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Pentax K-70 Comparison Review

The Pentax K-70 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was revealed to the public in June 2016 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

camera

Is the Pentax K-70 a good camera? The K-70 has a Camera Elo of 2287. This rating puts the K-70 among the top 20 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the K-70 ranks among the top 40 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Pentax K-70
Digital single lens reflex
Pentax K mount lenses
24 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/60i Video
ISO 100 - 102 400
Optical viewfinder
3.0 LCD, 921k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
6 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body
410 shots per battery charge
126 x 93 x 74 mm, 688 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Pentax K-70 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Pentax K-70 vs credit card front
K-70 versus credit card top view
K-70 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Pentax K-70 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Pentax K-70 126 mm 93 mm 74 mm 688 g 410 Y Jun 2016 649 amazon.com
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II 134 mm 91 mm 67 mm 574 g 440 Y Sep 2016 1,999ebay.com
3.
 
Panasonic G9 137 mm 97 mm 92 mm 658 g 400 Y Nov 2017 1,699 amazon.com
4.
 
Panasonic GH5 139 mm 98 mm 87 mm 725 g 410 Y Jan 2017 1,999ebay.com
5.
 
Pentax K-3 III 135 mm 104 mm 74 mm 820 g 800 Y Mar 2021 1,999 amazon.com
6.
 
Pentax KP 132 mm 101 mm 76 mm 703 g 390 Y Jan 2017 1,099ebay.com
7.
 
Pentax K-S2 123 mm 91 mm 73 mm 678 g 410 Y Feb 2015 749ebay.com
8.
 
Pentax K-3 II 131 mm 100 mm 77 mm 800 g 720 Y Apr 2015 1,099ebay.com
9.
 
Pentax K-50 130 mm 97 mm 71 mm 650 g 410 Y Jun 2013 599ebay.com
10.
 
Pentax K-3 131 mm 100 mm 77 mm 800 g 560 Y Oct 2013 1,299ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A9 127 mm 96 mm 63 mm 673 g 650 Y Apr 2017 4,499ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Pentax K-70 was launched in the US market at a price of $649. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Pentax K-70 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Pentax K-70 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Pentax K-70 sensor measures

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Pentax K-70 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60i23.813.1163980
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/30p23.712.8131280
3.
 
Panasonic G9 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.112.8113874
4.
 
Panasonic GH5 Four Thirds 20.2 5184 38884K/60p23.913.080777
5.
 
Pentax K-3 III APS-C 25.6 6192 41284K/30p24.213.7208385
6.
 
Pentax KP APS-C 24.1 6016 40001080/60i23.913.2169981
7.
 
Pentax K-S2 APS-C 20.0 5472 36481080/30p23.612.9151479
8.
 
Pentax K-3 II APS-C 24.1 6016 40001080/60i23.613.6110680
9.
 
Pentax K-50 APS-C 16.1 4928 32641080/30p23.713.0112079
10.
 
Pentax K-3 APS-C 24.1 6016 40001080/60i23.713.4121680
11.
 
Sony A9 Full Frame 24.0 6000 40004K/30p24.913.3351792
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The K-70 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the K-70 can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the K-70 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.63x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Pentax K-70 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Pentax K-70optical n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/6000s 6.0/s Y Y
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II2360 n3.0 / 1037 swivel Y 1/8000s 18.0/s n Y
3.
 
Panasonic G93680 Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
4.
 
Panasonic GH53680 n3.2 / 1620 swivel Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
5.
 
Pentax K-3 IIIoptical Y3.2 / 1620 fixed Y 1/8000s 12.0/s n Y
6.
 
Pentax KPoptical n3.0 / 921 tilting n 1/6000s 7.0/s Y Y
7.
 
Pentax K-S2optical n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/6000s 5.4/s Y Y
8.
 
Pentax K-3 IIoptical Y3.2 / 1037 fixed n 1/8000s 8.3/s n Y
9.
 
Pentax K-50optical n3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/6000s 6.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Pentax K-3optical Y3.2 / 1037 fixed n 1/8000s 8.3/s Y Y
11.
 
Sony A93686 n3.0 / 1440 tilting Y 1/8000s 20.0/s n Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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The LCD screen on the Pentax K-70 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the K-70

One convenient feature of the K-70 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Pentax K-70 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Pentax K-70Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0Y--
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.0Y--
3.
 
Panasonic G9Ystereo / monoYYfull3.0Y-Y
4.
 
Panasonic GH5Ystereo / monoYYfull3.1Y-Y
5.
 
Pentax K-3 IIIYstereo / monoYYmicro3.2Y-Y
6.
 
Pentax KPYstereo / monoY--2.0Y--
7.
 
Pentax K-S2Ymono / monoY-micro2.0YY-
8.
 
Pentax K-3 IIYmono / monoYYmini3.0---
9.
 
Pentax K-50Ymono / mono--micro2.0---
10.
 
Pentax K-3Ymono / monoYYmini3.0---
11.
 
Sony A9Ystereo / monoYYmicro2.0YYY
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It is notable that the K-70 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the K-70 can be found in the free online Pentax K-70 Manual or on the Pentax support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the K-70 in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Pentax K-704.5/5..4/579/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2016 649 amazon.com
2.
 
Olympus E-M1 II5/5+ +5/585/1004.5/54.5/5 Sep 2016 1,999ebay.com
3.
 
Panasonic G9..+ +5/585/1005/55/5 Nov 2017 1,699 amazon.com
4.
 
Panasonic GH54.5/5+ +..85/1004.5/55/5 Jan 2017 1,999ebay.com
5.
 
Pentax K-3 III4/5..3/5..4.5/5.. Mar 2021 1,999 amazon.com
6.
 
Pentax KP4/5..3/582/1005/54.5/5 Jan 2017 1,099ebay.com
7.
 
Pentax K-S24.5/5......5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 749ebay.com
8.
 
Pentax K-3 II4.5/5......5/55/5 Apr 2015 1,099ebay.com
9.
 
Pentax K-505/5......5/54.5/5 Jun 2013 599ebay.com
10.
 
Pentax K-34/5....83/1005/55/5 Oct 2013 1,299ebay.com
11.
 
Sony A95/5+ +4.8/589/1005/55/5 Apr 2017 4,499ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Pentax K-70 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the K-70.

What is the technology behind the imaging sensor in the Pentax K-70?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Pentax K-70 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Pentax equipped the K-70 with the PRIME MII image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Pentax K-70?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 102400.

Does the Pentax K-70 have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the K-70 is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Pentax K-70?

Pentax mentions a shutter rating of 100 000 actuations for the K-70. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the K-70 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Pentax K-70?

Pentax embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your K-70 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Do I need to purchase an external camera trigger to shoot time-lapse sequences with the Pentax K-70?

No, the Pentax K-70 has an intervalometer built-in, so that low frequency shooting (for example, flower blooming, sunset, moon rise) can be undertaken without the need to purchase a separate external intervalometer and related software.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Pentax K-70?

The K-70 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Pentax K-70 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Pentax K-70 for flash photography?

The K-70's flash sync speed is 1/180 sec.

Does the Pentax K-70 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Pentax K-70 use?

The camera gets its power from the D-LI109 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Pentax K-70
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Pentax K mount lenses
    Launch Date June 2016
    Launch Price USD 649
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.5 x 15.6 mm
    Sensor Area 367 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.2 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6 000 x 4 000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.91 μm
    Pixel Density 6.55 MP/cm2
    Moiré control no AA filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60i Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 102 400 ISO
    Image Processor PRIME MII
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.63x
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 921k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/6000s
    Continuous Shooting 6 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse PhotographyIntervalometer Built-in
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support Wifi built-in
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type D-LI109 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)410 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 126 x 93 x 74 mm
    (5.0 x 3.7 x 2.9 in)
    Camera Weight 688 g (24.3 oz)

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