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Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1

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Canon 5D MIII

22 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 5D MIII
$2,597.00
7%
off
Change

Pentax K-1

36 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-1
$1,696.95
6%
off
Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras. Both cameras have Full frame sensors but Canon 5D MIII has a 22.0 MP and Pentax K-1 has a 36.0 MP resolution.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 5D MIII Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-05-22
  • 22MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 25600 ( expands to 50-102400)
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 3.2″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 950g. 152 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 5D Mark II Compare

Pentax K-1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-02-17
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 204800
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2″ Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 4.4 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 1010g. 137 x 110 x 86 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Canon 5D MIII was replaced by Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV vs Pentax K-1

Pentax K-1 was replaced by Pentax K-1 Mark II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K-1 Mark II vs Pentax K-1
Pentax K-1 Mark II vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 5D Mark III over Pentax K-1
Number of Focus Points 61 vs 33 28 more focus points
Number of Cross Type Focus Points 41 vs 25 16 more cross type focus points
Continuous Shooting 6.0fps vs 4.4fps 1.6 fps faster
Battery Life 950 shots vs 760 shots 190 more frames with a single charge
Weight 950 g vs 1010 g 60 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area 39.06µm2 vs 23.83µm2 63% larger pixel area
Autofocus at f/8 aperture Center point vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Reasons to choose Pentax K-1 over Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Wireless Connection Built-In vs Optional Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Max Sensor Resolution 36 MP vs 22 MP 63% more pixels
Max ISO 204.800 vs 25.600 700% higher Max ISO
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth 25.4 vs 24.0 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 14.6 vs 11.7 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 3280 vs 2293 better High ISO performance
Price $1,697 vs $2,597 $900 cheaper
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Anti Alias Filter Simulator Yes vs No Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Astrotracer Mode Yes vs No Great for Astrophotography
Operation Assist Lights Yes vs No LED lights on the body to illuminate in dark conditions
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Strengths of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Pentax K-1
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution 22 MP vs 36 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size 3.2″ vs 3.2″ Large display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.040k dots vs 1.037k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port Yes vs Yes better video control
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Top LCD Display Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Pentax K-1
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1. Pentax K-1 is 15mm narrower and 6mm shorter than Canon 5D MIII but it is also 10mm thicker.

Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1.
Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon 5D MIII is 60g lighter than the Pentax K-1 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1 have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

5D MIII
K-1
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

5D MIII
K-1
Min
Average
Max
Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1: Sensor Comparison

Canon 5D MIII has a 22.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5+ processor. On the other hand, Pentax K-1 has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Pentax K-1's sensor provides 14MP more than Canon 5D MIII's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Pentax K-1's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the 5D MIII and K-1 sensor size comparison.

Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1 Sensor Size Comparison


Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 5D MIII for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 22.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-1 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
41 Cross Type Focus sensors
61 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 950 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
33 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 760 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.4fps
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
950g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1010g
Body Thickness 86mm
Read the details

Canon 5D MIII for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 for Landscape Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 22.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Pentax K-1 vs Canon 5D MIII Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 5D MIII has an advantage over Pentax K-1. There are 251 lenses for Canon 5D MIII's Canon EF mount, on the other hand there are only 144 lenses for Pentax K-1's Pentax KAF2 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Pentax K-1 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Canon 5D MIII doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 65 lenses for Canon EF mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Canon 5D MIII Lenses # of Pentax K-1 Lenses
Standard Zoom 25 (22 Full Frame) 22 (6 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 14 (14 Full Frame) 19 (11 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 26 (17 Full Frame) 11 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 43 (43 Full Frame) 24 (18 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 48 (45 Full Frame) 20 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 37 (37 Full Frame) 11 (8 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 17 (9 Full Frame) 15 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 (3 Full Frame) 3 (1 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 22 (20 Full Frame) 12 (10 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 15 (15 Full Frame) 7 (7 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) n/a
TOTAL 251 (225 Full Frame) 144 (77 Full Frame)
Canon 5D MIII vs Pentax K-1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 5D MIII and Pentax K-1 scores compare:

Canon 5D MIII
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #26 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #64 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Pentax K-1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #4 out of 92 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #7 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Pentax K-1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 5D MIII in all criterias except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon 5D MIII. Otherwise, Pentax K-1 is the better camera overall.

Canon 5D MIII
Canon 5D MIII
$2,597.00
7%
off

Pentax K-1
Pentax K-1
$1,696.95
6%
off

Pentax K-1 vs Canon 5D MIII Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon EOS 5D Mark III Pentax K-1
Brand Canon Pentax
Announced 2012-05-22 2016-02-17
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Price $2,597.00 $1,696.95
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 36 x 24 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 864.00mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 22 megapixels 36 megapixels
Max Resolution 5760 x 3840 7360 x 4912
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 204,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 61 33
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Canon EF Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses 251 144
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3.2″ 3.2″
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71 0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps 4.4 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 950g 1010g
Dimensions 152 x 116 x 76mm 137 x 110 x 86mm
Battery Life 950 shots 760 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 81 96
DxO Color Depth 24.0 25.4
DxO Dynamic Range 11.7 14.6
DxO Low Light ISO 2293 3280
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