Last update 20 July’09 – Review and Sample Photos @ PhotographyBlog
Pentax has announced the 12 megapixel Optio P70 digital compact camera. Features include 4x wide angle zoom, 2.7 inch LCD, pixel track shake reduction, advanced face recognition, smile capture and blink detection.
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Review Index – (updated 20 July’09)
PhotographyBlog
“The Pentax Optio P70 is a promising but ultimately flawed point-and-shoot camera. It has one big problem, namely the agonisingly slow image processing and general operational speed.”
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MacWorld
“Despite a few compromises, the Optio P70 offers good value for a small, light camera that you can carry anywhere. Considering its12-megapixel sensor, the camera delivers rather lackluster image quality, but it’s certainly adequate for the price. Though the Optio P70 lacks a few frills, it is a good value for a stylishly thin point-and-shoot.”
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ePhotozine
“Pentax have managed it again using the stackable lens system to get a larger zoom into a thin body and the Optio P70 is another display of their talent for this kind of thing. However, they need to address more pressing issues such as noise control if they want to really get ahead of the game. If you want a slim line pocketable point and shoot camera and you’ll be using it for landscapes in bright light then give this one some thought.”
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Cameras.co.uk
“This is a handy sized snapshot camera. Attractions include High Definition movies and the ability to increase the amount of zoom available when shooting at lower resolutions. Picture quality is average.”
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The Washington Post
“I took some nice shots of my friend’s newborn baby, various sights around town, and a party at a local tiki bar. My most optimistic low-light and macro shots came out poorly (either under- or overexposed), but for general take-anywhere use, the P70 did a good job. It earned an image quality score of Fair from our Test Center judges, thanks to performing consistently in every test.”
Digital Camera Review
“ISO performance is comparable to the competition but the camera lacks stabilization. Of course, it also lacks the higher price tag that is the entry fee for stabilization. Continuous shooting rates at full resolution are disappointing but exposure calculation is good. All in all, the P70 offers fairly middle of the road performance in most categories wrapped around a lens with very good optical qualities.”
CNET
“If there’s a follow-up model to the P70 (and I hope there is), it’s going to need better processing speed. The design is excellent, the features very good, and the photos are perfectly suitable for who I see as the target user: someone wanting better photos than they can get from their cell phone without sacrificing the portability and convenience. It just needs to be faster.”
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StevesDigicams
“Image quality from the P70 was good in our outdoor images. Exposure is very nice and the colors are bright and vivid. This is a very stylish and full featured ultra-compact digicam. With a 12-megapixel imaging sensor, 4x wide optical zoom lens and full collection of auto shooting modes, this camera is easy enough and capable enough for anyone in the family or office to use.”
TrustedReviews
“The Pentax P70 is a camera with both good and bad points. It looks great, is well made and is extremely easy to use. It has a useful zoom range, the monitor is nice and it has some useful advanced features including an effective digital SR system. Image quality is good under most circumstances, low-light performance is also above average, and it is certainly good value for money. However it is let down by very slow performance, especially when using the digital SR feature. “
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RegHardware
“It’s sleek, stylish and has lots of features, as well as a novel vertical shooting mode. But the Optio P70 is let down by its performance, especially when used indoors.”
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]Sample Photos
[Image Quality Samples @ PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos @ Cameras.co.uk]
[Sample Photos at StevesDigicams]
[Sample Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Photos at RegHardware]
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Press Release
January 2009: Pentax U.K. is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX Optio P70. With a stylish and ultra-thin body, this new high-performance model features a host of advanced functions that make impressive digital photography both effortless and enjoyable.
The Optio P70 packages outstanding core features, such as a 4X optical zoom, approximately 12 effective megapixels for incredible high-resolution images, and a large, easy-to-view 2.7-inch colour LCD monitor, all in a high-quality metallic shell. Even with this robust feature set, the Optio P70 has been designed to be extremely compact, with a body as thin as 16.5 millimetres in some sections.
This new digital compact camera also offers a variety of user-friendly features, including Vertical Snap to facilitate vertical-position shooting; a Smile Capture function to automatically release the shutter when it detects a subject’s smile; and an Auto Picture mode to automatically select one of eight shooting modes for a given subject. The Optio P70 is further enhanced by triple anti-shake protection using Pentax exclusive in-camera software, High-Sensitivity Shake Reduction, and Movie Shake Reduction modes.
Taken together, these features produce high-quality digital photography with simple, effortless operation under any circumstance every time. The Optio P70 also offers a choice of five fun colours to suit the user’s preference.
Main Features of the PENTAX Optio P70
1. High image quality
The Optio P70 is designed for the highest level of performance and image quality in its class, thanks to the combination of approximately 12 effective megapixels producing incredible high-resolution images, a high-performance imaging engine for true-to-life colour reproduction, and a renowned smc PENTAX lens. It even records movie clips at 1280 x 720 pixels, producing beautiful movies equivalent in quality to those of high-definition broadcast.
2. Advanced 4X Optical zoom lens with wide-angle coverage
The Optio P70 uses an impressive 4X optical zoom lens covering a focal length from 4.9mm to 19.6mm (equivalent to approx. 27.5mm to 110mm in 35mm format). This covers a wide range of subjects and scenes, from wide-angle images of scenery, architecture, or group shots taken in close quarters, to telephoto images depicting detailed subjects at great distance. For higher-magnification photography, it is equipped with an Intelligent Zoom function. When combined with the optical zoom lens, this function extends the zoom range to approximately 25X without compromising the optical performance of the lens.
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. Vertical Snap mode for easy vertical-position shooting
The Optio P70’s unique Vertical Snap mode simplifies vertical-position shooting, as it allows the photographer to turn the power on and off and zoom the lens in and out with simple pushbutton operation on the back panel. In addition, all icons on the LCD monitor are automatically rotated for vertical-position viewing. This new mode provides the user with the same ease of operation as a mobile phone.
5. Compact, ultra-slim body
The compact design of the Optio P70 was achieved using new PENTAX advanced technology, including the newly developed “Sliding Lens System.”* Size and weight were further saved by downsizing all parts, and using space-efficient high-density mounting technology.
6. Stylish design with a high-grade finish
Both sides of the Optio P70 are gently rounded to provide the user with the most comfortable holding position possible, which also gives the camera an elegant shape that attracts the eye. Exterior blemishes have further been reduced by integrating the strap lug into the body. For a high-grade finish, meticulous attention is paid to every detail of the camera body, from the elegant, aluminium housing to chrome-coated parts that are gently contoured to radiate shine from every viewing angle. Additionally, to create a distinctive finishing touch, the silver model has a fine-textured sand finish, while colour models have a double-coating finish with a clear overcoat applied to primary colour paint.
7. Auto Picture mode for automatic selection from eight different shooting modes
The Optio P70 features the advanced Auto Picture mode, which automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode for a given subject or scene by detecting the subject’s 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, Standard and Candlelight modes), but also features an auto macro mode, which automatically switches the camera’s focus range to macro for close-up applications.
8. Super-fast Face Recognition AF & AE function to capture the subject’s face in focus in approximately 0.03 seconds
The Optio P70 features the Face Recognition AF & AE function, which is extremely handy for taking casual snapshots of friends and family. It optimises the focusing and exposure of the subject, up to 32 faces in a single image, in as little as 0.03 seconds. The Optio P70 offers other user-friendly functions as well: a Smile Capture function automatically releases the shutter the instant it detects the subject’s smile; and a Blinking Detection function warns the photographer when the subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.
9. Large, easy-to-view 2.7-inch colour LCD monitor
Despite its compact dimensions, the Optio P70 features a huge 2.7-inch high-brightness colour LCD monitor. Its bright screen not only makes image viewing easy while shooting and during playback, but also facilitates easier menu reading and mode setting.
10. Other features
- Digital Wide function to create an extra-wide-angle image (equivalent to an image taken with an approx. 21mm lens in 35mm format) from two images
- Digital Panorama mode to compose a single panoramic picture from as many as three images
- 26-mode shooting mode palette for easy selection of the most appropriate mode, including the Party mode, for any given subject or scene
- Favourites function to save reduced-size files of favourites images in the camera and recall them at will
- Image recovery function to retrieve accidentally erased images
- Frame Composite function (with 90 frames stored in the camera) to shoot or compose images with decorative photo frames
- Approximately 33.7MB built-in memory
- Red-eye reduction function to correct red eyes in recorded images during playback
- ACDSee for PENTAX 3.0 image viewing, editing and filing software included, support for Windows VistaTM
- Compatibility with PictBridge?DPOF functions?Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III
