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Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP

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Pentax K-3

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-3
$967.39

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Pentax KP

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax KP
$746.95

CHECK TODAY's PRICE
Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing K-3 and KP, two Semi-Pro DSLR cameras by Pentax. Pentax K-3 was introduced to market in April 2014 and Pentax KP was launched in January 2017. As you can see, K-3 is 3 years older than KP. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Both Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP cameras have 24.0MP APS-C sensors.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Pentax K-3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-10
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 8 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 800g. 131 x 100 x 77 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax KP Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-01-26
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 819200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 7.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 703g. 132 x 101 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax K-3 was replaced by Pentax K-3 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax K-3
Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax KP

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Pentax K-3 over Pentax KP
LCD Screen Size 3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 1.037k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s vs 1/6000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting 8.0fps vs 7.0fps 1 fps faster
Battery Life 560 shots vs 390 shots 170 more frames with a single charge
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Flash Coverage 13.0m vs 6.0m 7m longer range
Top LCD Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Storage Slot 2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Reasons to choose Pentax KP over Pentax K-3
Wireless Connection Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Max ISO 819.200 vs 51.200 1500% higher Max ISO
Weight 703 g vs 800 g 97 g lighter
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
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 Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
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 24 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting 8.0fps vs 7.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Anti Alias Filter Simulator Yes vs Yes Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP
Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP: 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-3 and Pentax KP 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-3 and Pentax KP. Pentax K-3 is 1mm narrower and 1mm shorter than Pentax KP but it is also 1mm thicker.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP.
Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax KP is 97g lighter than the Pentax K-3 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 Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-3
KP
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-3
KP
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both K-3 and KP have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax K-3's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Pentax KP's 3" screen.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP: Sensor Comparison

Both Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP have APS-C sized 24.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Pentax K-3'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-3 and KP sensor size comparison.

Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP Sensor Size Comparison


Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP 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-3 and Pentax KP Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP 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-3 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax KP for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Pentax K-3 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax KP for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Pentax K-3 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax KP for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
27 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 560 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
27 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Pentax K-3 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax KP for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
800g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
703g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Pentax K-3 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax KP for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details


Pentax KP vs Pentax K-3 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP have the same Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 149 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Pentax K-3 and Pentax KP has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Pentax K-3 Lenses # of Pentax KP Lenses
Standard Zoom 22 22
Standard Prime 19 19
Wideangle Zoom 12 12
Wideangle Prime 24 24
Telephoto Zoom 20 20
Telephoto Prime 12 12
SuperZoom 15 15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 3
Macro Prime 14 14
Perspective Control Prime 8 8
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 149 149
Pentax K-3 vs Pentax KP: 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-3 and Pentax KP, 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-3 and Pentax KP scores compare:

Pentax K-3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #17 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #49 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Pentax KP
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #28 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #91 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Pentax K-3 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax KP and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Pentax K-3
Pentax K-3
$967.39

Pentax KP
Pentax KP
$746.95

Pentax KP vs Pentax K-3 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Pentax K-3 Pentax KP
Brand Pentax Pentax
Announced 2014-04-10 2017-01-26
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 366.60mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 6016 x 4000 6016 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 819,200 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 27 27
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Pentax KAF2 Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses 149 149
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3.2" 3"
Resolution 1,037k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.64 0.63
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 13.00 m (at ISO 100) 6.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/180s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.0 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 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 800g 703g
Dimensions 131 x 100 x 77mm 132 x 101 x 76mm
Battery Life 560 shots 390 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 80 not tested
DxO Color Depth 23.7 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.4 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 1216 not tested
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