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Pentax P70

 
Pentax Optio P70 front
 
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 64 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-110mm (F2.8-5.0) lens
  • 155g - 97 x 54 x 22mm
  • Introduced March 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
34
Features
20
Overall
28

Pentax P70 summary

Pentax P70 is Pentax's Ultracompact camera originally revealed on March of 2009. It features a 12 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 4000 x 3000.

The P70 is rated #115 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras and over-all #1168 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please check out our Advanced camera search to find camera ratings based on your custom factors.

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Here is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

Pentax P70 Pros and Cons

Here is a selection of pluses and minuses of the Pentax P70 based on factors which are often regarded as important in a camera.

built in zoom lens (28-110mm 3.9 x zoom)
has built in flash
includes HDMI port
quite wide (28mm)
very good minimum ISO (64)
you can focus manually
display isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have phase detect AF
doesn't have RAW files
external flash not possible
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of shutter priority mode
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
low maximum shutter speed (1/1,000s)
low MP (12MP)
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
low resolution screen (230 k dot)
max zoom aperture not good (f5.0)
missing external microphone port
missing headphone port
missing Timelapse function
more heavy than competitors (155 grams)
no image stabilization
no manual control
screen does not articulate
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
Photography Glossary

Pentax P70 Sensor information

The sensor dimension on the Pentax P70 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to capture 4000 x 3000 pixels .

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The CCD sensor boasts 12MP and includes a native ISO range of 64 to 6400. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The picture underneath shows the P70's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The P70 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is showcased in green.

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To get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Pentax P70 dimensions

Pentax P70 weighs around 0.34 pounds (155 grams or 5.47 oz) and features outer measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9"). The weight of average Ultracompact camera is 121 grams and the Pentax P70 is heavier as compared to various competitors.

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Here is a shot of the Pentax P70 besides a soft drink so you can have a sense of its size.

Pentax Optio P70 dimensions scale

The top view under will show you the button arrangement on the P70.

Pentax Optio P70 topview buttons dials

Pentax P70 Lens information

The P70 has got a built-in lens offering a focal range of 28-110mm making it a 3.9 x zoom which is not perfect nevertheless it can be helpful in a few scenarios.

At it's widest 28mm, it offers an aperture of f2.8 which will be really sluggish and not the best in low light situations and you will likely find it difficult to capture good bokeh. You would also need to raise your ISO producing noisy files. For the long end, 110mm comes with f5.0 which is quite slow and you will have to use slow shutter speeds.

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Pentax P70 Connectivity

The P70 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras which have NFC or Bluetooth support are able to be used wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to transfer pictures and sometimes change settings without connecting physically with the camera.

A few apps also enable a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external display. Virtually all cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Pentax P70 Video information

The highest possible video resolution on the Pentax P70 is 1280 x 720 and it can record in Motion JPEG format. 720p is low by today's standards. You should really aim for a minimum 1080p resolution for decent video. The body does not offer a mic or headphone port which means that you have absolutely no control over your audio. It is perhaps a better idea to look into a different model should you want good audio in your video clips.

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Pentax P70 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing on the Pentax P70 so you have to be careful in wet and dusty situations.

Pentax P70 Display and Viewfinder

The Pentax P70 features a 2.7" fixed display having a resolution of 230k dots.

Please be aware that the display screen offers no touch support.

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The View Finder details regarding Pentax P70 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are really handy during sunny outdoor situations which can make the camera display washed out and hard to view.

Pentax P70 Shutter information

The maximum shutter speed is 1/1000s.

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Pentax P70 Flash and Hot shoe information

Pentax P70 includes just inbuilt flash without external flash support.

Pentax P70 Autofocusing information

Pentax P70 includes only Contrast Detect AF and does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot quicker and precise as compared to Contrast Detect focusing.

The Sensor features 9 focus points to pick from. Pentax P70 has got manual focus in case it is required during low light situations or you require more precise focus control.

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Pentax P70 Battery life

The average Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the best (320) battery life within this category of cameras.

Listed below is a list of Ultracompact cameras which have the strongest battery life:

Pentax P70 for varying categories of photography

The following illustration presents a outline of the Pentax P70 for varying categories of photography. To understand more, scroll to the specific paragraph underneath.

Pentax P70 as a Portrait photography camera

The Pentax P70 gets a points tally of 27 which is terrible, and means the camera is not appropriate to use for portraits. Taking portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor resolution, support for RAW photos in addition to the potential to use external flash.

Photography Glossary
manual focus
manual mode not available
can't use external flash
low MP (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files

Pentax P70 Street photography info

Having a moderate points total of 47, the Pentax P70 is reasonably suitable for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.

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fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
heavier than average (155g)

Pentax P70 Sports photography info

A terrible sports photography rating of 17 indicates the Pentax P70 is not appropriate for shooting sports. A camera must have very good autofocus plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

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maximum shutter speed is a little low (1/1,000 seconds)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF

Pentax P70 Travel photography information

Size is really crucial when picking a camera for travel. Over-all, the Pentax P70 gets a modest 56 as a travel camera which is fairly suitable to take with you on your journeys.

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built-in flash
relatively wide (28mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
heavier than others in class (155 grams)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
doesn't feature selfie friendly display
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)

Pentax P70 Landscape photography details

For those who are looking to choose a digital camera for landscape photography, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Pentax P70 with it's terrible rating of 32 for a landscape camera is not appropriate among it's competition.

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focusing manually
pretty wide (28mm)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen is small (2.7 inches)
lack of manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW files
no Time Lapse recording

Pentax P70 Vlogging info

A vlogging camera should really offer a moving screen, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Pentax P70 is not appropriate for vlogging as it gets a terrible rating of 25.

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rather wide (28mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external microphone socket
more heavy than competitors (155 grams)

Pentax P70 Alternatives

If you are looking for alternatives to the P70, below is a selection of the top scored cameras which fall in to the category of Ultracompact.

The graph followed below will give you an overview of the P70 compared to it's top scored rivals shown previously.

These are some more cameras you might regard as alternatives. To review a thorough comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Pentax
Model
Pentax Optio P70
Category
Ultracompact
Introduced
2009-03-02
Body design
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
12 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Peak resolution
4000 x 3000
RAW photos
Highest native ISO
6400
Min native ISO
64
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
28-110mm (3.9x)
Largest aperture
f/2.8-5.0
Macro focus distance
10cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display size
2.7 inch
Resolution of display
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
4 seconds
Fastest shutter speed
1/1000 seconds
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range
4.60 m
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (15 fps), 848 x 480 (15 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
1280x720
Video 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 proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
155 gr (0.34 lbs)
Dimensions
97 x 54 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage
SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots
Single
Pricing at release
$200