Pentax K-50 vs Nikon D5

Nikon D5 advantages over Pentax K-50

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 6.45 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
• 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.

  D5 test data on DxO Mark K-50 test data on DxO Mark
  2,343 vs 1,120 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• 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

  3780 vs 480 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
  99 vs 9
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• HDMI out
  HDMI out vs None
  Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
• Higher-res screen
  590k vs 307k pixels
  More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.72x vs 0.61x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  20.8 vs 16.3 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• More AF points
  153 vs 11
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Faster JPEG shooting
  12.1 fps vs 6.0 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  200 vs 30 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  3276800 vs 51200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility