Ricoh Imaging has announced the Pentax K-70, a compact DSLR which is billed as being designed for outdoor photography. The 24.24-megapixel shooter is dustproof and weather-resistant, thanks to 100 sealing parts, and with a top ISO of 102,400 it shouldn't be scared of the dark either. The camera also boasts sensor-shift shake-reduction to help cut blurry images.
Pentax has a tradition of producing DSLRs which are more rugged than most, with cameras like the K-3 II and K-1 able to survive a beating. The new K-70 looks set to follow in their footsteps and is said to be cold-proof down to temperatures as low as -10°C (14° F). 100 sealing parts mean it's also dustproof and weather-resistant. Though you'll need an equally weather-resistant lens if shooting in a downpour.
However, ruggedness that would impress Bear Grylls isn't the only feature the K-70 has to boast about. It packs an APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) 24.24 megapixel CMOS sensor which has been designed without an AA filter to deliver sharper images than other equally-specified cameras, but offers AA filter simulation to help reduce moiré.
The K-70 also has a top ISO setting of 102,400, for shooting in low light, and is the first Pentax DSLR to feature a hybrid autofocus system, with 11 phase detection points and contrast detection. This is claimed to deliver high-speed and accurate focusing, which is an area where Pentax isn't typically so strong. It also means better focusing during Live View shooting. Speed credentials also include continuous shooting at 6 fps (frames per second) and a top shutter speed of 1/6000 second.
Built-in sensor-shift shake-reduction means K-70 users will not need stabilized lenses to minimize camera shake blur. Thanks to a high-accuracy gyro sensor the camera is said to provide a compensation effect of 4.5 shutter steps. As with the K-1, the K-70 also uses shake-reduction to deliver higher quality images via Pixel Shift Resolution with Motion Correction. On the video front, the K-70 only shoots up to 1080p 30 fps, though does have a 4K Interval Movie mode.
Around back there's an optical viewfinder with nearly 100 percent field of view and a 3-inch 921k dot LCD monitor which can be angled, though doesn't feature the Pentax K1's snazzy mechanism. The camera also has built-in Wi-Fi which lets smartphones and tablet users access and share images, or shoot remotely with control over key settings.
The Pentax K-70 will be available at the start of July for around US$650 body-only, or $900 with a 18-135mm lens. It comes in either black or silver.
Product page: Pentax K-70
