Canon 1D Mark III vs Pentax K-1 II

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Canon 1D Mark III vs Pentax K-1 II

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APS-H 525.5mm²
10.1 megapixels
ISO 100 - 3200

Go in depth with our full Canon 1D Mark III Review.
See real-world photos taken with the 1D Mark III.

35mm 861.6mm²
36.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 819,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-1 II Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-1 II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-1 II.
Compare Pentax K-1 II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-1 II conclusion.

Succeeded by the Canon 1D Mark IV
Compare 1D Mark III vs 1D Mark IV
Compare Canon 1D Mark IV vs Pentax K-1 II

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Differences

Canon 1D Mark III advantages over Pentax K-1 II

Bigger pixels
~ 7.23 vs 4.88 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Fast startup
~0.10 vs 1.4 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

2200 vs 670 shots
Capture more photos
Higher max flash sync
1/300 vs 1/200 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 4.5 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)

Pentax K-1 II advantages over Canon 1D Mark III

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Larger sensor
35mm vs APS-H
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
More cross-type AF points
25 vs 19
Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
Pentaprism viewfinder
Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
Newer
8 years vs 19 years old
Newer cameras often support more advanced features
HDMI out
HDMI out vs None
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More dots on screen
1037k vs 230k dots
Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
Shoots 1080p video
Yes vs No
You'll want this if you shoot video
More viewfinder magnification
0.70x vs 0.58x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
36.4 vs 10.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
More AF points
33 vs 19
More AF points improve autofocus
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Bigger JPEG buffer
77 vs 12 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
819200 vs 6400 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Top deck display
Both provide
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Dual card slots
Both provide
Gives you more storage flexibility
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Adorama
Read K-1 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

We haven’t reviewed the Canon 1D Mark III.
Read our Canon 1D Mark III Initial Test

Excellent build and comfortable handling; Bright, roomy viewfinder and articulated LCD; Great image quality; Good performance for the class; In-camera stabilization, GPS and Wi-Fi; Incredibly feature-rich design.
Bulkier than APS-C DSLRs; Top ISOs are for the spec sheet, not the real world; JPEGs are a bit punchy by default; Slow startup; Below-average battery life; Only a relatively modest update to the K-1.
Read our Pentax K-1 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 5DS

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon 5DS

$4500
APS-H

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$1299
35mm

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 5DS

Pentax K-1 II

Canon 5DS

$1123
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1299
35mm

Fast startup
More cross-type AF points

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Canon 5DS

Compared to Canon 5DS R

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon 5DS R

$4500
APS-H

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$1499
35mm

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 5DS R

Pentax K-1 II

Canon 5DS R

$1123
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$1499
35mm

Fast startup
More cross-type AF points

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Canon 5DS R

Compared to Pentax K-1

Canon 1D Mark III

Pentax K-1

$4500
APS-H

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$1800
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Pentax K-1

Pentax K-1 II

Pentax K-1

$1123
35mm

Higher extended ISO

$1800
35mm

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax K-1

Compared to Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 1D Mark III

Canon 5D Mark IV

$4500
APS-H

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$2249
35mm

Larger sensor
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Canon 5D Mark IV

Pentax K-1 II

Canon 5D Mark IV

$1123
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$2249
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Canon 5D Mark IV

Compared to Nikon D850

Canon 1D Mark III

Nikon D850

$4500
APS-H

Bigger pixels
Fast startup

$2697
35mm

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

Compare Canon 1D Mark III vs Nikon D850

Pentax K-1 II

Nikon D850

$1123
35mm

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2697
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Pentax K-1 II vs Nikon D850

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