Sony A7S vs Pentax K10D Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Pentax K10D

10 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) CCD Sensor

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Sony A7S vs Pentax K10D Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Pentax K10D, which was introduced in December 2006 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, K10D is 8 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-04-06

12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 409600

Sony E Mount

3 Tilting Screen

2359k dot Electronic viewfinder

5 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

120 fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Pentax K10D Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-12-15

10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Pentax KAF2 Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

793g. 142 x 101 x 70 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Pentax K10D

Pentax K10D was replaced by Pentax K20D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K20D vs Pentax K10D
Pentax K20D vs Sony Alpha A7S

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Pentax K10D compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Pentax K10D

Wireless Connection	Built-In vs None	Better connectivity
LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x vs 0.64x	Larger Viewfinder
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	12 MP vs 10 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	409.600 vs 1.600	25500% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 11	14 more focus points
LCD Screen Size	3 vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	1.230k dots vs 210k dots	485% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage	100% vs 95%	More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	5.0fps vs 3.0fps	2 fps faster
Weight	489 g vs 793 g	304 g lighter
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Color Depth	23.9 vs 22.7	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.2 vs 11.6	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	3702 vs 522	better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area	71.24µm² vs 36.75µm²	93% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs None	Higher Resolution Video
NFC Connection	Yes vs No	Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Reasons to choose Pentax K10D over Sony Alpha A7S

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Top LCD	Yes vs No	Help viewing and changing settings easily

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Pentax K10D

External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Pentax K10D

LCD Screen Size	3 vs 2.5"	Small display

Sony A7S vs Pentax K10D: 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 Sony A7S and Pentax K10D side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K10D has external dimensions of 142 x 101 x 70 mm (5.59 x 3.98 x 2.76″) and weighs 793 g (1.75 lb / 27.97 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D. Sony A7S is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 15mm narrower, 7mm shorter and 22mm thinner than Pentax K10D.

Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D.

Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D.

Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is significantly lighter (304g ) than the Pentax K10D 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 Sony A7S has a Full frame sensor and Pentax K10D has a smaller APS-C sensor, Pentax K10D's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Sony A7S lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S

K10D

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7S

K10D

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7S and K10D have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S's 3 LCD screen is slightly larger than Pentax K10D's 2.5" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony A7S LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Pentax K10D has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A7S.

Sony A7S vs Pentax K10D: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Pentax K10D has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the A7S and K10D sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Pentax K10D Cameras

As seen above, Sony A7S has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Pentax K10D. 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 Sony A7S and Pentax K10D 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, A7S has scored 87, 21 points higher than K10D.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A7S	87	23.9 bits	13.2 Evs	3702 ISO
Pentax K10D	66	22.7 bits	11.6 Evs	522 ISO

Sony A7S vs Pentax K10D 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 K10D has an advantage over Sony A7S There are 151 lenses for Pentax K10D's Pentax KAF2 mount, on the other hand there are only 128 lenses for Sony A7S's Sony E lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Pentax K10D 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, Sony A7S doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 31 lenses for Sony E mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Sony A7S Lenses	# of Pentax K10D Lenses
Standard Zoom	12 (9 Full Frame)	22
Standard Prime	18 (9 Full Frame)	20
Wideangle Zoom	7 (6 Full Frame)	12
Wideangle Prime	42 (26 Full Frame)	24
Telephoto Zoom	9 (7 Full Frame)	21
Telephoto Prime	18 (14 Full Frame)	12
SuperZoom	8 (1 Full Frame)	15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	2 (0 Full Frame)	3
Macro Prime	8 (7 Full Frame)	14
Perspective Control Prime	2 (2 Full Frame)	8
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	128 (81 Full Frame)	151

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A7S and Pentax K10D to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM	24 - 70mm	886gr	1375gr	136mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED	24 - 75mm	565gr	1358gr	99mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS	70 - 200mm	1480gr	1969gr	200mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED	75 - 202.5mm	685gr	1478gr	136mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 50mm F1.4	50mm	778gr	1267gr	108mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L	31mm	345gr	1138gr	69mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM	16 - 35mm	680gr	1169gr	122mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL	18 - 36mm	430gr	1223gr	84mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS	24 - 105mm	663gr	1152gr	113mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM	25.5 - 105mm	485gr	1278gr	94mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS	100 - 400mm	1395gr	1884gr	205mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM	120 - 400mm	1640gr	2433gr	203mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Pentax K10D Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Pentax K10D 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.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax K10D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax K10D for Street Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax K10D for Sports Photography

GOOD

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
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: 1/4000s
11 Focus Points
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K10D for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
793g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K10D for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Live-view
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Pentax K10D: 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 Sony A7S and Pentax K10D, 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 Sony A7S and Pentax K10D scores compare:

Sony A7S

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Pentax K10D

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #63 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #490 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Pentax K10D in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Pentax K10D vs Sony A7S Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha A7S	Pentax K10D
Brand	Sony	Pentax
Announced	2014-04-06	2006-12-15
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	Full frame	APS-C
Dimensions	35.8 x 23.9 mm	23.5 x 15.7 mm
Area	855.62mm²	368.95mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	4240 x 2832	3872 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity	409,600 ISO	1,600 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	25	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony E	Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses	128	151
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3	2.5"
Resolution	1,230k dots	210k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	2,359k dots	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x	0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/8000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	No	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	n/a	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	5.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	None
Video Formats	MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	489g	793g
Dimensions	127 x 94 x 48mm	142 x 101 x 70mm
Battery Life	360 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording	With Downloadable App
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	87	66
DxO Color Depth	23.9	22.7
DxO Dynamic Range	13.2	11.6
DxO Low Light ISO	3702	522
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