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Pentax

K-5 IIs

APS-C flagship without AA filter for maximum sharpness — a cult favorite among Pentax stills shooters.

$1,099

Launch price

Released Sep 2012

vs
GR IVx

Ricoh

GR IVx

40mm-equivalent GR IV sibling with a newly designed 26.1mm f/2.8 lens, 25.74MP APS-C sensor, 5-axis SR, 4K video, 53GB internal storage, and pocket street-camera handling. Winter 2026 planned.

$1,499

Launch price

Released Dec 2026

GR IVx is 14.3 years newer.

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Wins

6categories

K-5 IIs

★ Wildlife★ Sports & Action

Wins

3categories

GR IVx

★ Portrait

2 categories tied

Which would you choose?

TL;DR — Key differences

K-5 IIs wins 3 categories·GR IVx wins 2 categories
  • BGR IVx has higher ISO max (native) (204,800 vs 25,600)
  • AK-5 IIs has higher Burst (electronic) (15 fps vs 4 fps)
  • BGR IVx has lower Weight (265 g vs 710 g)
  • AK-5 IIs has higher Battery life (CIPA) (640 shots vs 250 shots)
  • AK-5 IIs has higher AF points / zones (101 vs 49)

Key specs at a glance

K-5 IIsGR IVx
Resolution16.3 MP25.74 MP
SensorAPS-CAPS-C
ISO max25,600204,800
Burst15 fps4 fps
4K60 fps30 fps
IBIS6-stopYes
Weight710 g265 g
Battery640 shots250 shots

Size and weight, to scale

K-5 IIs

131 × 97 × 73 mm

710 g (1.57 lb / 25.04 oz)

Credit card shown to scale as a size reference (ISO 7810, 85.6 × 54 mm)

Credit card

85.6 × 54 mm

for scale

GR IVx front view

GR IVx

109 × 61 × 33 mm

265 g (0.58 lb / 9.35 oz)

K-5 IIs is 22mm wider, 36mm taller, and 40mm thicker than GR IVx.

K-5 IIs is 445 g heavier than GR IVx.

Depth (front-to-back): 73mm K-5 IIs · 33mm GR IVx

Sensor size, to scale

K-5 IIs

23.7 × 15.7 mm · APS-C

372 mm² area

GR IVx

23.3 × 15.5 mm · APS-C

361 mm² area

Lens ecosystem

Native lens selection

K-5 IIs

✓ more lenses

Pentax K

70+

native lenses available

30 first-party40 third-party

GR IVx: mount data unavailable

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

Use caseK-5 IIsGR IVx
Portrait
5.5Fair
6.5Good✓ wins
Sports & Action
6.5Good✓ wins
1.0Limited
Video & Hybrid
6.0Good✓ wins
4.0Fair
Landscape
3.5Limited✓ wins
2.5Limited
Travel
6.5Good✓ wins
5.5Fair
Wildlife
8.0Excellent✓ wins
1.0Limited
Vlogging
5.5Fair
5.5Fair

Why pick one over the other

Reasons to choose

K-5 IIs

  • Subject recognition

    Adds Human, Animal, Bird…

  • Codecs

    Adds H.265, H.264

  • Dimensions (W×H×D mm)

    Adds 131, 97, 73

  • Card types

    Adds SD UHS-II

  • Burst (electronic)

    15 fps vs 4 fps — higher is better

  • Battery life (CIPA)

    640 shots vs 250 shots — higher is better

  • AF points / zones

    101 vs 49 — higher is better

  • Animal / bird AF

    Only K-5 IIs supports it

Reasons to choose

GR IVx

  • Subject recognition

    Adds Face, Eye

  • Codecs

    Adds MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, MOV

  • Dimensions (W×H×D mm)

    Adds 109.4, 61.1, 33.4

  • Card types

    Adds microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC UHS-I

  • ISO max (native)

    204,800 vs 25,600 — higher is better

  • Weight

    265 g vs 710 g — lower is better

  • Resolution

    25.74 MP vs 16.3 MP — higher is better

Both cameras share

  • ✓ISO min (native) — Both 100
  • ✓Eye AF — Both support eye af
  • ✓Max video bit rate — Both 150 Mbps
  • ✓In-body stabilization (IBIS) — Both support in-body stabilization (ibis)
  • ✓Touchscreen — Both support touchscreen
  • ✓Wi-Fi — Both support wi-fi

Pros & cons at a glance

Editorially curated highlights and trade-offs.

K-5 IIs

Pros

  • ✓No AA filter
  • ✓Weather sealed
  • ✓Excellent build
  • ✓Strong JPEG engine

Cons

  • –16MP dated
  • –Slow AF
  • –DSLR declining

GR IVx

Pros

  • ✓New 26.1mm f/2.8 GR lens (40mm equiv.)
  • ✓GR IV 25.74MP APS-C + 5-axis SR
  • ✓4K 30p/24p and 53GB built-in storage
  • ✓Snap focus, 50/71mm crops, 2-stop ND
  • ✓Pocketable 265g body

Cons

  • –Price not yet announced (listed at GR IV $1,499)
  • –Winter 2026 or later — still in development as of Aug 2026
  • –No built-in EVF
  • –Fixed 40mm-equiv. lens

Decided which one is right for you?

Compare live prices for the K-5 IIs and GR IVx at major authorized retailers.

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Full specifications

✓ = category winner

K-5 IIs
GR IVx
Resolution
16.3 MP
25.74 MP✓+58%
Sensor type
APS-C CMOS
APS-C CMOS
Sensor size
23.7 × 15.7 mm
23.3 x 15.5 mm
AA filter
No
No
K-5 IIs
GR IVx
Aperture
—
F2.8-F16
Focal length (35mm equiv.)
—
40 mm
K-5 IIs
GR IVx
Processor
Image processor
GR ENGINE 7
K-5 IIs
GR IVx
ISO min (native)
100
100
ISO max (native)
25,600
204,800✓+3 stops
ISO max (expanded)
102,400
204,800
K-5 IIs
GR IVx
Shutter type
Mechanical + Electronic
Leaf shutter
Max mechanical speed
1/8000 sec
1/4000 sec
Max electronic speed
1/16000 sec
1/16000 sec

Frequently asked

Quick answers generated from verified specs.

Which is better for wildlife, K-5 IIs or GR IVx?

K-5 IIs scores 8.0/10 versus 1.0/10 for GR IVx — Bird AF subject recognition.

What's the resolution difference between the K-5 IIs and GR IVx?

K-5 IIs is 16.3 MP and GR IVx is 25.74 MP, so the GR IVx captures more detail for cropping and large prints.

Do the K-5 IIs and GR IVx have in-body image stabilization?

K-5 IIs has 6-stop in-body image stabilization, while GR IVx has in-body image stabilization.

Which shoots faster bursts — the K-5 IIs or the GR IVx?

K-5 IIs reaches 15 fps electronic. GR IVx reaches 4 fps electronic.

What's the weight difference between the K-5 IIs and GR IVx?

K-5 IIs weighs 710 g and GR IVx weighs 265 g, so the GR IVx is 445 g lighter.

Do the K-5 IIs and GR IVx record 4K video?

K-5 IIs: 4K up to 60p. GR IVx: 4K up to 30p.

Are the K-5 IIs and GR IVx weather sealed?

K-5 IIs: Yes. GR IVx: No.

Which has better battery life?

Rated battery life is 640 shots (CIPA) for the K-5 IIs and 250 shots for the GR IVx, giving the K-5 IIs the edge.

How much does each cost?

K-5 IIs launched at $1,099 and GR IVx at $1,499. The K-5 IIs is $400 less.

Can't decide between two? Compare a third camera.

Add any camera to get a three-way K-5 IIs vs GR IVx vs X comparison.

Specs sourced from manufacturer data. Use-case scores algorithmically derived. Last reviewed November 2026.

Product images courtesy of Pentax and Ricoh press materials.