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Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1

Portability
55
Imaging
78
Features
82
Overall
79
Pentax K-1 Mark II front
 
Pentax MX-1 front
Portability
84
Imaging
37
Features
60
Overall
46

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Key Specs

Pentax K-1 II
(Full Review)
  • 36MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3.2" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 819200
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF4 Mount
  • 1010g - 137 x 110 x 86mm
  • Announced February 2018
  • Replaced the Pentax K-1
Pentax MX-1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 28-112mm (F1.8-2.5) lens
  • 391g - 122 x 61 x 51mm
  • Introduced July 2013
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Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Overview

Its time to look more in depth at the Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both offered by Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the K-1 II (36MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the K-1 II (Full frame) and MX-1 (1/1.7") posses totally different sensor measurements.

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The K-1 II was revealed 4 years after the MX-1 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-1 II being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise summation of how the K-1 II grades against the MX-1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Pentax K-1 II over the Pentax MX-1

 K-1 II MX-1 
IntroducedFebruary 2018July 2013Newer by 57 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedTiltingFully Articulating display
Display dimensions3.2"3"Larger display (+0.2")
Display resolution1037k920kCrisper display (+117k dot)

Reasons to pick Pentax MX-1 over the Pentax K-1 II

 MX-1 K-1 II 

Common features in the Pentax K-1 II and Pentax MX-1

 K-1 II MX-1 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly display Lacking Touch friendly display

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to travel with your camera, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Pentax K-1 II has external measurements of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") having a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs) while the Pentax MX-1 has proportions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the K-1 II vs the MX-1.

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the K-1 II and MX-1 is 55 and 84 respectively.

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 top view buttons comparison

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions merely by viewing specs. The pic below may give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the K-1 II and MX-1.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The K-1 II using its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax K-1 II will result in extra detail because of its extra 24MP. Greater resolution will help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The newer K-1 II is going to have a benefit in sensor tech.

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 sensor size comparison

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax K-1 II Portrait photography features
Pentax MX-1 Portrait photography features
86
has manual focus
amazing megapixels (36 megapixels)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
provides face detection autofocus
delivers RAW files
42
has manual focus
includes face detect focusing
saves RAW formats
external flash not possible
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
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Street Comparison

Pentax K-1 II Street photography advice
Pentax MX-1 Street photography advice
70
screen articulates
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
delivers RAW files
environment proof
very good high ISO (819,200)
more heavy than others in class (1,010g)
65
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW formats
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
heavier than others (391 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Pentax K-1 II
Sports photography with Pentax MX-1
77
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
amazing megapixels (36 megapixels)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
provides tracking autofocus
environment proof
comes with phase detect autofocus
max fps very slow (4.4 frames per second)
terrible battery life (670 per charge)
43
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes tracking focus
better than average battery (290 CIPA)
max frames per second low (1.0 frames per second)
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
lack of phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Pentax K-1 II
Travel photography with Pentax MX-1
53
environment proof
amazing megapixels (36 megapixels)
terrible battery life (670 shots)
more heavy than others in class (1,010 grams)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
61
better than average battery (290 shots)
built-in flash
quite wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
lack of Time Lapse mode
heavier than others (391 grams)
MP count low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax K-1 II Landscape photography features
Pentax MX-1 Landscape photography features
82
has manual focus
swap lenses (Pentax KAF4 mount)
screen is a decent size (3.2")
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
amazing megapixels (36MP)
sensor size is great (Full frame)
no anti aliasing filter
very good high ISO (819,200)
delivers RAW files
environment proof
has double storage slots
terrible battery life (670 per charge)
55
has manual focus
quite wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
pretty good screen size (3")
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
saves RAW formats
better than average battery (290 CIPA)
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/1.7")
lack of Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax K-1 II Vlogging details
Pentax MX-1 Vlogging details
32
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have external microphone port
does not contain selfie friendly screen
more heavy than others in class (1,010 grams)
33
quite wide (28mm)
great max aperture (f1.8)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
includes face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of mic support
heavier than others (391g)
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Pentax K-1 II vs Pentax MX-1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax K-1 II and Pentax MX-1
 Pentax K-1 Mark IIPentax MX-1
General Information
Brand Name Pentax Pentax
Model type Pentax K-1 Mark II Pentax MX-1
Class Advanced DSLR Small Sensor Compact
Announced 2018-02-22 2013-07-01
Physical type Mid-size SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip PRIME IV -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Full frame 1/1.7"
Sensor dimensions 35.9 x 24mm 7.44 x 5.58mm
Sensor surface area 861.6mm² 41.5mm²
Sensor resolution 36 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 7360 x 4912 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 819200 12800
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 33 25
Cross type focus points 25 -
Lens
Lens mount type Pentax KAF4 fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-112mm (4.0x)
Highest aperture - f/1.8-2.5
Macro focusing range - 1cm
Total lenses 151 -
Crop factor 1 4.8
Screen
Type of display Fully Articulated Tilting
Display diagonal 3.2" 3"
Display resolution 1,037 thousand dots 920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Display technology - TFT LCD with AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.7x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Continuous shooting rate 4.4fps 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 12.00 m
Flash options Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Speed sync, Trailing Curtain sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/200s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p) 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS Built-in None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 1010 grams (2.23 pounds) 391 grams (0.86 pounds)
Physical dimensions 137 x 110 x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") 122 x 61 x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 49
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 20.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 208
Other
Battery life 670 pictures 290 pictures
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI90 D-Li-106
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 2 One
Cost at launch $1,737 $400