The following is a comparison table in which the newly announced Pentax K-x is compared against Canon EOS 500D and Nikon D5000, which still reign strong in the high-end entry level segment, and Sony A550, which ships next month, around the same time the K-x is making its way into the market.
Is the K-x as hot inside as it is outside?
I would love to compare the K-x with other models as well if only the space permitted. Well, maybe I’ll do that in some other entries. For now, here is the comparison table for the four cameras.
Pentax K-x vs Canon EOS 500D vs Nikon D5000 vs Sony A550
| Pentax K-x | Canon EOS 500D | Nikon D5000 | Sony A550 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 23.6 x 15.8mm CMOS sensor | 22.3 x 14.9mm CMOS sensor | 23.6 x 15.8mm CMOS sensor | 23.4 x 15.6mm CMOS Exmor sensor |
| 12.4 megapixels | 15.1 megapixels | 12.3 megapixels | 14.6 megapixels | |
| Body | Plastic on stainless steel | Plastic on stainless steel chasis | Stainless steel polycarbonate | Plastic exterior |
| Shake reduction | Sensor shift type | N/A (lens based) | N/A (lens based) | Steady shot image stabilisation |
| Dust reduction | Sensor moving mechanism, SP coating | Low-pass filter vibration, anti-static coating on sensor, software based dust removal | Airflow control, image sensor cleaning, dust off reference data | Charge protection coating on low-pass filter, Sensor shift |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 200-6400, 100 (expanded), 12800 (expanded) | ISO 100-1600, 3200, 6400 (expanded), 12800 (expanded) | ISO 200-3200, 100-6400 (expanded) | ISO 200 - 1600, ISO 200 - 12800 (expanded) |
| Image formats | JPEG, RAW (PEF), RAW (DNG) | JPEG, RAW | JPEG, RAW (NEF) | JPEG, RAW (.ARW) |
| Lenses | Pentax K, KA, KAF, KAF2 and KAF3 mount | Canon EF, EF-s mount | Nikon F mount | Sony Alpha, Konica-Minolta AF |
| Field of view crop | 1.5x | 1.6x | 1.5x | 1.5x |
| Continuous shooting | 4.7fps 5 RAW/17 JPEG | 3.4fps 170 JPEG, 9 RAW | 4fps 67 JPEG, 11 RAW | 5fps, 7fps (speed priority) 32 JPEG, 7 RAW |
| Viewfinder | 96 per cent coverage | 95 per cent coverage | 95 per cent | 95 per cent |
| Autofocus | 11-point AF, 9 cross-type | 9-point, cross type centre | 11-point AF, 1 cross type | 9-point AF, centr cross sensor |
| Focus modes | AF auto, AF single, AF continuous, manual | AI focus, one shot, AI servo | Single servo (AF-S), continuous servo (AF-C), Auto | Single shot AF, continuous AF, Auto AF, manual |
| Shutter speed | 30 - 1/6000 sec, bulb | 30 - 1/4000, bulb | 30 - 1/4000 sec, bulb | 30 - 1/4000, bulb |
| Shooting modes | Auto Picture, Picture, Scene, Program AE, Sensitivity Priority AE , Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority, Metered Manual, Bulb | Auto, Program AE (P), Shutter priority AE (Tv), Aperture priority AE (Av), Manual (M), Auto depth-of-field | Program Auto, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, manual, Auto | Program AE, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual |
| Picture modes | Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night scene portrait, Standard Flash-Off | Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night portrait, Flash off, Movie, | N/A | N/A |
| Scene modes | Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Food, Sunset, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, Museum, Stage Lighting, Night Snap | N/A | Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up, Night portrait, Night landscape, Party, Indoor, Beach, Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Pet portrait, Candlelight, Blossom, Autumn colors, Food, Silhouette, High key, Low key | Portrait, landscape, macro, sports, sunset, nightview, portrait |
| Flash sync | 1/180 sec | 1/200 sec | 1/200 sec | 1/160 sec |
| Movie recording | HD 720p 24fps | 1080p 20fps, 720p 30fps | 1280 x 720 24fps, 640 x 424 24fps | N/A |
| Live view | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LDC monitor | 230,000 pixels | 920,000 pixels | 230,000 pixels | 921,000 pixels |
| Special LCD feature | N/A | N/A | Tilt and swivel | Articulating LCD monitor |
| Digital filter (rec mode) | Toy Camera, High Contrast, Soft, Star Burst, Retro, Extract Color, Custom, Fish Eye | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Digital filter (playback, can be saved as new data) | B&W, Sepia, Color (18 type), Soft, Illustration (Pastel, Watercolor), HDR, Slim, Brightness, Toy Camera, High Contrast, Star Burst, Retro, Miniature, Fish Eye, Extract Colour, Base Tweaking, Custom | N/A | N/A | N/a |
| Price | US$599.95 (with 18-55mm lens) | US$799 (body only) | US$729 (body only) | US$950 (body only) |
| US$749.94 (with 18-55mm and 50-200mm lens) | US$899 (with 18-55mm IS lens) | US$850 (with 18-55mm VR lens) | US$1,050 (with 18-55mm lens) | |
| US$849.95 (with 18-55mm and 55-300mm lens) |
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Add Video Lenght:
Pentax: 35 min
Canon: 29:59 min
Nikon; 5 min
Add Video Limitations:
Pentax: No Limitations
Canon: Only manual focus possible while filming
Nikon: AF is off
Hi Atomic, thanks for the info.. looks the K-x is also a competent video shooter
The Canon records up to a maximum file size of 4Gb, and so does the Pentax. Even 5 minutes is not a big deal, because although it is a weird limitation it’s unusual for any one shot to even be that long. Haven’t been able to confirm whether the Pentax can or cannot autofocus while shooting. Although that’s another feature that isn’t strictly necessary. Focus is always set up before starting a shot.
No, it seems the Pentax cannot autofocus while recording. It also requires jumping through hoops to get it recording. That’s a bit silly, but otherwise it sounds to be on a par with what the other manufacturers are offering, so it will come down to which one offers the best stills or the lenses you want or more importantly already have.
The best camera for shooting video at the moment is the Panasonic GH1. It autofocuses in video recording mode like normal camcorders.
The video feature in higher end DSLR models is improving but the same cannot be said yet for entry level DSLRs; like Donny said, the competition will still be on which one shoots the best stills
Hi,
I’m looking a camera. The 3 cameras I’m looking at are the new Sony a550, Nikon D5000 and the Canon EOS 500D. Which of these would you recommend over the others? Video mode is not that important.
Gerson
Hi,
DPreview give a “highly recommended” rating to both the D5000 and 500D as opposed to A550′s “recommended”. I guess the choice is between Nikon and Canon.
I like the D5000 better because of its articulating LCD screen. You can read comments on the two cameras from the post below:
http://macro-photography-blog.com/2009/04/15/canon-eos-500d-or-nikon-d5000-not-making-comparison-is-futile/
Hi,
Thanks for the insight. I’m just taking my first plunge into dSLRs, thus this info came handy. A friend of mine bought the Pentax k-x and seems to be behaving fine on almost all ISOs. A site I compared stills of Nikon D5000 and Pentax k-x showed more retained details for similar ISOs (JPG).
I’m confused as to which of the 2 to choose. At the end of the day, lens would matter most. If pentax offer 18-105mm option that would have been xtra spicey choice for. Whichever of the two I know I’ve got to buy the 18-105mm
NOTE: budget is king here.
Thanks
Thanks so much for doing this comparison. Right now (1/10/10) the Pentax is offered for a little less than this nikon. I’ve had a D50 for approx 4 years, now…and it was my first jaunt as a photog. I purchased a great flash and a few nice lenses, incl a 50-200 VR. Your chart made it possible to clearly compare and in turn, made it easier for me to CHOOSE to pay a little more for the Nikon. In all, I would have paid double to add the amount of lenses and flash to the Pentax, should I buy that….so the Nikon is the better deal in the end.
Thanks again!
You’re welcome
Forgot 1 thing: you have the Nikon w/ 12.9 mp, but it is 12.3mp.
Corrected. The 12.9 megapixel is actually the size of Nikon’s DX-format CMOS sensor.
What about the Nikone D3S? I recently bought one and love it.
It has great HD video, apparently this clip was made using it http://vimeo.com/9337388. Check it out!
which one is best? Nikon D5000 or Pentax k-x?
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I too evaluated the d5000 and the K-x and was leaning towards the D5000 due to its articulating screen since both the camera’s had the same sensor, with the K-x doing better on low light, while the D5000 having a better AF mechanism.
However i got to know about the power switch problem with the D5000, and the problem seems to be still existing for some, and many who had it fixed and the camera returned had the problem reappearing and requiring more visits to the service center. I decided the articulated screen and slightly better AF was not worth the trouble and got the K-x, and i also got the two kit camera for a price cheaper than the D5000 with a single lens.
While Nikon does have a lot more lenses than Pentax at budget prices, Pentax sadly seems to only have high quality lenses in their product range and i do hope they will start making slightly lower quality models so that people who are buying the K-x can enjoy the camera to it’s fullest. However the K-x has one advantage that old K-mount lenses work with the K-x, and the in-body IS (VR in nikon terms) means even these lenses benefit from it. I managed to get a superb Pentax 50mm f2.0 lens for less than $20, and man does it not perform well under low light with that lens.
So on the whole no regrets, the K-x is a super camera and with its current price and ideal camera until you decide to graduate to the high levels (at which time it can be your second camera).
I recently bought the Nikon D5000 for 640 dollars and am having second thoughts. I went to the store thinking I was going to leave with the Pentax K-X but left with the Nikon after talking to the salesman who convinced me I’d get more ‘bang for my buck’.
I was leaning more towards the Pentax because of its small size, great reviews and durability. (Price was not the biggest deciding factor because it was only $40 less than the Nikon).
The salesman made a note that Nikon offered a larger variety of lenses, however, I am only an amateur dslr photographer and to be completely honest, I don’t think I’ll be upgrading lenses in the future. (1 or 2 more lenses max.)
Lastly, both cameras do offer the video feature which I do like, though I’ve read and watched comparison videos and I am more impressed with the Pentax.
Bottom line- should I listen to my gut and get the Pentax? I know the Nikon is a great camera, but for the purposes I’ll be using my dslr for I am afraid I ‘overpurchased’.
Any insight or opinions would be greatly appreciated!
I too considered both the Nikon D5000 and the Pentax K-x. Did alot, I mean alot of research on both and the differences / trade offs were minor. Comes down to personal preference really. I really liked the D5000 but decided to go with the Pentax only because of Nikon’s recall issues with the D5000. Otherwise I think I would have got the D5000, still might if the price drops. The K-x is no slouch though, glad I got it. Great low light shooter and compact size is nice for everyday use. The sales man I dealt with owned a D5000 himself and comfirmed it was a great camera and that the recall issues were fixed and not a problem with the new models but I had already made up my mind to go with the K-x. The K-x body also feels sturdier than the D5000 which feels light.
To erika: The Nikon is a very good camera, don’t regret the purchase. Use it, enjoy it, if you still want the K-x you can always sell or trade-in the Nikon later. As for overpurchased, most amateurs get serious and look to upgrade very quickly, you’ll already have a camera that can handle more sophisicated tasks.
Depends on what you shoot. Nikon and Canon offer a wealth of wide-range of quick focusing zoom lenses perfect for sports.
If you’re the type of person who likes to take the time to make the perfect shot, pay close attention to details such as framing and composition, I would recommend the Pentax. All Pentax bodies have in-body stabilization and they offer some of the finest prime lenses on the planet.
An unofficial cost comparison between the brands:
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/30484-pentax-vs-nikon-vs-canon-lens-system-comparison.html
I’m currently deciding between Nikon D5000 and Pentax’s equivalent K-x. I was looking sample pictures on http://www.steves-digicams.com. They don’t have the K-x, so I was comparing with K-7, which is a newer (and bigger) model though.
But I noticed that all the way through, the Pentax images were sharper. Is that just Pentax performing better, or is it because of the slightly bigger model (K-7 instead of K-x)?
I guess, it may be because the K-7 is a bit of a semi-pro camera, therefore it uses a “better” sensor. The D5000 is an entry level DSLR.
You may also want to look at either the new Nikon D7000 or the Pentax K-r.
I read this long comparison :http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxkx/page15.asp, which convinced me of Pentax K-x, just until the conclusion-comparison (with the bars) in the end, where I got a little in doubt when I held i up against the D5000.
It seems that the Pentax is burning out more highlights, but then I thought – every camera does this more or less, and while you are out shooting and are adjusting for this, what would it matter if you are to adjust a little, or a little bit more? I see it as a greater gift, to have a better camera in low light conditions. What do you say?
I prefer a camera that is able to shoot in low light. Having experienced the K-7 “limited” low-light capability, yes, I agree a camera able to shoot in dim light conditions is always better than the one which cannot. Nice site you have.
Jaxon, Martin…..I think if you do some more digging you will see that the K-7 is considered semi-pro because of other features…..not the sensor. The K-x has shown to have a better sensor than the k-7 (even to be compared to on some levels with much more expensive full frame cameras)…..and the Nikon D5000 has the same (Sony) sensor as the K-x. This has revolutionized the notion that entry-level always meant poorer IQ. The K-5 has rescued the K-7 (which is no slouch anyway) and the K-r has more or less continued with the image quality standard set by the K-x.
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