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Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 Mark II Comparison

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Nikon D810

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

Nikon D810
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Pentax K-1 II

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

Pentax K-1 II
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Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing D810 and K-1 Mark II, two Advanced DSLR cameras from Nikon and Pentax. Both Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II cameras have 36.0MP Full frame sensors. Nikon D810 was introduced to market in June 2014 and Pentax K-1 II was launched in February 2018. As you can see, D810 is 4 years older than K-1 Mark II. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Advanced DSLR cameras. Out of 93 cameras in this class, Nikon D810 is ranked #8 with an overall score of 81 and Pentax K-1 II is ranked #5 with an overall score of 83.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon D810 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-06-26
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 64 - 12800 ( expands to 32-51200)
  • Nikon F Mount
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 980g. 146 x 123 x 82 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Nikon D800 Compare

Pentax K-1 II Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2018-02-22
  • 36MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 819200
  • Pentax KAF4 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 4.4 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 1010g. 137 x 110 x 86 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Pentax K-1 Compare

Nikon D810 was replaced by Nikon D850. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon D850 vs Nikon D810
Nikon D850 vs Pentax K-1 Mark II

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon D810 over Pentax K-1 Mark II
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Number of Focus Points
51 vs 33 18 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.229k dots vs 1.037k dots 18% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
5.0fps vs 4.4fps 0.6 fps faster
Battery Life
1200 shots vs 670 shots 530 more frames with a single charge
Weight
980 g vs 1010 g 30 g lighter
Autofocus at f/8 aperture
11 points vs none Autofocus with teleconverters


Reasons to choose Pentax K-1 Mark II over Nikon D810
Wireless Connection
Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync vs Optional Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Max ISO
819.200 vs 12.800 6300% higher Max ISO
Number of Cross Type Focus Points
25 vs 15 10 more cross type focus points
Pixel Shift High-Res 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
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Min Focus Sensitivity
EV -3 vs EV -2 Autofocus in lower light

Common Strengths of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 Mark II
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
36 MP vs 36 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3.2" Large display
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
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
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
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs UHS-I Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 Mark II
Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon D810 has external dimensions of 146 x 123 x 82 mm (5.75 x 4.84 x 3.23″) and weighs 980 g (2.16 lb / 34.57 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K-1 II has external dimensions of 137 x 110 x 86 mm (5.39 x 4.33 x 3.39″) and weighs 1010 g (2.23 lb / 35.63 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II. Pentax K-1 II is 9mm narrower and 13mm shorter than Nikon D810 but it is also 4mm thicker.

Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II.

Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II.
Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon D810 is 30g lighter than the Pentax K-1 II 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 Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II 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

D810
K-1 Mark II
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

D810
K-1 Mark II
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both D810 and K-1 Mark II have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.2".

On the other hand, Pentax K-1 II sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. Nikon D810's LCD screen is a fixed type which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to K-1 Mark II.
Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II have Full frame sized 36.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Pentax K-1 II and Nikon D810 sensors lack anti-alias (Low-Pass) filters. 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 D810 and K-1 Mark II sensor size comparison.

Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II Cameras


Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II 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 Nikon D810 has an advantage over Pentax K-1 II. There are 309 lenses for Nikon D810's Nikon F mount, on the other hand there are only 155 lenses for Pentax K-1 II's Pentax KAF4 lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Pentax K-1 II 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. D810's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compnesate vibration up to 5.0-stops according to CIPA standards.
106 lenses for Nikon F mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Nikon D810 Lenses # of Pentax K-1 II Lenses
Standard Zoom 33 (17 Full Frame) 22 (6 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 21 (18 Full Frame) 21 (13 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 33 (17 Full Frame) 12 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 48 (46 Full Frame) 25 (19 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 53 (43 Full Frame) 21 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 45 (44 Full Frame) 14 (11 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 30 (6 Full Frame) 15 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 8 (3 Full Frame) 3 (1 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 26 (23 Full Frame) 14 (12 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 11 (11 Full Frame) 8 (8 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 (0 Full Frame) n/a
TOTAL 309 (228 Full Frame) 155 (86 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Nikon 24-70mm F2.8E ED VR Lens Nikon 24-70mm F2.8E ED VR
24 - 70mm 1070gr 2050gr 155mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR Lens Pentax D FA 24-70mm F2.8 ED SDM WR
24 - 70mm 787gr 1797gr 110mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Nikon AF-S 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR Lens Nikon AF-S 70-200mm F2.8E FL ED VR
70 - 200mm 1430gr 2410gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax D FA 70-200mm F2.8ED Lens Pentax D FA 70-200mm F2.8ED
70 - 200mm 1755gr 2765gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Nikon 50mm f1.4G Lens Nikon 50mm f1.4G
50mm 290gr 1270gr 54mm Amazon B&H Photo
HD Pentax-D FA 50mm F1.4 SDM AW Lens HD Pentax-D FA 50mm F1.4 SDM AW
50mm 910gr 1920gr 106mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF Lens Nikon 17-35mm f2.8D ED-IF
17 - 35mm 745gr 1725gr 106mm Amazon B&H Photo
PENTAX15-30mm F2.8 ED WR Lens PENTAX15-30mm F2.8 ED WR
15 - 30mm 1040gr 2050gr 144mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR Lens Nikon 24-120mm f4G ED VR
24 - 120mm 710gr 1690gr 104mm Amazon B&H Photo
PENTAX28-105mm F3.5-5.6 WR Lens PENTAX28-105mm F3.5-5.6 WR
28 - 105mm 440gr 1450gr 87mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C Lens Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C
150 - 600mm 1930gr 2910gr 290mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
150 - 500mm 1780gr 2790gr 252mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II 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.

Nikon D810 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 II for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
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

Nikon D810 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 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

Nikon D810 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-1 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
15 Cross Type Focus sensors
51 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1200 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
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: 670 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.4fps
Read the details

Nikon D810 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
980g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1010g
Body Thickness 86mm
Read the details

Nikon D810 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-1 II for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 36.0MP
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

Nikon D810 vs Pentax K-1 II: 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 Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II, 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 Nikon D810 and Pentax K-1 II scores compare:

Nikon D810
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #7 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #42 out of 1226 in all Cameras
Pentax K-1 II
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #5 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #35 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Pentax K-1 II is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon D810 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Nikon D810
Nikon D810
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Pentax K-1 II
Pentax K-1 II
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Pentax K-1 II vs Nikon D810 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon D810 Pentax K-1 Mark II
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2014-06-26 2018-02-22
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 35.9 x 24 mm
Area 861.60mm2 861.60mm2
Megapixels 36 megapixels 36 megapixels
Max Resolution 7360 x 4912 7360 x 4912
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 819,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 51200 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 64 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 32 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 51 33
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Nikon F Pentax KAF4
Number of Available Lenses 309 155
Screen
Type Fixed type Fully Articulated
Size 3.2" 3.2"
Resolution 1,229k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7x 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 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 MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Optional Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 980g 1010g
Dimensions 146 x 123 x 82mm 137 x 110 x 86mm
Battery Life 1200 shots 670 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 97 not tested
DxO Color Depth 25.7 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.8 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 2853 not tested
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