Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

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Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

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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 inch 116.2mm²
20.1 megapixels
25.00mm - 400.00mm (35mm eq.)

Go in depth with our full Panasonic FZ1000 II Review.

Succeeded by the Pentax K-3 III
Compare K-3 II vs K-3 III
Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Panasonic FZ1000 II

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Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Panasonic FZ1000 II

Larger sensor
APS-C vs 1 inch
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 3.91 vs 2.41 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
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 440 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Thinner
77 mm vs 131 mm
Thinner
More pixels
24.4 vs 20.1 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
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Panasonic FZ1000 II advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs none
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
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
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Higher max flash sync
1/4000 vs 1/180 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Newer
6 years vs 10 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
More viewfinder magnification
0.74x 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
12.0 fps vs 8.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
12.0 fps vs 8.2 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/16000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Similarities

Common Strengths

Rear display
Both provide
Review photos on the back of the camera
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
RAW file ability
Both provide
Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
Manual focus
Both provide
AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
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

NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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

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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 Panasonic FZ1000 II.
Read our Panasonic FZ1000 II Preview

The Competition

Compared to Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Pentax K-3 II

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$830
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$899
1 inch

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

$848
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

$899
1 inch

Compare Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Leica V-LUX (Typ 114)

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

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Canon T6i

$848
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Canon T6i

Compared to Panasonic FZ2500

Pentax K-3 II

Panasonic FZ2500

$830
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$899
1 inch

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic FZ2500

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Panasonic FZ2500

$848
1 inch

Built-in Bluetooth
Longer stills battery life

$899
1 inch

More telephoto lens reach
Integrated ND filter

Compare Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Panasonic FZ2500

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

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Pentax KP

$848
1 inch

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Panasonic FZ1000 II 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

Panasonic FZ1000 II

Canon T7i

$848
1 inch

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$700
APS-C

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Panasonic FZ1000 II vs Canon T7i

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