Pentax introduces sub-$200 Optio line of cameras
Pentax might be able to make a decent SLR camera but when it comes to point and shoot models, I question the quality. Companies have just one chance to impress me and Pentax failed on that count, the one and only Pentax point and shoot digital camera I tried was returned for a refund, maybe the company can redeem itself with two new Optio models it just announced.
The Optio M40 features an 8 megapixel sensor coupled to a 3x optical zoom, both are pretty much standard features these days. It has a 2.5 inch LCD display and digital image stabilization that boosts ISO settings and shortens the shutter to compensate for motion.
There is also face recognition technology which has been present in just about every point and shoot model made for the past two years or so. In addition to taking still images, there is a VGA move mode that records 30 frames per second. The M40 will debut with a retail price of $199 but online prices are bound to be less.
Overall the M40 has a pretty mundane feature set and there is nothing to really set it apart from a sea of $200 ~ $250 cameras with the very same features.
The E40 is a cousin to the M40 which uses AA batteries (as opposed to rechargeable), has a slightly smaller 2.4 inch display and a maximum ISO of 1000 in its shake reduction mode. The E40 is priced at $149.
These cameras are nothing special and using higher ISO settings to compensate for motion or blur just ads noise to the image, especially on “low-end†cameras like these.
Optical Image stabilization is far better in that the lens elements or sensor is adjusted to compensate for motion. In that case, lower ISO settings can be used thus preserving image quality. Neither of these cameras is likely to take spectacular images, passable images, maybe, standing still, just don’t trust them to shoot fast action scenes or shoot while moving very well.
In my opinion you are far better off spending the extra $100 for a Canon PowerShot SD800IS or SD850IS (note the SD800IS has a wider 28mm focal length but the SD850IS has a longer zoom, optical image stabilization features are identical).
Budget conscious consumers should be happy with the E40, I would avoid the M40 entirely but even a budding amateur photographer should aim for something better.
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