Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-3 III

Cameras
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Sony A6500 vs Pentax K-3 III

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

Go in depth with our full Sony A6500 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A6500 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A6500.
Compare Sony A6500 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A6500 conclusion.

APS-C 361.2mm²
25.7 megapixels
ISO 100 - 1,600,000

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-3 III Review.
See real-world photos taken with the K-3 III.

Succeeded by the Sony A6600
Compare A6500 vs A6600
Compare Sony A6600 vs Pentax K-3 III

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Differences

Sony A6500 advantages over Pentax K-3 III

Less expensive
$1598 vs $2344
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
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
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Thinner
53 mm vs 73 mm
Thinner
Lighter weight
453g vs 820g
Lighter weight
Bigger JPEG buffer
231 vs 30 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos

Pentax K-3 III advantages over Sony A6500

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
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

800 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Newer
4 years vs 8 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
Higher-res screen
540k vs 307k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
More viewfinder magnification
1.05x vs 0.70x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
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
Higher extended ISO
1600000 vs 51200 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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Both provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in Bluetooth
Both provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
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 GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos

User reviews

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Read A6500 User Reviews

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Adorama
Read K-3 III User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A6500

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm lens

All A6500 Deals

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Buy the Pentax K-3 III

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 20-40mm F2.8-4 Lens
Kit with 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Lens

All K-3 III Deals

Review Excerpt

Comfortable, premium body with good controls; Touch-screen for subject selection; Hybrid image stabilization system; Excellent image quality; Better high ISO JPEGs than the A6300; Extremely fast 11.1 fps burst capture; Very deep buffers for raw and JPEG alike; 4K video capture with no pixel binning
Pricey for an APS-C camera; JPEG colors aren't the most accurate; Very slow buffer clearing; Laggy touch-pad AF function; Poorly-placed movie button; No headphone jack; Mediocre battery life
Read our Sony A6500 Review

We haven’t finished our review of the Pentax K-3 III, but we have extensive sample photos and a hands-on report.
See our Pentax K-3 III First Shots

The Competition

Compared to Fujifilm X-Pro2

Sony A6500

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$1300
APS-C

Higher max flash sync
More dots on screen

Compare Sony A6500 vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Pentax K-3 III

Fujifilm X-Pro2

$1847
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1300
APS-C

Less expensive
On-sensor phase detect

Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Fujifilm X-Pro2

Compared to Sony A6300

Sony A6500

Sony A6300

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Touchscreen

$748
APS-C

Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6300

Pentax K-3 III

Sony A6300

$1847
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$748
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A6300

Compared to Pentax KP

Sony A6500

Pentax KP

$1198
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$999
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Pentax KP

Pentax K-3 III

Pentax KP

$1847
APS-C

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$999
APS-C

Less expensive
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Pentax KP

Compared to Sony A6400

Sony A6500

Sony A6400

$1198
APS-C

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Fast startup

$798
APS-C

Less expensive
Higher extended ISO

Compare Sony A6500 vs Sony A6400

Pentax K-3 III

Sony A6400

$1847
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$798
APS-C

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A6400

Compared to Canon 90D

Sony A6500

Canon 90D

$1198
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1099
APS-C

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A6500 vs Canon 90D

Pentax K-3 III

Canon 90D

$1847
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1099
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-3 III vs Canon 90D

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