Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290
55 Imaging
77 Features
82 Overall
79
66 Imaging
53 Features
47 Overall
50
Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 36MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3.2" Fully Articulated Screen
- 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
- Released February 2018
- Superseded the Pentax K-1
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Revealed June 2010
- Replaced the Sony A230
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Below is a thorough assessment of the Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the K-1 II (36MP) and A290 (14MP) and the K-1 II (Full frame) and A290 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe K-1 II was unveiled 7 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-1 II being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the K-1 II matches up vs the A290 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Photography Glossary Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K-1 Mark II & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are available at Pentax K-1 II Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax K-1 II over the Sony A290
| K-1 II | A290 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | February 2018 | June 2010 | More recent by 94 months | |
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Display dimensions | 3.2" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 1037k | 230k | Sharper display (+807k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Pentax K-1 II
| A290 | K-1 II |
|---|
Common features in the Pentax K-1 II and Sony A290
| K-1 II | A290 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More precise focus | |||
| Selfie screen | Absent selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Absent Touch friendly display |
Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison
For anybody who is aiming to lug around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-1 II provides outside measurements of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Look at the Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the K-1 II compared to the A290.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the K-1 II and A290 is 55 and 66 respectively.
Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it's tough to see the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through a spec sheet. The visual here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the K-1 II and A290.
As you can see, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The K-1 II with its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax K-1 II will provide more detail having an extra 22 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer K-1 II is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.
Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder
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Pentax K-1 II vs Sony A290 Specifications
| Pentax K-1 Mark II | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Pentax | Sony |
| Model type | Pentax K-1 Mark II | Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 |
| Type | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Released | 2018-02-22 | 2010-06-09 |
| Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | PRIME IV | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 35.9 x 24mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 861.6mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 36 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 7360 x 4912 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Max native ISO | 819200 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 33 | 9 |
| Cross type focus points | 25 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Pentax KAF4 | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Available lenses | 151 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 3.2 inch | 2.7 inch |
| Resolution of screen | 1,037 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | 0.55x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 4.4fps | 3.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash modes | 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, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash sync | 1/200 seconds | 1/160 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p) | - |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video data format | MPEG-4, H.264 | - |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| 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 | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | Built-in | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 1010 grams (2.23 lbs) | 549 grams (1.21 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 137 x 110 x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 66 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.5 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 615 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 670 photos | 290 photos |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | D-LI90 | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage media | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) | Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC |
| Storage slots | 2 | 1 |
| Launch pricing | $1,737 | $600 |