Pentax K-5 vs Sony A6000

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Pentax K-5 vs Sony A6000

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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 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-5 II
Compare K-5 vs K-5 II

Succeeded by the Sony A6100
Compare A6000 vs A6100

Compare PENTAX K-5 II vs SONY A6100

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Differences

Pentax K-5 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
Bigger pixels
~ 4.81 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.60 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

740 vs 360 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
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6000 advantages over Pentax K-5

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Less expensive
$648 vs $800*
Save money for lenses or accessories
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-5 test data on DxO Mark

1,347 vs 1,162 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 73 mm
Thinner
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
Lighter weight
468g vs 1003g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.61x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.3 vs 16.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
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 6.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
47 vs 31 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

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
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
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

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6000 User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

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Buy the Sony A6000

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 16-50mm Lens

All A6000 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

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 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

Sony A6000

Canon T3i

$674
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6000 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

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Nikon D5100

Sony A6000

Nikon D5100

$674
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6000 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

Sony A6000

Pentax K-30

$674
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

$599
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A6000 vs Pentax K-30

Compared to Samsung NX3000

Pentax K-5

Samsung NX3000

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$950
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-5 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 Sony A6300

Pentax K-5

Sony A6300

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6000

Sony A6300

$674
APS-C

Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony A6300

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