Nikon
Z9
Flagship stacked mirrorless with 45MP, 8K video, and no mechanical shutter.
$5,899
Released Oct 2021
Pentax
K-3 Mark III
APS-C DSLR flagship with optical viewfinder and weather sealing.
$1,999
Released Apr 2021
Z9 is 6 months newer.
Wins
Z9
Wins
K-3 Mark III
3 categories tied
TL;DR — Key differences
- BK-3 Mark III has higher Burst (mechanical) (8 fps vs 0 fps)
- AZ9 has higher RAW buffer depth (1000 frames vs 120 frames)
- AZ9 has higher Burst (electronic) (120 fps vs 20 fps)
- AZ9 has higher AF points / zones (493 vs 101)
- BK-3 Mark III has lower Weight (520 g vs 1340 g)
Key specs at a glance
Size and weight, to scale
Z9
149 × 150 × 91 mm
1340 g (2.95 lb / 47.27 oz)
K-3 Mark III
138 × 98 × 88 mm
520 g (1.15 lb / 18.34 oz)
Z9 is 11mm wider, 52mm taller, and 3mm thicker than K-3 Mark III.
Z9 is 820 g heavier than K-3 Mark III.
Depth (front-to-back): 91mm Z9 · 88mm K-3 Mark III
Back view, to scale
Width × Height — same proportions as the front of the body.
Z9
149 × 150 mm
K-3 Mark III
138 × 98 mm
Top view, to scale
Width × Depth (front-to-back) — see which body is chunkier on the table.
Z9
149 × 91 mm
K-3 Mark III
138 × 88 mm
Sensor size, to scale
Z9
35.9 × 23.9 mm · Full Frame
858 mm² area
K-3 Mark III
23.5 × 15.6 mm · APS-C
367 mm² area
2.3× larger sensor area = shallower depth of field and better low-light performance.
Lens ecosystem
Native lens selection
Z9
✓ more lensesNikon Z
90+
native lenses available
K-3 Mark III
Pentax K
70+
native lenses available
Counts include current first-party and major third-party native autofocus lenses.
Use-case scoring
Which one for what?
Algorithmic scores from verified specs · 10 = best in class
Why pick one over the other
Reasons to choose
Z9
AF low-light limit
-8.5 EV vs -3 EV — lower is better
Subject recognition
Adds People, Birds, Dogs…
Codecs
Adds N-RAW, ProRes RAW HQ, ProRes 422 HQ…
Dimensions (W×H×D mm)
Adds 149, 149.5, 90.5
Card types
Adds CFexpress Type B / XQD, CFexpress Type B / XQD
RAW buffer depth
1000 frames vs 120 frames — higher is better
Burst (electronic)
120 fps vs 20 fps — higher is better
AF points / zones
493 vs 101 — higher is better
Reasons to choose
K-3 Mark III
Subject recognition
Adds Human, Animal, Bird…
Burst (mechanical)
8 fps vs 0 fps — higher is better
Codecs
Adds H.265, H.264
Dimensions (W×H×D mm)
Adds 138, 98, 88
Card types
Adds SD UHS-II
Weight
520 g vs 1340 g — lower is better
IBIS effectiveness
7 stops vs 6 stops — higher is better
Both cameras share
- ✓ISO max (native) — Both 25,600
- ✓Eye AF — Both support eye af
- ✓Animal / bird AF — Both support animal / bird af
- ✓Pre-Capture / Pre-Release — Both support pre-capture / pre-release
- ✓In-body stabilization — Both support in-body stabilization
- ✓Weather sealing — Both support weather sealing
Pros & cons at a glance
Editorially curated highlights and trade-offs.
Z9
Pros
- ✓45MP stacked
- ✓8K 60p internal
- ✓120fps stills
- ✓Pro build
Cons
- –Heavy body
- –Expensive
- –Large files
K-3 Mark III
Pros
- ✓Optical viewfinder
- ✓Weather sealed
- ✓IBIS in DSLR
Cons
- –DSLR system declining
- –APS-C
- –Limited video
Full specifications
✓ = category winner
Frequently asked
Quick answers generated from verified specs.
Which is better for landscape, Z9 or K-3 Mark III?
Z9 scores 9.5/10 versus 5.0/10 for K-3 Mark III — 45.7MP — excellent for prints up to 24×36".
What's the resolution difference between the Z9 and K-3 Mark III?
Z9 is 45.7 MP and K-3 Mark III is 25.7 MP, so the Z9 captures more detail for cropping and large prints.
Do the Z9 and K-3 Mark III have in-body image stabilization?
Z9 has 6-stop in-body image stabilization, while k-3 Mark III has 7-stop in-body image stabilization.
Which shoots faster bursts — the Z9 or the K-3 Mark III?
Z9 reaches 120 fps electronic. K-3 Mark III reaches 20 fps electronic.
What's the weight difference between the Z9 and K-3 Mark III?
Z9 weighs 1340 g and K-3 Mark III weighs 520 g, so the K-3 Mark III is 820 g lighter.
Do the Z9 and K-3 Mark III record 4K video?
Z9: 8K UHD (max), 4K up to 120p. K-3 Mark III: 4K up to 60p.
Are the Z9 and K-3 Mark III weather sealed?
Z9: Yes. K-3 Mark III: Yes.
Which has better battery life?
Rated battery life is 740 shots (CIPA) for the Z9 and 640 shots for the K-3 Mark III, giving the Z9 the edge.
How much does each cost?
Z9 launched at $5,899 and K-3 Mark III at $1,999. The K-3 Mark III is $3,900 less.
Specs sourced from manufacturer data. Use-case scores algorithmically derived. Last reviewed May 2026.
Product images courtesy of Nikon and Pentax press materials.