Nikon D300S vs Pentax K-1 II

Following is a comprehensive assessment of the Nikon D300S and Pentax K-1 II, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by competitors Nikon and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the D300S (12MP) and K-1 II (36MP) and the D300S (APS-C) and K-1 II (Full frame) possess different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The D300S was manufactured 9 years earlier than the K-1 II which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before going straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the D300S matches up against the K-1 II with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon D300S & Pentax K-1 Mark II. The entire galleries are viewable at Nikon D300S Gallery & Pentax K-1 II Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Nikon D300S enjoys exterior measurements of 147mm x 114mm x 74mm (5.8" x 4.5" x 2.9") having a weight of 938 grams (2.07 lbs) and the Pentax K-1 II has dimensions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") having a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Contrast the Nikon D300S and Pentax K-1 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use at that moment. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the D300S vs the K-1 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the D300S and K-1 II is 55 and 55 respectively.

In many cases, its hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading a spec sheet. The image below should provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the D300S and K-1 II.

As you can see, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The D300S due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-1 II will deliver greater detail due to its extra 24 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged D300S is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.