Pentax K-5 vs Sony A6500

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Pentax K-5 vs Sony A6500

Leave Feedback

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
24.2 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare PENTAX K-5 II vs SONY A6600

Buy From

Differences

Pentax K-5 advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$800* vs $1598
Save money for lenses or accessories
Bigger pixels
~ 4.81 vs 3.92 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.60 vs 1.3 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 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Pentax K-5

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
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
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.
A6500 test data on DxO Mark K-5 test data on DxO Mark

1,405 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
53 mm vs 73 mm
Thinner
Newer
8 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
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.61x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 16.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 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
Bigger RAW buffer
110 vs 23 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Similarities

Common Strengths

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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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
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
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

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-5

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

All K-5 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 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

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 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 A6500

Canon T3i

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6500 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 A6500

Nikon D5100

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 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 A6500

Pentax K-30

$1198
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$599
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-30

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Pentax K-5

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Sony A6300

Pentax K-5

Sony A6300

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$846
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$846
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Compare Other Cameras?