Nikon D7000 vs Pentax K5 — Which Is Better?

The Nikon D7000 and the Pentax K-5 are APS-C DSLRs announced within days of each other in September 2010. Each body is weather sealed and uses a pentaprism viewfinder, so both offer the traditional optical-finder DSLR experience.

The K-5 is the smaller, lighter body at 131 x 97 x 73 mm and 740 g, against 132 x 105 x 77 mm and 780 g for the D7000. The 40 g gap and slimmer build matter most for all-day carry.

For tracking moving subjects, the D7000 is the stronger choice, because its 39 autofocus points outnumber the K-5's 11 and give more positions for an off-centre subject. The K-5 answers with in-body stabilisation, so every Pentax KAF2 lens gains steadier handheld shooting, including older unstabilised glass.

Resolution nearly matches at 16.2 versus 16.3 megapixels, and both offer a 1/8000 second top shutter speed for freezing fast motion. The K-5's native ISO ceiling runs higher at 12800 against 6400, extending your settings as light falls, and its 7 fps burst tops the D7000's 6 fps. Mounts differ as Nikon F and Pentax KAF2, so lenses stay brand-specific.

Both record Full HD video, so Full HD capture comes with either body. For editing, the practical split is the file format, with the D7000 recording MOV clips and the K-5 Motion JPEG.

The K-5 records up to 25 fps against 24 fps on the D7000, a single-frame difference with little effect on casual clips. Both include built-in timelapse for condensing a sunset or slow build into a short sequence.

Wi-Fi gives the D7000 a connectivity edge, letting you move images off the camera without a card reader, while the K-5 has neither Wi-Fi nor Bluetooth. Both have a fixed 3-inch screen with 921000 dots, live view and no touch input, though the panel types differ as LCD and TFT LCD.

Each has a built-in flash for fill light and supports external flash units. Neither offers GPS, so geotagging travel shots needs a separate accessory.

Dual card slots give the D7000 an advantage for weddings or paid work, since a second card lets you keep recording when the first fills instead of swapping mid-event. The K-5 has one slot, though both take SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, so existing cards work in either body.

The D7000 also holds a modest edge in rated battery life, 1050 shots against 980. Each uses its own battery, the EN-EL15 and D-LI90, and neither charges over USB.