Pentax K-5 vs Canon T6

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Pentax K-5 vs Canon T6

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APS-C 372.1mm²
16.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 12,800

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-5 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K-5.

APS-C 332.3mm²
18.0 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon T6 Review.
How does it shoot? Canon T6 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the T6.
Compare Canon T6 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon T6 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Pentax K-5 II
Compare K-5 vs K-5 II

Succeeded by the Canon T7
Compare T6 vs T7

Compare PENTAX K-5 II vs CANON T7

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Differences

Pentax K-5 advantages over Canon T6

Larger sensor
APS-C vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
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

740 vs 500 shots
Capture more photos
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
More cross-type AF points
9 vs 1
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Pentaprism viewfinder
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
Less shutter lag
0.10 vs 0.27 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.61x vs 0.50x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Faster JPEG shooting
6.5 fps vs 3.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
31 vs 15 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.5 fps vs 3.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
23 vs 6 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Canon T6 advantages over Pentax K-5

Less expensive
$550 vs $800*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Newer
9 years vs 14 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Lighter weight
697g vs 1003g
Lighter weight
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options

Similarities

Common Strengths

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
Focus peaking
Neither provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Neither provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read K-5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read T6 User Reviews

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Buy the Pentax K-5

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Body Only
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

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Buy the Canon T6

Kit with 18-55mm Lens

Kit with 18-55mm Lens
Two lens kit with 18-55mm, 75-300mm, shoulder bag

All T6 Deals

Review Excerpt

Excellent high ISO performance, one of the best APS-C sensors yet; 6.5 fps burst mode has very good buffer depths; Weather, dust, and cold resistant; In-body Shake Reduction corrects not only horizontal / vertical, but also rotational motion.
Default saturation and contrast a bit high; Auto white balance too warm in tungsten light; Fewer AF points than main competitors; Only a single card slot, and no UHS-I card support (slow buffer clearing).
Read our Pentax K-5 Full Review

Good image quality overall; Good value for money; In-camera Wi-Fi and NFC make light work of image sharing; Decent kit lens; Friendly, approachable design; Good ergonomics; Lots of room to grow in Canon's ecosystem
Slow burst shooting with very limited raw buffer; Resolution, dynamic range and high ISO performance trail current rivals; Mediocre autofocus performance; Limited feature set; Very basic movie capture features
Read our Canon T6 Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon T3i

Pentax K-5

Canon T3i

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$549
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Canon T3i

Canon T6

Canon T3i

$550
APS-C

Fast startup
Built-in Wi-Fi

$549
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Canon T6 vs Canon T3i

Compared to Nikon D5100

Pentax K-5

Nikon D5100

$800
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Top deck display

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Shoots 24p video

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Nikon D5100

Canon T6

Nikon D5100

$550
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

$650
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6 vs Nikon D5100

Compared to Pentax K-30

Pentax K-5

Pentax K-30

$800
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$599
APS-C

Focus peaking
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Pentax K-30

Canon T6

Pentax K-30

$550
APS-C

Fast startup
Built-in Wi-Fi

$599
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon T6 vs Pentax K-30

Compared to Canon T5

Pentax K-5

Canon T5

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$399
APS-C

Less expensive
Shoots 24p video

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Canon T5

Canon T6

Canon T5

$550
APS-C

Built-in Wi-Fi
NFC

$399
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Canon T6 vs Canon T5

Compared to Canon T7i

Pentax K-5

Canon T7i

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$700
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Canon T7i

Canon T6

Canon T7i

$550
APS-C

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$700
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Touchscreen

Compare Canon T6 vs Canon T7i

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