Pentax K-1 Mark II vs Pentax K-1

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Pentax K-1 II

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

$1996.95

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Pentax K-1

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

$1499.00

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

In this review, we will be comparing K-1 Mark II and K-1, two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras by Pentax. Pentax K-1 II was introduced to market in February 2018 and Pentax K-1 was launched in February 2016. As you can see, K-1 is 2 years older than K-1 Mark II. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both cameras have 36.0MP sensors but Pentax K-1 II's sensor is Full frame sized whereas Pentax K-1 has a Full frame sensor. We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Semi-Pro DSLR cameras. Out of 92 cameras in this class, Pentax K-1 II is ranked #5 with an overall score of 85 and Pentax K-1 is ranked #4 with an overall score of 86.

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

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

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

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

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

Reasons to choose Pentax K-1 Mark II over Pentax K-1

Max ISO	819.200 vs 204.800	300% higher Max ISO

Reasons to choose Pentax K-1 over Pentax K-1 Mark II

Battery Life	760 shots vs 670 shots	90 more frames with a single charge
Operation Assist Lights	Yes vs No	LED lights on the body to illuminate in dark conditions

Common Strengths of Pentax K-1 Mark II and Pentax K-1

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen	Yes vs Yes	Flexible shooting positions
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
LCD Screen Resolution	1.037k 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
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
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode	Yes vs Yes	Increased resolution with Pixel Shifting
Anti Alias Filter Simulator	Yes vs Yes	Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Astrotracer Mode	Yes vs Yes	Great for Astrophotography
Dual-axis Electronic Level	Yes vs Yes	Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot	2 vs 2	Extra Storage Slot
Smartphone Remote Control	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Min Focus Sensitivity	EV -3 vs EV -3	Autofocus in very low light
Support for UHS Memory Cards	UHS-I vs UHS-I	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-1 Mark II and Pentax K-1

Built-in Flash	No vs No	Require external flash

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax K-1: 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 Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1. In this case, we can see that Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 have the exact same height, width and thickness.

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

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1.

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 have exactly the same weight of 1010g.

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 Pentax K-1 II 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

K-1 Mark II

K-1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-1 Mark II

K-1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

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

LCD Screen Size and Features

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

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax K-1: Sensor Comparison

Both Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 have 36.0 MP resolution sensors but Pentax K-1 II's sensor is Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) and Pentax K-1's sensor is Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ).

Since Pentax K-1's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Pentax K-1 II.

Another similarity between these two cameras is that both Pentax K-1 and Pentax K-1 II 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 K-1 Mark II and K-1 sensor size comparison.

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

What types of Photography are Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-1 II 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.

Pentax K-1 II for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-1 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Pentax K-1 II for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Pentax K-1 II for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-1 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

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

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

Pentax K-1 II for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Pentax K-1 II for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-1 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

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 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. Both Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 have 150 native lenses available but be careful that since Pentax K-1 has a full frame sensor, only 81 of these lenses can cover the full frame sensor of K-1.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type	# of Pentax K-1 II Lenses	# of Pentax K-1 Lenses
Standard Zoom	22	22 (6 Full Frame)
Standard Prime	19	19 (11 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom	12	12 (2 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime	24	24 (18 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom	21	21 (11 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime	12	12 (9 Full Frame)
SuperZoom	15	15 (3 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	3	3 (1 Full Frame)
Macro Prime	14	14 (12 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime	8	8 (8 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	150	150 (81 Full Frame)

Pentax K-1 II 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 Pentax K-1 II 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 Pentax K-1 II and Pentax K-1 scores compare:

Pentax K-1 II

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #6 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #20 out of 1200 in all Cameras

Pentax K-1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #4 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #17 out of 1200 in all Cameras

Pentax K-1 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax K-1 II and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Pentax K-1 II

$1996.95

Pentax K-1

$1499.00

Pentax K-1 vs Pentax K-1 II Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Pentax K-1 Mark II	Pentax K-1
Brand	Pentax	Pentax
Announced	2018-02-22	2016-02-17
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	819,200 ISO	204,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 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	33	33
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Pentax KAF4	Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses	150	150
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Fully Articulated
Size	3.2"	3.2"
Resolution	1,037k dots	1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7	0.7
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/8000s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	1/200s	1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	4.4 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	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	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	1010g	1010g
Dimensions	137 x 110 x 86mm	137 x 110 x 86mm
Battery Life	670 shots	760 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	96
DxO Color Depth	not tested	25.4
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	14.6
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	3280
	Report a correction	Report a correction