Pentax K-5 vs Sony A7R II

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Pentax K-5 vs Sony A7R II

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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 861.6mm²
42.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7R II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R II.
Compare Sony A7R II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7R II conclusion.

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

Succeeded by the Sony A7R III
Compare A7R II vs A7R III

Compare PENTAX K-5 II vs SONY A7R III

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Differences

Pentax K-5 advantages over Sony A7R II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$800 vs $1798
Save money for lenses or accessories
Fast startup
~0.60 vs 1.5 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 340 shots
Capture more photos
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
Less shutter lag
0.10 vs 0.21 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
6.5 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
6.5 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Sony A7R II 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.
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
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.
A7R II test data on DxO Mark K-5 test data on DxO Mark

3,434 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
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
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.61x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
42.4 vs 16.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
102400 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
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

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7R II User Reviews

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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

Superb image quality; Very high resolution; Surprisingly good high ISO performance; Fast autofocus; Compact, comfortable body with lots of customization potential; Bright, roomy and clear viewfinder; Tilting LCD display; Five-axis stabilization; Intuitive Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity
Movie button is poorly located; No touch screen; Not as fast to start up or shoot photos as a similarly-priced SLR; Rather slow buffer clearing; No built-in flash; Single card slot; Not weather-sealed to the same degree as some rivals
Read our Sony A7R II 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 A7R II

Canon T3i

$2348
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$549
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A7R II 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 A7R II

Nikon D5100

$2348
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$650
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R II 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 A7R II

Pentax K-30

$2348
35mm

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

$599
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7R II vs Pentax K-30

Compared to Sony A9

Pentax K-5

Sony A9

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

$2995
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Sony A9

Sony A7R II

Sony A9

$2348
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$2995
35mm

Bigger pixels
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A9

Compared to Sony A7R III

Pentax K-5

Sony A7R III

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Lens selection

$2204
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Pentax K-5 vs Sony A7R III

Sony A7R II

Sony A7R III

$2348
35mm

In-camera panoramas

$2204
35mm

Touchscreen
High resolution composite

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A7R III

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