Pentax K20D vs Sony A37

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Pentax K20D vs Sony A37

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APS-C 368.2mm²
14.6 megapixels
ISO 100 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K20D Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K20D.

APS-C 369.7mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A37 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the A37.

Succeeded by the Pentax K-7
Compare K20D vs K-7
Compare Pentax K-7 vs Sony A37

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Differences

Pentax K20D advantages over Sony A37

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.40 vs 0.9 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More cross-type AF points
9 vs 3
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Bigger JPEG buffer
38 vs 10 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)

Sony A37 advantages over Pentax K20D

Less expensive
$600 vs $800 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
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.
A37 test data on DxO Mark K20D test data on DxO Mark

799 vs 639 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.
A37 test data on DxO Mark K20D test data on DxO Mark

12.8 vs 11.1 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
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
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.73x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More AF points
15 vs 11
More AF points improve autofocus
Faster JPEG shooting
5.5 fps vs 2.8 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
25600 vs 6400 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

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Neither provide
Share your photos wirelessly
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
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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

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Buy the Pentax K20D

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Buy the Sony A37

Review Excerpt

Read our Pentax K20D Full Review

We haven’t reviewed the Sony A37.
Read our Sony A37 Initial Test

The Competition

Compared to Samsung GX-20

Pentax K20D

Samsung GX-20

$800
APS-C

Less expensive

$1400
APS-C

Higher effective ISO

Compare Pentax K20D vs Samsung GX-20

Sony A37

Samsung GX-20

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1400
APS-C

Lens selection
Top deck display

Compare Sony A37 vs Samsung GX-20

Compared to Sony DSLR-A380

Pentax K20D

Sony DSLR-A380

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

$849
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
HDMI out

Compare Pentax K20D vs Sony DSLR-A380

Sony A37

Sony DSLR-A380

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$849
APS-C

Fast startup
Bigger JPEG buffer

Compare Sony A37 vs Sony DSLR-A380

Compared to Pentax K-7

Pentax K20D

Pentax K-7

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$1300
APS-C

Longer stills battery life
HDMI out

Compare Pentax K20D vs Pentax K-7

Sony A37

Pentax K-7

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1300
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A37 vs Pentax K-7

Compared to Sony A57

Pentax K20D

Sony A57

$800
APS-C

Lens selection
Top deck display

$800
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K20D vs Sony A57

Sony A37

Sony A57

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
External Mic Jack

$800
APS-C

Longer stills battery life
Higher-res screen

Compare Sony A37 vs Sony A57

Compared to Pentax K-5 IIs

Pentax K20D

Pentax K-5 IIs

$800
APS-C

Less expensive
Fast startup

$497
APS-C

Higher effective ISO
More dynamic range

Compare Pentax K20D vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Sony A37

Pentax K-5 IIs

$600
APS-C

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$497
APS-C

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A37 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

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