Sony A6000 vs Pentax K-3 II

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Sony A6000 vs Pentax K-3 II

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APS-C 366.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A6000 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6000 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6000.
Compare Sony A6000 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6000 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.

Succeeded by the Sony A6100
Compare A6000 vs A6100

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

Compare SONY A6100 vs PENTAX K-3 III

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Differences

Sony A6000 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Less expensive
$648 vs $830*
Save money for lenses or accessories
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
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.
A6000 test data on DxO Mark K-3 II test data on DxO Mark

1,347 vs 1,106 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Thinner
45 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Faster JPEG shooting
11.1 fps vs 8.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
11.1 fps vs 8.2 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Sony A6000

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 360 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
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 shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light

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
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
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A6000 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

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All K-3 II Deals

Review Excerpt

Amazing image quality for the price; Blazing-fast hybrid autofocus; Swift burst shooting with generous buffer depths; Good battery life with LCD monitor; More compact than a DSLR; In-camera Wi-Fi wireless networking
Continuous autofocus can't match its burst rate; High-ISO JPEGs can look overprocessed; Sluggish startup; No touch-screen display; Wi-Fi can be a bit frustrating to use
Read our Sony A6000 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-6

Sony A6000

Sony NEX-6

$674
APS-C

NFC
Higher effective ISO

$549
APS-C

Bigger pixels

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony NEX-6

Pentax K-3 II

Sony NEX-6

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$549
APS-C

Bigger pixels
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Sony NEX-6

Compared to Canon T6i

Sony A6000

Canon T6i

$674
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Sony A6000 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 Sony A6300

Sony A6000

Sony A6300

$674
APS-C

Less expensive

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Fast startup

Compare Sony A6000 vs Sony A6300

Pentax K-3 II

Sony A6300

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Sony A6300

Compared to Fujifilm X-A3

Sony A6000

Fujifilm X-A3

$674
APS-C

Eye-level viewfinder
NFC

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A6000 vs Fujifilm X-A3

Pentax K-3 II

Fujifilm X-A3

$830
APS-C

Lens selection
Eye-level viewfinder

$549
APS-C

Less expensive
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Fujifilm X-A3

Compared to Pentax KP

Sony A6000

Pentax KP

$674
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A6000 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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