Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax KP — Which Is Better?

The Pentax K-S2 and the Pentax KP are both APS-C DSLRs built around the same Pentax KAF2 mount, so any K-mount lens you already own fits either body. The KP arrived in 2017, two years after the 2015 K-S2, making it the newer design of the pair.

The two bodies differ in shape and weight: the KP measures 132 x 101 x 76 mm and weighs 703 g, while the K-S2 measures 91 x 123 x 73 mm and 678 g. The KP is 25 g heavier, and its proportions run wider where the K-S2 runs taller.

The KP is the stronger choice for heavy cropping and for tracking erratic subjects. Its 24 megapixel sensor offers 20 percent more pixels than the K-S2's 20 megapixel chip, leaving more detail when you crop a distant bird tight. Its 27 autofocus points also give more places to lock onto an off-centre subject than the 11 on the K-S2.

Action shooting favours the KP too, with a 7 fps continuous rate against 5.4 fps on the K-S2. In-body stabilisation is shared, helping to steady handheld shots at slower shutter speeds on either body, and both offer an optical pentaprism viewfinder. The KP's expanded ISO ceiling reaches 819200 against 51200 on the K-S2, letting you set higher sensitivities in near darkness.

The K-S2 is the better pick if you want to slow fast motion, because its video recording reaches 60 fps while the KP tops out at 30 fps. A sprinting athlete or flying bird captured on the K-S2 can be played back at half speed on a 30 fps timeline.

A similarity elsewhere keeps the video choice simple: both cameras cap at Full HD resolution, record MPEG-4 and MOV files, and include a built-in timelapse mode for condensing a sunset or a construction sequence into seconds.

Shooting in rain or dust is covered on either body: both carry weather sealing, so a landscape or travel kit can go out in poor conditions. Both also offer GPS for geotagging photos, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless transfer and remote control from a phone.

The rear screens match: each camera has the same 3-inch LCD with 921000 dots that flips out for waist-level and overhead angles. Neither offers touch control, so settings are adjusted with the camera's buttons.

Power and storage accessories carry over between the two: both use the same D-LI109 battery and write to a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card at UHS-I speed. Neither has a second card slot or USB charging, so a spare battery remains the backup plan on both bodies.

A small battery-rating difference remains: the K-S2 is rated at 410 shots per charge against 390 for the KP, a 20-shot margin between otherwise closely matched power and storage setups.