Sony A55 vs Pentax K-500

Pentax K-500 advantages over Sony A55

• Lens selection
  Excellent vs Good
  Better lens selection gives you more options
• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Less expensive
  $600 vs $850 (MSRP)
  Save money for lenses or accessories
• 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-500 test data on DxO Mark A55 test data on DxO Mark
  1,087 vs 818 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

  710 vs 330 shots
  Capture more photos
• More cross-type AF points
  9 vs 3
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• 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
• Shoots 60p video
  Yes vs No
  A faster framerate can give you more editing options
• Faster shutter
  1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  51200 vs 25600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility