Pentax K-3 Mark III Vs Nikon D780: complete comparison

Pentax K-3 Mark III

Nikon D780 trophy medal portrait medal landscape medal sport medal street medal everyday
64

Overall Score

71

Pentax

K-3 Mark III

Announced: 31 Mar 2021
Sensor Resolution: 26Mp
Sensor Type: APS-C CMOS
ISO: 100-1600000
Weight: 820g
Physical Dimensions: 135 x 104 x 74 mm
Viewfinder: Optical (pentaprism)
Screen Type: 3.2" Fixed
Video Resolutions: 3840x2160
48
Image Quality
66
61
Speed Performance
50
98
Versatility
93
63
Comfort
79

Nikon

D780

Announced: 07 Jan 2020
Sensor Resolution: 25Mp
Sensor Type: Full frame BSI-CMOS
ISO: 100-51200
Weight: 840g
Physical Dimensions: 144 x 116 x 76 mm
Viewfinder: Optical (pentaprism)
Screen Type: 3.2" Tilting
Video Resolutions: 3840x2160
Disclaimer

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The best camera for different types of photography

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

vs

Nikon
D780

53
Portrait Portrait Portrait
69
51
Landscape Landscape Landscape
69
66
SportSport Sport
67
68
Street Street Street
74
71
Everyday Everyday Everyday
77

Best alternative for types of photography

Pentax K-3 Mark III
pros and cons

Pentax K-3 Mark III

Pentax

K-3 Mark III

Announced: 31 Mar 2021
Sensor Resolution: 26Mp
Sensor Type: APS-C CMOS
ISO: 100-1600000
Weight: 820g
Physical Dimensions: 135 x 104 x 74 mm
Viewfinder: Optical (pentaprism)
Screen Type: 3.2" Fixed
Video Resolutions: 3840x2160

prospros

  • This camera autofocus is able to follow moving subjects
  • The Pentax K-3 Mark III is tropicalized - this means you can use it also in adverse atmospheric and environmental conditions without ruining it
  • The integrated stabilizer allows you to shoot firmly even in low light conditions
  • The LCD display is a convenient and almost indispensable feature
  • The microphone input can be very useful if you shoot videos
  • Thanks to burst mode, it's ideal for action photos
  • The second memory slot makes the camera more reliable, also for professional use
  • Thanks to the wireless connection, Pentax K-3 Mark III allows immediate picture sharing

Pentax K-3 Mark III and its rivals

Review compare Pentax K-3 Mark III with overall score Portrait
Portrait
Landscape
Landscape
Sport
Sport
Street
Street
Everyday
Everyday
PentaxK-3 Mark III Pentax
K-3 Mark III
64 53 51 66 68 71 buy on
CanonEOS-1D X Mark III Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III
75 68 69 87 69 72 buy on
NikonD6 Nikon
D6
71 68 68 79 66 69 buy on
NikonD780 Nikon
D780
71 69 69 67 74 77 buy on
CanonEOS 90D Canon
EOS 90D
65 54 52 66 70 75 buy on
CanonEOS 850D Canon
EOS 850D
59 51 49 57 66 69 buy on
PentaxKF Pentax
KF
58 51 50 55 63 67 buy on

Nikon D780
pros and cons

Nikon D780

Nikon

D780

Announced: 07 Jan 2020
Sensor Resolution: 25Mp
Sensor Type: Full frame BSI-CMOS
ISO: 100-51200
Weight: 840g
Physical Dimensions: 144 x 116 x 76 mm
Viewfinder: Optical (pentaprism)
Screen Type: 3.2" Tilting
Video Resolutions: 3840x2160

pros pros

  • This camera autofocus is able to follow moving subjects
  • The Nikon D780 is tropicalized - this means you can use it also in adverse atmospheric and environmental conditions without ruining it
  • The LCD display is a convenient and almost indispensable feature
  • The microphone input can be very useful if you shoot videos
  • It has fast shutter speed, ideal for action photos
  • Nikon D780 battery has 2260.0 shoots autonomy. This will allow long photo sessions without having the need to recharge it.
  • The second memory slot makes the camera more reliable, also for professional use
  • Thanks to the wireless connection, Nikon D780 allows immediate picture sharing

Amazon best deals on Nikon D780

Nikon D780 and its rivals

Review compare Nikon D780 with overall score Portrait
Portrait
Landscape
Landscape
Sport
Sport
Street
Street
Everyday
Everyday
NikonD780 Nikon
D780
71 69 69 67 74 77 £1,545.00
CanonEOS-1D X Mark III Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III
75 68 69 87 69 72 buy on
NikonD6 Nikon
D6
71 68 68 79 66 69 buy on
CanonEOS 90D Canon
EOS 90D
65 54 52 66 70 75 buy on
PentaxK-3 Mark III Pentax
K-3 Mark III
64 53 51 66 68 71 buy on
CanonEOS 850D Canon
EOS 850D
59 51 49 57 66 69 buy on
PentaxKF Pentax
KF
58 51 50 55 63 67 buy on

Pentax K-3 Mark III vs Nikon D780, which is better?

In case you are wondering which of these cameras you should buy, then this is the right place to find an answer. Here you will find listed all the main differences among Pentax K-3 Mark III and Nikon D780, calculated by the CameraRace iCamRank algorithm.

  • Technically speaking, Nikon D780 is superior to Pentax K-3 Mark III, with an overall iCamRank score of 71 and 64, respectively.
  • The image quality of Nikon D780 (66) is superior to that of Pentax K-3 Mark III (48).
  • Pentax K-3 Mark III (61) performs better than Nikon D780 (50) in terms of speed.
  • Pentax K-3 Mark III is more versatile than Nikon D780 (98 a 93).
  • The handling of Nikon D780 (79) is more effective than that of Pentax K-3 Mark III (63).

But, as you may know, the technical performance is meaningless if applied to the wrong context. This is the reason why the iCamRank "weights" differently the camera technical features for each type of photography. Thus, below you'll find our suggestions, based on your preferred photography genre:

Whatever type of photography shall you prefer, Nikon D780 is superior to Pentax K-3 Mark III in all conditions.

Need further details? Below you will find a full comparison of all the technical specifications.

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Sensor
comparison

Nikon
D780

CMOS

Sensor Type

BSI-CMOS

APS-C down

Sensor Size

up Full frame

23.0 x 15.5 mm down

Sensor Dimensions

up 35.9 x 23.9 mm

356.5 mm2 down

Sensor Area

up 858.01 mm2

26 Mp up

Sensor Resolution

down 25 Mp

6192 x 4128 up

Max Image Resolution

down 6048 x 4024

1600000 up

Max Native ISO

down 51200

100

Min Native ISO

100

yes

RAW Support

yes

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Lens
comparison

Nikon
D780

Pentax KAF2

Lens Mount

Nikon F

155 down

Number of Lenses

up 305

1.5

Focal Length Multiplier

1

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Screen Type
comparison

Nikon
D780

Fixed down

Screen Type

up Tilting

3.2"

Screen Size

3.2"

1620Kdot down

Screen Resolution

up 2359Kdot

yes

Live View

yes

yes

Touch Screen

yes

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Viewfinder
comparison

Nikon
D780

Optical (pentaprism)

Viewfinder

Optical (pentaprism)

None

Viewfinder Resolution

None

100

Viewfinder Coverage

100

0.7x

Viewfinder Magnification

0.7

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Features
comparison

Nikon
D780

30s

Min Shutter Speed

900s

-

Max Shutter Speed

1/8000s

12fps up

Continuous Shooting

down 7fps

yes

Shutter Priority

yes

yes

Aperture Priority

yes

yes

Manual Exposure Mode

yes

yes

Exposure Compensation

yes

yes

Custom White Balance

yes

yes

Image Stabilization

no

no

Built-in Flash

no

None

Flash Range

None

1/200s

Max Flash Sync

-

Auto
Auto + Red-eye Reduction
Flash On
Flash On + Red-eye Reduction
Slow- speed Sync
Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye
P-TTL
Contrast-control-sync
High-speed sync
Wireless sync

Flash Modes

no built-in flash

yes

External Flash

yes

yes

AE Bracketing

yes

yes

WB Bracketing

yes

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Exposure Modes
comparison

Nikon
D780

yes

Multi-Segment

yes

yes

Average

yes

yes

Spot

yes

no

Partial

no

no

AF-Area

no

no

Center Weighted

no

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Dxo Sensor Scores
comparison

Nikon
D780

dato non disponibile

DxO Overall Score

dato non disponibile

dato non disponibile

DxO Color Depth

dato non disponibile

dato non disponibile

DxO Dynamic Range

dato non disponibile

dato non disponibile

DxO Low Light ISO

dato non disponibile

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Autofocus
comparison

Nikon
D780

yes

AF Touch

yes

yes

AF Continuous

yes

yes

AF Single

yes

yes

AF Tracking

yes

yes

AF Selective

yes

yes

AF Center

yes

yes

AF MultiArea

yes

yes

AF Live View

yes

yes

AF Face Detection

yes

yes

AF Contrast Detection

yes

yes

AF Phase Detection

yes

101 up

Number of Focus Points

down 51

25 up

Number of Cross Focus Points

down 15

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Video Features
comparison

Nikon
D780

3840 x 2160 @ 30p MOV H.264 Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p MOV H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p MOV H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p MOV H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p MOV H.264 Linear PCM

Video Resolutions

3840 x 2160 @ 30p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 120p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 100p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p MP4 H.264 Linear PCM

3840x2160

Max Video Resolution

3840x2160

MPEG-4 H.264

Video Formats

MPEG-4 H.264

yes

Microphone Port

yes

yes

Headphone Port

yes

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Connectivity
comparison

Nikon
D780

Built-in

Wireless Connectivity

Built-in

yes

HDMI

yes

USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)

USB

Yes

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Physical
comparison

Nikon
D780

yes

Environmental Sealing

yes

no

Water Proof

no

no

Dust Proof

no

no

Shock Proof

no

no

Crush Proof

no

no

Freeze Proof

no

820g

Weight

840g

135 x 104 x 74 mm

Physical Dimensions

144 x 116 x 76 mm

800 down

Battery Life

up 2260

Battery Pack

Battery Type

Battery Pack

D-LI90

Battery Model

EN-EL15b

Pentax
K-3 Mark III

Other Features
comparison

Nikon
D780

Yes

Self Timer

Yes

yes

Timelapse Recording

yes

no

GPS

no

Dual SD SDHC SDXC slots (UHS-II supported in slot 1)

Storage Type

Dual SD SDHC SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible)

2

Storage Slots

2

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