Last update 16 July’09 – Review and Sample Photos @ DigitalCameraReview
Pentax Optio E70 is a 10 megapixel digital compact camera that features large buttons easy to navigate interface, triple Anti-Shake Protection, Super-Fast Face Detection, 7 shooting modes, 3x optical zoom, 2.4 inch LCD, uses AA batteries, ISO range from 80 to 800, and camera dimensions are (W x H x D): 3.8 x 2.4 x 0.9.
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Review Index – (updated 16 July’09)
DigitalCameraReview
“Bottom line, the Pentax Optio E70 is just too slow. Image quality is sufficient for the needs of a beginner, but no photographer at any skill level wants to wait for their camera to finish processing an image. Again and again. Slowness aside, the Optio E70 offers very little in terms of performance, especially considering the $140 MSRP. Pentax’s competitors offer many options at or below that price point with greater focal range, better image quality and more manual control.”
MacWorld
“The Optio E70 is good for beginning photographers who don’t want to bother to learn the nuances of exposure, framing, and lighting. The E70 does most of the work for you with its preset modes and Auto Picture feature, but still offers experienced photographers features that they’ll appreciate and use.”
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SteveDigicams
“Pentax’s new Optio E70 comes packed full of useful features. However, the features and ease-of-use of this model do not make up for the lack in the performance and poor image quality we found during our testing. Therefore, we feel that with a MSRP of US$139.95, there are many other entry-level models in this price range with similar features that offer much better quality and performance.”
CNET
“Yes, you can spend a little more money and get more features and possibly better photo quality and performance than the Pentax Optio E70. But if all you need is a convenient, attractive, and simple ultracompact camera for taking snapshots, the E70 should suffice.”
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RegHardware
“A low-priced camera aimed at the digital beginner or the person watching their pennies. As with any entry-level camera, there are inevitable compromises, but the Optio E70L’s price tag makes some of these forgivable.”
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Owner Feedback
“All right as far as it goes. Got it for my wife and she likes it, but it’s a bit of a toy and I can’t take a camera seriously which uses throwaway batteries. It is easy to use but the colours are nothing spectacular, the response time is slow by today’s standards.”
Rating:
“The camera is really fun and easy to use. It is sleek and doesn’t take up much room to carry along anytime you want to have it available. For the cost, it is definitely worth it.”
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]Sample Photos
[Sample Photos @ StevesDigicams]
[Sample Photo @ CNET]
[Sample ISO Photos @ RegHardware]
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Press Release
January 2009: Pentax U.K. is pleased to announce the launch of the Pentax Optio E70 digital compact camera. Featuring large control buttons, it offers easy, accessible camera operation to every user, especially for those new to digital cameras.
Though it has been designed with accessibility for everyone in mind, the Optio E70 is equipped with advanced features to produce the high-quality digital images, such as Pentax triple anti-shake protection; Auto-focus and Auto-exposure modes capable of recognising up to 32 faces in only 0.03 seconds; approximately 10 effective megapixels for high resolution pictures; and a Green Mode which gives the camera responsibility for making all the necessary technical decisions, freeing up the user to capture the ideal shot.
The Optio E70 also benefits from using AA alkaline batteries, which can be replaced easily on the go. Furthermore, the camera has a flush face without any protrusion from the lens, increasing its portability and making it the ideal travel companion.
Major Features
1. Easy, accessible operation with large control buttons
The Optio E70’s shutter release button on the top panel and other control buttons on the back panel have been designed to be larger than those of conventional models to facilitate easier use. Coupled with the use of larger icons in the LCD monitor, the Optio E70 not only makes it quick and effortless to set desired modes and functions, but also provides at-a-glance confirmation of operational status.
2. Powered by world-standard AA-size batteries
Since the Optio E70 is powered by a pair of world-standard AA-size batteries, the user can easily obtain replacements almost anywhere, making it an appealing choice for travel photography. In addition, owing to its power-saving design, the Optio E70 records approximately 210 images* with one set of alkaline batteries.
3. Triple anti-shake protection to prevent different types of camera shake
- Pixel Track SR mode
When recording still images, the Optio E70’s new Pixel Track SR (Shake Reduction) mode effectively compensates for camera shake by processing affected images with exclusive software.
- High-Sensitivity SR mode**
When it detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, the Optio E70 automatically raises its sensitivity as high as ISO 6400 to set a higher shutter speed. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake.
- Movie SR mode***
During movie shooting, the Optio E70 prevents blurry images by effectively minimizing annoying camera shake using exclusive software.
4. Auto Picture mode for automatic selection of seven different shooting modes
The Optio E70 features the advanced Auto Picture mode, which automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode for a given subject by detecting subject lighting and other conditions. This user-friendly mode not only makes the right mode choice for the photographer (from Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Flower, Sport and Standard modes), but it also features an auto macro mode, which automatically switches the camera’s focus range to macro in close-up applications.
5. Super-fast Face Recognition AF & AE function to capture the subject’s face in focus in approx. 0.03 seconds
The Optio E70 features the Face Recognition AF & AE function, which is extremely handy when taking casual snapshots of people. It optimizes the focusing and exposure status of the subject, up to 32 faces in a single image, in approximately 0.03 seconds. The Optio E70 even offers other user-friendly functions: a Smile Capture function that automatically releases the shutter the instant it detects the subject’s smile; and a Blinking Detection function that warns the photographer when the subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.
6. Green mode for worry-free shooting for all photographers
With the press of a button, the Optio E70’s Green mode selects the optimum combination of exposure settings, ISO sensitivity and other factors for a given subject or scene. It makes high-quality digital photography simple and effortless, even for first-time digital camera users. This mode also comes in handy when the photographer asks someone to take his/her picture, or when the user has lost track of the camera settings.
7. High image quality assured by approximately 10 effective megapixels
The Optio E70 features approximately 10.0 effective megapixels — the highest among today’s entry-class models. Coupled with a new imaging engine with much-improved processing capacity and a high-performance PENTAX lens, it assures high-quality digital images with edge-to-edge sharpness, even when enlarged to large-size prints.
8. Easy-to-use 3X optical zoom lens
Since the Optio E70 comes equipped with a 3X optical zoom lens offering an angle of view equivalent to 35mm wide angle to 105mm telephoto in 35mm format, it can take a wide range of subjects, including landscapes, keepsake photos and portraits. For higher-magnification photography, it even comes with an Intelligent Zoom function, which extends the zoom range to approximately 17.1 times without compromising the optical zoom lens image quality.
9. Other features
- Nine-point AF system, with Auto-Tracking AF function to maintain constant focus on a moving subject
- Favourites function to save reduced-size files of favourite images in the camera and recall them at will
- Flush-face design with no lens protrusion at power off, for enhanced portability
- Image recovery function to retrieve accidentally erased images
- Easy-to-view 2.4-inch colour LCD monitor with approximately 112,000 dots
- Recording of movie clips at sizes up to 640 x 480 pixels, with image quality rivalling camcorders
- Digital Panorama mode to compose a single panoramic picture from as many as three images
- World-time function to keep track of local time at 75 cities in 28 time zones around the world
- Frame Composite (with 90 frames stored in the camera) to shoot or compose images with decorative photo frames.
- ACDSee for PENTAX 3.0 image viewing, editing and filing software included, supporting Windows VistaTM
- Compatibility with PictBridge?DPOF functions?Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III
