Samsung NX300 vs Pentax K-3 II

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Samsung NX300 vs Pentax K-3 II

Leave Feedback

APS-C 369.0mm²
20.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Samsung NX300 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the NX300.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-3 II Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-3 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-3 II.
Compare Pentax K-3 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-3 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Samsung NX500
Compare NX300 vs NX500

Succeeded by the Pentax K-3 III
Compare K-3 II vs K-3 III

Compare SAMSUNG NX500 vs PENTAX K-3 III

Buy From

Differences

Samsung NX300 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

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
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
40 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Samsung NX300

Lens selection
Excellent vs Limited
Better lens selection gives you more options
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
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.
K-3 II test data on DxO Mark NX300 test data on DxO Mark

1,106 vs 942 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
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

720 vs 320 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More pixels
24.4 vs 20.3 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
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Bigger JPEG buffer
60 vs 14 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
8.2 fps vs 7.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Bigger RAW buffer
22 vs 5 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 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
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
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 Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read NX300 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Samsung NX300

Samsung NX300

All NX300 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-3 II

Body Only (Black)

All K-3 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Stylish "retro modern" design in two color schemes; attractive 3.3-inch AMOLED tilting touchscreen; new APS-C CMOS sensor with on-chip phase detection AF; better image quality, particularly in low light at high ISOs; faster all-around performance; improved Wi-Fi connectivity.
Camera feels more plasticky than expected when you pick it up; slower shot-to-speeds compared to rivals; poor buffer depth with raw files; aggressive anti-noise processing destroys detail in high ISO shots; display smudges easily and is rather dim; no EVF support.
Read our Samsung NX300 Review

Top-notch image quality; Spectacular detail from Pixel Shift Resolution; Better performance than K-3; Geotag images with no accessories; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Clever on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots
No built-in flash strobe; No wireless flash support out of the box; AstroTracer function can be finicky; AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a prosumer DSLR; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors
Read our Pentax K-3 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony NEX-7

Samsung NX300

Sony NEX-7

$1200
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$1248
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Samsung NX300 vs Sony NEX-7

Pentax K-3 II

Sony NEX-7

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1248
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Sony NEX-7

Compared to Fujifilm X-E1

Samsung NX300

Fujifilm X-E1

$1200
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$899
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Samsung NX300 vs Fujifilm X-E1

Pentax K-3 II

Fujifilm X-E1

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$899
APS-C

Bigger pixels
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Fujifilm X-E1

Compared to Fujifilm X-E2

Samsung NX300

Fujifilm X-E2

$1200
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

$899
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Samsung NX300 vs Fujifilm X-E2

Pentax K-3 II

Fujifilm X-E2

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$899
APS-C

Bigger pixels
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Fujifilm X-E2

Compared to Canon T6i

Samsung NX300

Canon T6i

$1200
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Samsung NX300 vs Canon T6i

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T6i

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T6i

Compared to Pentax KP

Samsung NX300

Pentax KP

$1200
APS-C

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Samsung NX300 vs Pentax KP

Pentax K-3 II

Pentax KP

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in GPS

$999
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax KP

Compare Other Cameras?