Nikon D3200 vs Pentax K-70

The Nikon D3200 and the Pentax K-70 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in April 2012 and June 2016. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 24.1 megapixels, whereas the Pentax provides 24 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Nikon D3200		Pentax K-70
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Pentax K mount lenses
24.1 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
1080/30p Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-6,400 (100 - 12,800)		ISO 100-102,400
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
4 shutter flaps per second		6 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
540 shots per battery charge		410 shots per battery charge
125 x 96 x 77 mm, 505 g		126 x 93 x 74 mm, 688 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D3200 and the Pentax K-70? 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

The physical size and weight of the Nikon D3200 and the Pentax K-70 are illustrated 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 D3200 can be obtained in two different colors (black, red), while the K-70 is also available in two color-versions, but different ones (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Pentax K-70 is somewhat smaller (2 percent) than the Nikon D3200. However, the K-70 is substantially heavier (36 percent) than the D3200. It is noteworthy in this context that the K-70 is splash and dust-proof, while the D3200 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 D3200 gets 540 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL14 battery, while the K-70 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 want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D3200	125 mm	96 mm	77 mm	505 g	540	n	Apr 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
2.		Pentax K-70	126 mm	93 mm	74 mm	688 g	410	Y	Jun 2016	US$ 649	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D3000	126 mm	97 mm	64 mm	536 g	500	n	Jul 2009	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D3100	124 mm	96 mm	75 mm	505 g	550	n	Aug 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D3300	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	430 g	700	n	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D3400	124 mm	98 mm	76 mm	445 g	1200	n	Aug 2016	US$ 499	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D5100	128 mm	97 mm	79 mm	560 g	660	n	Apr 2011	US$ 749	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D5200	129 mm	98 mm	78 mm	555 g	500	n	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	470 g	820	n	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
12.		Pentax K-3 II	131 mm	100 mm	77 mm	800 g	720	Y	Apr 2015	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
13.		Pentax K-3 III	135 mm	104 mm	74 mm	820 g	800	Y	Mar 2021	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
14.		Pentax K-50	130 mm	97 mm	71 mm	650 g	410	Y	Jun 2013	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Pentax KP	132 mm	101 mm	76 mm	703 g	390	Y	Jan 2017	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
16.		Pentax K-S2	123 mm	91 mm	73 mm	678 g	410	Y	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
17.		Sony A58	129 mm	95 mm	78 mm	492 g	690	n	Feb 2013	US$ 599	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 obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The D3200 was somewhat cheaper (by 8 percent) than the K-70 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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 imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors 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. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the K-70 is 3 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Despite having a slightly smaller sensor, the Nikon D3200 offers a higher resolution of 24.1 megapixels, compared with 24 MP of the Pentax K-70. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.85μm versus 3.91μm for the K-70). Moreover, it should be noted that the K-70 is much more recent (by 4 years and 1 month) than the D3200, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the K-70 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The K-70 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

Unlike the D3200, the K-70 has the capacity to capture high quality composite images by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Nikon D3200 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Pentax K-70 are ISO 100 to ISO 102400 (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.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D3200	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/30p	24.1	13.2	1131	81
2.		Pentax K-70	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	23.8	13.1	1639	80
3.		Nikon D3000	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.3	11.1	563	62
4.		Nikon D3100	APS-C	14.2	4608	3072	1080/24p	22.5	11.3	919	67
5.		Nikon D3300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.8	1385	82
6.		Nikon D3400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.8	13.9	1192	86
7.		Nikon D5100	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.5	13.6	1183	80
8.		Nikon D5200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.2	13.9	1284	84
9.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
10.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
11.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
12.		Pentax K-3 II	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.6	13.6	1106	80
13.		Pentax K-3 III	APS-C	25.6	6192	4128	4K/30p	24.2	13.7	2083	85
14.		Pentax K-50	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.7	13.0	1120	79
15.		Pentax KP	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.9	13.2	1699	81
16.		Pentax K-S2	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.6	12.9	1514	79
17.		Sony A58	APS-C	19.8	5456	3632	1080/60i	23.3	12.5	753	74
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 can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the K-70 provides a faster frame rate than the D3200. It can shoot movie footage at 1080/60i, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D3200 and the K-70 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-70 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the D3200 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the K-70 has a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.53x), 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 Nikon D3200 and Pentax K-70 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.		Nikon D3200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
2.		Pentax K-70	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/6000s	6.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Nikon D3000	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D3100	optical	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D3300	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D3400	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D5100	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D5200	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D5500	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
12.		Pentax K-3 II	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.3/s	n	Y
13.		Pentax K-3 III	optical	Y	3.2 / 1620	fixed	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
14.		Pentax K-50	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/6000s	6.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Pentax KP	optical	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/6000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Pentax K-S2	optical	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/6000s	5.4/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony A58	1440	n	2.7 / 460	tilting	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the K-70 and the D3200 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The K-70 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the D3200 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

The Pentax K-70 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D3200 and the K-70 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

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 Nikon D3200 and Pentax K-70 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.		Nikon D3200	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Pentax K-70	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Nikon D3000	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Nikon D3100	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D3300	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Nikon D3400	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
7.		Nikon D5100	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Nikon D5200	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Nikon D5500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Pentax K-3 II	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
13.		Pentax K-3 III	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
14.		Pentax K-50	Y	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Pentax KP	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	-	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Pentax K-S2	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
17.		Sony A58	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the K-70 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the D3200 does not provide wifi capability.

Both the D3200 and the K-70 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D3200 was replaced by the Nikon D3300, while the K-70 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the D3200 and K-70 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D3200 Manual (free pdf) or the online Pentax K-70 Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Nikon D3200 better than the Pentax K-70 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D3200:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 183g or 27 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (540 versus 410) on a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in April 2012).

Advantages of the Pentax K-70:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (1080/60i versus 1080/30p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.63x vs 0.53x).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/6000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 4 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 1 month of technical progress since the D3200 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the K-70 is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 4 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape 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 Nikon D3200 and the Pentax K-70 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 comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D3200 or the K-70 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

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.		Nikon D3200	5/5	+ +	..	73/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	US$ 599	ebay.com
2.		Pentax K-70	4.5/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2016	US$ 649	ebay.com
3.		Nikon D3000	..	+	..	72/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2009	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D3100	5/5	+ +	..	72/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	US$ 599	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D3300	3/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D3400	4/5	+	4/5	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	US$ 499	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D5100	5/5	+ +	..	76/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2011	US$ 749	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D5200	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Nov 2012	US$ 749	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D5500	5/5	+	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2015	US$ 899	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
12.		Pentax K-3 II	4.5/5	..	..	..	5/5	5/5	Apr 2015	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
13.		Pentax K-3 III	4/5	..	3/5	..	4.5/5	..	Mar 2021	US$ 1 999	amazon.com
14.		Pentax K-50	5/5	..	..	..	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	US$ 599	ebay.com
15.		Pentax KP	4/5	..	3/5	82/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	US$ 1 099	ebay.com
16.		Pentax K-S2	4.5/5	..	..	..	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	US$ 749	ebay.com
17.		Sony A58	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	US$ 599	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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