Canon 5D Mark II vs Pentax K-S1

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Pentax K-S1 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in September 2008 and August 2014. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a full frame (5D Mark II) and an APS-C (K-S1) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 21 megapixels, whereas the Pentax provides 20 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 5D Mark II		Pentax K-S1
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Pentax K mount lenses
21 MP – Full Frame sensor		20 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/30p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 100-6,400 (50 - 25,600)		ISO 100-51,200
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 920k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3.9 shutter flaps per second		5.4 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		not weather sealed
850 shots per battery charge		410 shots per battery charge
152 x 114 x 75 mm, 850 g		121 x 93 x 70 mm, 558 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Pentax K-S1? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 5D Mark II and the Pentax K-S1 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The K-S1 can be obtained in four different colors (black, grey, orange, white), while the 5D Mark II is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Pentax K-S1 is considerably smaller (35 percent) than the Canon 5D Mark II. Moreover, the K-S1 is markedly lighter (34 percent) than the 5D Mark II. It is worth mentioning in this context that the 5D Mark II is splash and dust resistant, while the K-S1 does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the 5D Mark II gets 850 shots out of its Canon LP-E6 battery, while the K-S1 can take 410 images on a single charge of its Pentax D-LI109 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon 5D Mark II	152 mm	114 mm	75 mm	850 g	850	Y	Sep 2008	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
2.		Pentax K-S1	121 mm	93 mm	70 mm	558 g	410	n	Aug 2014	US$ 749	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1Ds Mark III	150 mm	160 mm	80 mm	1385 g	1800	Y	Aug 2007	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 5D	152 mm	113 mm	75 mm	895 g	400	Y	Aug 2005	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
5.		Canon 5D Mark III	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	950 g	950	Y	Mar 2012	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
6.		Canon 5D Mark IV	151 mm	116 mm	76 mm	890 g	900	Y	Aug 2016	US$ 3 499	amazon.com
7.		Canon 5DS	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
8.		Canon 5DS R	152 mm	116 mm	76 mm	930 g	700	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
9.		Canon 6D	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
10.		Canon 6D Mark II	144 mm	111 mm	75 mm	765 g	1200	Y	Jun 2017	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
11.		Canon 7D	148 mm	111 mm	74 mm	860 g	800	Y	Sep 2009	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
12.		Canon 80D	139 mm	105 mm	79 mm	730 g	960	Y	Feb 2016	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
14.		Pentax K-3	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	560	Y	Oct 2013	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
15.		Pentax K-500	130 mm	97 mm	71 mm	646 g	710	n	Jun 2013	US$ 549	ebay.com
16.		Pentax K-S2	123 mm	91 mm	73 mm	678 g	410	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
17.		Sony A68	143 mm	104 mm	81 mm	610 g	540	n	Nov 2015	US$ 699	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The K-S1 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 79 percent) than the 5D Mark II, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 5D Mark II features a full frame sensor and the Pentax K-S1 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the K-S1 is 58 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 21MP, the 5D Mark II offers a slightly higher resolution than the K-S1 (20MP), but the 5D Mark II nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 6.41μm versus 4.28μm for the K-S1) due to its larger sensor. However, the K-S1 is a much more recent model (by 5 years and 11 months) than the 5D Mark II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the K-S1 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 50-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Pentax K-S1 are ISO 100 to ISO 51200 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 5D Mark II	Full Frame	21.0	5616	3744	1080/30p	23.7	11.9	1815	79
2.		Pentax K-S1	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.5	13.0	1061	78
3.		Canon 1Ds Mark III	Full Frame	21.0	5616	3744	none	24.0	12.0	1663	80
4.		Canon 5D	Full Frame	12.7	4368	2912	none	22.9	11.1	1368	71
5.		Canon 5D Mark III	Full Frame	22.1	5760	3840	1080/30p	24.0	11.7	2293	81
6.		Canon 5D Mark IV	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.8	13.6	2995	91
7.		Canon 5DS	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.7	12.4	2381	87
8.		Canon 5DS R	Full Frame	50.3	8688	5792	1080/30p	24.6	12.4	2308	86
9.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
10.		Canon 6D Mark II	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	1080/60p	24.4	11.9	2862	85
11.		Canon 7D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	854	66
12.		Canon 80D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.2	1135	79
13.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
14.		Pentax K-3	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.7	13.4	1216	80
15.		Pentax K-500	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.7	13.1	1087	79
16.		Pentax K-S2	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.6	12.9	1514	79
17.		Sony A68	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.5	701	79
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/30p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 5D Mark II and the K-S1 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the K-S1 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 5D Mark II (98%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. On the other hand, the viewfinder of the 5D Mark II has a higher magnification (0.71x vs 0.63x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Canon 5D Mark II and Pentax K-S1 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 5D Mark II	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.9/s	n	n
2.		Pentax K-S1	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/6000s	5.4/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon 1Ds Mark III	optical	Y	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
4.		Canon 5D	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	n	n
5.		Canon 5D Mark III	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	n	n
6.		Canon 5D Mark IV	optical	Y	3.2 / 1620	fixed	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	n	n
7.		Canon 5DS	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
8.		Canon 5DS R	optical	Y	3.2 / 1040	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	n	n
9.		Canon 6D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
10.		Canon 6D Mark II	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.5/s	n	n
11.		Canon 7D	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon 80D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
13.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Pentax K-3	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	Y	Y
15.		Pentax K-500	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/6000s	6.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Pentax K-S2	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/6000s	5.4/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony A68	1440	Y	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the 5D Mark II, but is missing on the K-S1 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The 5D Mark II writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the K-S1 uses SDXC cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Pentax K-S1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon 5D Mark II	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Pentax K-S1	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 1Ds Mark III	Y	mono / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon 5D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Canon 5D Mark III	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Canon 5D Mark IV	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	-
7.		Canon 5DS	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	3.0	-	-	-
8.		Canon 5DS R	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	3.0	-	-	-
9.		Canon 6D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Canon 6D Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Canon 7D	Y	mono / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Canon 80D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Pentax K-3	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
15.		Pentax K-500	Y	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Pentax K-S2	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony A68	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the 5D Mark II has a microphone port, which is missing on the K-S1. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Canon 5D Mark II (unlike the K-S1) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the 5D Mark II and the K-S1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 5D Mark II was replaced by the Canon 5D Mark III, while the K-S1 was followed by the Pentax K-S2. Further information on the features and operation of the 5D Mark II and K-S1 can be found, respectively, in the Canon 5D Mark II Manual (free pdf) or the online Pentax K-S1 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Canon 5D Mark II better than the Pentax K-S1 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Requires less light for good images (0.8 stops ISO advantage).
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.71x vs 0.63x).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/6000s) to freeze action.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (850 versus 410) on a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is weather sealed to enable shooting in dusty or wet environments.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2008).

Reasons to prefer the Pentax K-S1:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• More dynamic range: Captures a broader range of light and dark details (1.1 EV of extra DR).
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 98%).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (5.4 vs 3.9 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More compact: Is smaller (121x93mm vs 152x114mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 292g or 34 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (79 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 11 months of technical progress since the 5D Mark II launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the match-up finishes in a tie (10 points each). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 5D Mark II and the Pentax K-S1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the 5D Mark II and the K-S1 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon 5D Mark II	4/5	91/100	..	79/100	4/5	..	Sep 2008	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
2.		Pentax K-S1	4/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Aug 2014	US$ 749	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1Ds Mark III	..	..	..	+ +	4.5/5	..	Aug 2007	US$ 7 999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 5D	..	88/100	..	+ +	o	..	Aug 2005	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
5.		Canon 5D Mark III	..	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2012	US$ 3 499	ebay.com
6.		Canon 5D Mark IV	4.5/5	+ +	4/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	US$ 3 499	amazon.com
7.		Canon 5DS	..	+	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
8.		Canon 5DS R	5/5	+	..	83/100	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 3 699	ebay.com
9.		Canon 6D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
10.		Canon 6D Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2017	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
11.		Canon 7D	5/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
12.		Canon 80D	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
14.		Pentax K-3	4/5	..	..	83/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
15.		Pentax K-500	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	US$ 549	ebay.com
16.		Pentax K-S2	4.5/5	..	..	..	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
17.		Sony A68	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Nov 2015	US$ 699	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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