Pentax K-3 Mark II vs Pentax K-3

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax K-3 Mark II and the Pentax K-3, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Pentax K-3 Mark II was introduced in April 2015 and Pentax K-3 was introduced in April 2014. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax K-3 Mark II over Pentax K-3.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax K-3 over Pentax K-3 Mark II.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Pentax K-3 Mark II and Pentax K-3 have 3.2" Fixed screens with 1,037k dot resolution.

Viewfinder

Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. They both have 100% coverage and 0.95x (0.63x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

Pentax K-3 Mark II features a 24.35 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 366.6 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,200. Pentax K-3 features a 23.35 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,200.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Cameras are equipped with PRIME III processor and can take pictures up to 6016 x 4000 resolution. They can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 4608 x 3072, 3072 x 2048, 1920 x 1080 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Pentax K_AF2 lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.

No Low-Pass Filter

There is no optical low-pass filter (OLPF), also known as an anti-aliasing filter, in front of the sensor on either of the cameras. This results in a slightly sharper image but may also introduce moiré patterns and aliasing artifacts when photographing subjects with fine, repetitive patterns or details.

In-Body Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS) (4.5 stops of compensation in Pentax K-3 Mark II). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when cameras are paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

Built-in GPS on Pentax K-3 Mark II

Pentax K-3 Mark II has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 GBit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Pentax K-3 Mark II has a Mini HDMI and Pentax K-3 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Pentax K-3 Mark II and Pentax K-3 come with D-LI90 battery pack with battery life of 720 shots on Pentax K-3 Mark II and with battery life of 560 shots on Pentax K-3.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slots.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Pentax K-3 Mark II, and up to 1/8000 sec on Pentax K-3. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 8.3 fps.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Pentax K-3 Mark II ranges from -3 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Pentax K-3 Mark II and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Pentax K-3.

Flash

Pentax K-3 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 13.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal or Wireless connection. Pentax K-3 Mark II has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on both cameras.

Pentax K-3 Mark II and Pentax K-3 bodies have the same dimensions of 131 x 100 x 77 mm (5.16 x 3.94 x 3.03") and they both weigh 800 g (1.76 lb / 28.22 oz).

Pentax K-3 Mark II

Pentax K-3

131 mm

100 mm

131 mm

100 mm

100 mm

100 mm

77 mm

77 mm