Pentax Optio X70 Summary

12 Megapixels12 MegapixelsUltra-Zoom: At least 10X optical zoom.Ultra-Zoom: At least 10X optical zoom.Electronic View FinderElectronic View FinderStabilization: Compensates for tiny involuntary movements of the camera.Stabilization: Compensates for tiny involuntary movements of the camera.720p HD Video: 1280 x 720 resolution or more but less than 1920 x 1080.720p HD Video: 1280 x 720 resolution or more but less than 1920 x 1080.Manual Controls: Both fully-manual (M) and semi-automatic modes (T and V).Manual Controls: Both fully-manual (M) and semi-automatic modes (T and V).Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.Spot MeteringSpot MeteringAccepts Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and SD memory.Accepts Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and SD memory.Neocamera detailed reviewNeocamera detailed reviewDiscontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.Discontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.

Assessment

The Pentax Optio X70 features a wide-angle stabilized 24X optical zoom lens, a basic set of manual controls plus HD 720p movie-recording. The standout feature is obviously the zoom lens which lets photographers frame about anything but the high-definition movie-mode adds another dimension to what this camera can do.

As for performance, compromises are expected but the Pentax X70 keeps image quality decently usable up to ISO 400. Noise is average, exposure is rather good and so is focusing accuracy. Where the X70 lags the most is in terms of speed of operation, responsiveness is clearly and issue, as is focus speed which varies enormously. Shot-to-shot speeds and playback zoom are also quite slow. Zooming and startup are good though. Also, this digital camera suffers from pronounced and complex distortion near wide-angle.

Good ergonomics generally make this camera simple and efficient to use. Most controls are intuitive and easy to use. The only problematic one is the control-wheel which feels sticky and updates settings rather slowly. The LCD and EVF are usable under bright and low light but the low-resolution EVF makes judging focus hard.

The bottom line is that the Pentax Optio X70 provides a good compromise between performance and versatility. It is mostly suited for static subjects in good light due to noisy high-ISO, relatively slow performance and limited shutter-speed range. The recently reviewed Nikon P90 offers a different compromise with faster performance but lesser image quality and no HD movie-mode.

Neocamera detailed reviewNeocamera detailed review Read the full Pentax X70 review here.

PROS CONS
Very versatile zoom from 26-624mm Noise visible at all ISO settings
Very good exposure and color accuracy Strong color cast above ISO 400
Reliable autofocus Useless ISO 800 and up
Generally good white-balance, but not perfect White-balance slow to lock
Effective stabilization Complex lens distortion
Good image sharpness Slow AF in low-light
Fast startup and zoom Slow shot-to-shot speed
Good ergonomics Too few zoom steps
Solid build quality Unresponsive controls
Built in digital wide and panorama stitching Display is completely blank in continuous drive
EVF protrudes for added comfort Exposure-priority only on half-press
Good LCD/EVF visibility Tiny and coarse EVF
Short battery life
GoodGood Good

Pentax Optio X70 Related

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Pentax X70 Highlights

Pentax Optio X70
Large digital camera

Sensor-Size: 6 x 5mm

1/2.3" Sensor

Actual size when viewed at 100 DPI

12 Megapixels Ultra ZoomISO 50-1600
24X Wide Optical ZoomShutter 1/4000-4s
Built-in StabilizationFull manual controls, including Manual Focus
0.20" Built-in EVF 200K PixelsCustom white-balance
1.2 FPS Drive, 6 ImagesSpot-Metering
1280x720 @ 30 FPS Video RecordingLithium-Ion Battery
2.7" LCD 230K PixelsSecure Digital High Capacity
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