Pentax K-3 vs Sony A6000

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Pentax K-3 vs Sony A6000

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APS-C 366.6mm²
24.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-3 Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-3 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-3.
Compare Pentax K-3 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-3 conclusion.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6000 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6000 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6000.
Compare Sony A6000 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6000 conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A6100
Compare A6000 vs A6100

Compare PENTAX K-3 II vs SONY A6100

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Differences

Pentax K-3 advantages over Sony A6000

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Fast startup
~0.90 vs 2.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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

560 vs 360 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
203 mm vs 75 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
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
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
Bigger JPEG buffer
75 vs 47 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6000 advantages over Pentax K-3

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
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.
A6000 test data on DxO Mark K-3 test data on DxO Mark

1,347 vs 1,216 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
45 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
468g vs 1240g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 27 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 7.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 7.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6000 User Reviews

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Buy the Pentax K-3

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens

All K-3 Deals

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Buy the Sony A6000

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 16-50mm Lens

All A6000 Deals

Review Excerpt

Top-notch image quality; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Unique on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots; Optional Wi-Fi remote control
AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a DSLR; Rather dated-looking menu system; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors; Less third-party support than some rivals
Read our Pentax K-3 Review

Amazing image quality for the price; Blazing-fast hybrid autofocus; Swift burst shooting with generous buffer depths; Good battery life with LCD monitor; More compact than a DSLR; In-camera Wi-Fi wireless networking
Continuous autofocus can't match its burst rate; High-ISO JPEGs can look overprocessed; Sluggish startup; No touch-screen display; Wi-Fi can be a bit frustrating to use
Read our Sony A6000 Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D7100

Pentax K-3

Nikon D7100

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$750
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Nikon D7100

Sony A6000

Nikon D7100

$674
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$750
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6000 vs Nikon D7100

Compared to Nikon D5300

Pentax K-3

Nikon D5300

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$549
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Fast startup

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Nikon D5300

Sony A6000

Nikon D5300

$674
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$549
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Lens selection

Compare Sony A6000 vs Nikon D5300

Compared to Samsung NX3000

Pentax K-3

Samsung NX3000

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$950
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Samsung NX3000

Sony A6000

Samsung NX3000

$674
APS-C

Lens selection
Focus peaking

$950
APS-C

Slow-motion videos

Compare Sony A6000 vs Samsung NX3000

Compared to Nikon D7200

Pentax K-3

Nikon D7200

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1021
APS-C

Fast startup
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Nikon D7200

Sony A6000

Nikon D7200

$674
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1021
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6000 vs Nikon D7200

Compared to Sony A6300

Pentax K-3

Sony A6300

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$848
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6000

Sony A6300

$674
APS-C

Less expensive

$848
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony A6300

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