Pentax X-5 review

Set to impress the bridge market with a gigantic zoom range

Pentax X-5
As a bridge camera, the 16 megapixel Pentax X-5 looks like a small DSR

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Pentax X-5 review

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The Pentax X-5 comes with 16 presets in Auto Picture mode, including a Landscape option that appears to enrich colours, helping to make the greens, yellows and blues in this seascape pop.

Pentax X-5 review

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The X-5's smc Pentax lens offers an aperture range of f/3.1-5.9, enabling portrait fans to make good use of even and low light.

Pentax X-5 review

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Touting an impressive focal range equivalent of 22-580mm, the affordably priced Pentax X-5 provides shooters with a great deal of scope for their money.

Pentax X-5 review

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The Pentax bridge provides photographers with a range of focus modes, including: Contrast Detect, Multi-area, Tracking, Single and Face Detection, helping you to creatively progress your shooting skills by attempting new challenges and subjects.

Pentax X-5 review

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Thanks to the Pentax X-5 including manual and semi manual shooting modes, you can experiment with aperture to generate interesting scenes.

Pentax X-5 review

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A macro mode is installed on the Pentax X-5 to help you get up close and personal with smaller and intricately detailed subjects.

Pentax X-5 review

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We found that a purple glare was apparent in the majority of scenes where a light source is present.

Pentax X-5 review

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As an affordable bridge camera, we were suitably impressed by the level of detail attained, even in images taken at great focal lengths.

Pentax X-5 review

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Colour accuracy appears to be on the mark, but there is a set of digital filters included if photographers feel the urge to spice scenes up.

Pentax X-5 review

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Like most modern bridge cameras, the Pentax X-5 includes a plastic thread to accommodate a tripod mount.

Pentax X-5 review

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While some users may applaud the decision to power the Pentax X-5 with AA batteries, others may lament it. But the extra weight does make the camera feel reliably secure in the hand.

Pentax X-5 review

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The Pentax X-5's macro mode offers you the chance to capture some amazing close up shots, with fantastic results.

Pentax X-5 review

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Colours and details remain strong even when taking advantage of the camera's f/3.1 aperture.

Pentax X-5 review

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The Pentax X-5's maximum shutter speed ensured this close up macro shot was as crisp as possible, since it was taken during a heavy gust of wind.

Pentax X-5 review

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Taken as a landscape shot, this image was framed at 22mm to encompass the great deal of land in front of us.

Pentax X-5 review

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Using the Pentax X-5's 26x optical zoom, we were able to zoom in to the town on the horizon and achieve fairly balanced results.

Pentax X-5 review

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Using the Intelligent Zoom feature, we were able to zoom in close enough to pick out the clock face on the church in the distance. The fact it could achieve this distance is clearly rather impressive, yet the results were far less so.