Updated (April, 2014): Compare the Pentax K-5 II vs Sony SLT A77 II

Pentax K-5
Winner
Pentax K-5

85

vs
Sony SLT-A77

77

Sony SLT A77
Runner-up
     
 

Reasons to buy the Pentax K-5

Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
14.1 EV
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
600 ms startup delay
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Pentaprism
 

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT A77

Viewfinder size
 Large viewfinder
0.72x
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
True resolution
 High true resolution
24 MP
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
12 fps
 
Differences | Recommendations | Cast your vote | Similarities | Competitors | Appearance | Discussion

differences

Advantages of the Pentax K-5

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Startup delay Much less startup delay 600 ms vs 3100 ms
Help
 5.2x less delay when turning on
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentaprism vs Digital
Help
 Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 1,162 ISO vs 801 ISO
Help
 The K-5 has a slight edge (0.5 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Overall image quality Better image quality 82.0 vs 78.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Dynamic range More dynamic range 14.1 EV vs 13.2 EV
Help
 0.9 f-stops more dynamic range
Size Smaller 130x96x72 mm vs 143x104x81 mm
Help
 More than 20% smaller
Battery life Longer battery life 740 shots vs 530 shots
Help
 Around 40% more shots per battery charge
Thickness Significantly thinner 2.9" vs 3.2"
Help
 More than 10% thinner
Shutter lag Slightly less shutter lag 104 ms vs 124 ms
Help
 Around 20% less delay when taking photos
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 51,200 ISO vs 25,600 ISO
Help
 The K-5's boost ISO is 1 f-stop better
Pentax K-5 Learn more about
the Pentax K-5

Advantages of the Sony SLT A77

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Autofocus Video autofocus Phase detection vs None
Help
 Automatically focuses shooting video
Supports 24p Supports 24p Yes vs No
Help
 Get that real film feel
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder 0.72x vs 0.60x
Help
 More than 40% larger viewfinder
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
 Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 12 fps vs 7 fps
Help
 More than 70% faster continuous shooting
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 24 MP vs 16.1 MP
Help
 Capture around 50% more detail in your photos
GPS Has a GPS Yes vs No
Help
 Automatically geotags your photos when traveling
Color depth Better color depth 24 bits vs 23.7 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.3 more bits of color
Focus points More focus points 19 vs 11
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Lens availability More lenses available 123 lenses vs 109 lenses
Help
 More than 10% more lenses available
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 16,000 ISO vs 12,800 ISO
Help
 The SLT A77's maximum light sensitivity is 0.3 f-stops better
Cross type focus points Slightly more cross-type focus points 11 vs 9
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Sony SLT-A77 Learn more about
the Sony SLT A77
vs

recommendations

Which camera do we recommend? Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Snapsort Recommends
Pentax K-5 Pentax K-5 85
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        vs
        77 Sony SLT A77 Sony SLT-A77
        Retailer
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              similarities

              Compared to recent DSLRs

              Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
              Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
              Sensor shift
              Shutter lag Minimal shutter lag Help
              K-5:104 ms
              SLT A77:124 ms
              Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
              Shoot in extreme weather
              Viewfinder coverage Above average viewfinder coverage Help
              100%
              Fastest shutter speed Fast max shutter speeds Help
              1/8000 of a second
              Built-in flash Each has a built-in flash Help
              External flash not needed
              Storage slots Fewer storage slots Help
              1
              Built-in focus motor No focus motor Help
              Won't autofocus with all lenses
              Lens availability Few lenses available Help
              K-5:109 lenses
              SLT A77:123 lenses
              Sensor size Very small sensors Help
              K-5:APS-C 23.6x15.7mm
              SLT A77:APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
              Focus points Few focus points Help
              K-5:11
              SLT A77:19

              dxomark

              DXOMark

              competitors

              Shared Competitors

              Advantages

              Disadvantages
              Nikon D7100

              Nikon D7100

              Entry-level DSLR

              $1,097 - $1,147 body only

              $1,394 - $1,397 with 18-140mm lens
              Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
              Screen resolution Has a significantly higher resolution screen
              Thickness Is thicker
              Size Is slightly larger
              Compare the D7100 vs the K-5
              Compare the D7100 vs the SLT A77
              Nikon D7000

              Nikon D7000

              Entry-level DSLR

              $701 - $840 body only

              $913 - $1,150 with 18-105mm lens
              Lens availability Much more lenses available
              Battery life Has a slightly longer battery life
              Thickness Is thicker
              HDR Lacks a built in HDR feature
              Compare the D7000 vs the K-5
              Compare the D7000 vs the SLT A77
              Canon EOS 70D

              Canon EOS 70D

              Pro DSLR

              $1,049 - $1,150 body only

              $200 - $1,249 with 18-55mm lens
              Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
              Touch screen Has a touch screen
              Thickness Is thicker
              Size Is slightly larger
              Compare the EOS 70D vs the K-5
              Compare the EOS 70D vs the SLT A77
              Canon EOS 7D

              Canon EOS 7D

              Pro DSLR

              $915 - $1,299 body only

              $1,284 - $1,299 with 18-135mm lens
              Lens availability Significantly more lenses available
              Cross type focus points Has slightly more cross-type focus points
              Weight Is slightly heavier
              Size Is slightly larger
              Compare the EOS 7D vs the K-5
              Compare the EOS 7D vs the SLT A77
              Pentax K-3

              Pentax K-3

              Entry-level DSLR

              $988 - $1,197 body only

              $1,200 - $1,337 with 18-55mm lens
              Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
              Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
              Thickness Is thicker
              Startup delay Has slightly more startup delay
              Compare the K-3 vs the K-5
              Compare the K-3 vs the SLT A77
              Nikon D5300

              Nikon D5300

              Entry-level DSLR

              $720 - $747 body only

              $847 with 18-55mm lens
              Screen size Has a significantly larger screen
              Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
              Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
              Thickness Is thicker
              Compare the D5300 vs the K-5
              Compare the D5300 vs the SLT A77
              Canon EOS 5D Mark II

              Canon EOS 5D Mark II

              Pro DSLR

              $2,300 body only

              $3,409 with 24-105mm lens
              Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
              Sensor size Has a significantly larger sensor
              Built-in flash Doesn't have a built-in flash
              Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
              Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the K-5
              Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the SLT A77

              Pentax K-5 Competitors

              Advantages

              Disadvantages
              Pentax K-50

              Pentax K-50

              Entry-level DSLR

              $447 - $473 body only

              $526 - $547 with 18-55mm lens
              Supports 24p Supports 24p
              Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity
              External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
              Overall image quality Worse image quality
              Compare the K-50 vs the K-5
              Pentax K-5 II

              Pentax K-5 II

              Entry-level DSLR

              $700 - $714 body only

              $575 - $1,151 with 18-55mm lens
              Battery life Longer battery life
              Shutter lag Significantly more shutter lag
              Compare the K-5 II vs the K-5
              Pentax K-30

              Pentax K-30

              Entry-level DSLR

              $463 - $550 body only

              $560 - $621 with 18-55mm lens
              Supports 24p Supports 24p
              Weight Lighter
              External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
              Startup delay More startup delay
              Compare the K-30 vs the K-5

              Sony SLT-A77 Competitors

              Advantages

              Disadvantages
              Sony SLT A77 II

              Sony SLT A77 II

              Pro DSLR

              $1,098 body only

              $1,698 with 16-50mm lens
              Screen resolution Significantly higher resolution screen
              Focus points Many more focus points
              GPS No built-in GPS
              Battery life Slightly shorter battery life
              Compare the SLT A77 II vs the SLT A77
              Sony SLT-A65

              Sony SLT A65

              Entry-level DSLR

              $649 - $698 body only

              $748 with 55-200mm lens
              Startup delay Less startup delay
              Size Smaller
              Weather sealed No weather sealing
              Overall image quality Worse image quality
              Compare the SLT A65 vs the SLT A77

              appearance

              Pentax K-5 Sony SLT-A77
              Pentax K-5 Sony SLT-A77
              Pentax K-5 Sony SLT-A77

              discussion

              Pentax K-5
              K-5
              Pentax

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              Sony SLT-A77
              SLT A77
              Sony

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              Showing 2 comments

              Bulatow (4:16 AM, January 22, 2012)
               And is rounder,  what about pictures?
               
              Lewisz (1:43 AM, November 10, 2011)
              You never add the the score on Sony for
              1- More focus points 19 vs 11
              2- Continuous video focus
              3- Slightly more cross-type focus points 11 vs 9
              4- Supports 24p
              5- Takes 3D photos
              6- Video autofocus
              7- Better maximum light sensitivity

              These few points are indeed make the Sony A77 better than K5. As I had both camera + nikon D7000