Pentax K-5 II vs Sony A9

On this page, we will be contrasting the Pentax K-5 II and Sony A9, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Pentax and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the resolutions of the K-5 II (16MP) and A9 (24MP) and the K-5 II (APS-C) and A9 (Full frame) provide different sensor measurements.

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The K-5 II was revealed 4 years prior to the A9 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the K-5 II scores vs the A9 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax K-5 II & Sony Alpha A9. The full galleries are provided at Pentax K-5 II Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Pentax K-5 II provides exterior measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs) while the Sony A9 has dimensions of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

See the Pentax K-5 II and Sony A9 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the K-5 II vs the A9.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the K-5 II and A9 is 60 and 65 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing purely by checking specs. The visual underneath will help give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the K-5 II and A9.

All in all, both of those cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The K-5 II with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A9 will resolve greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older K-5 II is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.