Joining the ranks of Olympus, Kodak, Canon, and Nikon, who all announced new megazoom fixed-lens cameras at CES and in the months since, Pentax today unwrapped its new 24x optical zoom X70 camera at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show in Las Vegas.

The 12-megapixel X70 has a zoom range of 26mm on the wide-angle end to 624mm on the telephoto end, as well as sensor-shifting mechanical image stabilization.

In addition to the ultrawide angle zoom lens, the X70 also offers up a high-speed burst mode that captures 11 images per second; face detection and exposure optimization for up to 32 faces per shot; manual aperture, shutter, and metering modes; ISO equivalency settings up to 6400; a 720p HD movie mode; and a 2.7-inch LCD backed up with an electronic viewfinder. Due out in April, the Pentax X70 will sell for $400.