Pre-PMA 2004: Pentax today announced the Optio 30, an affordable three megapixel three times zoom digital camera with easy to use controls and menus. Despite being relatively 'entry level' the Optio 30 has a fair number of advanced features such as histogram display, selectable ISO, timelapse movies and continuous shooting modes. Thankfully Pentax have thought of everything and have even included the essential Food and Pet scene modes.

Press Release:

The Optio30 — The simple, friendly and compact digital camera perfect for anyone, any time

The Optio30 is the ideal camera for the newcomer to the digital photography. Compact, ergonomic, and lightweight, it’s as comfortable in the hand as it is attractive to the eye. With the ample imaging ability of 3.2 effective megapixels and the versatility of 3X optical zoom, it has the power to offer a satisfying blend of clarity and compositional freedom. It also offers exceptionally easy operation, conveying a confident sense of satisfaction, even before you view its impressive results.

Specially enhanced for even simpler use

Despite its minimal dimensions, every effort has been made to make each of the controls as large as possible. It’s also exceptionally easy to understand how it works, enabling you to enjoy the ability to take quality shot virtually as soon as you take it out of the box. One of the key factors behind such easy operation is the Simple Menu, which offers straightforward explanations for frequently used functions. The Full Menu has also been enhanced too, allowing a whole range of camera settings to be fine-tuned to suit your tastes so you can configure the camera in different ways as you gain more and more confidence in your photography.

An appealing exterior that puts you at ease

From above, the Optio30 has a rounded outline that makes it seem somehow more approachable. It’s a form that also serves to make the camera easy to hold with a steady grip. A sense of comfort is even further enhanced by the ability to save a recorded shot as the start-up screen and the power to select a wallpaper for use with the menu screen.

No experience required; only your imagination

Just turn the power on and press the shutter release – that’s really all it takes! Indeed the Optio30 is the ideal response to the growing demand for a quality digital camera with the ability to perform with ease across a wide range of day-to-day situations. The secret of such versatility lies in the innovative virtual mode dial. This simple, yet ingenious feature lets the user select a suitable icon on the screen in response to which the Optio30 automatically sets the optimal settings for a wide range of different subjects and circumstances. Indeed in addition to the conventional Portrait, Self-portrait, Flower, Sunset, Landscape, Surf and Snow, the Optio30 also features Party, Food, and Pet modes too!

Major features

An attractive, appealing exterior with compact dimensions

The rounded overall appearance of the Optio30 gives it instant visual appeal. It also makes it feel exceptionally comfortable when gripped in the hands. Whenever a shooting opportunity arises, you can easily slip the camera out of a pocket or bag thanks to the body design and over all compactness.

Optical and digital zoom capability with the advantage of Macro too

The Optio30 offers the compositional advantage of 3X optical zoom with a focal range covering angles of view equivalent to those of a 38-114mm lens in 35mm format. It can also be used in combination with the 4X digital zoom to realize a total zooming capacity of 12X. Macro mode allows shots to be composed from as close as just 2cm from the subject.

Diverse shooting modes for wide range of circumstances

The virtual mode dial with easy-to-understand icons makes selection of the 12 shooting modes extremely easy. Simply select the most appropriate, compose and shoot!

1. Program mode
   Lets you leave virtually everything up to the camera, allowing the Optio30 to automatically set the optimal shutter speed, aperture, and focus for the subject at hand.
    
2. Landscape mode
   Makes the most of natural greens and blues for appealing nature shots and satisfying skies. It also ensures ideal clarity that extends sharpness as far as the horizon.
    
3. Night scene mode
   Allows the camera to assume a slower shutter speed and capture greater detail with available light.
    
4. Night scene portrait mode
   Enables pleasing shots of people to be taken at night without sacrificing exposure of the background.
    
5. Portrait mode
   Captures natural looking skin tones, achieving results that are significantly more flattering.
    
6. Surf & Snow
   Ideal when light reflects off water or snow. It helps ensure detail is preserved throughout the entire frame while still conveying a beautiful sense of brightness.
    
7. Flower
   Puts the Optio30 automatically into Macro mode, leaving you ready and equipped to capture close-up detail in glorious colors.
    
8. Party
   Ensures pleasing exposure for the main subjects with faithful reproduction of surrounding elements.
    
9. Food
   Capture color and texture in a way that piques the appetite.
    
10. Pet
    Capture the whites and black tones common to family pets in a pleasing manner along with their natural glow.
     
11. Movie
    The Optio30 can record soundless movie files up to the available capacity of the selected recording media. It also offers a whole range of related choices – allowing you to select clarity of either 320x240 or 160x120 pixels, and even offering options for full-color, black and white, and sepia shooting. Movie files are also recoded in MOV format to enable easy playback on PC. *Recorded movies can be viewed using ACDSee for PENTAX (on systems with QuickTimeTM installed)
     
12. Panorama Assist mode
    Allows you to take multiple shots of your subject in vertical or horizontal format, and then align and combine them using the user-friendly software provided.

Digital filters for fun and creative results

A key digital benefit of the Optio30 is the ability to apply filters to shots after they’ve already been taken. There’s a choice of 9 different filters, comprising black and white, sepia, red, pink, purple, blue, green, yellow, and brightness.

PictBridge compatibility

The Optio30 supports PictBridge,a new direct-print standard released by the CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association). Just connect the Optio30 via USB to a printer supporting PictBridge to make printouts of recorded images without the need for a PC and utilize other handy direct functions such as resizing, trimming, and digital filters.

Simple Menu

A crucial element in the success of such a multi-functional camera is the ability to offer simple operation. The Optio30 excels in this area thanks to the incorporation of a Simple Menu. Existing alongside the conventional Full Menu, this convenient additional menu is comprised of only frequently used functions – each accompanied by a simple explanation.

Further convenient features

USB mass storage class compatibility
USB connectivity allows multiple shots to be swiftly and simply imported into common PC applications - opening up an exciting world of imaging versatility that lets you do so much more with your shots.

ACDSee for PENTAX
The ACDSee for PENTAX software comes as standard with the Optio30, allowing easy graphic conversion, album creation, and so much more.

Built-in auto flash
The Optio30 features a flash that can be set to fire automatically in low-light conditions. For greater control, it also offers Flash-on, Flash-off, and slow-shutter sync modes (for use in combination with Night scene, Nighttime portrait, and Party modes) and there's also the advantage of a red-eye reduction function* that produces more pleasing portraits at night.
*This feature does not eliminate "red eyes" in all instances.

High-precision LCD monitor
The 1.6-inch TFT LCD monitor makes it easy to compose shots or view them prior to printing, allowing you to recompose and shoot again if necessary while you're still stood by the subject.

Optical viewfinder
An optical viewfinder allows you to conserve power when you want by switching off the LCD monitor.

Nine image/Zoom display
The Optio30 makes it easy to search for a shot that's already recorded with Nine-image display that lets you scan through all images in minimal time. When you find the shot you're looking for, the camera also offers 8X magnification, enabling you to check closely for minor details and focusing.

Self-timer
The self-timer is ideal when taking shots of oneself or entering into group compositions. It releases the shutter in your choice of either 2 or 10 seconds and can also be used to minimize camera shake when taking long exposures.

Continuous shooting
Just an extended press of the shutter is all it takes to activate Continuous shooting. This allows fast-moving action to be captured frame by frame.

4 in 1 shooting
Just as it sounds, 4 in 1 shooting takes four consecutive shots in one frame with just a single press of the shutter release button. This innovative new feature makes it easy to study the movement of a subject without having to look at multiple shots.

Interval shooting
Interval shooting mode shoots a set of sequential frames for playback together as a short film. It offers a selection of X2, X5, X10, X20, X50, or X100 recording speeds and can be used to achieve effects such as scenes of clouds rushing across the sky, for example.

Macro shooting and Infinity-landscape modes
Selection of Macro mode allows you to compose from as close as just 2cm from the subject, while Infinity-landscape captures the sense of space when shooting stunning scenery. What's more, it even achieves pleasing focus when shooting through windows.

Manual focusing
Through linkage to the handy LCD monitor, manual focus is made both easy and enjoyable. It's also assisted by the enlargement of the central area of the LCD, which makes it easy to recognize the moment when your subject is at its sharpest.

Choice of autofocus
The Optio30 offers a choice of Spot AF and 5-point AF. Spot AF provides you with the freedom to choose the area of key focus anywhere within the frame, while 5-point AF allows simultaneous focus on separate elements even when shooting from a distance. 5-point AF is even made more easy to use by a highlighted focus area that lets you know exactly where the sharpest points are located.

Histogram display
The detailed histogram function is extremely handy during both playback and shooting, allowing you to check the range of light levels with significantly greater accuracy.

Metering options
A choice of Spot metering, Multi-segment metering, and Center-weighted metering give you greater control over the way exposure is determined.

ISO settings
Light sensitivity is exceptionally easy to adjust. Select ISO50 for the clearest results with minimal noise, or opt for ISO100 or 200 depending on your aims and circumstances.

Exposure compensation
The Optio30 enables exposure compensation across a range of +2EV in steps of 1/3EV.

Settings for sharpness, saturation and contrast
The Optio30 even has a range of settings that allow you to take control over sharpness, saturation, and contrast, with three grades for each. Such extended capability is ideal for the photographer who wishes to exercise greater control over the final outcome.

Image protection
Digital photography can sometimes make it a little too easy to delete a shot. That's not the case with the Optio30, however. Indeed it features a special function that prevents the accidental deletion of shots you want to keep.

Mode memory function
Mode memory allows you to save a combination of settings you like and return to them automatically when the power is next switched on.

DPOF print convenience
When used in combination with DPOF-compatible printers, the Optio30 gives you a greater degree of control over the date function and the number of prints*.
*Some printers may not support the above functions. Please consult the supplier of your printer for more information.

Exif Print (Exif2.2) and PRINT Image Matching II compatibility
Exif Print and PRINT Image Matching II compatibility establishes a stronger link between the camera and printer for greater control.
*This product supports PRINT Image Matching II. When used in combination, PRINT Image Matching II enabled digital still cameras, printers, and software help photographers to produce images more faithful to their intentions.

16MB (approx.) built-in memory
The Optio30 contains approximately 16MB of built-in memory. In other words it's always ready to shoot, even when containing no additional memory media.

SD memory card / MultiMediaCard
With SD memory card and MultimediaCard compatibility, the Optio30 is able to store a large amount of images while retaining high-level accuracy. Images can also be exported or imported between the built-in memory and the SD memory card or MultimediaCard, giving you the freedom to decide which images you want to store, and where.

Resize function
A handy resize function allows you to alter the data size and quality of stored images. Resized files can even be set to overwrite the original image, allowing you to free up more memory space without having to discard a shot.

Trimming function
Excellent composition doesn't have to be confined to the time of shooting. Indeed with the convenient Trimming function, images can be cropped at any time and selected parts can be stored as individual new files.

Customized functions
Even the setup of the Optio30 can be used to express your creativity. The start-up screen can be customized to display the image of your choice, and one of 6 preset images can be selected for use as wallpaper for each of the menu screens.

Power sources
The Optio30 can be powered by two widely available AA alkaline batteries. It can also be operated with a Nickel Hydride battery, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a CR-V3 battery and an optionally available AC adapter, should you happen to be close to a power outlet.

Operation in 8 languages
All menus and messages can be displayed in a choice of English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese or Japanese, making the Optio30 accessible for use by people around the world.

Optional accessories

AC adapter
For continuous use of the Optio30 over a long period of time, an AC adapter can be simply plugged into a nearby power outlet.

Pentax Optio 30 specifications