Reasons to choose K-5
Released in 2010, K-5 has about 371 mm² of sensor area, 16.3 MP effective resolution, and a 740 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.
Side-by-side comparison
Pentax K-5
vs Pentax K-7
VS
Sensor area
371 mm²
K-5365 mm²
K-7- Area ratio
- 1.02:1
- Absolute difference
- 5 mm²
- Relative difference
- 1.5%
The K-5 has the larger sensor area. More area usually means greater light-gathering potential, though real image quality still depends on sensor architecture and generation.
These cameras were released 1 years apart. Consider sensor generation when comparing pixel metrics.
Key specification differences
K-5MetricK-7
16.3 MPEffective pixels14.6 MP
23.6 × 15.7Sensor23.4 × 15.6
4.77 µmPixel pitch5 µm
22.73 µm²Pixel area25 µm²
4.4 MP/cm²Pixel density4 MP/cm²
1.53Crop factor1.54
—Maximum video—
740 gWeight750 g
SDHC, Secure DigitalStorageSD/SDHC/MMC
Lithium-Ion D-LI90 rechargeable battery Li-ion batteryBatteryLithium-Ion D-LI90 rechargeable battery Li-ion battery
Amber marks the value that is generally preferable in this comparison context. It is not an overall camera score.
How to choose between these cameras
The K-5 has the larger sensor area. The K-5 has the lighter body. The K-5 has the higher effective resolution. The K-5 is the newer release. Also consider the lens system and subjects you shoot.
Reasons to choose K-7
Released in 2009, K-7 has about 365 mm² of sensor area, 14.6 MP effective resolution, and a 750 g body. Use these values to narrow the field, not as an overall image-quality score.