Pentax K-x vs Sony A6500

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Pentax K-x vs Sony A6500

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APS-C 369.7mm²
12.4 megapixels
ISO 200 - 6400

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

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-r
Compare K-x vs K-r

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600

Compare PENTAX K-R vs SONY A6600

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Differences

Pentax K-x advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 5.53 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

420 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Faster shutter
1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony A6500 advantages over Pentax K-x

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 720p
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-x test data on DxO Mark

1,405 vs 811 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Newer
8 years vs 15 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
More dots on screen
922k vs 230k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.57x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.2 vs 12.4 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 4.3 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 25 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 12800 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
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
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
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video

User reviews

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Adorama
Read K-x User Reviews

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Adorama
Read A6500 User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Read our Pentax K-x 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 Sony DSLR-A380

Pentax K-x

Sony DSLR-A380

$702
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$849
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
HDMI out

Compare Pentax K-x vs Sony DSLR-A380

Sony A6500

Sony DSLR-A380

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$849
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony DSLR-A380

Compared to Pentax K-7

Pentax K-x

Pentax K-7

$702
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher effective ISO

$1300
APS-C

Longer stills battery life
Top deck display

Compare Pentax K-x vs Pentax K-7

Sony A6500

Pentax K-7

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-7

Compared to Pentax K-r

Pentax K-x

Pentax K-r

$702
APS-C

Less expensive
Shoots 24p video

$850
APS-C

Fast startup
External Mic Jack

Compare Pentax K-x vs Pentax K-r

Sony A6500

Pentax K-r

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

$850
APS-C

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-r

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Pentax K-x

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$702
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1300
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-x 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-x

Sony A6300

$702
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
APS-C

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Pentax K-x vs Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$748
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

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