Editorial Review:Product Description:Feeling a little daunted by digital? Help is on the way inside Pentax Optio 30 digital camera. This Pentax camera is designed for newcomers with little or no digital photography experience making it a perfect answer for a growing demand for quality, easy-to-use digital.In addition to 3.2 megapixels, 3X optical zoom, and the signature, compact dimensions of the Pentax digital brand, the Optio 30 sports a simple, but revolutionary, menu prompt that provides helpful, tutorial messages about frequently used digital camera functions. With a simple touch, this feature will guide new, and old, hands through the camera's array of digital features. Expertise is the last thing you need to go digital with Pentax - just turn on the Optio 30 and shoot!The Pentax Optio 30 makes digital easy and fun! Equipped with PictBridge, a direct-print standard released by the Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA), the Optio 30 connects directly to your printer so you may print images without a personal computer! You also may record a favorite shot on the start-up screen and select customized wallpaper choices for the menu screen on the ample 1.6 inch LCD monitor. In addition to a variety of conventional picture modes (Landscape, Nightscene, Nightscene Portrait, Portrait, Surf and Snow, Flower), the innovative Optio 30 virtual mode dial features new lifestyle-oriented modes including Pet, Party, and Food.But, help doesn't stop there. The Optio 30 sports a round-edge design that offers an easy-to-hold, steady grip, and the camera permits you to customize a wide range of camera settings so you may select how you use the camera features as your digital confidence grows. With 16MB of built-in memory, the Optio 30 is always ready for a shot even if you leave your larger memory media behind!
Amazon.com Product Description:Combining advanced Pentax lens technology with a detailed digital imaging system, the Optio 30 is an appealing choice for those who want good-looking pictures from a camera that's easy to use.
Optics and Resolution The Optio 30 has a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor, which can capture images with enough detail to print photo-quality at sizes up to 10 by 14 inches. It comes with a Pentax high-efficiency 3x optical zoom, which coupled with the camera's 4x digital zoom, allows you to a combined zoom of 12x.
Movie Mode Like many other digital cameras in its class, the Optio 30 can capture short, silent video clips in movie mode. The maximum length of the movies this camera can capture is governed by resolution settings (either 320x240 or 160x120 pixels) and memory card size, but generally these movies are just a few minutes in length. While not camcorder quality, these types of video clips are fun and convenient, and they're perfect as e-mail attachments. The camera does not come with a video output terminal, which is often used to connect the camera to a TV, but you can move them to your PC via the camera's USB port.
More Features - Compact, stylish body
- Bright LCD monitor that's easy to see even in direct sunlight
- Black & White and Sepia digital filters for nostalgic, artistic effect
- Three image-quality settings
- Focus Free mode allows you to place a focus point anywhere in the image area
- Single-touch playback quickly shows you the photos you've taken
- Easy mode with help button allows easy operation for beginners
Storage and Transfer Images and video are stored in 16 MB of internal memory, but the camera also has a slot for optional use of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards (memory card not included). Files can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Power and Size The camera is powered by two AA-size batteries (alkaline included, rechargeable lithium ion recommended). The camera measures 3.7 by 2.4 by 1.4 inches and weighs 4.6 ounces without memory card or batteries (approximately 6.3 ounces with).
What's in the Box Optio 30 digital camera, two AA alkaline batteries, USB and video connection cables, strap, ACDSee image-management software
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Good Camera
Easy to use. 3X optical zoom. Only needs about 3 seconds before you can take another picture. Lots of options. The only thing I didn't like is that there is no sound with the movie mode. Good starter camera for the price, or spare for an intermediate.
Rating: -
Beginner camera
I brought this camera because I was looking for super lightweight camera for my hiking and biking needs. I wasn't disappointed in that aspect. This camera is small and light and super easy to used. In fact, if you were looking for one digital camera to introduced one of your older relatives who can't tell the difference between a RAM and ROM, this camera is it.
The camera's 3.2 megapixal is more then enough for most people who don't need poster size photo print out. For 4x6 size, this is a perfect camera. Its uses a SD card, the quality of the photos proves to be quite good and as I discovered, it appears to be a quality camera. The battery life proves to be pretty good and its a camera you can easy jump in and used its options without looking too closely to the instruction book. It only major weakness seem to be that its delay time between the pushing of the shutter and when the picture is taken seem to be little long. It slightly slow. You just have to adjust and adapt to time it right. I also wished this camera came with a remote like many of the Pentax film cameras got.
This camera will served most people quite well as back up camera or if you are just beginning, a perfect introduction to digital photography. I used for hiking and biking. Although its not waterproof or anything, it serves just well as long as you don't take it swimming!
Rating: 
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great first cam for novices or back up cam for travelers
I am an experienced digital camera user, this being my 4th camera following a 1.3mp Olympus (used the thankfully obsolete Smart Media format) 3.2mp Minolta Z-1 and 8mp Minolta A2. I chose the Pentax as a back up to the A2, as the Z-1 was too bulky to serve as a secondary camera while traveling. It also used SD cards and AA rechargeables, which I have a bunch of.
Picture resolution is outstanding, and I have found no major problems with either the autofocus or exposure systems. Picture quality is actually quite close to the Z-1. Using a 1gb SD card, you have about 500 shots available at the highest resolution settings, more than enough to keep anyone busy. This set-up, with a spare set of AA rechargeables (get the 2500 ones) was quite comfortable in a small case on my belt, serving as the back up to my A2.
This camera is also a good choice for back packers, as it is very light and batteries last quite long, limiting the need to carry too many spares. If you get rechargeable lithium CR-V3s, they are actually lighter and last even longer. Alas, this quality caused the loss of this dear little camera, as my girlfriend cast her eye on it and it ended up in her backpack. To make her feel better about it (like I really needed to) I took her Sony DSC-P1 in exchange as my new spare...a real brick compared to the Pentax, and uses proprietary batteries which I hate. Yes yes yes, I know the Minolta A2 uses a proprietary battery, but it is sooooo good that I bit the bullet.
Another viable alternative to this unit is the new Canon A510, which I may get. Uses AAs and SD cards too, and also takes great pics. The Sony will likely end up on Ebay. I hate Memory Sticks too. Slow and expensive.
Bottom line, the Pentax is quite good, and the optics in my opinion are comparable to similar models from Canon and Nikon, and better than Olympus.
Rating: -
The proof of the pudding is in the eating........
After trying and returning several small digital cameras-Olympus Camedia 395 (poor contrast and SLOOOW), two Fuji Finepix A120s (ghostly blooming), and a Nikon Coolpix 2200 (purple fringeing and lack of clarity)-I've at last found one that takes satisfying pictures!
PROs:
- Image quality is excellent. There are none of the defects of the other cameras I tried. Colours are natural, focus is sharp, and there is no distortion. For one day I had both the Nikon and the Pentax and took lots of identical photos-the Pentax produced a much better result every time.
- Lots of control for those who want it (AE metering, manual focus in addition to auto and fixed, selectable ISO, white balance, saturation, contrast, etc. etc.).
- Functions are easy to select and use. Important ones are on buttons, not menus (e.g. monitor on/off, exposure compensation-both of these buried in menus on the Nikon).
- Red eye is rare, even without the special flash setting.
- The supplied software, ACDSee and FotoCanvas, is just right-easy to use and powerful. What an eye-opener after Nikon's incompetent PictureProject, which is obsessed with an obscure method of arranging photos in collections and has hardly energy left over for worthwhile features.
Speed is average (startup a bit slow, shutter lag reasonable) and so is battery usage if you use rechargeable NiMH. Alkalines are sucked dry in minutes.
CONs
- Manual rather pedestrian, with little explanation of technical features, no tips on how to use them, and no index.
- No video out, which is cheap. I'd rather have this than the gimmicky live histogram-impressive (like those flashing LEDs on 80s stereos). but what use is it?
- Battery/card cover feels as if it's going to fly open if you hold the camera in the wrong way.
- What you see is not necessarily what you get. Unaccountably, the picture on the LCD screen is a bit darker when it's downloaded-easily cleared up by the software, but that shouldn't be necessary. The Nikon was the same, without any way of dealing with it. I didn't notice this mismatch on the Fuji Finepix.
The strengths of this camera FAR outweigh its few weaknesses. The only thing that really matters is that it takes great pictures, and it's easy and fun to use.
Rating: -
Good for a first timer.
This camera was a good choice for me mostly because of it's price, but it has great picture quality, even on the middle resolution setting, and a good zoom. I would suggest a bigger memory card, rechargeable Ni batteries, and a tripod for night pictures. It is very easy to download the pictures to your computer or to take the card to a place that prints digital pictures. In hind sight I would've spent a little extra to get a better looking, sleeker camera. Check these cameras out at an electronics store then purchase online to get the best prices.
