Sony A37 vs Pentax K-500 Comparison

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Sony A37

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

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Pentax K-500

16 MP | APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A37 vs Pentax K-500 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A37 and K-500, two Entry-Level DSLR cameras from Sony and Pentax. Both Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 cameras have 16.0MP APS-C sensors. Sony A37 was introduced to market in May 2012 and Pentax K-500 was launched in November 2013. There is 18 months difference between A37 and K-500 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger K-500, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A37 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2012-05-16

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 25600

Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.6" Tilting Screen

1440k dot Electronic viewfinder

6 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

506g. 124 x 92 x 85 mm

Replaced Sony SLT-A35 Compare

Pentax K-500 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-11-27

16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 51600

Pentax KAF2 Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

6 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

646g. 130 x 97 x 71 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony SLT-A37 over Pentax K-500

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder Magnification	0.73x vs 0.61x	Larger Viewfinder
Number of Focus Points	15 vs 11	4 more focus points
Weight	506 g vs 646 g	140 g lighter
Microphone Port	Yes vs No	High quality audio recording option

Reasons to choose Pentax K-500 over Sony SLT-A37

Max ISO	51.600 vs 25.600	101% higher Max ISO
Number of Cross Type Focus Points	9 vs 3	6 more cross type focus points
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.6"	0.4 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 230k dots	299% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter	1/6000s vs 1/4000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	710 shots vs 500 shots	210 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Color Depth	23.7 vs 23.3	higher color depth
Dynamic Range	13.1 vs 12.9	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	1087 vs 799	better High ISO performance
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)	Yes vs No	Adjust each lens for more accurate focusing

Common Strengths of Sony SLT-A37 and Pentax K-500

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
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
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting	6.0fps vs 6.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Sony SLT-A37 and Pentax K-500

Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

Sony A37 vs Pentax K-500: 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 A37 and Pentax K-500 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A37 has external dimensions of 124 x 92 x 85 mm (4.88 x 3.62 x 3.35″) and weighs 506 g (1.12 lb / 17.85 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K-500 has external dimensions of 130 x 97 x 71 mm (5.12 x 3.82 x 2.8″) and weighs 646 g (1.42 lb / 22.79 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A37 and Pentax K-500. Sony A37 is 6mm narrower and 5mm shorter than Pentax K-500 but it is also 14mm thicker.

Comparison image of Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A37 and Pentax K-500.

Top View Comparison image of Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A37 is significantly lighter (140g ) than the Pentax K-500 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 both Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 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

A37

K-500

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A37

K-500

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony SLT-A37 nor Pentax K-500 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax K-500's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A37's 2.6" screen.

On the other hand, Sony A37 LCD screen 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 K-500 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A37.

Sony A37 vs Pentax K-500: Sensor Comparison

Both Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 have APS-C sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the A37 and K-500 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 Cameras

Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It 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. Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that K-500 has a better overall score of 79, 4 points higher compared to A37's score of 75.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A37	75	23.3 bits	12.9 Evs	799 ISO
Pentax K-500	79	23.7 bits	13.1 Evs	1087 ISO

Sony A37 vs Pentax K-500 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-500 has an advantage over Sony A37 There are 155 lenses for Pentax K-500's Pentax KAF2 mount, on the other hand there are only 143 lenses for Sony A37's Sony/Minolta Alpha lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type	# of Sony A37 Lenses	# of Pentax K-500 Lenses
Standard Zoom	20	22
Standard Prime	9	21
Wideangle Zoom	11	12
Wideangle Prime	18	25
Telephoto Zoom	26	21
Telephoto Prime	12	14
SuperZoom	19	15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	4	3
Macro Prime	12	14
Perspective Control Prime	10	8
Telephoto Mirror Prime	2	n/a
TOTAL	143	155

Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM	24 - 75mm	577gr	1083gr	88mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED	24 - 75mm	565gr	1211gr	99mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 SAM	82.5 - 300mm	305gr	811gr	85mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED	75 - 202.5mm	685gr	1331gr	136mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony 35mm F1.4 G	35mm	510gr	1016gr	76mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L	31mm	345gr	991gr	69mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Tamron 10-24mm f3.5-4.5 II LD	15 - 36mm	406gr	912gr	84mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL	18 - 36mm	430gr	1076gr	84mm	Amazon B&H Photo

24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony DT 16-80mm F3.5-4.5 ZA	24 - 120mm	445gr	951gr	83mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM	25.5 - 105mm	485gr	1131gr	94mm	Amazon B&H Photo

Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses

Model		FF Equiv.	Weight	Weight w/ Cam	Length	Street Price
	Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM II	70 - 400mm	1500gr	2006gr	196mm	Amazon B&H Photo
	Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM	120 - 400mm	1640gr	2286gr	203mm	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A37 and Pentax K-500 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 A37 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-500 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

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

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Sony A37 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-500 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

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

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A37 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-500 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
3 Cross Type Focus sensors
15 Focus Points
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 710 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A37 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-500 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
506g
Body Thickness 85mm
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Large Body
646g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details

Sony A37 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-500 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

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

Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A37 vs Pentax K-500: 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 A37 and Pentax K-500, 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 A37 and Pentax K-500 scores compare:

Sony A37

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #22 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #191 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Pentax K-500

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #25 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #204 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Sony A37 has a higher Overall Score than the Pentax K-500. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that A37 trails behind the K-500: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Pentax K-500. If not, we recommend the Sony A37.

Pentax K-500 vs Sony A37 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony SLT-A37	Pentax K-500
Brand	Sony	Pentax
Announced	2012-05-16	2013-11-27
Body Type	Compact SLR	Compact SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	APS-C	APS-C
Dimensions	23.5 x 15.6 mm	23.7 x 15.7 mm
Area	366.60mm²	372.09mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4912 x 3264	4928 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity	25,600 ISO	51,600 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	15	11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony/Minolta Alpha	Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses	143	155
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	2.6"	3"
Resolution	230k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	1,440k dots	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.73x	0.61x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m	12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync	1/160s	1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	6.0 fps	6.0 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, AVCHD, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Eye-Fi Connected	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	506g	646g
Dimensions	124 x 92 x 85mm	130 x 97 x 71mm
Battery Life	500 shots	710 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	75	79
DxO Color Depth	23.3	23.7
DxO Dynamic Range	12.9	13.1
DxO Low Light ISO	799	1087
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