What is the pixel pitch of the Pentax K-1 II?

The Pentax K-1 II provides 36.2 megapixels from a full frame sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 4.88µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Pentax K-1 II measures 35.9mm in width and 24.0mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 862 mm². Moreover, the K-1 II has 7 360 horizontal pixels and 4 912 vertical pixels, for a total of 36.2 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (862 mm²) to the MP count (36 152 320).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Pentax K-1 II to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Pentax K-1 II	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60i	25.1	14.0	2698	93
2.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
3.		Nikon Z6	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	3299	95
4.		Panasonic S1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.5	3333	95
5.		Panasonic S1H	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.2	14.2	2805	94
6.		Panasonic S1R	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	26.4	14.1	3525	100
7.		Pentax K-1	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60i	25.4	14.6	3280	96
8.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
9.		Sony A7R III	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	14.7	3523	100
10.		Sony A99 II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	25.4	13.4	2317	92
11.		Sony A850	Full Frame	24.4	6048	4032	none	23.8	12.2	1415	79
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Pentax K-1 II and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the K-1 II was initially launched in February 2018 at a price of $1,999.

Check K-1 II price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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