Pentax Optio E-70: first price in 10 megapixels

Pentax chose 10 megapixels to attack the mass market, attracted by a cheap compact camera but always liking the "megapixel" aspect. The Pentax Option E-70 is equipped with a small 1/2.33" sensor in 10 megapixels, and with a 3x optical zoom, 35-105mm equivalent. Although this E-70 has no optical image stabilization strictly speaking, as we will see below, it offers the current technological package with face/smile detection, scene mode automatic detection, a 2.4-inch screen for 1120 000 pixels, etc...

 

The Pentax Optio E-70 does not offer a real optical, nor mechanical, stabilization, but it relies on electronics to help compensate camera shake. Thus, a double system ensures some sharpness: Pixel Track SR and High Sensivity SR. The first one acts on the lowest ISO settings and processes the picture according to the movement detected by the camera – a similar system can be found in Samsung products. That is not really convincing.
 

The second system is rather classical and raises sensitivity up to 6400 ISO to set a higher shutter speed, in order to freeze movement. That is efficient, but a 10-megapixel compact camera gives a strongly damaged image at 6400 ISO. A similar anti-shake system is also available for video.