Pentax
K-5
 vs
Sony SLT
A77

Updated (September, 2012): Compare the Pentax K-5 II vs Sony SLT-A77

Pentax K-5

73

  
Sony SLT-A77

65

  
Winner

Pentax K-5

Reasons to buy the Pentax K-5

Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
14.1 EV
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Pentaprism
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
104 ms shutter lag
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
 
Runner-up

Sony SLT A77

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
Light sensitivity
 High ISO
16,000 ISO
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
12 fps
Screen flips out
 Flip-out screen
Great for movies
 

differences

Advantages of the Pentax K-5
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
Battery life Longer battery life 740 shots vs 530 shots
Help
 Around 40% more shots per battery charge
Size Smaller 130x96x72 mm vs 143x104x81 mm
Help
 More than 20% smaller
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
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
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
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder 0.72x vs 0.60x
Help
 More than 40% larger viewfinder
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 24 MP vs 16.1 MP
Help
 Capture around 50% more detail in your photos
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 12 fps vs 7 fps
Help
 More than 70% faster continuous shooting
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
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

Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Pentax K-5 Pentax K-5
73 vs 65
Explain scores
Sony SLT A77 Sony SLT-A77
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 entry-level DSLR with a pro DSLR.

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Sensor shift
Dynamic range Good dynamic range Help
K-5:14.1 EV
SLT A77:13.2 EV
Weather sealed Weather sealed Help
Shoot in extreme weather
Shutter lag Minimal shutter lag Help
K-5:104 ms
SLT A77:124 ms
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
Lens availability Few lenses available Help
K-5:90 lenses
SLT A77:92 lenses
Sensor size Very small sensors Help
K-5:APS-C 23.6x15.7mm
SLT A77:APS-C 23.5x15.6mm

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$997 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
Nikon D7100

Nikon D7100

Entry-level DSLR

$1,197 body only

$1,497 with 18-105mm 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
Canon EOS 7D

Canon EOS 7D

Pro DSLR

$1,499 body only

$1,699 with 28-135mm lens
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Cross type focus points Has slightly more cross-type focus points
Size Is slightly larger
HDR Lacks a built in HDR feature
Compare the EOS 7D vs the K-5
Compare the EOS 7D vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$699 - $899 body only

$999 - $1,279 with 18-135mm lens
Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Thickness Is thicker
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the EOS 60D vs the K-5
Compare the EOS 60D vs the SLT A77
Nikon D5200

Nikon D5200

Entry-level DSLR

$697 body only

$797 with 18-55mm lens
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Focus points Has slightly more focus points
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5200 vs the K-5
Compare the D5200 vs the SLT A77
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,479 body only

$2,699 - $3,000 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
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the K-5
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the SLT A77
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the K-5
Compare the D5100 vs the SLT A77

Pentax K-5 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Pentax K-30

Pentax K-30

Entry-level DSLR

$488 - $690 body only

$547 - $780 with 18-55mm lens
Supports 24p Supports 24p
Weight Lighter
External mic jack Lacks an external mic jack
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Compare the K-30 vs the K-5
Pentax K-5 II

Pentax K-5 II

Entry-level DSLR

$783 - $997 body only

$1,106 - $1,547 with 18-135mm lens
Battery life Longer battery life
Compare the K-5 II vs the K-5

Sony SLT-A77 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $698 body only

$798 - $1,005 with 18-55mm 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
Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT A57

Entry-level DSLR

$460 - $499 body only

$519 - $539 with 18-55mm lens
Size Smaller
Weight Lighter
Weather sealed No weather sealing
True resolution Significantly lower true resolution
Compare the SLT A57 vs the SLT A77

appearance

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

discussion

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