Canon EOS 5D Mark IV vs Pentax K-1 Mark II — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and the Pentax K-1 Mark II are both full-frame DSLRs with optical pentaprism viewfinders, built for photographers who prefer an optical view. Canon released its body in 2016 and Pentax followed in 2018.

The lens mount is the first decision, since the Canon takes EF glass and the Pentax uses KAF4, so existing lenses should steer the choice. The Canon is the lighter body at 890 g against 1010 g, measuring 151 x 116 x 76 mm against 137 x 110 x 86 mm.

The K-1 Mark II is the stronger choice for landscape and detail work, pairing 36 megapixels with in-body stabilisation. The extra resolution gives more room to crop a distant subject or print large, and the built-in stabilisation steadies handheld shots with unstabilised lenses. The 5D Mark IV has no in-body stabilisation.

For moving subjects the 5D Mark IV is the better tool, shooting at 7 fps against 4.4 on the Pentax. Its 61 autofocus points cover more of the frame than the Pentax's 33, helping you track a bird in flight or a sprinting athlete, and both freeze bright action at 1/8000 second.

The 5D Mark IV is the clear pick for motion work, recording in 4K while the K-1 Mark II tops out at Full HD, so only the Canon gives footage you can crop in post or deliver at high resolution. Both offer built-in timelapse, saving an intervalometer for a sunset sequence.

Slow motion also favours the Canon, whose maximum video frame rate reaches 120 fps against 60 fps on the Pentax, letting you slow fast action to half speed with smooth playback.

Back-of-camera control favours the Canon, while shooting flexibility favours the Pentax. The Canon touchscreen makes settings quicker to select, and its 1,620,000-dot panel shows finer detail. The Pentax screen has 36 percent fewer dots and no touch control, but it tilts, letting you frame low flower shots or overhead crowds without guessing the composition.

Both bodies are weather sealed and offer GPS, Wi-Fi and live view, so location tagging and wireless transfer work on either. The Pentax adds Bluetooth for a low-power phone link.

The 5D Mark IV shoots longer per charge, rated at 900 shots against 670 for the Pentax under their test conditions, a margin that matters on a full-day event or a cold-weather hike. Neither charges over USB.

Both bodies carry dual card slots for separating stills and video or backing up files. The Canon accepts CompactFlash alongside its SD slot, while the Pentax takes SD only.