Pentax K-70 Review

Movie Mode

The Pentax K-70 offers only modest improvements over the K-S2 when it comes to video recording, adding a 1080/60i option to match the K-3 II and K-1. In theory, it should also get a big boost from its new AF.C mode during video recording, but as previously mentioned, our testing found it to be laughably bad (though better than no continuous AF at all).

Here’s a brief overview of the K-70’s video specs. New features are in bold:

• Full HD 1080 (60i/50i/30p/25p/24p) and HD 720 (60/50p)
• Automatic (P), manual (M), or semi-automatic (TAv, Av) exposure
• Continuous* or on-demand autofocus
• Built-in stereo microphone
• External mic input
• Sound volume adjustment
• Custom image & digital filters
• Digital stabilization
• Aperture control function*

*with DC and PLM lenses

These are rather unimpressive video specs for a DSLR these days, as many competitors (particularly on the mirrorless side of the market) have moved on to 4K recording, some even offering 4K/60p. Pentax, meanwhile, can’t even achieve 1080/60p. The company has never been a leader in video in terms of features or quality, and that situation appears unlikely to change any time soon—not based on the K-70’s specs, anyway.

Exposure Modes

P mode is a fully-automated movie mode in which the camera sets all parameters automatically, including the ISO. In fact, the ISO is only manually controllable in M mode, which is somewhat restrictive but does keep redundancy to a minimum. The only user-accessible parameter in P mode is exposure compensation.

Av mode lets the user set the aperture while the camera worries about the shutter speed and ISO.

TAv mode lets the user set both the shutter speed and aperture while the camera sets the ISO. This mode does not offer real-time exposure preview and the shutter speed and aperture are not limited by the ISO range, so it is possible to under-expose or over-expose without knowing until video recording starts.

And finally, M mode is an all-manual mode with a real-time exposure preview.  The shutter speed, ISO, and aperture can be controlled. The maximum ISO for video mode is 3200.

Across P, Av, and TAv, the exposure settings chosen by the camera are not shown. It is thus impossible to see the ISO being used except in M mode.

Resolution and Framerates

The K-70 supports 60i and 50i recording at Full HD resolution (1920x1080), in addition to 30p, 25p, and 24p. In addition, it supports 60p and 50p recording at HD 720 resolution (1280x720). As with the K-S2, we don’t know why slower framerates aren’t available in 720p.

Video Settings

The control panel gives you access to nearly every video-related setting you could possibly need. These settings are also duplicated in the video tab of the main menu.

Custom image presets and digital filters can be applied to videos, just as they can be to stills. Using these settings, it’s possible to produce videos in high-contrast black & white, cross-process, or any number of other looks completely in-camera. Other adjustments that carry over from still photo shooting include highlight/shadow corrections and metering options. And as on the K-S2, you can adjust mic volume and choose whether or not to employ image stabilization.

Other settings, like focus peaking, apply only to live view prior to beginning recording. When you press the shutter button, they no longer matter.

Autofocus

As previously discussed, the Pentax K-70 is the first Pentax DSLR to employ continuous autofocus during video recording. This advancement is thanks to the new on-sensor phase-detection pixels, which enable a hybrid AF system for video shooting.

Our testing showed this new hybrid system to be woefully bad at focusing continuously. Not only did it have an awful time tracking moving subjects, but it would repeatedly lose focus on static subjects, hunting to regain a lock. In short, we don’t recommend using continuous autofocus on the K-70 unless keeping your subject in focus isn’t important. (We’re not sure when it wouldn’t be, though.)

Luckily, you don’t have to use continuous autofocus. As in previous Pentax cameras, you can choose AF-S, set your focus point with a half-press before beginning recording, and then half-press again while rolling to refocus. The on-demand AF is slow—too slow to catch quick-moving subjects—but ultimately less frustrating than letting the camera try to focus on its own.

Users who are serious about video recording will quickly find that manually pulling focus is the most reliable way to get clear results, though it will take some practice.

Angle of View

In video mode, a slight crop is applied to maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio, as shown below.

Video mode crop

Video Quality

As is typical for Pentax cameras, the K-70 heavily compresses video files, which leads to muddy-looking footage. We see no improvement over the situation we described with the K-S2.

K-70 videos are saved as H.264 .MOV files—a common format that’s easily editable in most video suites. There is no raw video output.

Though it features sensor-shift Shake Reduction, the K-70 doesn’t use it for video recording. Instead, it employs a digital shake reduction feature that only serves to exaggerate the infamous jello effect. While it’s effective at removing hand-shake when the camera is held mostly still, it fails miserably at correcting for panning or larger vibrations.

The onboard stereo mic produces audio identical to the K-S2’s, which is to say better than older mono mics, but inferior to sound recorded using a quality external microphone. The K-70 isn’t very good at suppressing background or wind noise on its own.

HDMI Out

The K-70 spits out a VGA stream of its current display via the HDMI port. As stated above, there is no raw video output during recording.

Editing Features

In playback mode, the K-70 allows you to split movie segments or extract a segment.  Cuts can be made at half-second intervals.

Verdict

Pentax DSLRs, even while offering video recording features, have always been very much stills-first. The K-70 is no exception. While it offers video specs that would have been revolutionary in 2010, today they’re barely adequate. Other cameras in its class from other manufacturers provide higher framerate options, lower compression, better compensation for vibrations and panning, and far superior continuous autofocus. It’s nice to see Ricoh finally adding a continuous focus option, but as usual they’re several steps behind the competition.

Video quality, stabilization, and focus options all need serious attention if Pentax ever hopes to compete with other brands in this arena.