Pentax K20D vs Nikon D3S

Nikon D3S advantages over Pentax K20D

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 8.46 vs 5.05 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Fast startup
  ~0.30 vs 0.4 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• 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.

  D3S test data on DxO Mark K20D test data on DxO Mark
  3,253 vs 639 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

  4200 vs 530 shots
  Capture more photos
• HDMI out
  HDMI out vs None
  Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
• Shoots 24p video
  Yes vs No
  Gives your movies a big-screen feel
• More dots on screen
  920k vs 230k dots
  Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.70x vs 0.63x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Faster JPEG shooting
  9.0 fps vs 2.8 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  90 vs 38 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  102400 vs 6400 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility