Pentax P80
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 64 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-110mm (F2.6-5.8) lens
- 125g - 102 x 59 x 25mm
- Released August 2009
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
95 Imaging
35 Features
23 Overall
30
Pentax P80 overview
Pentax P80 is Pentax's Small Sensor Compact camera originally released on August of 2009. The camera includes a 12MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a peak resolution of 4000 x 3000.
The P80 places at #180 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all-around #1115 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. You can try our Smart camera search to find camera rankings based on your customized requirements.
Here is a chart of various criteria used in the scoring system.
Pentax P80 Gallery
You can check the P80 from different angles in the gallery here.
Pentax P80 Pros and Cons
Below is a shortlist of advantages and disadvantages of the Pentax P80 based on things that are normally seen as necessary in a camera.
Pentax P80 Sensor info
The Pentax P80 is powered by the Prime chip. The sensor spec on the Pentax P80 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 4000 x 3000 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe CCD sensor has 12 megapixels and features a native ISO range of 64 to 6400. Unfortunately, RAW files are not supported therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.
The image below shows the P80's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The P80 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is highlighted in green.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideTo get a sense of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.
Pentax P80 dimensions
Pentax P80 weighs around 0.28 pounds (125 gr / 4.41 oz) & the measurement of the camera is 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0"). The weight of general Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 gr and the Pentax P80 is lighter when compared to other rivals.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesListed below is a photo of the Pentax P80 beside a soft drink so you're able to get a feel for its scale.
The top view here will illustrate the button design on the P80.
Pentax P80 Lens info
The P80 houses a built in lens featuring a focal range of 28-110mm making it a 3.9 x zoom which may not be significant nevertheless it may be useful in some situations.
At the widest 28mm, it has an aperture of f2.6 and that's quite slow and not good for low light conditions and you will probably struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You will likely also have to increase the ISO setting leading to noisy photographs. Towards the tele end, 110mm comes to f5.8 making it very sluggish and you would need to choose slow shutter speeds.
Pentax P80 Connectivity
The P80 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- HDMI Yes
Cameras that include NFC or Bluetooth support can be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You can send pictures and oftentimes adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting physically to the camera.
Certain applications even allow a Liveview and press the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera includes a HDMI port, it can be hooked up to an external monitor. The majority of cameras will allow you to charge the battery using the USB socket.
Pentax P80 Video info
The highest video quality on the Pentax P80 is 1280 x 720 and you can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 720p is awful for today's standards. You should really target a minimum FUll HD quality for good video. The camera doesn't include a microphone or headphone port which means that you have little control over the sound. It is probably best to take a look at a different camera in case you want decent sound for your video clips.
Pentax P80 Weather Sealing
Pentax P80 doesn't include weather proofing so damp conditions may affect the camera.
Pentax P80 Display and Viewfinder
The Pentax P80 includes a 2.7 inch fixed screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.
Please note that the screen has no touch support.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe ViewFinder specs for Pentax P80 are below:
- ViewFinder None
For bright outdoor conditions which make the camera screens washed out and challenging to see, viewfinders are very helpful.
Pentax P80 Shutter info
Pentax P80 continuous shooting speed is 3.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/1000 sec.
Pentax P80 Flash and Hot shoe info
Pentax P80 has only inbuilt flash lacking external flash ability.
Pentax P80 Autofocusing info
Pentax P80 has just Contrast Based Autofocus & doesn't have Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more quicker & precise when compared to Contrast Based autofocusing.
The Sensor includes 9 focus points to select from. Pentax P80 comes with manual focusing when required in low light scenarios or you want more accurate control on focusing.
Pentax P80 Battery life
The typical Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 comes with the highest (470) battery life in this kind of cameras.
Underneath is a listing of Small Sensor Compact cameras that come with the strongest battery life:
Pentax P80 for various categories of photography
The following graph shows a analysis of the Pentax P80 for various categories of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph below.
Pentax P80 Portrait photography advice
The Pentax P80 receives a rating of 27 which is terrible, and means the camera is simply not good for portrait images. Taking portrait images favors greatly towards sensor resolution, RAW support plus the potential to utilize external lighting.
Pentax P80 as a Street photography camera
With a modest score of 55, the Pentax P80 is relatively appropriate to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera comes with a fine balance of image quality and portability.
Pentax P80 Sports photography details
A terrible sports photography points total of 17 means the Pentax P80 is simply not good for taking photos of sports. A camera should have excellent focusing plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.
Pentax P80 Travel photography information
Portability is extremely critical in picking a camera for travel. In general, the Pentax P80 gets a very good 62 for a travel camera which makes it a very decent pick to purchase for your vacations.
Pentax P80 Landscape photography details
If you are planning to choose a camera for landscape pictures, the biggest aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Pentax P80 at it's terrible rating of 32 for a landscape camera is simply not good among it's competitors.
Pentax P80 as a Vlogging camera
A vlogging camera should have a articulating screen, microphone port and preferably image stabilization. Taking all things into account, the Pentax P80 is simply not good as a vlog camera as it receives a terrible score of 28.
Pentax P80 Alternatives
If you are trying to find replacements to the P80, here is a list of the highest placed cameras that fall into the class of Small Sensor Compact.
The line graph just below will give you a bird's eye view of the P80 compared to it's top scored competitors shown previously.
There are a bunch of cameras you may regard as alternatives. To browse through a full comparison, click the "compare" link.