Pentax Optio P70

Review summary: Today's upmarket compact cameras pack in more pixels than you'll ever need, and now even the budget models are joining the megapixel arms race.

Verdict: Then again, even if you ignore this issue, there are better cameras available for the price. The E70L's images didn't display any major faults and in bright light they bordered on excellent, but Nikon's similarly priced L19 produced notably smoother, ...

Review summary: A good fit for your pocket and your pocket book, the Pentax Optio P70 is easy to operate and boasts a wide-angle 4X optical zoom lens.

Pros: Wide-angle 4X optical zoom ; HD video capture

Cons: Lacks optical image stabilization ; no HDMI connectivity

Verdict: The silvery aluminum body of the version I reviewed appears a little cheap, but the white and red models are quite attractive—and alluringly slim. Despite being only 0.8 inch thick, the Optio P70 carries a 4X zoom lens with a 27.5mm wide-angle extreme ...

Review summary: The Pentax Optio E70 is a compact, intuitive, and fun camera that is a cinch to use. It fits easily in your pocket, and it has enough modes to handle whatever lighting or subjects you encounter.

Verdict: The Pentax Optio E70 is perfect for beginning photographers who don't want to bother to learn the nuances of exposure, framing, and lighting. The Pentax Optio E70 does most of the work for you with its preset modes and Auto Picture feature, but still ...

Pros: Intuitive controls ; Flexible, useful in-camera modes

Cons: Faces appear reddish in viewfinder ; Auto Picture function is hit-or-miss ; Bottom Line ; This solid entry-level camera has easy controls and good picture modes, but sharpness and portrait abilities are weak spots ; Pentax Optio E70 ; Optio E70 Review ...

Verdict: This solid entry-level camera has easy controls and good picture modes, but sharpness and portrait abilities are weak spots.