Pentax K-70 DSLR Camera + DA 18-135mm WR Lens Kit

I upgraded from the Pentax KX, and it was quite a jump in quality. The screen is a real stand out as it is articulated, something I didn't think I needed, also the resolution is much better. I bought the body on its own, and threw on some of my old lenses, now I have ordered a Pentax 16-85mm lens to match the waterproofing of the K-70. It is really great value for money, especially if you are into landscape photography.

I wanted to step up to a DSLR and I originally got the Pentax KP because it was at a crazy low price for a while with a kit lens on Amazon. The KP I got turned out to be faulty and wouldn't autofocus through the EVF at all, so it went back. To be honest though aside from the fault, I didnt really like it anyway, it comes with 3 grips which are all really horrible and I didnt like the outward only facing LCD either, plus I am sure its very capable in the right hands, but it was just too much for me. So instead i went for the K70 with a great lens instead. I have been super impressed, it feels great to hold, its a bit heavy, but that adds to the quality feel and its pretty compact really ,the 18-135 lens is ideal for me. Menus are pretty straightforward to navigate the menus and manual. A lot to learn but loving so far.

Just sold all my film cameras- I know about time ;) I wanted a cements I could take anywhere, any weather just like my old film cameras. There is nothing to compete in this price bracket really that’s as robust and weather sealed like the K70. Yes there are reports of the old solenoid issue but apparently this has been sorted on the newer k70’s - time will tell. Is solid, small enough to use a had strap and keep in your jacket pocket. Picture quality is great and really sharp. Focus us a bit noisy but hey ho. Battery life is fine, I have had 406 pictures out of one battery charge. If you have old glass, keep it and use it so you may save a few quid. More than happy with my purchase and hopefully many years of photo fun still to be had out of it. Part 2 After owning the camera for a couple of weeks, I still loved what it promised and the form of it - size and weather sealing but, it appears to have malfunctioned already as I began getting double exposures and a blanked out screen/ photo over the space of 20 pictures. Still shooting on auto with no settings changed. Not sure if it’s another fault or the dreaded aperture block issue so have returned the camera as it’s too much money to take a risk on. Very disappointed although it may be an isolated incident as Pentax apparently sorted out the problem in later and new k70’s.

I bought this camera because my old K30 developed a fault - the shutter mechanism no longer worked, resulting in very dark images. Apparently this is due to a faulty magnet within the camera, and online reports indicate that this may be a common problem with this camera. There do not seem to be any camera repair shops that I know of that would fix this, and the Pentax corp do not seem to offer this service either. Neither have i been able to pluck up the courage to open up the camera and fix it myself, fearful that it would require soldering, which I cannot do. So I bought this model instead to replace it. It is an upgrade because it has bettter resolution, more functions, an adjustable screen, and wifi (so I can transfer the photos immediately to my mobile if I so wish). Having said that it is still easier to take the memory card out of the camera and plug it into a computer to transfer the images, as the wifi connection is too slow. The camera has an amazing range of adjustable functions within it - perhaps too much for a novice like me to get my head around, but I will persevere. I agree with another reviewers comments that pentax could make the manual easier to understand, or develop a better range of support in this regard. I started to learn how to process images using software like photoshop, in order to understand it better, and as a result am amazed that some of functions in photoshop, can be done within the camera itself. I decided to give astrophotography a go, and this leads me to the missing important feature. The camera has a startracker mode within it - indeed my old K30 also had this mode. With this mode you can take a long exposure picture of stars or planets, without the need of a motorised equatorial mount to compensate for the earths rotation. However to use this, you need to purchase an additional attachment, which feeds the camera with gps data - this module costs over £100. I have since found out that the other more expensive pentax cameras, for example the K1, has the gps electonics already built in. So if you want to use a pentax camera for astrophotography, it would be better to plump for one of these other models. Having said all that I am quite satisfied with the camera and will continue to use and learn from it in the coming years.

More than capable against Canon and Nikon equivalents. Bought this camera because of great reviews, but also because it is the same K Bayonet fitting as on my old 35mm SLR camera and so fits all my old lenses. All the functionality and more, versus my old SLR. Picture quality is superb.

Arrived on time, well packaged. Item was as described with no visible signs of use. All works as it should and all my old and new pentax lenses fit and operate as they should. This camera is producing excellent results far above my initial expectations, especially in low light. Best quality to price ratio camera I have ever seen. Punches so far above its weight, I have no reason to think any upgrades will be considered for quite some time.

I already have the KP and I wanted another modern Pentax body to avoid changing lenses so often, and I have some good lenses. And this was ... well, the lowest price I could find. I've used it twice with the 100mm 2.8 macro lens and I have good images - I cannot see the difference between these and those taken on the Pentax KP. The menu is different to the KP and there are some interesting options that the KP does not offer. My only dislike is the loud shutter noise, much louder than the KP. And there does not seem to be ANY way to reduce that noise - I've searched and searched. But overall, I like it; no regrets. With a good lens it takes great images and is fast enough to focus (with the lens I used). And I like the different back screen which swivels 180 degrees - quite different to the KP. Al I want now is a couple more fast, slightly wide angle, modern Pentax primes. Over to you Pentax

Yes it takes good pictures providing you have a degree and a love of unfathomable complications. I think the manufacturer should attempt to make the camera much more user friendly. Inspiration is killed stone dead by the hours spent attempting to understand the menu . Get a writer to explain much more clearly so that the act of taking a picture can be more easily achieved. This is not my first good camera but it is certainly the most difficult to operate