Pentax K-01 vs Sony NEX-6 — Which Is Better?

The Pentax K-01 and the Sony NEX-6 are both 2012 mirrorless cameras built around APS-C CMOS sensors. The NEX-6 is the lighter carry at 345 g against 561 g for the K-01, and it measures a slimmer 120 x 67 x 43 mm versus 122 x 79 x 58 mm.

Each camera uses a different native mount, so existing lenses may settle the choice. The K-01 accepts Pentax KAF lenses, while the NEX-6 uses the Sony E mount, and neither body fits the other's optics directly.

The Sony NEX-6 is the stronger choice for moving subjects. It shoots at 10 fps with 99 autofocus points, against 6 fps and 81 points on the K-01, and its 2,359,000-dot electronic viewfinder gives an eye-level view the K-01 cannot match.

Resolution is effectively shared, with 16.28 MP against 16.1 MP, so neither gives extra room for cropping distant subjects. Both offer in-body stabilisation for handheld work with unstabilised lenses. The NEX-6 also reaches 25600 ISO as its standard ceiling, while the K-01 offers 12800 ISO natively and 25600 ISO only in expanded mode.

The K-01 is the better pick for smoother motion in your clips, with a maximum video frame rate of 60 fps against 24 fps on the NEX-6. That faster limit suits fast subjects such as children, pets or street action. The K-01 also offers a built-in timelapse function the NEX-6 lacks.

Their maximum recording resolution is the same, with both cameras capped at Full HD. The NEX-6 records in AVCHD and MP4, while the K-01 writes MPEG-4 files, which mainly affects your editing workflow rather than what you can capture.

The NEX-6's tilting screen gives a practical framing advantage for waist-level and overhead shots that the K-01's fixed screen cannot offer. Both cameras share WiFi for wireless transfer, a 3-inch, 921,000-dot screen, live view, and a built-in flash with external flash support.

Neither camera offers GPS for automatic location tagging, which travellers wanting geotagged photos may miss. There is no weather sealing or touch control on either body, so both are cameras for fair-weather and conventional button-driven shooting.

The K-01 carries the higher battery rating, at 540 shots against 360 for the NEX-6. Each camera uses its own battery, the D-LI90 in the Pentax and the NP-FW50 in the Sony, so spare batteries are not interchangeable.

Both accept SD, SDHC and SDXC cards, and the NEX-6 additionally takes Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo media. Neither body has a second card slot or USB charging, so topping up the battery means a dedicated charger.