Pentax K-70 Weather-Sealed DSLR Camera with 18-135mm Lens (Black)

Pentax K-70 Weather-Sealed DSLR Camera with 18-135mm Lens (Black)

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• 2424 effective megapixel, APS C AA filter less CMOS sensor, with ISO from 100 204800
• Vary angle LCD monitor with Night vision red light LCD display
• Built in Wi-Fi for use with Image Sync app

Buy Now : Pentax K-70 Weather-Sealed DSLR Camera with 18-135mm Lens (Black)

Brand : Pentax
Category : Electronics,Camera & Photo,Digital Cameras,DSLR Cameras
Rating : 4.8
ListPrice : US $849.95
Review Count : 415

Pentax K-70 Weather-Sealed DSLR Camera with 18-135mm Lens (Black)

• Hello, I have been a photographer for 50+ years working with a lot of different subjects and gear, on and off as a part-time pro. Today, I mostly shoot landscapes, cityscapes, flowers, birds (a little), and do fine art studies and some tabletop in my home little studio. I make my own prints with a 17\" inkjet photo printer. I mainly work in Raw + jpeg, Av mode, the lowest possible ISO setting, +- 1f/stop bracketing, AF-S. When shooting dynamic subjects (i.e.: birds), I use the TAv mode, max ISO3200. I prefer framing with the pentaprism but use the articulated LCD monitor for high/low angle shooting. I don\'t do video with my cameras. The K70 is my 4th Pentax APS-C model. I received it a week ago and tested it with the following personal conclusions.Summary of the Pentax K70 key features: a very compact (for its class) and solid weatherized body with external controls for all common camera settings; a new 24Mp (Sony?) sensor with phase detection AF; 1/6000sec max shutter speed; max ISO102,400; 14bit color depth; class leading pentaprism; fully articulated LCD monitor; state of the art in-camera IS; a feature set way above its price with some unique capabilities (such as pixel shift high res).Body: The K70 is a small camera that is a pleasure to hold. It fits well in my medium-size, male hands, and feels reassuringly solid. The outside controls are well placed and let me quickly access all my major camera settings (aperture, compensation, ISO, drive, and test pic). Weatherization is a must for me since I like to shoot in all weather conditions. To the best of my knowledge, the body is polycarbonate on a metal chassis but Pentax and weatherization ensure that it is built with good materials and tight tolerances.Viewing: The large pentaprism is of superior quality. Up to certain distance I can see the subject coming into focus. The LCD monitor is bright and clear and its full articulation let me work even when my eye cannot reach the pentaprism (I often shoot plants and some landscapes close to the ground). I like that I am able to close it against the body when not using it.Sensor: 24Mp is more than enough for me (I get excellent 24x36\" prints out of my 16Mp Olympus M43 OMD cameras). The high res pixel shift mode does enhance resolution and color accuracy, and reduces noise. I used it in my studio and with outdoor semi-static subjects where I could combine it with a single shot to replace moving parts showing artifacts. Its new Motion Correction function saves processing time with some dynamic subjects. Since I shoot Raw and process in the Photoshop\'s 16bit Pro Photo color space, the camera 14bit color depth is very appreciated. Saving Raw in the dng format simplifies storage.Exposure: I find it to be quite reliable in most conditions (and exposure bracketing takes care of most of the exceptions). While I like to set it myself by consulting the histogram (test pic) and applying the corrections I want, when there is no time for fussing around it\'s good to be able to trust the camera. The K70 max shutter speed is a fast 1/6000sec, typical of more expensive cameras. There are Auto, PASM, Sv (Sensitivity/ISO priority), TAv (Shutter and Aperture priority), HDR, and other 13 custom modes, and 9 digital filters too. The Interval Timer, Multiple Exposure and especially (for me) Interval Composite (bright) modes are particularly interesting and deserve further exploration (google them). Int Comp Bright shoots a number of pics and combines them into one using the brightest pixels available (fireworks anyone?).AF: New to Pentax, the K70 has on-chip phase-detect autofocus pixels for a hybrid AF system that should speed up AF in Live View and video. In its review of the camera, photographyblog states that AF in LV is now significantly faster. AF-S, my main mode, is very fast and accurate. I am not a good judge of AF-C and tracking because my action photography is limited. I have fun and good success shooting shore birds and the guests at my feeders in AF-S and AF-C (depending on the action). Nevertheless, I would like to point out that the effectiveness of a camera AF also depends on technique. Like many pros, I always use center spot focusing and recomposing. The center AF sensor is the most sensitive and I always know exactly where my focus plane is. In dark conditions, I focus on an area on the plane of the subject that has contrast and/or detail and recompose. I can do this very quickly. With moving subjects, being able to anticipate the action helps a lot. For example, an osprey carrying fish or sticks for a new nest tends to approach (at least for a while) from the same direction and hover above the nest for a couple of seconds. One can get some great pics by being aware of this, positioning him/herself for the proper angle and light direction, and pre-focusing (the camera 6 fps continuous shooting is respectable). Also to be remembered is that IS compensates for camera shake but not for subject motion for which one has to use the proper shutter speed. For all these reasons, the K70 \"only\" 11 focusing points are not an issue to me. When working in the studio in Live View, the ability to move the spot focus point around is great. I often use focus bracketing (and stacking in Photoshop). The combination of a good macro lens, high res and focus staking gives amazing results approaching higher pixel count FF cameras levels (remember that IS has to be off when working on a tripod). BTW, the new cable release is very welcome together with the AC adapter.IS: The in-camera 4.5f/stop image stabilization is top of the line and also allows for pixel shift high res and AA filter simulation. Together with the camera low noise at high ISO, it lets me work without a tripod in most conditions, something that with age I have come to love.My default button and dial settings: mode dial: \"Av\" (TAv if action); front dial: \"F/stop\"; rear dial: \"ISO\"; Fx1: \"test pic\"; Fx2: \"choose spot AF point\" in LV; AF AE-L: \"lock exposure\".Conclusion: In action, I find the K70 to be very comfortable and fun to use. It is highly competent (it does a lot of things quickly and with no fuss) with a combination of IQ, construction quality, ergonomics, feature set and price that comes very close to my ideal camera. It is not tiresome to work with, I can see what I\'m doing very well, quickly change major settings, shoot from any position, and not worry if the weather gets dusty, wet or cold. The boundary between advanced amateur and pro cameras is quite fuzzy. For my kind of photography, the K70 is easily capable of pro level performance. An all metal, pro shutter K3II would last longer but so far I have never had a camera that gave up on me because of old age. Also, for serious work one typically travels with 2 bodies (for redundancy and to minimize lens changing in tough conditions) which in the case of the K70 would cost a reasonable $1,300 (probably $1,200 by the end of the year). The rest of one\'s budget can be wisely used to buy great lenses of which there is no shortage.08/12/16 addendumA final note that could be helpful to some. I love to shoot in horrible (wonderful) weather including rain, wind, snow, ice, and sub-zero temps, often doing some slippery scrambling to get into position. For max portability, in these conditions I use Oly EM10II and EM5II cameras with slower, minuscule but good quality Oly and Pana lenses. In my experience, the K70 is overall superior to the EM10II (excluding size) at a comparable price, at least because of its weatherization, pixel shift technology and pixel count. The EM5II is my top camera which surpasses the K70 in some important areas such as size, the large and clear EVF, AF, IS, more external controls, continuous shooting and some really usable creative stuff like Live Composite. Alas, it is also about $450 more expensive (= a good lens). Working with all 3 cameras is very satisfying but I noticed something curious. While the small size of the Oly\'s is very convenient, I prefer the way the Pentax sits in my hands and I can operate it. It feels like the perfect fit. Moral: always try a new camera in your own hands before buying.08/13/16 addendum: a note about pixel shift high resolution (PSHR)PSHR is offered by recent Pentax and Olympus camera models. It has been received with various degrees of favor because it\'s limited to still subjects (not true). In real life, it produces levels of detail, color accuracy, lower noise and expanded DR comparable to top of the line FF cameras when used with still studio subjects and outdoor subjects with limited movement. The latter is done either by using the new Pentax K1 and K70 Motion Correction feature and/or stacking and masking a normal res frame to replace high res parts in motion showing artifacts. I have tried it with both my Olympus E-M5 mark II and the Pentax K70 with similar IQ results. The Oly can output a 40Mp jpeg and a 64Mp ORF Raw, with limitations about f/stop and max ISO. The Pentax can output a 24Mp PEF/DNG Raw and a jpeg with no exposure limitations. When everything is said and done, I do not care about the jpeg outputs and prefer the practicality of the Pentax 24Mp Raw which, saved in dng, can be opened directly by any Raw converter and has a more than high enough pixel count. Next month, Olympus should unveil its E-M1 mark II with even more advanced PSHR features.08/31/16 addendumAdded pic # 7, a visual comparison of the Pentax K70 with a basic, bright lens set vs the Oly em5 II with equivalent, good IQ but darker lenses for max portability.02/22/17 addendumStill my favorite camera and the price is down to $600. I am adding photo #8 of the sunset in one of town\'s parks. This was a test of in-camera HDR set to HDR3, +-3 f/stops, max jpeg size and quality, all jpeg settings at their minimum or OFF, and a little fine tuning in PS. The result is much better than I expected and viable for large size prints.Attached pics- Pic 1: high res test, NORMAL RES, D FA 50mm f/2.8 macro, 0.5sec at F11, ISO100- Pic 2: high res test, HIGH RES, D FA 50mm f/2.8 macro, 0.5sec at f/11, ISO100.- Pic 3: detailed landscape, DA* 16-50mm f/2.8, 1/80sec at f/11, ISO100- Pic 4: snowy egret, DA 55-300mm f/4-5.6 at 300mm, TAv f/5.6 1/1000sec, ISO3200. Poor light and background but shows AF-C in action- Pic 5: night heron, DA 55-300mm f/4-5.6 at 300mm, TAv f/8 1/1000sec, ISO1600. Shows AF-S (no typo) in action- Pic 6: NY Botanical Garden water lily with reflection of the conservatory, DA* 50-135mm f/2.8 at 117mm eq, 1/640sec at f/11, ISO1600- Pic 7: Pentax K70 and Oly E-M5 II 3 lens sets, size comparison- Pic 8: beach sunset, DA*16-50mm f/2.8, f/11, ISO800, HDR3 +-3 f/stops
• I purchased the K70 more or less knowing what I would be getting myself into. I have over 15 Pentax lenses, even lenses from 1980 that can be used with this camera mount, and at this point, it would not make sense for me to switch brands, because my glass collection is extensive. With that being said, I dont want to come off sounding like a brand ambassador, which although I love Pentax, my last camera was a K50, and I experienced the dead aperture block, which Pentax is surely aware of, but had no interest in helping me fix it, even though it only had 1800 shutter count on it, I still feel a little salty about that. With that being said, I always tell people to make the comparison with features that fit your needs......Being a hotly contested market for the 650 dollar price range, you cant really go wrong with any of the major manufacturers. However there are a lot of features that I feel always push me towards Pentax, that the other manufacturers do not offer such as weatherproofing............ that def helps from a durability standpoint. Not having to worry about weather really sets this camera apart from every other competitor in this price range. No other manufacturer offers weather sealing at this price point.........Period. The next REALLY important feature that you have to use to compare, is the fact that the body of the camera has image stabilization BUILT IN! I cannot overstate how important that one feature alone is.......It allows you to use film era lenses, and manual lenses, without the need to buy EXPENSIVE lenses with Image Stabilization built into them. Ergonomics..................... Idk what it is, but whenever I go into Best Buy, I hold a Can, or Nikon and they just feel like a big chunk of plastic, but not of the solid variety. Very hollow is my best feeling of those two brands. In my opinion they could afford to make the body smaller or more compact. The K70 has no such issues. It is a very solid body that is well crafted, and feels substantial in the hands, not hollow feeling. All of the buttons and dials are within a quick reach to access all of the functions that need to be used on a daily basis. A lot of thought goes into the ergonomics of Pentax cameras, and you can tell once your holding it, that this is a great feeling camera in the hands. The menus have been uplifted, and simplified over previous bodies, making it very easy to understand. Another feature that cannot be overlooked, is the two dial system......one in front of the shutter for F stops, and another behind the shutter for other functions, as it is customizable. Too many new cameras only have one dial, which really doesnt help when you need to reach certain functions.....with the K70, you can reach them without looking. Nice little touches, like night mode, which makes the screen red, so its easy on the eyes, is really nice. As far as image quality goes, I have not looked at other brands, however I can tell you by reactions of my photography from other people.........the usual reaction is........ WOW. The pictures REALLY pop and have intense detail........doesnt matter what the subject is, the pictures always come out pleasant, and have excellent colors and saturation. The move to an articulating screen which was new on the KS2 ( previous model) is a nice touch. I always thought to myself......Why would I use a tilting screen? But since I have it on this camera, I have been using it ALOT! It really is a god send, when you are trying to take pictures in awkward positions........The focus in live view has also been improved extensively from older Pentax models, and there is no delay when taking pictures anymore......it just WORKS! Another unique feature, is a mode in camera called Pixel Shift, where when taking the picture, the sensor moves to the right and to the left snapping off 3 frames, only increasing the quality of the image ( with a tripod of course) I thought it to be gimmiky when reading about it, but wow, it really works well! And then there is the penta prism that is used for the optical viewfinder. Yes, you may think its a pretty small deal, but when you look through the K70s view finder, compared the other brands mentioned before, I feel like their viewfinders are DARK. Not terrible, but not clear like the Pentax Penta Prism is. Its bright, clear, and provides a 95% view of what you are taking a picture of.....where other brands are a lower %.....making it unpredictable, of what is going to fit in the frame when the picture is processed. The last advantage over other brands, is the shutter speed. 1/6000 shutter speed really does make a difference. You will see that other brands possess a 1/4000 max shutter speed, which in 2017 is unacceptable.....especially when you need to freeze the action, the shutter speed really makes a difference!Now the Bad.Not all bad news, but there are things that must be pointed out that I didnt cover in the Pros, because they deserve to be in the Cons section.Movie mode. MEH, is the best description of movie mode. Its there, and it has video autofocusing, but the movie mode is not very well hashed out.When moving the camera around, the movie becomes jittery, and wobbles.........but when you stop it goes back into focus.......but in all honesty, people do not buy Pentax for Video mode. It is something that has plagued Pentax from the very first camera body that made use of video....they are woefully behind, but it doesnt really bother me...... I buy Pentax for its still imaging prowess......if you want a video camera, buy a video camera!Next is WiFI Yes, it has Wifi, however its a little difficult to pair with your device, and a little hard to get it to work properly. On top of that the pictures take over a minute to arrive at your phone or device.....IMO they need to improve upon this. Its great in a pinch, when you want to send it to your phone, but it is in no way as seamless as it couldve been........You can use your phone to control almost all of the features, which is definitely a nice feature, but is a little slow..........The last thing, and I dont like to bring this up, because it does not hinder my photography ability whatsoever, but it could be a problem for people that rely on autofocus, that do not use manual settings. It only has 11 focus points. Is it fast? I think it is. I never EVER have an issue with it. It usually decides on the focus pretty darn fast, and decisively, which is great. Its just that other manufacturers cameras in this segment have 18-35 focus points. Not a con for me, but may be for others. I feel as though it does not have a lot of focus points, it still is really good with the 11 it has.So in the end, would I recommend the K70? Absolutely 100% You simply cannot go wrong with owning this camera.......Its 24 MP sensor is crazy good......it takes wonderful pictures, and really has a wow factor with the colors and saturation that it renders, as long as the camera is shooting in RAW mode. (Which is 14 Bit BTW!) JPEGs are good, but the RAW pictures are incredibly detailed. If you have even a little photography skill, this camera will do wonders for you. I have owned over 10 Pentax cameras, and every one of them has been great for me over the years, except for the K50! I had a film era K1000 body, and even then, I thought it took more pleasing pictures than the Minoltas, and Canons that I have owned in the film era, and even after a 30 year journey of photography personally, Pentax still offers that value that stands out from the other brands.

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