Pentax K-x vs Sony NEX-6

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Pentax K-x vs Sony NEX-6

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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
16.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony NEX-6 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the NEX-6.

Succeeded by the Pentax K-r
Compare K-x vs K-r

Succeeded by the Sony A6000
Compare NEX-6 vs A6000

Compare PENTAX K-R vs SONY A6000

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Differences

Pentax K-x advantages over Sony NEX-6

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Less expensive
$650 vs $1000 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Bigger pixels
~ 5.53 vs 4.78 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.60 vs 2.0 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Less shutter lag
0.10 vs 0.26 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Bigger JPEG buffer
25 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

Sony NEX-6 advantages over Pentax K-x

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
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
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.
NEX-6 test data on DxO Mark K-x test data on DxO Mark

1,018 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
Thinner
42 mm vs 69 mm
Thinner
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Lighter weight
469g vs 791g
Lighter weight
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
0.73x vs 0.57x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
16.1 vs 12.4 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Wider angle kit lens
24 mm vs 27 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Faster JPEG shooting
9.7 fps vs 4.3 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
25600 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
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
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Neither provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Neither provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-x User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read NEX-6 User Reviews

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Buy the Sony NEX-6

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 16-50mm and 55-210mm Lenses
Kit with 16-50mm Lens

All NEX-6 Deals

Review Excerpt

Read our Pentax K-x Full Review

Very good image quality; More consumer-friendly control setup than NEX-7 but more advanced (actual Mode dial) than step-down models; OLED EVF and 3-inch tilting LCD monitor provide viewfinder flexibility; Fast and decisive AF on stationary subjects, and good continuous AF on normal moving subjects; Full HD 1080p video recording at up to 60p.
Hybrid AF system speed and accuracy still lags somewhat behind higher-end DSLRs; Wi-Fi features still rudimentary (join the club); LCD is not a touchscreen; User interface foibles.
Read our Sony NEX-6 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 NEX-6

Sony DSLR-A380

$549
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$849
APS-C

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony NEX-6 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 NEX-6

Pentax K-7

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony NEX-6 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 NEX-6

Pentax K-r

$549
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$850
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony NEX-6 vs Pentax K-r

Compared to Sony NEX-F3

Pentax K-x

Sony NEX-F3

$702
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$600
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-x vs Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-6

Sony NEX-F3

$549
APS-C

Focus peaking
Eye-level viewfinder

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

Compare Sony NEX-6 vs Sony NEX-F3

Compared to Sony NEX-5R

Pentax K-x

Sony NEX-5R

$702
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

$499
APS-C

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-x vs Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-6

Sony NEX-5R

$549
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
Higher effective ISO

$499
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Sony NEX-6 vs Sony NEX-5R

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