Pentax X-5

You might also like... What camera should I buy? On paper the Pentax X-5 sounds like it could fulfil the needs of a niche consumer base; seeking to please photographers who want a camera that exudes the build of a DSLR but has the simplicity of one lens...

For a bridge camera with this kind of price tag, the Pentax X-5 doesn't to a bad job of things, offering a passable lens, a BSI CMOS sensor, a viewfinder and a tilt screen. However, there's still a big difference in performance between a £200 bridge and...

If you're looking for an affordable bridge camera, the chances are that the X-5 will be on your shortlist. The good news is that the X-5 is certainly a capable camera, and one which handles well and offers a decent level of performance in a generally...

Line up these specs against the asking price for an X-5 and you'll see it's an absolute bargain. Naturally some corners have had to be cut to keep the price so low, but not to a degree that would leave a hobby photographer disappointed with the...

Detail isn't all that you'd hope for from a 16 megapixel camera, particularly if you have to shoot at ISO 800 and 1600, but colour reproduction is good, so if you are more likely to take pictures to share on the web or print in smaller sizes, the X-5 isn't going to let you down.

At its affordable price point, this is a very competitve camera. However, in a market where manufacturers have included so many new features to make them stand out from the crowd, the X-5 sinks into the background.

Still everything on the camera falls readily to hand, making for both swifter and easier use than flashier alternatives. Ultimately that means that the bargain Pentax X-5 gets a Photography Blog Recommended award - just don't expect all the manual controls that its design so misleadingly hints at.