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Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Pentax K-S2

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

Pentax K-S2
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Sony A57

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

Sony A57
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Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing K-S2 and A57, two Entry-Level DSLR cameras from Pentax and Sony. Pentax K-S2 was introduced to market in February 2015 and Sony A57 was launched in September 2012. As you can see, A57 is 3 years older than K-S2. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Pentax K-S2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-02-10
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.4fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 678g. 91 x 123 x 73 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Pentax K-S1 Compare

Sony A57 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-09-13
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 16000 ( expands to 25600)
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • 1440k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 12.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 618g. 132 x 98 x 81 mm
  • Replaced Sony SLT-A55 Compare

Sony A57 was replaced by Sony SLT-A58. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony SLT-A58 vs Sony SLT-A57
Sony SLT-A58 vs Pentax K-S2

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Pentax K-S2 over Sony SLT-A57
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs Eye-Fi Connected Better connectivity
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 16.000 220% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/6000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 10.0m 2m longer range
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)
Yes vs No Adjust each lens for more accurate focusing
Anti Alias Filter Simulator
Yes vs No Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK K-S2 PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony SLT-A57 over Pentax K-S2
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.7x vs 0.64x Larger Viewfinder
Number of Focus Points
15 vs 11 4 more focus points
Continuous Shooting
12.0fps vs 5.4fps 6.6 fps faster
Battery Life
550 shots vs 410 shots 140 more frames with a single charge
Weight
618 g vs 678 g 60 g lighter
Sensor Pixel Area
22.87µm2 vs 18.37µm2 24% larger pixel area
CHECK A57 PRICE

Common Strengths of Pentax K-S2 and Sony SLT-A57
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fully Articulated Flexible shooting positions
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 (Electronic) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 921k dots High resolution screens
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-S2 and Sony SLT-A57
Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57: 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-S2 and Sony A57 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Pentax K-S2 has external dimensions of 91 x 123 x 73 mm (3.58 x 4.84 x 2.87″) and weighs 678 g (1.49 lb / 23.92 oz) (including batteries). Sony A57 has external dimensions of 132 x 98 x 81 mm (5.2 x 3.86 x 3.19″) and weighs 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57. Pentax K-S2 is 41mm narrower and 8mm thinner than Sony A57 but it is also 25mm taller.

Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57.
Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A57 is 60g lighter than the Pentax K-S2 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-S2 and Sony A57 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-S2
A57
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-S2
A57
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that K-S2 has a big advantage over A57 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Both cameras feature Fully Articulating screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. Fully articulating screens are also useful for taking Selfie shots and video.
Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57: Sensor Comparison

Pentax K-S2 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features PRIME MII processor. On the other hand, Sony A57 has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .

Another difference between these two cameras is that Pentax K-S2'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-S2 and A57 sensor size comparison.

Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 Cameras


Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Sony A57 has 24% larger pixel area (22.87µm2 vs 18.37µm2) compared to Pentax K-S2, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57 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 Pentax K-S2 has an advantage over Sony A57. There are 161 lenses for Pentax K-S2's Pentax KAF2 mount, on the other hand there are only 143 lenses for Sony A57's Sony/Minolta Alpha lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Pentax K-S2 Lenses # of Sony A57 Lenses
Standard Zoom 23 20
Standard Prime 23 9
Wideangle Zoom 12 11
Wideangle Prime 26 18
Telephoto Zoom 21 26
Telephoto Prime 15 13
SuperZoom 15 19
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 4
Macro Prime 14 12
Perspective Control Prime 8 9
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 2
TOTAL 161 143


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED Lens Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED
24 - 75mm 565gr 1243gr 99mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM Lens Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM
24 - 75mm 577gr 1195gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED Lens Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED
75 - 202.5mm 685gr 1363gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM Lens Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM
82.5 - 300mm 305gr 923gr 85mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L Lens Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L
31mm 345gr 1023gr 69mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 35mm F1.4 G Lens Sony 35mm F1.4 G
35mm 510gr 1128gr 76mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL Lens Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL
18 - 36mm 430gr 1108gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD Lens Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD
15 - 36mm 406gr 1024gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM Lens Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM
25.5 - 105mm 485gr 1163gr 94mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA Lens Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA
24 - 120mm 445gr 1063gr 83mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM Lens Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM
120 - 400mm 1640gr 2318gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II Lens Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II
70 - 400mm 1500gr 2118gr 196mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-S2 and Sony A57 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-S2 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A57 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Pentax K-S2 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A57 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
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Pentax K-S2 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A57 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.4fps
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 12.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
3 Cross Type Focus sensors
15 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 550 shots
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Pentax K-S2 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A57 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
678g
Body Thickness 73mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
618g
Body Thickness 81mm
Read the details

Pentax K-S2 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony A57 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Pentax K-S2 vs Sony A57: 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-S2 and Sony A57, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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-S2 and Sony A57 scores compare:

Pentax K-S2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #1 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #91 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Sony A57
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #10 out of 79 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #166 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Pentax K-S2 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony A57 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Pentax K-S2
Pentax K-S2
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Sony A57
Sony A57
CHECK PRICE

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Sony A57 vs Pentax K-S2 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Pentax K-S2 Sony SLT-A57
Brand Pentax Sony
Announced 2015-02-10 2012-09-13
Body Type Compact SLR Compact 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 20 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 5472 x 3648 4912 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 51,200 ISO 16,000 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 11 15
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Pentax KAF2 Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of Available Lenses 161 143
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 1,440k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.64x 0.7x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/6000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.4 fps 12.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 678g 618g
Dimensions 91 x 123 x 73mm 132 x 98 x 81mm
Battery Life 410 shots 550 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 75
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.4
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.0
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 785
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