Pentax K-50 vs Sony A7 III

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Pentax K-50 vs Sony A7 III

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APS-C 372.1mm²
16.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-50 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K-50.

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-70
Compare K-50 vs K-70

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

Compare PENTAX K-70 vs SONY A7 IV

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Differences

Pentax K-50 advantages over Sony A7 III

Less expensive
$149 vs $1498
Save money for lenses or accessories
Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
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

Sony A7 III advantages over Pentax K-50

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-50 test data on DxO Mark

3,730 vs 1,120 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7 III test data on DxO Mark K-50 test data on DxO Mark

14.7 vs 13.0 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

710 vs 480 shots
Capture more photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Newer
7 years vs 11 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
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
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 6.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
163 vs 30 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (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

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
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
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-50 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 III User Reviews

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Body Only
Kit with 18-55mm and 50-200mm lenses
Kit with 18-55mm lens

All K-50 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

We haven’t finished our review of the Pentax K-50, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
See our Pentax K-50 First Shots

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 T3

Pentax K-50

Canon T3

$149
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$199
APS-C

Longer stills battery life
HDMI out

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Canon T3

Sony A7 III

Canon T3

$1531
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$199
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 III vs Canon T3

Compared to Sony A57

Pentax K-50

Sony A57

$149
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

$800
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Sony A57

Sony A7 III

Sony A57

$1531
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$800
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Sony A7 III vs Sony A57

Compared to Sony A37

Pentax K-50

Sony A37

$149
APS-C

Lens selection
Higher effective ISO

$600
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Sony A37

Sony A7 III

Sony A37

$1531
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$600
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 III vs Sony A37

Compared to Nikon Z6

Pentax K-50

Nikon Z6

$149
APS-C

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

$1396
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-50 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

Compared to Nikon Z6 II

Pentax K-50

Nikon Z6 II

$149
APS-C

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

$1747
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-50 vs Nikon Z6 II

Sony A7 III

Nikon Z6 II

$1531
35mm

Less expensive
NFC

$1747
35mm

Top deck display
Newer

Compare Sony A7 III vs Nikon Z6 II

Compare Other Cameras?