Pentax K-3 vs Sony A6500

Here, we are comparing the Pentax K-3 versus Sony A6500, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the K-3 (24MP) and the A6500 (24MP) is very comparable and both cameras posses the identical sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The K-3 was announced 3 years earlier than the A6500 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A6500 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the K-3 scores against the A6500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax K-3 and Sony Alpha a6500. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax K-3 Gallery and Sony A6500 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Pentax K-3 has physical dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) while the Sony A6500 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 53mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 453 grams (1.00 lbs).

See the Pentax K-3 versus Sony A6500 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the K-3 compared to the A6500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the K-3 and A6500 is 59 and 81 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specifications. The visual below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the K-3 and A6500.

To sum up, both of these cameras come with the identical sensor size and the exact same MP and you should expect comparable quality of pictures but you have to factor the production date of the cameras into account. The older K-3 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.