PentaxZoom 70-X

The Pentax Zoom 70-X comes out of the early 1990s, when premium compacts and motorised zooms split the market in two. Catalogued as a autofocus compact, it pairs the Pentax 35–70mm f/3.5–6.7 with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: sold as the IQZoom 70 in North America and Espio 70 in Japan.

Format

35mm

Year

1990

Lens

Pentax 35–70mm f/3.5–6.7

Min. focus

0.7 m

Flash

Built-in auto

Battery

2× CR123A

The Pentax 35–70mm f/3.5–6.7 covers wide-to-short-tele in one barrel — one lens, no decisions, point and shoot. Standard 35mm keeps it compatible with whatever Kodak, Ilford, Fuji or CineStill stock you find on the shelf today. A single CR123A lithium cell powers everything including the motor; still cheap and stocked at most camera shops. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.7 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. One thing worth knowing before you load a roll: Pentax's early entry into the affordable zoom compact category. Built for family events, holidays and anything where you'd rather reframe than walk.

The Pentax Zoom 70-X hasn't been swept up by the algorithm yet, which is the entire window — get one before the rest of the internet catches up.

• §1Sold as the IQZoom 70 in North America and Espio 70 in Japan.
• §2Pentax's early entry into the affordable zoom compact category.