The K-70 was introduced by Pentax in June 2016. It belongs to the Amateur DSLRs category.

Pentax is well-known and shouldn't require further introduction, please see our manufacturer's page for more digital cameras by Pentax.

The K-70 features a CMOS sensor in APS-C size that has an area of approximately 24 x 16 mm² (0.93" x 0.61").

This infographic compares the K-70's sensor to other common formats:

(The 1-Euro coin used for scale has a diameter of 23.25mm, slightly smaller than a US quarter.)

The K-70's image sensor has an effective resolution of around 24 megapixel. The resolution is above average and will be sufficient for the foreseeable future. Photos with this resolution can easily be printed in A2 size or larger, even if unwanted parts of the photo have to be cropped.

The Pentax supports taking images in RAW. RAW images are stored as they come from the sensor, without any in-camera processing or sharpening. Converting to JPEG or other formats takes place on the computer, using software like Adobe Lightroom or Pentax's RAW converter. This involves one extra processing step but almost always results in superior image quality. Some filters, like converting to monochrome (black and white) will only yield decent results when used with RAW images.

The K-70 features a mechanism for automatic sensor cleaning.

All compatible KAF2 lenses can be mounted to the K-70.

Currently, approximately more than 40 KAF2 lenses are available, not counting lenses by third-party manufacturers. Further lenses can be connected via suitable adapters.

The K-70 uses an optical viewfinder with a penta prism. Viewfinders with a penta prism are typical for enthusiast and professional DSLRs. The viewfinder covers 100% of the field of view and has a magnification of 0.59x, an average value for a viewfinder like this.

The infographic illustrates the viewfinder magnification of the K-70. The black area represents a magnification of 1x, corresponding to natural size. The red frame indicates the largest viewfinder magnification in any digital camera on the market today (0.85x).

Tip: If the viewfinder image of the K-70 is fuzzy, us the little wheel next to the viewfinder to adjust the sharpness.

The K-70's shutter speeds range from 1/6000s to 30s.

The K-70's sensitivity goes from 100 ISO und 102400 ISO, a very useful and practical range.

The K-70 supports all common metering modes.

The Pentax will also allow spot metering, a must for challenging motives.

The K-70's auto focus processor uses 11 AF points (or sensors). A basic rule of thumb says that the more AF points you have, the better. More AF points mean a better chance to have a point at the location of interest in a scene, a big plus in challenging situations (e.g. when doing macross).

Manual focus is also possible with the Pentax, a plus in tricky situations or for some creative freedom.

The K-70 features a built-in flash with a range of up to 12m (40 ft.). That range will work for most situations.

A flash or a trigger for remote flashes can be attached to the Pentax's hotshoe. Very useful for indirect flashes or for trigggering remote flashes.

The K-70 features a monitor with a diagonal of 76.00mm (3.0 in.) and a resolution of c. 0.92 megapixel. That's about average.

The camera's display is articulated, a plus for selfies and other challenging situations.

The K-70 does not feature a touch screen.

Display characteristics at a glance:

When recording videos with the K-70, the highest supported resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixel, in other words Full HD Video. 4K videos are not supported by the Pentax.

The camera features a connector for an external microphone, a neccessity for good video sound. A built-in mike will record everything in front and to the sides of the camera which is mostly not desired. Internal microphones also tend to record camera sounds like focus beeps.

Videos with the Pentax K-70 at a glance:

The K-70 has Wifi connectivity already built-in. Use Wifi to transfer images to a smartphone or computer and to remote control the camera. With NFC, camera and smartphone can be paired without the need for passwords.

In situations where wireless won't work reliably, a wired connection can be used.

The Pentax connects to your PC over USB 2.0.

The Pentax's connectivity at a glance:

What memory cards can be used with the Pentax K-70?

The camera will accept all common SD HC and SD XC cards.

With an average image size of 12 megabytes (JPEG, fine) a 32 GByte memory card would hold up to 2670 images.

Supported memory cards at a glance:

Let's have a look at some other features of the Pentax K-70:

The K-70 doesn't have a built-in GPS receiver. If you want to add coordinates to your photos, you'll have to do so in 3rd party software like Adobe Lightroom. However, with Wifi built-in, location data can also be added via a connected smartphone.

The K-70 features a built-in stabilizer. A plus when using legacy zooms or tele lenses without stabilizer.

The camera can create HDRs automatically. That saves you from manually creating sequences of images with variying exposure values.

The K-70 is environmentally sealed against dust and moisture; a very useful feature when you take the camera places.

The Pentax's features in a handy table:

The Pentax K-70 works with a D-LI109 LiIon battery. The battery lifetime is a generous 480 shots. Usually enough for a full day or more.

The battery can not be charged while in camera. Instead you have to take it out of the camera and put it into the supplied dedicated charger.

The K-70's battery at a glance:

The Pentax K-70's dimensions are 125.5 x 93 x 74mm³. (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.9"). That's the body only, without lens. The camera's weight is a reasonable 688 grams (22.2 oz.). Add to this the weight of the lens.

Front and top view of the K-70 with dimensions:

To put the size of the camera in context, here it is next to a typical ID card (c. 86mm x 55mm, about the size of a credit card).

The K-70 is clearly bigger: