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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

X70 superzoom (1 Viewer)

loranfrfr

Well-known member
I know most of us are hard core DSLR suporters....I was wondering, though, if anybody had the chance to try the new Pentax X70

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09030202pentax70superzoom.asp

I am currently looking forward to buy a superzoom camera (mostly because I can't carry bins, scopes AND a DSLR camera all at once, and also because of cost), and can't make my mind. I was almost decided to buy a Panasonic fz 18 or 28 and now these new cameras come with a 24 zoom (instead of 18). Sounds just like perfect to document my sightings, and from time to time, get a good looking picture for my blog.
 
Wow, 24X!

The camera ships out in April, so I doubt any consumer will have it yet. I just checked out the youtube video of it at PMA and its body looks surprisingly like the Panasonic FZ18/28.

It's 'better' than FZ18 (which I own) in terms of: 24X optical zoom, HD video mode, and highest ISO of 6400, but I wonder if it's that much better. And since this is Pentax's first superzoom camera, so I would do a lot of homework before buying it.

If you want another 'superzoom' option, there's always the newest Olympus SP-590 with 26X, which is out this month.

Or if you go with the Panasonic FZ28, there always the ability to upgrade the zoom by adding a teleconverter to the camera.

Hope you make a happy choice! Cheers.
 
I'd personally never swap my SLR for one of these, but for somebody looking for a portable camera that can take every sort of pic imaginable with reasonable quality for standard size prints this looks pretty good at a first glance. It's not like Pentax ever make a bad lens. More of a concern is whether the titchy CCD needed to get this level of "equivalent" zoom is up to muster.
 
I had high hopes for this camera, but after playing with it at the Photo Imaging Expo yesterday I was left underwhelmed. Very lightweight, but also feels quite cheaply made compared to Canon SX1 and Pano FZ28. No continous autofocus is almost a deal killer for birding. Either the playback screen is poor or worse, pics the pics I snapped were never very sharp. I would defintely wait for a thorough reivew before buying.

cheers,
Rick
 
I had high hopes for this camera, but after playing with it at the Photo Imaging Expo yesterday I was left underwhelmed. Very lightweight, but also feels quite cheaply made compared to Canon SX1 and Pano FZ28. No continous autofocus is almost a deal killer for birding. Either the playback screen is poor or worse, pics the pics I snapped were never very sharp. I would defintely wait for a thorough reivew before buying.

cheers,
Rick

Thanks for the info!:t:

Not that I would want a "bridge" camera, but a good example might be nice for portability.
I'll stick to my K100DS and huge lenses.
 
I had high hopes for this camera, but after playing with it at the Photo Imaging Expo yesterday I was left underwhelmed. Very lightweight, but also feels quite cheaply made compared to Canon SX1 and Pano FZ28. No continous autofocus is almost a deal killer for birding. Either the playback screen is poor or worse, pics the pics I snapped were never very sharp. I would defintely wait for a thorough reivew before buying.

cheers,
Rick
So the blerb is not accurate ?? High-speed Continuous Shooting mode to capture the decisive moment
The X70 lets the photographer capture the subject continuously at a maximum speed of approximately 11 images per second and up to 21 images in succession.* Coupled with the Auto-Tracking AF mode that keeps a fast-moving subject in focus all the time, the X70 is sure to capture that once in a lifetime, decisive moment in sharp focus. The X70 is perfect for shooting sports action and active children and pets.
 
It did not refocus while zooming in and out. Maybe there was a menu setting to activate it but when I asked the rep he did not think it could. Anyway, unlike Pentax dSLRs this camera felt/looked cheap compared to the alternatives from Canon, Panasonic, and even Nikon.

Rick
 
Build quality on bridge cameras is generally poor. There's often only a plastic chassis. Let's face it, the main cost in the camera is going to be the lens and the electronics so something's got to give to remain competitive in a difficult marketplace.

By and large they're aiming bridge cameras at people who use them a couple of times a year on holiday and at the odd wedding but want a good camera that looks meaty. The demand for a rugged alloy chassis and rock solid armouring is just not there.

An immediate letdown is the lack of RAW file option. This camera is immediately hamstrung by this for anyone wanting to take quality pics.

Review link here. This review seems to find it a bit of a mixed bag.

As for the continuous focussing, just because a shop rep can't find the function doesn't mean it's not there. Few camera/consumer electronics shop reps could find their arse with both hands. I'm often entertained by their attempts to advise me on buying cameras.
 
Thanks for the input. So far, I might go with the Pano fz-28, seems to be better and cheaper than X-70.

But I keep my eyes open. Any other input is appreciated
 
I have just bought this camera after selling my DSLR (don't ask!) I bought it for close ups on wildlife. Photo quality is fine for me, no probs, in fact very surprised indeed.;)
 
This could be an FZ35/38 killer if it had a decent EVF (as opposed to LCD). How does the EVF look? The Panny suffers from both size, resolution and also refresh rate. Check out how far the lens extends...way longer than the Panny. I'm glad they stayed with a respectable F5. Also, the panny lens is decently sharp throughout its range (wideopen). It will be interesting to see how this compares.
 
Well Tomorrow I am going to take some Deer shots so we will see what the clarity with the long zoom is like. Yeah, the viewfinder is not so hot :-(

Will post some pics tomorrow. :t:
 
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