Pentax K-5 vs Sony A7 III

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Pentax K-5 vs Sony A7 III

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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.

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

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 III Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 III in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7 III.
Compare Sony A7 III image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 III conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A7 IV
Compare A7 III vs A7 IV

Compare PENTAX K-5 II vs SONY A7 IV

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Differences

Pentax K-5 advantages over Sony A7 III

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.60 vs 1.7 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
More telephoto lens reach
83 mm vs 70 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

Sony A7 III advantages over Pentax K-5

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.93 vs 4.81 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.
A7 III test data on DxO Mark K-5 test data on DxO Mark

3,730 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
Newer
7 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
0.78x 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
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
163 vs 31 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.7 fps vs 6.5 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
33 vs 23 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
204800 vs 51200 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

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
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
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 III User Reviews

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Buy the Pentax K-5

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-55mm Lens

All K-5 Deals

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Buy the Sony A7 III

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm Lens

All A7 III 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

New 24MP sensor offers excellent image quality; Outstanding high ISO performance and dynamic range; Improved JPEG colors; Improved build quality; Fast autofocus; Excellent 4K video; Very good battery life.
Buffer clearing can be slow even with fast UHS-II cards; UHS-II support only on one card slot; No losslessly compressed RAW option; Dedicated battery charger not included; Menus are still confusing; No built-in flash.
Read our Sony A7 III Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon T3i

Pentax K-5

Canon T3i

$800
APS-C

Larger sensor
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Canon T3i

Sony A7 III

Canon T3i

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A7 III 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

Sony A7 III

Nikon D5100

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$650
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A7 III 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

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Pentax K-30

Sony A7 III

Pentax K-30

$1531
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$599
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 III vs Pentax K-30

Compared to Sony A7 II

Pentax K-5

Sony A7 II

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Sony A7 II

Sony A7 III

Sony A7 II

$1531
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$1148
35mm

In-camera panoramas

Compare Sony A7 III vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Nikon Z6

Pentax K-5

Nikon Z6

$800
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

$1396
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Nikon Z6

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1396
35mm

Top deck display
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6

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