Pentax K-5 II vs Sony SLT Alpha 57 — Which Is Better?

The Pentax K-5 II and the Sony SLT Alpha 57 are both 2012 APS-C DSLRs with CMOS sensors, and their resolution is nearly the same at 16.3 versus 16.1 megapixels. That 0.2 megapixel gap gives neither camera a meaningful cropping or enlargement advantage over the other. The real choice lies in how each camera gets you to the shot, from burst rate to weather protection to battery endurance.

Their mounts are the practical dividing line. The K-5 II uses the Pentax KAF mount, while the Alpha 57 uses the Sony Alpha mount, so your lens path is decided the day you pick a body.

The Alpha 57 is the stronger pick for photographing fast action, because it shoots at up to 12 frames per second against 7 for the K-5 II, giving you more chances to catch a peak moment. It also has 15 autofocus points rather than 11, spreading coverage wider across the frame.

The K-5 II answers with a shorter minimum exposure of 1/8000 second versus 1/4000, which keeps wide apertures usable in bright daylight. Their viewfinders take different approaches: the K-5 II has an optical pentaprism finder, while the Alpha 57 has an electronic finder that shows a live electronic image of the scene. Both offer in-body stabilisation, so any mounted lens benefits from shake reduction.

The Alpha 57 gives you smoother motion in your clips and the option of slowed playback, because it records at up to 60 frames per second, while the K-5 II tops out at 25. It also gives you more format options, recording in AVCHD, MP4 and MPEG-4 AVC, while the K-5 II records Motion JPEG clips.

The K-5 II strikes back with a built-in timelapse function, which the Alpha 57 lacks, so interval work needs no external trigger on the Pentax. Both cameras share Full HD as their maximum video resolution, so neither offers 4K recording.

The K-5 II is the camera to take outdoors in poor conditions, because it has weather sealing and the Alpha 57 does not. Rain, dust and sea air are exactly the situations where that protection earns its keep.

The Alpha 57's advantage is its flip screen, which lets you frame shots over crowds or at ground level without contorting yourself. Otherwise the two are close: each has a 3-inch, 921,000-dot screen, live view, a built-in flash and support for an external flash. Neither offers GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or touch control.

The K-5 II is the clear choice for a long day of shooting without a charger, with a rated 980 shots per charge against 550 for the Alpha 57. That 430-shot gap in the rated figures suits the Pentax to travel and long events.

Both store images on a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card with no second slot, and neither charges over USB. The Alpha 57 additionally accepts Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo cards, a useful leftover if you already own Sony media.