Sony A3000 vs Pentax K-3 II

Cameras
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Sony A3000 vs Pentax K-3 II

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APS-C 357.3mm²
20.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 16,000

Go in depth with our full Sony A3000 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A3000 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A3000.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A3000 conclusion.

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.

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Differences

Sony A3000 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Sony A3000

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
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
Fast startup
~1.20 vs 2.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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 470 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
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Higher-res screen
346k vs 77k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
Less shutter lag
0.14 vs 0.28 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
More viewfinder magnification
0.63x vs 0.47x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.4 vs 20.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
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
Faster JPEG shooting
8.1 fps vs 3.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
60 vs 11 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
51200 vs 16000 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
Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
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
Tiltable Screen
Neither provide
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A3000 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A3000

Kit with 18-55mm Lens

All A3000 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-3 II

Body Only (Black)

All K-3 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Absolutely incredible value; Includes a stabilized kit lens; More versatile than a fixed-lens bridge camera; Comfortable body with good ergonomics; Great image quality; Good autofocus performance; Decent battery life.
Feels a bit plasticky; Slow burst shooting with limited buffer; Sluggish to power on or switch modes; Low-res EVF and LCD monitor; Can't review images using EVF; No video output; Weak flash; Battery charges in-camera.
Read our Sony A3000 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 Pentax K-01

Sony A3000

Pentax K-01

$598
APS-C

Less expensive
Eye-level viewfinder

$359
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A3000 vs Pentax K-01

Pentax K-3 II

Pentax K-01

$830
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
High resolution composite

$359
APS-C

Bigger pixels
Internal flash

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax K-01

Compared to Canon T6i

Sony A3000

Canon T6i

$598
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-camera panoramas

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A3000 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 Sigma sd Quattro

Sony A3000

Sigma sd Quattro

$598
APS-C

Lens selection
In-camera panoramas

$699
APS-C

On-sensor phase detect
HDMI out

Compare Sony A3000 vs Sigma sd Quattro

Pentax K-3 II

Sigma sd Quattro

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

On-sensor phase detect
More dots on screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Sigma sd Quattro

Compared to Canon EOS M5

Sony A3000

Canon EOS M5

$598
APS-C

Lens selection
In-camera panoramas

$787
APS-C

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Sony A3000 vs Canon EOS M5

Pentax K-3 II

Canon EOS M5

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
Larger sensor

$787
APS-C

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon EOS M5

Compared to Pentax KP

Sony A3000

Pentax KP

$598
APS-C

In-camera panoramas
Longer stills battery life

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A3000 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

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