Pentax K-3 II vs Sony A9

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Pentax K-3 II vs Sony A9

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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.

35mm 847.3mm²
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Sony A9 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A9 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A9.
Compare Sony A9 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A9 conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A9 II
Compare A9 vs A9 II

Compare PENTAX K-3 III vs SONY A9 II

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Differences

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Sony A9

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$830 vs $2995
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.22 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré

Sony A9 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.93 vs 3.91 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
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
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
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.
A9 test data on DxO Mark K-3 II test data on DxO Mark

3,517 vs 1,106 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Faster JPEG shooting
20.0 fps vs 8.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
364 vs 60 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
20.0 fps vs 8.2 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
240 vs 22 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Faster shutter
1/32000 vs 1/8000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
204800 vs 51200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

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

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A9 User Reviews

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All A9 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

New sensor offers incredible performance; Excellent image quality at low & high ISOs; Very good dynamic range; Phenomenal 20fps burst speed & deep buffer; Very good battery life for a mirrorless; 4K video; Dual card slots.
Slow buffer clearing; Only one card slot is UHS-II compatible; Touchscreen underutilized; No lossless RAW compression option; No 4K/60p option.
Read our Sony A9 Review

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

Sony A9

Canon T6i

$2995
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A9 vs Canon T6i

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Pentax K-3 II

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$3999
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A9

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$2995
35mm

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$3999
35mm

Built-in GPS
Top deck display

Compare Sony A9 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

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

Sony A9

Pentax KP

$2995
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A9 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

Sony A9

Canon T7i

$2995
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$700
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A9 vs Canon T7i

Compared to Sony A9 II

Pentax K-3 II

Sony A9 II

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$4498
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Sony A9 II

Sony A9

Sony A9 II

$2995
35mm

Less expensive

$4498
35mm

Newer

Compare Sony A9 vs Sony A9 II

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