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Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x

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Camera to replace
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Pentax K-70

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-70
$594.89
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Pentax K-x

12 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-x
$599.95
Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Entry-Level DSLR cameras by Pentax. Both cameras have APS-C sensors but Pentax K-70 has a 24.0 MP and Pentax K-x has a 12.0 MP resolution.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Pentax K-70 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-06-08
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 102400
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3″ Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 688g. 126 x 93 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax K-x Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-12-23
  • 12MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.7″ Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 580g. 123 x 92 x 68 mm
  • Replaced Pentax K-m Compare
Reasons to choose Pentax K-70 over Pentax K-x
Wireless Connection Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Max Sensor Resolution 24 MP vs 12 MP 100% more pixels
Max ISO 102.400 vs 6.400 1500% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size 3″ vs 2.7″ 0.3 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution 921k dots vs 230k dots 300% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 96% More accurate viewfinder
Continuous Shooting 6.0fps vs 5.0fps 1 fps faster
Microphone Port Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording Yes vs No creative shooting
Price $595 vs $600 $5 cheaper
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±1 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Optical Viewfinder Type Pentaprism vs Pentamirror Pentaprism Viewfinders are brighter than Pentamirror type
Selfie Friendly LCD Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Anti Alias Filter Simulator Yes vs No Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-I vs none Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Reasons to choose Pentax K-x over Pentax K-70
Battery Life 1900 shots vs 410 shots 1490 more frames with a single charge
Weight 580 g vs 688 g 108 g lighter
Flash Coverage 16.0m vs 12.0m 4m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area 30.54µm2 vs 15.28µm2 99% larger pixel area
Common Strengths of Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift All the lenses are stabilized
Built-in Flash Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x
LCD Screen Size 3″ vs 2.7″ Small display
Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x. Pentax K-x is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 1mm shorter and 6mm thinner than Pentax K-70.

Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x Camera Size Comparison - Front View

Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax K-x is significantly lighter (108g ) than the Pentax K-70 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x have the same APS-C sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-70
K-x
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

K-70
K-x
Min
Average
Max
Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x: Sensor Comparison

Pentax K-70 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features PRIME MII processor. On the other hand, Pentax K-x has a 12.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime processor.

Pentax K-70's sensor provides 12MP more than Pentax K-x's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Pentax K-70's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the K-70 and K-x sensor size comparison.

Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x Sensor Size Comparison


Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Pentax K-70 for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-x for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details

Pentax K-70 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-x for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Pentax K-70 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-x for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
11 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 1900 shots
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Pentax K-70 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-x for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
688g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
580g
Body Thickness 68mm
Read the details

Pentax K-70 for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-x for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details


Pentax K-x vs Pentax K-70 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x have the same Pentax KAF2 lens mount and currently there are 144 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type # of Pentax K-70 Lenses # of Pentax K-x Lenses
Standard Zoom 22 22
Standard Prime 19 19
Wideangle Zoom 11 11
Wideangle Prime 24 24
Telephoto Zoom 20 20
Telephoto Prime 11 11
SuperZoom 15 15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 3 3
Macro Prime 12 12
Perspective Control Prime 7 7
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a n/a
TOTAL 144 144
Pentax K-70 vs Pentax K-x: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Pentax K-70 and Pentax K-x scores compare:

Pentax K-70
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 73 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #42 out of 1131 in all Cameras
Pentax K-x
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #36 out of 73 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #217 out of 1131 in all Cameras

Pentax K-70 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Pentax K-x in all criterias except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Pentax K-70.

Pentax K-70
Pentax K-70
$594.89

Pentax K-x
Pentax K-x
$599.95

Pentax K-x vs Pentax K-70 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Pentax K-70 Pentax K-x
Brand Pentax Pentax
Announced 2016-06-08 2009-12-23
Body Type Compact SLR Compact SLR
Price $594.89 $599.95
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C APS-C
Dimensions 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.6 x 15.8 mm
Area 366.60mm2 372.88mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 12 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 4288 x 2848
Max Native Light sensitivity 102,400 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity - 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 11 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Pentax KAF2 Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses 144 144
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3″ 2.7″
Resolution 921k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 96%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.63 0.57
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/6000s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 16.00 m
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1280 x 720
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 688g 580g
Dimensions 126 x 93 x 74mm 123 x 92 x 68mm
Battery Life 410 shots 1900 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Optional None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 72
DxO Color Depth not tested 22.8
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.5
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 811
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