Pentax K-70 vs Sony A6000
The Pentax K-70 and the Sony Alpha A6000 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in June 2016 and February 2014. The K-70 is a DSLR, while the A6000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.
Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.
Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Pentax K-70 and the Sony Alpha A6000? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.
Body comparison
The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Pentax K-70 and the Sony A6000. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.
The K-70 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the A6000 is available in three color-versions (black, silver, white).
If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony A6000 is considerably smaller (31 percent) than the Pentax K-70. Moreover, the A6000 is substantially lighter (50 percent) than the K-70. It is worth mentioning in this context that the K-70 is splash and dust resistant, while the A6000 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.
The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.
Concerning battery life, the K-70 gets 410 shots out of its Pentax D-LI109 battery, while the A6000 can take 360 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-FW50 power pack. The power pack in the A6000 can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.
The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.
Camera Model |
Camera Width |
Camera Height |
Camera Depth |
Camera Weight |
Battery Life |
Weather Sealing |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Pentax K-70 | 126 mm | 93 mm | 74 mm | 688 g | 410 | Y | Jun 2016 | US$ 649 | ebay.com | |
2. | Sony A6000 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 45 mm | 344 g | 360 | n | Feb 2014 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Pentax K-3 | 131 mm | 100 mm | 77 mm | 800 g | 560 | Y | Oct 2013 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
4. | Pentax K-3 II | 131 mm | 100 mm | 77 mm | 800 g | 720 | Y | Apr 2015 | US$ 1 099 | ebay.com | |
5. | Pentax K-3 III | 135 mm | 104 mm | 74 mm | 820 g | 800 | Y | Mar 2021 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
6. | Pentax K-5 | 131 mm | 97 mm | 73 mm | 760 g | 740 | Y | Sep 2010 | US$ 1 099 | ebay.com | |
7. | Pentax K-50 | 130 mm | 97 mm | 71 mm | 650 g | 410 | Y | Jun 2013 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
8. | Pentax K-500 | 130 mm | 97 mm | 71 mm | 646 g | 710 | n | Jun 2013 | US$ 549 | ebay.com | |
9. | Pentax KP | 132 mm | 101 mm | 76 mm | 703 g | 390 | Y | Jan 2017 | US$ 1 099 | ebay.com | |
10. | Pentax K-S1 | 121 mm | 93 mm | 70 mm | 558 g | 410 | n | Aug 2014 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
11. | Pentax K-S2 | 123 mm | 91 mm | 73 mm | 678 g | 410 | Y | Feb 2015 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A68 | 143 mm | 104 mm | 81 mm | 610 g | 540 | n | Nov 2015 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
13. | Sony A3000 | 128 mm | 91 mm | 85 mm | 411 g | 470 | n | Aug 2013 | US$ 329 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony A5000 | 110 mm | 63 mm | 36 mm | 269 g | 420 | n | Jan 2014 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
15. | Sony A5100 | 110 mm | 63 mm | 36 mm | 283 g | 400 | n | Aug 2014 | US$ 549 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony A6300 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 49 mm | 404 g | 400 | Y | Feb 2016 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony NEX-3 | 117 mm | 62 mm | 33 mm | 297 g | 330 | n | May 2010 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders. | |||||||||||
Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The A6000 was somewhat cheaper (by 8 percent) than the K-70 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.
Sensor comparison
The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.
Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.
The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 24 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the K-70 and the A6000 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the K-70 is much more recent (by 2 years and 3 months) than the A6000, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the K-70 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.
Unlike the A6000, the K-70 has the capacity to capture high quality composite images by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).
The Pentax K-70 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 102400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha A6000 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.
Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.
Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.
Camera Model |
Sensor Class |
Resolution (MP) |
Horiz. Pixels |
Vert. Pixels |
Video Format |
DXO Portrait |
DXO Landscape |
DXO Sports |
DXO Overall |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Pentax K-70 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 23.8 | 13.1 | 1639 | 80 | |
2. | Sony A6000 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 13.1 | 1347 | 82 | |
3. | Pentax K-3 | APS-C | 24.1 | 6016 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 23.7 | 13.4 | 1216 | 80 | |
4. | Pentax K-3 II | APS-C | 24.1 | 6016 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 23.6 | 13.6 | 1106 | 80 | |
5. | Pentax K-3 III | APS-C | 25.6 | 6192 | 4128 | 4K/30p | 24.2 | 13.7 | 2083 | 85 | |
6. | Pentax K-5 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/25p | 23.7 | 14.1 | 1162 | 82 | |
7. | Pentax K-50 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 23.7 | 13.0 | 1120 | 79 | |
8. | Pentax K-500 | APS-C | 16.1 | 4928 | 3264 | 1080/30p | 23.7 | 13.1 | 1087 | 79 | |
9. | Pentax KP | APS-C | 24.1 | 6016 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 23.9 | 13.2 | 1699 | 81 | |
10. | Pentax K-S1 | APS-C | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/30p | 23.5 | 13.0 | 1061 | 78 | |
11. | Pentax K-S2 | APS-C | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/30p | 23.6 | 12.9 | 1514 | 79 | |
12. | Sony A68 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 24.1 | 13.5 | 701 | 79 | |
13. | Sony A3000 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.7 | 12.8 | 1068 | 78 | |
14. | Sony A5000 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.8 | 13.0 | 1089 | 79 | |
15. | Sony A5100 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 23.8 | 12.7 | 1347 | 80 | |
16. | Sony A6300 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 4K/30p | 24.4 | 13.7 | 1437 | 85 | |
17. | Sony NEX-3 | APS-C | 14.0 | 4592 | 3056 | 720/30p | 22.1 | 12.0 | 830 | 68 | |
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age. |
Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the A6000 provides a faster frame rate than the K-70. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60p, while the Pentax is limited to 1080/60i.
Feature comparison
Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A6000 has an electronic viewfinder (1440k dots), while the K-70 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the A6000 has a higher magnification than the one of the K-70 (0.70x vs 0.63x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Pentax K-70 and Sony A6000 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.
Camera Model |
Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots) |
Control Panel (yes/no) |
LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots) |
LCD Attach- ment |
Touch Screen (yes/no) |
Max Shutter Speed * |
Max Shutter Flaps * |
Built-in Flash (yes/no) |
Built-in Image Stab |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Pentax K-70 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/6000s | 6.0/s | Y | Y | |
2. | Sony A6000 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Pentax K-3 | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1037 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 8.3/s | Y | Y | |
4. | Pentax K-3 II | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1037 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 8.3/s | n | Y | |
5. | Pentax K-3 III | optical | Y | 3.2 / 1620 | fixed | Y | 1/8000s | 12.0/s | n | Y | |
6. | Pentax K-5 | optical | Y | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/8000s | 7.0/s | Y | Y | |
7. | Pentax K-50 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/6000s | 6.0/s | Y | Y | |
8. | Pentax K-500 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/6000s | 6.0/s | Y | Y | |
9. | Pentax KP | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | tilting | n | 1/6000s | 7.0/s | Y | Y | |
10. | Pentax K-S1 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/6000s | 5.4/s | Y | Y | |
11. | Pentax K-S2 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | swivel | n | 1/6000s | 5.4/s | Y | Y | |
12. | Sony A68 | 1440 | Y | 2.7 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | Y | Y | |
13. | Sony A3000 | 202 | n | 3.0 / 230 | fixed | n | 1/4000s | 2.5/s | Y | n | |
14. | Sony A5000 | none | n | 3.0 / 461 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 3.5/s | Y | n | |
15. | Sony A5100 | none | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | Y | 1/4000s | 6.0/s | Y | n | |
16. | Sony A6300 | 2359 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | n | |
17. | Sony NEX-3 | optional | n | 3.0 / 920 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 7.0/s | n | n | |
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one. |
One feature that differentiates the K-70 and the A6000 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The K-70 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the A6000 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.
The K-70 has an articulated LCD that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by vloggers and photographers who are interested in snapping selfies. In contrast, the A6000 does not have a selfie-screen.The Pentax K-70 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.
The K-70 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the A6000 uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.
Connectivity comparison
For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Pentax K-70 and Sony Alpha A6000 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Pentax K-70 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
2. | Sony A6000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
3. | Pentax K-3 | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
4. | Pentax K-3 II | Y | mono / mono | Y | Y | mini | 3.0 | - | - | - | |
5. | Pentax K-3 III | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 3.2 | Y | - | Y | |
6. | Pentax K-5 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
7. | Pentax K-50 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Pentax K-500 | Y | mono / mono | - | - | - | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Pentax KP | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | - | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
10. | Pentax K-S1 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
11. | Pentax K-S2 | Y | mono / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
12. | Sony A68 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
13. | Sony A3000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
14. | Sony A5000 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
15. | Sony A5100 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
16. | Sony A6300 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
17. | Sony NEX-3 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - |
It is notable that the K-70 has a microphone port, which is missing on the A6000. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.
Both the K-70 and the A6000 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The A6000 was replaced by the Sony A6300, while the K-70 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the K-70 and A6000 can be found, respectively, in the Pentax K-70 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony A6000 Manual.
Review summary
So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Pentax K-70 better than the Sony A6000 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.
Reasons to prefer the Pentax K-70:
- Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
- High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
- Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
- Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
- More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
- More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
- Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/6000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
- Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
- Longer lasting: Can take more shots (410 versus 360) on a single battery charge.
- Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
- Sharper images: Has hand-shake reducing image stabilization built-in.
- More modern: Reflects 2 years and 3 months of technical progress since the A6000 launch.
Advantages of the Sony Alpha A6000:
- Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
- Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60p versus 1080/60i).
- More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
- Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.63x).
- Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
- More compact: Is smaller (120x67mm vs 126x93mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
- Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 344g or 50 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
- Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
- More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
- Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
- More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2014).
If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the K-70 comes out slightly ahead of the A6000 (12 : 11 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.
How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Pentax K-70 and the Sony A6000 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.
In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the K-70 and the A6000 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.
Expert reviews
This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Pentax K-70 | 4.5/5 | .. | 4/5 | 79/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2016 | US$ 649 | ebay.com | |
2. | Sony A6000 | 5/5 | + | 4.5/5 | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2014 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
3. | Pentax K-3 | 4/5 | .. | .. | 83/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Oct 2013 | US$ 1 299 | ebay.com | |
4. | Pentax K-3 II | 4.5/5 | .. | .. | .. | 5/5 | 5/5 | Apr 2015 | US$ 1 099 | ebay.com | |
5. | Pentax K-3 III | 4/5 | .. | 3/5 | .. | 4.5/5 | .. | Mar 2021 | US$ 1 999 | amazon.com | |
6. | Pentax K-5 | 4/5 | .. | .. | 83/100 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Sep 2010 | US$ 1 099 | ebay.com | |
7. | Pentax K-50 | 5/5 | .. | .. | .. | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2013 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
8. | Pentax K-500 | .. | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jun 2013 | US$ 549 | ebay.com | |
9. | Pentax KP | 4/5 | .. | 3/5 | 82/100 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2017 | US$ 1 099 | ebay.com | |
10. | Pentax K-S1 | 4/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2014 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
11. | Pentax K-S2 | 4.5/5 | .. | .. | .. | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2015 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
12. | Sony A68 | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Nov 2015 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
13. | Sony A3000 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2013 | US$ 329 | ebay.com | |
14. | Sony A5000 | 3/5 | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2014 | US$ 449 | ebay.com | |
15. | Sony A5100 | 4.5/5 | + | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Aug 2014 | US$ 549 | ebay.com | |
16. | Sony A6300 | 4.5/5 | + | .. | 85/100 | 5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2016 | US$ 999 | ebay.com | |
17. | Sony NEX-3 | .. | .. | .. | 70/100 | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | May 2010 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available. |
The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.
Other camera comparisons
Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.
- Fujifilm X-E3 vs Sony A6000
- Fujifilm XQ2 vs Pentax K-70
- Nikon D610 vs Sony A6000
- OM System OM-1 vs Pentax K-70
- Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-70
- Olympus E-M10 II vs Pentax K-70
- Olympus E-M10 III vs Pentax K-70
- Olympus E-PL9 vs Sony A6000
- Olympus XZ-2 vs Sony A6000
- Panasonic TZ100 vs Pentax K-70
- Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A6000
- Sony A6000 vs Sony NEX-5
Specifications: Pentax K-70 vs Sony A6000
Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.
Camera Model | Pentax K-70 | Sony A6000 |
---|---|---|
Camera Type | Digital single lens reflex | Mirrorless system camera |
Camera Lens | Pentax K mount lenses | Sony E mount lenses |
Launch Date | June 2016 | February 2014 |
Launch Price | USD 649 | USD 599 |
Sensor Specs | Pentax K-70 | Sony A6000 |
Sensor Technology | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor Format | APS-C Sensor | APS-C Sensor |
Sensor Size | 23.5 x 15.6 mm | 23.5 x 15.6 mm |
Sensor Area | 366.6 mm2 | 366.6 mm2 |
Sensor Diagonal | 28.2 mm | 28.2 mm |
Crop Factor | 1.5x | 1.5x |
Sensor Resolution | 24 Megapixels | 24 Megapixels |
Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 pixels | 6000 x 4000 pixels |
Pixel Pitch | 3.91 μm | 3.91 μm |
Pixel Density | 6.55 MP/cm2 | 6.55 MP/cm2 |
Moiré control | no AA filter | Anti-Alias filter |
Movie Capability | 1080/60i Video | 1080/60p Video |
ISO Setting | 100 - 102,400 ISO | 100 - 25,600 ISO |
ISO Boost | no Enhancement | 100 - 51,200 ISO |
Image Processor | PRIME MII | BIONZ X |
DXO Sensor Quality (score) | .. | 82 |
DXO Color Depth (bits) | .. | 24.1 |
DXO Dynamic Range (EV) | .. | 13.1 |
DXO Low Light (ISO) | .. | 1347 |
Screen Specs | Pentax K-70 | Sony A6000 |
Viewfinder Type | Optical viewfinder | Electronic viewfinder |
Viewfinder Field of View | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder Magnification | 0.63x | 0.70x |
Viewfinder Resolution | 1440k dots | |
LCD Framing | Live View | Live View |
Rear LCD Size | 3.0inch | 3.0inch |
LCD Resolution | 921k dots | 922k dots |
LCD Attachment | Swivel screen | Tilting screen |
Shooting Specs | Pentax K-70 | Sony A6000 |
Focus System | Phase-detect AF | On-Sensor Phase-detect |
Manual Focusing Aid | Focus Peaking | Focus Peaking |
Max Shutter Speed (mechanical) | 1/6000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous Shooting | 6 shutter flaps/s | 11 shutter flaps/s |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | 100 000 actuations |
Time-Lapse Photography | Intervalometer built-in | no Intervalometer |
Image Stabilization | In-body stabilization | Lens stabilization only |
Fill Flash | Built-in Flash | Built-in Flash |
Storage Medium | SDXC cards | MS or SDXC cards |
Single or Dual Card Slots | Single card slot | Single card slot |
UHS card support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
Connectivity Specs | Pentax K-70 | Sony A6000 |
External Flash | Hotshoe | Hotshoe |
USB Connector | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 |
HDMI Port | mini HDMI | micro HDMI |
Microphone Port | External MIC port | no MIC socket |
Wifi Support | Wifi built-in | Wifi built-in |
Near-Field Communication | no NFC | NFC built-in |
Body Specs | Pentax K-70 | Sony A6000 |
Environmental Sealing | Weathersealed body | not weather sealed |
Battery Type | Pentax D-LI109 | Sony NP-FW50 |
Battery Life (CIPA) | 410 shots per charge | 360 shots per charge |
In-Camera Charging | no USB charging | USB charging |
Body Dimensions |
126 x 93 x 74 mm (5.0 x 3.7 x 2.9 in) |
120 x 67 x 45 mm (4.7 x 2.6 x 1.8 in) |
Camera Weight | 688 g (24.3 oz) | 344 g (12.1 oz) |
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