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Pentax E85

 
Pentax Optio E85 front
 
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 32-96mm (F2.9-5.2) lens
  • 145g - 93 x 58 x 24mm
  • Launched September 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
10
Overall
25

Pentax E85 overview

Pentax E85 is Pentax's Small Sensor Compact digital camera initially announced on September of 2009. It comes with a 12 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a peak resolution of 4000 x 3000.

The E85 places at #247 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all-around #1241 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can check our Smart camera filter to get camera listings based on your personal criteria.

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The following is a chart of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Pentax E85 history

The Pentax E85 has a history of related cameras. Down below, you can find all previous and brand new models alongside key specifications.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Pentax-Optio-E90 front thumbnailPentax E90
E85 vs E90
32-95mm
F3.1-5.9
10MP1/2.3"2010
Pentax-Optio-E85 front thumbnailPentax E8532-96mm
F2.9-5.2
12MP1/2.3"2009
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Pentax-Optio-E70 front thumbnailPentax E70
E85 vs E70
35-105mm
F3.1-5.9
10MP1/2.3"2009

Pentax E85 Pros and Cons

Here is a list of pluses and minuses of the Pentax E85 based on aspects that are normally seen as crucial in a digital camera.

flash built-in
in built zoom lens (32-96mm 3.0 x zoom)
very good min ISO (80)
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
does not have phase detect auto focus
does not have RAW format
external flash not possible
focusing manually not possible
lack of aperture priority mode
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
low res video (640 x 480 pixels)
max fps very slow (1.0 frames/s)
max zoom aperture not good (f5.2)
megapixel count low (12MP)
missing external microphone port
missing HDMI port
missing headphone port
missing Timelapse mode
no image stabilization
no manual mode
no shutter priority
pixelated screen (230 thousand dot)
screen does not articulate
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
slow maximum aperture (f2.9)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
wide angle not fantastic (32mm)
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Pentax E85 Sensor specs

The sensor dimension in the Pentax E85 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4000 x 3000 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.

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The CCD sensor has 12MP and gives a standard ISO range of 80 - 3200. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.

The image below illustrates the E85's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The E85 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is displayed in green.

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To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Pentax E85 dimensions

Pentax E85 weighs in at 0.32 lb (145g / 5.11 ounces) & the physical size of the camera is 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9"). The weight of general Small Sensor Compact camera is 174g so the Pentax E85 is lighter as compared with its competitors.

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The following is a photo of the Pentax E85 besides a softdrink to help you get a feel for its size.

Pentax Optio E85 dimensions scale

The top view below will highlight the button arrangement on the E85.

Pentax Optio E85 topview buttons dials

Pentax E85 Lens details

The E85 includes a fixed lens having a focal range of 32-96mm giving it a 3.0 x zoom which might not be perfect but it would certainly be valuable in certain situations.

At it's widest 32mm, the lens features an aperture of f2.9 which will be kind of sluggish and not good for low light occasions and you will find it hard to get good bokeh. You will likely also have to up your ISO setting which causes noisy images. At the long end, 96mm comes with f5.2 making it fairly sluggish and you might have to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Pentax E85 Connectivity

The E85 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras that consist of NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can easily be used wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to copy files and in some cases change camera settings with no need to connect directly with the camera.

Certain apps also give a Liveview and press the shutter in case you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI port, it could be attached to an external screen. Many cameras will allow you to charge the battery with the USB port.

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Pentax E85 Video details

The highest video resolution in the Pentax E85 is 640 x 480 and you can record in Motion JPEG file format. 480p is awful for today's requirements. You should try to get a minimum FUll HD resolution for good video. The body doesn't include a microphone or headphone port which means that you have got absolutely no control over the sound. It is probably a better idea to purchase another camera if you want better sound for your videos.

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Pentax E85 Weather Sealing

There is no weather proofing on the Pentax E85 so you have to be cautious in rainy or dusty situations.

Pentax E85 Screen and Viewfinder

The Pentax E85 comes with a 2.7 inch fixed display having a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Sadly the display isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder specifications for Pentax E85 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be rather helpful in bright outdoor situations which will make the camera screen washed out and hard to see.

Pentax E85 Shutter details

Pentax E85 continuous shooting speed is 1.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Pentax E85 Flash and Hot shoe details

Pentax E85 features just integrated flash without external flash ability.

Pentax E85 Autofocusing details

Pentax E85 features only Contrast Based Autofocus & doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more snappier & precise as compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

Pentax E85 lacks manual focusing. Manual focusing option is good in low light or you want more precise focus control.

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Pentax E85 Battery life

The typical Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has the highest (470) battery life in this class of cameras.

Following is a list of Small Sensor Compact cameras which have the best battery life:

Pentax E85 for various forms of photography

The following chart indicates a analysis of the Pentax E85 for various forms of photography. To view more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Pentax E85 Portrait photography highlights

The Pentax E85 receives a points total of 21 which is really bad, and means the camera is just not appropriate to use for portraits. Photographing portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor dimension, support for RAW photos along with the capability to utilize off-camera flash.

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no manual focus
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
low MP (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW files

Street photography with Pentax E85

Getting a average points total of 47, the Pentax E85 is relatively suited to buy for street photography. A good street photography camera offers a good balance of image quality plus portability.

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fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support

Pentax E85 Sports photography details

A really bad sports photography points total of 17 suggests the Pentax E85 is just not appropriate for shooting sports. A camera needs to have excellent focusing plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
low resolution sensor (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus

Pentax E85 as a Travel photography camera

Portability is super critical in choosing a camera for travel. In general, the Pentax E85 gets a decent 51 for a travelling camera which makes it fairly suited to take with you on your travels.

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flash built-in
lack of Timelapse mode
megapixel count low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (32mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.9)

Pentax E85 Landscape photography information

For anyone looking to buy a camera for landscape photography, the most essential aspect is going to be image quality. The Pentax E85 and it's really bad grade of 23 as a landscape camera is just not appropriate compared to its competitors.

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focusing manually not possible
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (32mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.9)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
manual mode not possible
does not have image stabilization
low MP (12MP)
very small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
missing Time Lapse recording

Pentax E85 as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera really should offer a articulating screen, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Considering all things, the Pentax E85 is just not appropriate for vlogging as it gets a really bad score of 22.

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wide angle not great (32mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.9)
does not posses selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
low video resolution (640 x 480 resolution)
doesn't have external mic socket

Pentax E85 Alternatives

If you are looking for alternatives to the E85, below is a list of the top rated cameras which fall in to the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The line graph below gives you a summary of the E85 vs it's top scored competitors suggested above.

These are various other cameras you might look at as alternative options. To look at a comprehensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Pentax
Model type
Pentax Optio E85
Type
Small Sensor Compact
Launched
2009-09-17
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
12 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW images
Maximum native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Continuous autofocus
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
32-96mm (3.0x)
Max aperture
f/2.9-5.2
Macro focusing range
10cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen diagonal
2.7 inch
Resolution of screen
230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
2 seconds
Highest shutter speed
1/2000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed
1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
3.00 m
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions
640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
640x480
Video data format
Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
145g (0.32 pounds)
Dimensions
93 x 58 x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9")
Other
Battery ID
D-LI95
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots
One
Launch cost
$0