Features
The main feature of a bridge camera will always be its lens, and here the Pentax X-5 offers a 26x zoom. It is certainly not class leading, as nowadays some travel-zoom compacts come close, but the range still makes the X-5 hugely versatile. In fact, the X-5 has an ‘ultra-wide’ 22.3mm setting, matched only by the recently announced Olympus SP-820UZ, while at its 580mm telephoto setting the X-5’s maximum aperture is reduced from f/3.1 to f/5.9.
For these telephoto settings to be used effectively, the camera needs to be stabilised. In the X-5, Pentax has the advantage of its unique sensor-shift shake-reduction system, which also features in the company’s DSLRs. Pentax has introduced a digital shake reduction (SR) mode that works with the sensor-shift SR to produce a dual shake-reduction system.
Images are recorded onto a back-illuminated CMOS sensor. This type of sensor supposedly reduces the level and effect of noise on image quality, which is important in a bridge camera like the X-5 because it uses a compact-sized 1/2.33in (6.08×4.56mm) unit that is prone to noise. The sensor contains 16 million effective pixels for a maximum output of 4608 x 3456 pixels and a file size of 4-5MB.
The X-5 offers 1080p HD video recording at 30fps. Videos up to 25 minutes can be captured via the direct record button on the rear of the camera. There are also a number of shooting modes to choose from, including a high-speed continuous 30-frame burst at 10fps, 12 digital filters and creative image-processing tools.
Images: The wide 22mm setting is class-leading. At the 580mm setting, composition is tricky, but shooting at 1/400sec sharp results were achieved (Left: 22mm, right: 580mm)
