Pentax K-3 II vs Nikon A900

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Pentax K-3 II vs Nikon A900

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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.

1/2.3 inch 28.1mm²
20.2 megapixels
24.00mm - 840.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Nikon A900 Review.

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

Succeeded by the Nikon A1000
Compare A900 vs A1000

Compare PENTAX K-3 III vs NIKON A1000

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Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Nikon A900

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1/2.3 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Bigger pixels
~ 3.91 vs 1.19 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
RAW file ability
Yes vs No
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
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 270 shots
Capture more photos
Manual focus
Yes vs No
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
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
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Higher-res screen
346k vs 230k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Hot shoe
Hot shoe vs None
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
More pixels
24.4 vs 20.2 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 None
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Longer exposure
30 vs 8 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Bulb shutter
Bulb vs No bulb
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
Faster JPEG shooting
8.1 fps vs 7.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
60 vs 7 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 3200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Nikon A900 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Less expensive
$397 vs $830
Save money for lenses or accessories
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Thinner
39 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
289g vs 785g
Lighter weight
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
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

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
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Integrated ND filter
Neither provide
Shoot in daylight with a large aperture or slow shutter

User reviews

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Read K-3 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A900 User Reviews

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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

We haven’t reviewed the Nikon A900.
Read our Nikon A900 Preview

The Competition

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

Nikon A900

Canon T6i

$397
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Nikon A900 vs Canon T6i

Compared to Panasonic ZS60

Pentax K-3 II

Panasonic ZS60

$830
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$448
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic ZS60

Nikon A900

Panasonic ZS60

$397
1/2.3 inch

Tiltable Screen
NFC

$448
1/2.3 inch

Focus peaking
Slower slow-motion

Compare Nikon A900 vs Panasonic ZS60

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

Nikon A900

Pentax KP

$397
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
Shoot 4K video

$999
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Nikon A900 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

Nikon A900

Canon T7i

$397
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$700
APS-C

Larger sensor
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Nikon A900 vs Canon T7i

Compared to Canon SX730 HS

Pentax K-3 II

Canon SX730 HS

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$399
1/2.3 inch

Less expensive
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon SX730 HS

Nikon A900

Canon SX730 HS

$397
1/2.3 inch

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

$399
1/2.3 inch

Manual focus
Higher-res screen

Compare Nikon A900 vs Canon SX730 HS

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