Nikon D3400 vs Pentax K-S2 - Comparison

Here’s our Nikon D3400 vs Pentax K-S2 comparison. There’s a big price difference between these two, but if you’re in the market for a lightweight, powerful camera and can’t decide which one you really need, it’s not such an easy decision.

Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.

	Nikon D3400	Pentax K-S2
Megapixels	24.2	20.1
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor Format	APS-C (DX)	APS-C
Crop Factor	1.5x	1.5x
AA Filter	None	On/Off
Image Resolution	6000 x 4000	5472 x 3648
Body Image Stabilization	No	Yes
Lens Mount	Nikon FX/DX	Pentax K
ISO	100 - 25,600	100 - 51,200
Expanded ISO	No	No
AF Points	11	11
Cross-type AF Points	1	9
Continuous Mode	5fps	5fps
LCD	3.0" - Fixed	3.0" - Fully Articulated
LCD Resolution	921,600 dots	921,600 dots
Touchscreen	No	No
Focus Peaking	No	Yes
Top LCD Display	No	No
Viewfinder Type	Optical	Optical
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.85x	0.95x
Video Resolution	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)	1920x1080 (30/25/24p)
	1280x720 (60/50p)	1280x720 (60/50p)
Microphone Jack	No	Yes
Headphone Jack	No	No
Memory Card Type	SD	SD
Dual Card Slots	No	No
SD UHS Support	UHS-I	UHS-I
Fastest Shutter Speed	1/4000	1/6000
Slowest Shutter Speed	30"	30"
Bulb Mode	Yes	Yes
JPEG Buffer Size	100	28
RAW Buffer Size	12	9
Time Lapse	No	Yes
Built-in Flash	Yes	Yes
Max Flash Sync Speed	1/200	1/180
Startup Time	0.5s	1.0s
Built-in Wi-Fi	No	Yes
Built-in GPS	No	No
Built- in NFC	No	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	No
USB Type	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
Environmentally Sealed	No	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	1200 shots	410 shots
Battery Included	Yes (EN-EL14a)	Yes (D-LI109)
Weight	15.17 oz (430g)	24.3 oz (688g)
Size	4.9 x 3.9 x 3.0"	4.8 x 3.6 x 2.6"
Price	Amazon	Amazon
Release Date	2016	2015

Nikon D3400 Advantages:

Megapixels – 4.1 more megapixels. It’s a small difference and you won’t notice it unless printing really big.

AA Filter – The Nikon D3400 has no AA filter.

JPEG Buffer Size – 100 vs 28. Useful for long bursts.

RAW Buffer Size – 12 vs 9.

Max Flash Sync Speed – 1/200 vs 1/180.

Bluetooth Support

Battery Life – 1200 shots vs 410 shots.

Weight – The Nikon D3400 weighs 258g less.

The D3400’s biggest advantages are a lighter body, almost 3x longer battery life and bigger JPEG buffer if you mostly shoot sports, even though the 28 limit on the Pentax K-S2 is already more than enough for most people.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

Pentax K-S2 Advantages:

Body Image Stabilization – It has body image stabilization.

ISO – 51,200 vs 25,600. Higher maximum ISO sensitivity.

Cross-Type AF Points – 9 vs 1. Cross-type AF points are much more accurate and faster in low light.

LCD – It’s fully articulated.

Focus Peaking – Very useful for seeing if your subject is in focus (both photo and video).

Viewfinder Coverage – 100% vs 95%.

Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.

Microphone Jack – If you’re going to record videos where audio quality is important, a microphone jack is super helpful.

Faster Max Shutter Speed – 1/6000 vs 1/4000.

Time-Lapse

Built-in Wi-FI

Built-in NFC

Environmentally Sealed – The Pentax K-S2 is much more protected for shooting outdoors in difficult terrain and bad weather conditions.

Both cameras cost nearly the same, but the K-S offers quite a lot more. First, the built-in body stabilization is a huge advantage because it stabilizes your images even if your lens has no IS. It’s got 9 cross-type points compared to 1, making it more accurate in low light, then there’s the articulating LCD, microphone jack, 100% viewfinder coverage, built-in Wi-Fi and slightly faster max shutter speed. It may not sound that important, but when shooting on a bright day with big apertures, 1/4000 may not always be fast enough.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.