Nikon
D300S
 vs
Pentax
K-5

Pentax K-5

78
Winner

Pentax K-5
"The rear control dial is well-placed too - easy to reach with the thumb of your right hand, but not directly underneath the thumbgrip, where it might get rotated by accident."
dpreview.com | talking about the K-5's feel
"One of the best APS-C DSLRs in terms of high ISO image quality"
dpreview.com | talking about the K-5's iso-noise

Reasons to buy the Pentax K-5

Overall image quality
 Great image quality
82.0
Color depth
 Great color depth
23.7 bits
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
14.1 EV
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
12,800 ISO
Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Nikon D300S

63
Runner-up

Nikon D300S
"Although the fine detail of ergonomics can come down to personal preference and hand shape/size, the basics are universal"
dpreview.com | talking about the D300S's feel
"Sophisticated AF system with effective subject tracking"
dpreview.com | talking about the D300S's auto-focus

Reasons to buy the Nikon D300S

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
External mic jack
 External mic jack
Record higher quality audio with a microphone
Lens availability
 Slightly more lenses available
169 lenses
Focus points
 Many focus points
51
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2

differences

Advantages of the Nikon D300S
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
Focus points Many more focus points 51 vs 11
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Lens availability Much more lenses available 169 lenses vs 90 lenses
Help
 Around 90% more lenses available
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Cross type focus points More cross-type focus points 15 vs 9
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Startup delay Less startup delay 300 ms vs 600 ms
Help
 2x less delay when turning on
Battery life Slightly longer battery life 950 shots vs 740 shots
Help
 Around 30% more shots per battery charge
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder 0.62x vs 0.60x
Help
 Almost the same
Nikon D300S Learn more about
the Nikon D300S

Advantages of the Pentax K-5
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality 82.0 vs 70.0
Help
 Around 20% better image quality
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
Color depth Better color depth 23.7 bits vs 22.5 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.2 more bits of color
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 1,162 ISO vs 787 ISO
Help
 The K-5 has a slight edge (0.6 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 25fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate
Dynamic range More dynamic range 14.1 EV vs 12.2 EV
Help
 1.9 f-stops more dynamic range
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Shutter lag Significantly less shutter lag 104 ms vs 225 ms
Help
 2.2x less delay when taking photos
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 12,800 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The K-5's maximum light sensitivity is 2 f-stops better
True resolution Higher true resolution 16.1 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture more than 30% more detail in your photos
Size Smaller 130x96x72 mm vs 147x114x74 mm
Help
 Around 30% smaller
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 51,200 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The K-5's boost ISO is 3 f-stops better
Weight Lighter 740 g vs 938 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Lowest price Slightly cheaper $888.00 vs $1,690.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $802 cheaper (around 50% less)
Thickness Slightly thinner 2.9" vs 2.9"
Help
 Almost the same
Pentax K-5 Learn more about
the Pentax K-5
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Nikon D300S Nikon D300S
63 vs 78
Explain scores
Pentax K-5 Pentax K-5
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Pentax K-5. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a pro DSLR with a entry-level DSLR.

advice

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1
votes
by John-Dettinger last month
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D7000

I began photography around 11 months ago. I currently have the entry level Nikon D3100. It has d...

2 people recommend the Nikon D7000:

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0
votes
by Katie-Renee-Roloson last week
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D7000

I am looking to upgrade to start a wedding photography business ...

2 people recommend the Nikon D7000:

" surely the D7000 is more up to date and seems to be at least as relyable as the d300s (both shut..."

"I shoot weddings with the D7000 and love it.. use the money saved and put it toward a great lens. ..."
0
votes
by Marcos-Panayiotou last month
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D7000

I would like a camera that shoots sharp both during day and night(both raw and bright light) A c...

One person recommends the Nikon D7000:

" noise reduction at high iso. more true resolution .bigger sensor than other semipro camera"
0
votes
by Sherry-McCollum last month
Nikon D300S vs Nikon D700

I'm an advanced amateur and the most important features in the camera are ease of use and very sha...

One person recommends the Nikon D300S:

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0
votes
by Saeddo-Fodi last week
Nikon D2Xs vs Nikon D300S

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similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
100%
Thickness Thin Help
2.9"
Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
1/8000 of a second
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,000 body only

$1,100 with 55-200mm lens
Movie continuous focus Can focus continuously while recording movies
Autofocus Focuses automatically while shootting video
Thickness Is thicker
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the D300S
Compare the D7000 vs the K-5
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,549 - $1,821 body only

$1,620 - $1,849 with 18-135mm lens
Size Is slightly larger
Color depth Has slightly less color depth
Compare the EOS 7D vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 7D vs the K-5
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $597 body only

$600 - $697 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Movie continuous focus Can focus continuously while recording movies
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the D300S
Compare the D5100 vs the K-5
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$1,047 with 55-200mm lens
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D90 vs the D300S
Compare the D90 vs the K-5
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$848 - $1,304 body only

$1,177 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 60D vs the K-5
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$2,649 body only
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D700 vs the D300S
Compare the D700 vs the K-5
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,130 body only

$2,875 - $2,999 with 24-105mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Built-in flash Doesn't have a built-in flash
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D300S
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the K-5

Nikon D300S Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D300

Nikon D300

Pro DSLR

$1,000 body only
Lowest price Slightly cheaper
Movie format Does not take movies
Color depth Worse color depth
Compare the D300 vs the D300S

Pentax K-5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Pentax K-30

Pentax K-30

Entry-level DSLR
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Weight Lighter
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Battery life Shorter battery life
Compare the K-30 vs the K-5

appearance

Nikon D300S Pentax K-5
Nikon D300S Pentax K-5
Nikon D300S Pentax K-5

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