Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic GH5 II

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Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic GH5 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.

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

Go in depth with our full Panasonic GH5 II Review.
See real-world photos taken with the GH5 II.

Succeeded by the Pentax K-3 III
Compare K-3 II vs K-3 III
Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Panasonic GH5 II

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Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Panasonic GH5 II

Less expensive
$830* vs $1798
Save money for lenses or accessories
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 3.91 vs 3.34 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 410 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More pixels
24.4 vs 20.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs None
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 GH5 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
5K vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Yes vs No
Always-on wireless connectivity
More dots on screen
1840k vs 1037k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
More viewfinder magnification
0.76x 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)
Bigger JPEG buffer
108 vs 60 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (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

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
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
Dual card slots
Both provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read GH5 II User Reviews

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Buy the Pentax K-3 II

Body Only (Black)

All K-3 II Deals

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Buy the Panasonic GH5 II

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 12-35mm F2.8 Lens
Kit with 12-60mm Lens

All GH5 II 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

We haven’t reviewed the Panasonic GH5 II.
Read our Panasonic GH5 II Hands-On Preview

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D5500

Pentax K-3 II

Nikon D5500

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$797
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Nikon D5500

Panasonic GH5 II

Nikon D5500

$1298
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$797
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GH5 II vs Nikon D5500

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 GH5 II

Canon T6i

$1298
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GH5 II 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

Panasonic GH5 II

Sony A68

$1298
4/3

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$598
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GH5 II 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

Panasonic GH5 II

Pentax KP

$1298
4/3

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoot 4K video

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GH5 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 GH5 II

Canon T7i

$1298
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Larger sensor

Compare Panasonic GH5 II vs Canon T7i

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