Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99
Portability
58 Imaging
71 Features
86 Overall
77
58 Imaging
71 Features
86 Overall
77
Portability
57 Imaging
69 Features
88 Overall
76
57 Imaging
69 Features
88 Overall
76
Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99 Key Specs
Pentax K-3 III
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 26MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 1600000
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 3840 x 2160 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 820g - 135 x 104 x 74mm
- Announced March 2021
Sony A99
(Full Review)
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 812g - 147 x 111 x 78mm
- Launched December 2012
- Replaced the Sony A900
- Renewed by Sony A99 II
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In this write-up, we will be looking at the Pentax K-3 III versus Sony A99, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by competitors Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the K-3 III (26MP) and the A99 (24MP) is pretty well matched but the K-3 III (APS-C) and A99 (Full frame) enjoy totally different sensor size.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe K-3 III was released 8 years after the A99 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).
Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the K-3 III scores vs the A99 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Photography Glossary Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax K-3 Mark III & Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are available at Pentax K-3 III Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 III over the Sony A99
| K-3 III | A99 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | March 2021 |  | December 2012 | More modern by 102 months |
| Screen sizing | 3.2" |  | 3" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
| Screen resolution | 1620k |  | 1229k | Sharper screen (+391k dot) |
| Touch friendly screen |  | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Sony A99 over the Pentax K-3 III
| A99 | K-3 III | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Fully Articulated |  | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
| Selfie screen |  | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Pentax K-3 III and Sony A99
| K-3 III | A99 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually |  | More exact focusing |
Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99 Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-3 III has got physical measurements of 135mm x 104mm x 74mm (5.3" x 4.1" x 2.9") having a weight of 820 grams (1.81 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 has measurements of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).
Take a look at the Pentax K-3 III versus Sony A99 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the K-3 III vs the A99.
Using size and weight, the portability score of the K-3 III and A99 is 58 and 57 respectively.
Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, it is hard to see the contrast between sensor sizes purely by looking at specs. The image here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the K-3 III and A99.
As you can plainly see, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The K-3 III because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-3 III will give more detail as a result of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more modern K-3 III is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.
Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99 Screen and ViewFinder
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Portrait Comparison
Pentax K-3 III Portrait photography highlights
Sony A99 Portrait photography highlights
manual focus
fantastic megapixels (26MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features face detection focusing
supports RAW files
focusing manually
decent MP (24MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
includes face detect focus
delivers RAW formats
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Pentax K-3 III Street photography details
Sony A99 Street photography details
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports RAW files
boasts touch focus
environment proof
great high ISO (1,600,000)
no moving screen
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
great ISO range (25,600)
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Pentax K-3 III Sports photography advice
Sony A99 Sports photography advice
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
fantastic megapixels (26MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
features tracking autofocus
environment proof
sensor has phase detect AF
not so great battery pack (800 shots)
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
includes tracking focus
environment proof
has phase detect auto focus
low battery life (500 CIPA)
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Pentax K-3 III Travel photography features
Sony A99 Travel photography features
environment proof
supports bluetooth
boasts touch focus
fantastic megapixels (26MP)
not so great battery pack (800 per charge)
screen isn't selfie friendly
environment proof
decent MP (24 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
low battery life (500 CIPA)
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Pentax K-3 III Landscape photography details
Sony A99 Landscape photography details
manual focus
change lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen size is good (3.2 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
fantastic megapixels (26 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
no anti-alias filter
great high ISO (1,600,000)
supports RAW files
environment proof
2 card slots
not so great battery pack (800 CIPA)
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
great ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
environment proof
2 card slots
low battery life (500 shots)
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
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Pentax K-3 III as a Vlogging camera
Sony A99 as a Vlogging camera
has touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
features face detection focusing
video res high (3840 x 2160 pixels)
includes external mic support
screen isn't selfie friendly
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
has mic support
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Pentax K-3 III vs Sony A99 Specifications
| Pentax K-3 Mark III | Sony SLT-A99 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Pentax | Sony |
| Model type | Pentax K-3 Mark III | Sony SLT-A99 |
| Type | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
| Announced | 2021-03-31 | 2012-12-12 |
| Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | APS-C | Full frame |
| Sensor dimensions | 23 x 15.5mm | 35.8 x 23.8mm |
| Sensor area | 356.5mm² | 852.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 26 megapixel | 24 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 6192 x 4128 | 6000 x 4000 |
| Maximum native ISO | 1600000 | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| AF touch | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Total focus points | 101 | 19 |
| Cross type focus points | 25 | 11 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Pentax KAF2 | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Available lenses | 156 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.6 | 1 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
| Screen sizing | 3.2" | 3" |
| Screen resolution | 1,620k dots | 1,229k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | - | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359k dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.7x | 0.71x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 12.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | no built-in flash |
| Flash modes | Auto, Auto + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow- speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, 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 | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/200 secs | 1/250 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM | 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 3840x2160 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 820 gr (1.81 lb) | 812 gr (1.79 lb) |
| Dimensions | 135 x 104 x 74mm (5.3" x 4.1" x 2.9") | 147 x 111 x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | not tested | 89 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 25.0 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 14.0 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1555 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 800 photos | 500 photos |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | D-LI90 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II supported in slot 1) | Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo; SD, SDHC and SDXC |
| Card slots | Two | Two |
| Launch cost | $1,999 | $1,998 |