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Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D

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Pentax K-1

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

Pentax K-1
$1799.99

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Canon 70D

20 MP | APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 70D
$787.00

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Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing K-1 and 70D, two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras from Pentax and Canon. Pentax K-1 was introduced to market in February 2016 and Canon 70D was launched in October 2013. As you can see, 70D is 3 years older than K-1. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Pentax K-1 has a 36.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon 70D has a 20.0MP APS-C sensor.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D before getting into our more detailed comparison.

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 70D Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-10-31
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 25600)
  • Canon EF/EF-S Mount
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 755g. 139 x 104 x 79 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 60D Compare

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 70D

Canon 70D was replaced by Canon EOS 80D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 80D vs Canon EOS 70D
Canon EOS 80D vs Pentax K-1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Pentax K-1 over Canon EOS 70D
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Max Sensor Resolution 36 MP vs 20 MP 80% more pixels
Max ISO 204.800 vs 12.800 1500% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 33 vs 19 14 more focus points
Number of Cross Type Focus Points 25 vs 19 6 more cross type focus points
LCD Screen Size 3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 98% More accurate viewfinder
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Color Depth 25.4 vs 22.5 higher color depth
Dynamic Range 14.6 vs 11.6 higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO 3280 vs 926 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area 23.83µm2 vs 16.91µm2 40% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
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
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Reasons to choose Canon EOS 70D over Pentax K-1
Built-in Flash Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Continuous Shooting 7.0fps vs 4.4fps 2.6 fps faster
Battery Life 920 shots vs 760 shots 160 more frames with a single charge
Weight 755 g vs 1010 g 255 g lighter
Common Strengths of Pentax K-1 and Canon EOS 70D
Wireless Connection Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
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 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 1.040k dots Higher resolution screens
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
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
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune) Yes vs Yes Adjust each lens for accurate focusing
Smartphone Remote Control Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-1 and Canon EOS 70D
Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D: 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 and Canon 70D 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 and Canon 70D. Canon 70D is 6mm shorter and 7mm thinner than Pentax K-1 but it is also 2mm wider.

Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D.

Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D.
Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon 70D is significantly lighter (255g ) than the Pentax K-1 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

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 Pentax K-1 has a Full frame sensor and Canon 70D has a smaller APS-C sensor, Canon 70D's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Pentax K-1 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-1
70D
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-1
70D
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both K-1 and 70D have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax K-1's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 70D's 3" screen.

Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D: Sensor Comparison

Pentax K-1 has a 36.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Canon 70D has a 20.0MP APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 5+ processor.

Pentax K-1's sensor provides 16MP more than Canon 70D'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 K-1 and 70D sensor size comparison.

Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D Sensor Size Comparison


As seen above, Pentax K-1 has a 2.6x Larger sensor area than Canon 70D. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, K-1 has scored 96, 28 points higher than 70D.

What types of Photography are Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-1 and Canon 70D 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 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 70D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
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
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 70D for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 70D 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: 760 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 4.4fps
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
19 Cross Type Focus sensors
19 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 920 shots
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 70D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
1010g
Body Thickness 86mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
755g
Body Thickness 79mm
Read the details

Pentax K-1 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Canon 70D 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 APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Canon 70D vs Pentax K-1 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 70D has an advantage over Pentax K-1 There are 319 lenses for Canon 70D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 149 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 70D doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 107 lenses for Canon EF/EF-S mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Pentax K-1 Lenses # of Canon 70D Lenses
Standard Zoom 22 (6 Full Frame) 40
Standard Prime 19 (11 Full Frame) 18
Wideangle Zoom 12 (2 Full Frame) 35
Wideangle Prime 24 (18 Full Frame) 48
Telephoto Zoom 20 (11 Full Frame) 58
Telephoto Prime 12 (9 Full Frame) 41
SuperZoom 15 (3 Full Frame) 28
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 (1 Full Frame) 7
Macro Prime 14 (12 Full Frame) 27
Perspective Control Prime 8 (8 Full Frame) 16
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1
TOTAL 149 (81 Full Frame) 319
Pentax K-1 vs Canon 70D: 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 and Canon 70D, 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 and Canon 70D scores compare:

Pentax K-1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #4 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #17 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Canon 70D
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #36 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #130 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Pentax K-1 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 70D in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Pentax K-1.

Pentax K-1
Pentax K-1
$1799.99

Canon 70D
Canon 70D
$787.00

Canon 70D vs Pentax K-1 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Pentax K-1 Canon EOS 70D
Brand Pentax Canon
Announced 2016-02-17 2013-10-31
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 22.5 x 15 mm
Area 861.60mm2 337.50mm2
Megapixels 36 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 7360 x 4912 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 204,800 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 25600 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 19
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Pentax KAF2 Canon EF/EF-S
Number of Available Lenses 149 319
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fully Articulated
Size 3.2" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 98%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.7 0.6
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 12.00 m
Max Flash Sync 1/200s 1/250s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 4.4 fps 7.0 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 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 1010g 755g
Dimensions 137 x 110 x 86mm 139 x 104 x 79mm
Battery Life 760 shots 920 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 96 68
DxO Color Depth 25.4 22.5
DxO Dynamic Range 14.6 11.6
DxO Low Light ISO 3280 926
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