How much dynamic range does the Pentax K-1 II offer?

The sensor in the Pentax K-1 II is estimated to provide 14.0 EV of dynamic range (DR). While no actual measurement of DR is available for the K-1 II, an estimate can be derived based on assessments of other cameras that have sensors of similar size and age. A DR-value of 12 EV or above is considered excellent.

High dynamic range of a camera sensor is particularly desirable for scenes with a mix of very bright and very dark parts, such as in some landscape photography settings. It helps to avoid that highlights get washed out or that detail in shadows is lost.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Pentax K-1 II to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). In addition to dynamic range (DXO Landscape), the listing also covers color depth (DXO Portrait) and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Pentax K-1 II	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60i	25.1	14.0	2698	93
2.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
3.		Nikon Z6	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	3299	95
4.		Panasonic S1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.5	3333	95
5.		Panasonic S1H	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/30p	25.2	14.2	2805	94
6.		Panasonic S1R	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/60p	26.4	14.1	3525	100
7.		Pentax K-1	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60i	25.4	14.6	3280	96
8.		Sony A7 III	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.7	3730	96
9.		Sony A7R III	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	26.0	14.7	3523	100
10.		Sony A99 II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	25.4	13.4	2317	92
11.		Sony A850	Full Frame	24.4	6048	4032	none	23.8	12.2	1415	79
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

In the United States, the K-1 II was initially launched in February 2018 at a price of $1,999.

Check K-1 II price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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