon T7
Compare T6 vs T7

Compare PENTAX K-3 III vs CANON T7

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Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Canon T6

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
APS-C 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
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
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 500 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 cross-type AF points
25 vs 1
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Pentaprism viewfinder
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.27 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.63x vs 0.50x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.4 vs 18.0 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
More AF points
27 vs 9
More AF points improve autofocus
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
Faster JPEG shooting
8.1 fps vs 3.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
60 vs 15 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.2 fps vs 3.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
22 vs 6 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 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

Canon T6 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Less expensive
$550 vs $830*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
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
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Neither provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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 K-3 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read T6 User Reviews

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Body Only (Black)

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Buy the Canon T6

Kit with 18-55mm Lens

Kit with 18-55mm Lens
Two lens kit with 18-55mm, 75-300mm, shoulder bag

All T6 Deals

Review Excerpt

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

Good image quality overall; Good value for money; In-camera Wi-Fi and NFC make light work of image sharing; Decent kit lens; Friendly, approachable design; Good ergonomics; Lots of room to grow in Canon's ecosystem
Slow burst shooting with very limited raw buffer; Resolution, dynamic range and high ISO performance trail current rivals; Mediocre autofocus performance; Limited feature set; Very basic movie capture features
Read our Canon T6 Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon T5

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T5

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$399
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T5

Canon T6

Canon T5

$550
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

$399
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Canon T6 vs Canon T5

Compared to 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

Canon T6

Canon T6i

$550
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$699
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Canon T6 vs Canon T6i

Compared to Sony A68

Pentax K-3 II

Sony A68

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
High resolution composite

$598
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Sony A68

Canon T6

Sony A68

$550
APS-C

Lens selection
Built-in Wi-Fi

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6 vs Sony A68

Compared to 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

Canon T6

Pentax KP

$550
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$999
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6 vs Pentax KP

Compared to Canon T7i

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T7i

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$700
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T7i

Canon T6

Canon T7i

$550
APS-C

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$700
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Canon T6 vs Canon T7i

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