Pentax E70 vs. Ricoh CX6: Two Compact Cameras Facing Off in the Real World

When it comes to compact cameras, especially from the late 2000s and early 2010s era, the choices can seem fairly limited and quirky in their design decisions - but they still have their place, even for enthusiasts or pros looking for an inexpensive backup or street camera. Today I’m putting two such compacts head-to-head: the Pentax Optio E70 and the Ricoh CX6. Both hail from the small sensor compact category - budget-minded but with very different ambitions.

I’ve personally spent weeks shooting with both cameras in various scenarios to help decipher what you really get versus the spec sheet promises. Spoiler alert: One feels like a leash on creativity, the other a surprisingly nimble tool despite its age and quirks.

Let’s break this down systematically - from build and ergonomics, to sensor tech and autofocus, all the way through to real-world photography genres and video. I'll ground this with hands-on insights, because specs don’t shoot photos on their own.

Feeling the Weight and Presence: Compact, but not All Equal

The first thing you notice pulling these cameras out of a bag - or your pocket - is their physical size and handling. This, of course, predetermines comfort in long shoots and portability as a travel or street camera.

The Pentax E70 is a very compact and lightweight camera, weighing in at just 175 grams with dimensions of 94 x 61 x 26 mm. Its small footprint makes it a genuine pocket dab hand, perfect for slipping discreetly into a jacket pocket or small purse. However, the tradeoff is a bit of a plasticky feel and the impression that it’s more of a casual snapper than a solid photographic tool.

The Ricoh CX6, on the other hand, is chunkier at 201 grams and slightly taller and thicker - 104 x 59 x 29 mm. It’s still eminently portable, but you get a chunkier, more substantial grip that fits nicely in the hand. This extra heft translates to a more confident shooting posture, which helped me with sharper handheld shots especially when zooming in.

In real-world terms: if your main priority is ultra-compact minimalism in a camera you can forget you’re carrying, the E70 wins. But if you want a more substantial feel and slightly better handling for varied shooting styles, the CX6's ergonomics repay you.

Controls and Interface: Clunky or Comfortable?

How a camera’s controls let you get to your settings quickly can make or break a shoot. When your subject won’t hold still longer than a blink, clubs for thumbs on dials and buttons are your best friends.

Looking at the top layouts, the E70 makes no effort to offer manual control dials or customizable buttons. There’s no shutter priority, no aperture priority, no manual exposure, and the menus are controlled through a modest button set. This constraint means the camera is mainly heir to full auto and scene modes - the typical point-and-shoot mindset. While this is fine for snapshots, it becomes frustrating if you want creative control or faster tweaks on the fly.

The CX6 introduces serious manual control options: aperture priority, shutter priority, manual exposure, and exposure compensation. There’s a continuous shooting mode at a solid 5fps, and a dedicated self-timer with customizable delay options (a neat bonus). Speaking from experience, this manual control suite allowed me to photograph more dynamically indexed scenes, like street photography with backlit subjects or dusk landscapes, without feeling locked out.

The CX6 also gives you image stabilization - the sensor-shift variety that the E70 lacks - which proved invaluable when shooting at longer zooms or in less than ideal light.

Bottom line: the CX6 is the clear winner in interface and control accessibility, providing a more engaging experience for users who want to go beyond pointing and hoping.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

The sensors in these cameras are the keystone of image quality. Both have 1/2.3" sensors with an approximately 10-megapixel resolution, a common specification in compact cameras of their day.

Technically speaking, the Pentax E70 uses a CCD sensor, which was common in cameras from this era but tends to exhibit more noise at higher ISO settings and has limited dynamic range. It maxes out at ISO 6400, but in practical terms, usable sensitivity rarely goes much beyond ISO 400 or 800 before noise becomes prohibitive. The E70 also employs an anti-alias filter, which helps reduce moiré but can slightly soften image details.

The Ricoh CX6 is equipped with a CMOS sensor, paired with the “Smooth Imaging Engine IV” processor. This combination typically yields better noise control and dynamic range performance. The native ISO range starts at 100 and tops out at 3200, which is more conservative, but the noise performance at higher ISOs is cleaner and actually usable up to ISO 1600 in my tests.

In practical landscape shoots, the CX6 delivered noticeably clearer details, better shadow recovery, and less noise overall. The Pentax could capture pleasing images in bright daylight but struggled as the lighting dimmed.

Neither camera supports RAW capture, which is a real limitation for photographers who want to do post-processing heavy lifting. You’re stuck with JPGs, so getting perfect exposure at capture time is vital.

Screen and Viewing Experience: Making Composition Easier

Composing your shots through a screen is a fundamental part of modern compact cameras, especially as neither offers an electronic viewfinder.

The Pentax E70's 2.4-inch fixed screen has a mere 112k-dot resolution, which feels downright primitive by today’s standards. It’s hard to rely on for precise focusing or evaluating exposure, especially under bright sunlight.

The Ricoh CX6 ups the ante with a 3.0-inch Sony WhiteMagic VGA LCD screen boasting 1230k-dot resolution, delivering a far brighter and sharper preview. This proved a lifesaver outdoors and in fast-moving scenarios where I had to trust the screen to compose rather than grapple blindly.

While neither screen is touch-enabled, the CX6’s superior clarity and size contribute to a far less frustrating user experience.

Autofocus and Speed: Catching the Moment

Neither camera claims cutting-edge autofocus systems, but let’s look at how they comparatively perform in the critical task of locking onto subjects.

The Pentax E70 uses contrast detection autofocus with 9 focus points but lacks face or eye detection. Autofocus speed was sluggish on moving subjects, and once or twice I lost shots due to hunting. Continuous AF or tracking modes are absent, so wildlife or sports photography with this camera quickly becomes frustrating.

In contrast, the Ricoh CX6 also employs contrast detection AF but generally felt quicker and more reliable in locking focus in good light. While there’s no face detection or eye detection, a 5fps burst shooting mode helped capture fleeting moments better. The sensor-shift image stabilization made a difference when shooting at 300mm-equivalent focal length - sharpness loss from handshake was minimal.

Neither camera is truly suited to serious wildlife or sports photography, but for quick snapshots or casual zoomed-in shots, the CX6’s AF system is less likely to let you down.

Lens Range and Optical Versatility

Both cameras have fixed zoom lenses, but their focal ranges differ significantly.

• Pentax E70: 35-105 mm equivalent (3× zoom), apertures F3.1 to F5.9
• Ricoh CX6: 28-300 mm equivalent (10.7× superzoom), apertures F3.5 to F5.6

The CX6’s superzoom radically extends your creative reach, from moderately wide-angle scenes through to serious telephoto telephoto framing. This versatility also makes it an apt travel companion since you rarely need to change lenses or carry additional gear.

The E70’s shorter zoom is limited for wildlife or sports. Its macro focus distance is 10 cm, whereas the CX6 can focus to 1 cm, giving it a real edge for macro photography and close-up work.

While the CX6’s lens is physically larger to accommodate the greater zoom, the convenience mostly offsets the added bulk for me.

Flash and Low Light Performance: Lighting Up Your Shots

For low light or indoor shots, flash capability and ISO performance matter greatly.

The Pentax E70 has a built-in flash with a modest reach of 3.5 meters. However, no red-eye reduction or slow-sync flash modes are available, limiting your options. Combined with higher noise at increased sensitivities, low light shots are often harsh or grainy.

The Ricoh CX6 improves with a built-in flash capable of 4 meters range and several flash modes: Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye Reduction, and Slow Sync. These contribute to more sophisticated results when using flash indoors or at night.

In night or astro photography attempts, neither camera performs spectacularly - limited high ISO sensitivity, lack of manual long exposure modes, or RAW capture stifle creative potential. The CX6 did offer timelapse recording, helpful for some nightscapes, but image quality was poor compared to modern standards.

Video Capabilities: Scratch the Surface?

For casual video, both cameras record at 1280 x 720 HD at 30 fps, using the Motion JPEG codec. While this was adequate at the time, it feels limited now - no 1080p or 4K options, no external mic support, and no real video stabilization beyond sensor shift on the CX6.

Hands-on, the CX6’s video quality was marginally better with steadier footage and more exposure control. The E70’s video was often shaky and soft. Serious videographers won’t be satisfied with either.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity: Practical Considerations

• The Pentax E70 runs on 2 AA batteries - a joy for travelers since you can find replacements nearly anywhere, but expect fewer shots per charge compared to proprietary lithium-ion packs.

• The Ricoh CX6 uses a proprietary DB-100 lithium-ion battery, which provides better longevity per charge but requires convenient access to recharge or spares.

Both cameras utilize SD/SDHC cards with one slot each, a standard setup. Storage flexibility is equal.

In connectivity, only the CX6 supports Eye-Fi wireless card compatibility, offering a sliver of wireless convenience.

Performance Scores and Genre Suitability

Now for the numbers and their practical implications.

Based on my testing and comparative scoring across the major photography disciplines:

• Portraits: Pentax E70’s lack of autofocus face detection and limited aperture control limit expressive portrait work. CX6’s larger zoom range and manual controls give modest advantages in framing and exposure, but both are basic.

• Landscape: CX6’s better dynamic range and sharper images win here, plus a wider focal length range. Neither offers weather sealing.

• Wildlife and Sports: CX6’s faster burst and stabilization edge is apparent but still below average compared to advanced models; E70 is not recommended.

• Street Photography: E70’s tiny size and unobtrusive profile is a plus; but low screen quality and slow controls are drawbacks. CX6 offers better manual control but is slightly bulkier.

• Macro: CX6 absolutely dominates with 1 cm macro focus distance.

• Night/Astro: Neither excels, but CX6’s timelapse and better noise control are slight advantages.

• Video: Favor CX6 for steadier, cleaner HD.

• Travel: The versatile zoom and better ergonomics and screen quality make the CX6 a travel-friendly choice.

• Professional Work: Neither supports RAW or advanced workflow features; both are better for casual or learning use.

Pros and Cons Summary

Who Should Buy Which Camera?

Choose the Pentax E70 if:

• You’re an absolute budget cheapskate who just wants to record occasional snapshots.
• Portability and taking a discreet pocket camera are your priorities.
• You need reliability without fuss and can accept basic image quality.
• You want a camera running off commonly available AA batteries.

Choose the Ricoh CX6 if:

• You want more creative freedom with manual exposure modes.
• You shoot varied subjects including macro, landscapes, or casual telephoto.
• You want better image quality, with usable ISO up to 1600 and image stabilization.
• You need a more travel- or street-friendly compact with a better interface.
• Price is less of a barrier and you want a camera that feels like a genuine photographic tool.

My Personal Take: Balancing Expectations and Realities

I love testing compact cameras because they are often guilty pleasures for photographers - affordable, pocketable, and ready to capture moments without the weight of a DSLR. But they can also be frustrating in their limits.

Between the Pentax E70 and Ricoh CX6, I found the CX6 to be a surprisingly versatile companion given its age. The combination of a long zoom, manual exposure modes, stabilization, and a larger, brighter screen equips it to punch above its weight. While it doesn't compare to modern mirrorless or advanced compacts, it carves out a useful niche for enthusiasts after a budget superzoom.

The E70, meanwhile, feels like a very basic, early digital compact best suited for new photographers or those who just want a "point and snap" daily camera with no bells or whistles - albeit with the convenience of AA battery power.

Ultimately, these cameras aren't rivals on equal footing: the CX6 is more powerful but older and pricier; the E70 is cheaper and simpler. Your decision should hinge on what matters most to your photography and budget.

Sample Images: See for Yourself

To wrap up, here are samples captured under identical conditions by both cameras, illustrating their detail, color rendition, and overall rendering.

Pentax E70 front Pentax E70 screen back Ricoh CX6 front Ricoh CX6 screen back

Notice the Ricoh CX6’s sharper rendering, better color saturation, and lower noise in shadows, as well as superior close-up details in macro shots.

In closing, both the Pentax E70 and Ricoh CX6 represent compact camera philosophies of their time: One aims at simplicity and petite portability; the other strives for zooming versatility and greater creative control. Which you choose depends on your shooting style, priorities, and willingness to compromise.

Feel free to reach out with your questions - I’m always ready to talk gear with fellow photographers. Happy shooting!

This article reflects personal hands-on testing and analysis informed by industry-standard evaluation methods, including sensor performance assessments, AF speed and accuracy tests, and real-world shooting across multiple photography genres.