Don’t know whether to get the Canon T7i or the Pentax K-3 II? The latter has a better built body that’s more suited for photographing in extreme conditions, but it’s 2 years older than the Canon T7i. Let’s see how they compare on both inside and outside.
Our comparison table below covers the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.
| Canon T7i | Pentax K-3 II | |
|---|---|---|
| Megapixels | 24.2 | 24.3 |
| Sensor Type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor Format | APS-C | APS-C |
| Crop Factor | 1.6x | 1.5x |
| AA Filter | Yes | On/Off |
| Image Resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 6016 x 4000 |
| Body Image Stabilization | Yes (Movie only) | Yes |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF/EF-S | Pentax K |
| ISO | 100 - 25,600 | 100 - 51,200 |
| Expanded ISO | 51,200 | None |
| AF Points | 45 | 27 |
| Cross-type AF Points | 45 | 25 |
| Continuous Mode | 6fps | 8fps |
| LCD | 3.0" - Fully Articulated | 3.2" - Fixed |
| LCD Resolution | 1,040,000 dots | 1,036,800 dots |
| Touchscreen | Yes | No |
| Focus Peaking | No | Yes |
| Top LCD Display | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder Type | Optical | Optical |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 95% | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.82x | 0.95x |
| Video Resolution | 1920x1080 (60/30/24p) | 1920x1080 (60i/50i/30/25/24p) |
| 1280x720 (60/50p) | 1280x720 (60/50p) | |
| Microphone Jack | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone Jack | No | Yes |
| Memory Card Type | SD | SD + SD |
| Dual Card Slots | No | Yes |
| SD UHS Support | UHS-I | UHS-I |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/4000 | 1/8000 |
| Slowest Shutter Speed | 30" | 30" |
| Bulb Mode | Yes | Yes |
| JPEG Buffer Size | Unlimited | 60 |
| RAW Buffer Size | 27 | 22 |
| Time Lapse | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | Yes | No |
| Max Flash Sync Speed | 1/200 | 1/180 |
| Startup Time | x | 1.2s |
| Built-in Wi-Fi | Yes | No |
| Built-in GPS | No | Yes |
| Built- in NFC | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No |
| USB Type | USB 2.0 | USB 3.0 |
| Environmentally Sealed | No | Yes |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 600 shots | 720 shots |
| Battery Included | Yes (LP-E17) | Yes (D-LI90) |
| Weight | 18.8 oz (532g) | 27.07 oz (785g) |
| Size | 5.2 x 3.9 x 3.0" | 5.2 x 4.0 x 3.1" |
| Price | Amazon | Amazon |
| Release Date | 2017 | 2015 |
Canon T7i Advantages:
- Cross-Type AF – The T7i has 45 cross-type points compared to 25 on the K-3 II. In low light situations, the T7i will lock onto your subject quicker.
- LCD Screen – It’s fully articulated and also supports touchscreen. This makes it better for video as you can simply select your focus point by tapping the screen.
- Bigger buffer – The T7i has a slightly bigger RAW buffer, and unlimited JPEG compared to 60. Still, 60 is enough to continuously take pictures for 7.5 seconds, more than what most will ever do.
- Connectivity – The camera has built-in Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth support for sending your files
- Less Expensive – Body only, the T7i costs around $100 less
- Weight & Size – Around 250g lighter
The T7i is a Rebel and is supposed to represent an affordable way of entering the DSLR photography. The features you get are pretty good, for example the AF system that is borrowed from the more expensive Canon EOS 80D.
For video, Canon’s Dual Pixel AF technology is also better when it comes to auto focus during video. The fully articulated LCD screen, touchscreen support and a lighter body are very useful if you plan on recording yourself.
Image quality is great on both cameras, but for $100 more, the K-3 II does give a lot more.
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.
Pentax K-3 II Advantages:
- Image Stabilization – The K-3 II has built-in stabilization technology so even if you use lenses that don’t have it, you can still shoot at lower shutter speeds and get help from your camera.
- AA Filter – By removing the AA filter, you can get slightly sharper images but risk having moire appear on your shots. If that does occur, the Pentax K-3 II allows you to simply turn it on again.
- Bigger LCD – It’s not a lot, but 3.2″ vs 3.0″ but if you have eye sight problems then it’s definitely a plus
- 8 vs 6fps – More is always better for wildlife and sports where every moment matters.
- 100% Coverage – Looking through the viewfinder, everything you see is what you’ll get on the shot. It also has a bigger magnification.
- Focus Peaking – When focusing manually, the camera can highlight the part of your image that is in focus. Very useful for both video and photography!
- Top LCD Display – Mid-range DSLRs always feature a top LCD screen because you can preview all of your settings without constantly checking your rear display. It doesn’t sound like a big time saver, but when you often shoot in semi or fully manual modes, changing your ISO, selecting the focusing type and more, it’s a lot faster.
- Headphone Jack – Great if you want to hear the quality of your audio while recording
- Dual SD Slot – You can insert 2 x SD memory cards rather than 1
- Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 vs 1/4000
- Built-in GPS
- USB 3.0 – Much faster transferring speeds out of the camera
- Battery Life – 120 shots longer battery life
- Environmentally Sealed – Much more protected for shooting in rain/snow/etc. Pentax is famous for sealing even their most basic DSLRs.
Where to start… It’s faster with 8 vs 6fps, features built-in stabilization, 100% viewfinder coverage with focus peaking and can shoot at 1/8000.
On top of that, it’s better sealed against water/snow/dust and is better for shooting in extreme conditions. There’s the built-in GPS, two memory card slots and a slightly bigger battery life. For sports and mainly outdoor use in the nature, the K-3 II is the best bang for the buck!
You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.