Sony A7 vs Pentax K-S2

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Sony A7 vs Pentax K-S2

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35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7.
Compare Sony A7 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 conclusion.

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

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-S2 Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-S2 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-S2.
Compare Pentax K-S2 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-S2 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II
Compare Sony A7 II vs Pentax K-S2

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Pentax K-S2

Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-C
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 4.29 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Thinner
48 mm vs 64 mm
Thinner
Higher-res screen
307k vs 230k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
More viewfinder magnification
0.71x vs 0.63x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
24.3 vs 20.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bigger JPEG buffer
50 vs 28 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 9 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Pentax K-S2 advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Tilt-swivel screen
Tilt-swivel vs tilt-only
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Fast startup
~1.00 vs 2.1 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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

410 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
Internal flash
Internal flash vs None
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Less shutter lag
0.12 vs 0.23 sec
Focus and take a photo quickly (wide angle)
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré

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
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
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

Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Top deck display
Neither provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Dual card slots
Neither provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-S2 User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A7

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

All A7 Deals

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Buy the Pentax K-S2

Body Only (White)

Body Only (White)
Body Only (Black)
Body Only (Black/Orange)
Kit with 18-50mm WR Lens (Black)
Kit with 18-50mm WR Lens (Black/Orange)
Kit with 18-50mm WR Lens (White)

All K-S2 Deals

Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7 Review

Very compact for a weather-sealed DSLR; Good ergonomics and great viewfinder; Excellent image quality; Decent performance for its class; Articulated screen is great for difficult compositions; Offers features not found in other Pentax DSLRs
18-50mm kit lens is fiddly and prone to jamming when retracted; Wi-Fi is slow and unintuitive; Slow startup; Limited movie mode; Poor battery life for a DSLR; Priced too close to its enthusiast-grade sibling
Read our Pentax K-S2 Review

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$1399
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Pentax K-S2

Sony A7R

$499
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$1399
35mm

Larger sensor
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A7R

Compared to Pentax K-500

Sony A7

Pentax K-500

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$597
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Pentax K-500

Pentax K-S2

Pentax K-500

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

$597
APS-C

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-500

Compared to Pentax K-S1

Sony A7

Pentax K-S1

$748
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

$502
APS-C

Lens selection
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Pentax K-S1

Pentax K-S2

Pentax K-S1

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

$502
APS-C

Higher-res screen

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-S1

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1080
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Pentax K-S2

Sony A7 II

$499
APS-C

Lens selection
Tilt-swivel screen

$1080
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3807
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Pentax K-S2

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$499
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$3807
35mm

Larger sensor
Bigger pixels

Compare Pentax K-S2 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

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