Pentax today announced its Optio Z10 and S10 compact digital cameras. The Optio Z10 is a slimline 8.0 megapixel device with a non-protruding 7x zoom lens giving a range of 38-266mm (35mm equiv.). The Optio S10 - which is available exclusively through Wal-Mart stores in the US - boasts 10.0 megapixels and a 3x zoom (38-114mm equiv.). Both cameras will be available from September with a price tag of $249.95.

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• Specifications (Optio S10)

Press Release:

PENTAX UNVEILS OPTIO Z10 WITH 7X ZOOM AND TINY OPTIO S10

August 22, 2007, GOLDEN, CO. (August 22, 2007) - PENTAX Imaging Company has announced two digital compact cameras including the Optio Z10 with a high-magnification 7X optical zoom lens and the small, stylish PENTAX Optio S10 with 10 megapixels.

The PENTAX Optio Z10 is equipped with a 7X optical zoom lens, the highest magnification among current PENTAX compact digital camera models. Designed with a refraction lens system so the lens never protrudes from the camera while zooming, the 7X optical zoom covers a broad range, from wide-angle to telephoto zoom, and offers an ultra high-magnification of up to approximately 35.7X when combined with digital zoom. With 8.0 megapixels, the Optio Z10 also features high speed detection time Face Recognition for improved portraits and digital Shake Reduction that allows ISO to 3200 to capture sharper images even in low light settings. The sleek, stylish PENTAX Optio Z10 body design also features a sliding lens cover for extra protection that also operates the on/off camera setting.

PENTAX also announced the stylish PENTAX Optio S10 compact digital camera with 10.0 effective megapixels. This latest model in the popular PENTAX Optio S series offers digital Shake Reduction and a high-speed Face Recognition AF&AE function for fast, high quality portraits. The Optio S10 is the seventh DivX Certified® digital camera from PENTAX. Now enhanced with digital Shake Reduction, the DivX format enables users to create high-quality video files that may be played back on a wide-variety of DivX DVD players and other devices. The PENTAX Optio S10 digital camera is one of the smallest, lightest 10 megapixel digital cameras in the world.

Priced at US $249.95 each, both cameras will ship in September. The PENTAX Optio S10 will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart Stores in the United States.

PENTAX Optio Z10 FACT SHEET

High magnification 7X optical zoom
The Optio Z10 features a 7X optical zoom lens that covers focal lengths from 6.3 to 44.1mm (equivalent to 38-266mm for 35mm format) and features a refraction lens system so the lens never protrudes from the camera while zooming. This optical zoom covers a broad range, from wide-angle to telephoto zoom, and offers ultra-high magnification of up to approximately 35.7X when combined with digital zoom.

8.0 effective megapixels produces exceptionally fine-detailed photos
With 8.0 effective megapixels and a high performance PENTAX lens, the Optio Z10 delivers high resolution photos. Compatible with SD memory cards and SDHC memory cards, the Optio Z10 offers a generous 52 MB of built-in-memory.

High-speed Face Recognition AF&AE function of approximately 0.03 seconds
The Optio Z10 is equipped with a Face Recognition AF&AE function* that automatically adjusts the focus and sets the exposure so users may capture photos of people easily. In addition, this function can detect the faces of up to 15 people at once, and the detection time has been reduced to approximately 0.03 seconds at minimum.
*Available when the picture mode is Natural Skin Tone, Portrait, or Kid, and the camera is directed at people from the front.

Digital Shake Reduction
The Digital Shake Reduction mode reduces camera shake and blurring of the subject when photographing still images. The sensitivity is adjusted automatically, to as high a sensitivity as ISO 3200, to match the brightness of the subjects. This enables photography with fast shutter speeds and images with less blurring. In addition, an electronic Shake Reduction function corrects blurring in images during image playback.

Easily viewable LCD monitor with a wide viewing angle
The Optio Z10 comes with a high resolution 2.5 inch LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 pixels that enables images and text to be clearly displayed. The LCD monitor offers a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees from all directions, making it easy to confirm images, even when looking at the screen from a side angle.

Auto Picture mode automatically determines the best setting for the shooting conditions
The Auto Picture mode sets the camera automatically for various shooting conditions such as Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, and Normal mode and choose the optimal settings for each subject.

Additional features

• Digital wide function converts two images into approximately 28mm wide angle expression (equivalent to 35mm format)
• Mode palette provides quick access to 15 shooting modes and 15 playback modes
• Data imprint function for easier image categorizing
• FotoNation's red-eye compensation function for flash shots
• Includes the ACDsee for PENTAX 3.0 image viewer/image management software that supports Windows Vista
• Support PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III

PENTAX OPTIO S10 FACT SHEET

Ultra compact body with a stylish design
The PENTAX Optio S10 design is stylish and convenient to carry for travel and business, and the aluminum alloy exterior with a glossy spindle finish gives the camera an elegant appearance. With a 3X optical zoom lens and a large 2.5 inch LCD monitor, this latest 10 megapixel model in the Optio S series is still one of the smallest and the lightest ultra compact camera bodies in the world. The innovative PENTAX camera incorporates a miniaturized circuit board featuring high-density compact mounting technology.

10.0 effective megapixels with high resolution
With 10.0 effective megapixels, the Optio S10 ensures high resolution and delivers clear and crisp images even when enlarged to 11 x 17 inches. The new 1/1.8 inch CCD image sensor with a larger sensing area provides excellent performance for tone reproduction, texture delineation and noise reduction.

Digital Shake Reduction
The Digital Shake Reduction mode* helps reduce camera shake and blurring of the subject when photographing still images. The sensitivity is adjusted automatically, to as high as the ultra-high sensitivity of ISO 3200, to match the brightness of the subjects. This enables photography with faster shutter speeds and images with less blur.
*Recording image is fixed at 5MB (2592x1944pixels) when “Digital SR” mode is selected

Face Recognition AF&AE function captures portraits more beautifully with simple operation
The Optio S10 is equipped with a Face Recognition AF&AE function* that automatically detects and focuses on faces. In addition, the Optio S10 also offers a new function that applies face recognition technology such as Natural Skin Tone mode to enhance skin texture and a Half-length Portrait mode** which automatically captures close-up photographs of the upper body by cropping images of people from the waist up within the photo frame.
*Available when the picture mode is Portrait, Natural Skin Tone, Kids, or Half-length Portrait and the camera is directed at people directly from the front.
**Recording size is fixed at 3MB (2048x1536 pixels) when Half–length Portrait mode is selected. This camera's Face Recognition AF & AE function uses Face Tracker face-recognition technology from FotoNation.

Bright and easy-to-view LCD monitor
The high sensitivity LCD monitor is equipped with an LCD booster that adjusts the brightness of the screen so users may easily check the screen even outdoors. At 2.5 inches and featuring a high resolution of 232,000 pixels, the LCD makes it easy to confirm picture composition and focus. With a wide viewing angle, the screen can also be easily viewed even from a side angle.

Auto Picture mode automatically determines the best settings for the shooting conditions
For ease in shooting, the Auto Picture mode lets the camera automatically determine shooting conditions for Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, and Normal mode and choose the optimal settings for each subject.

Video recording function enabling high-quality recording for long period of time
The Optio S10 captures movies at 30 fps (frames per second) at sizes up to 640x480 pixels with image quality rivaling camcorders. With the DivX®* (MPEG-4) movie format, the Optio S10 records high-quality movies with Movie Shake Reduction and helps correct blurred images with software.
*The Optio S10 is DivX® certified. Movie playback is not supported on Macintosh operating systems.

Additional features

• A “Green button” that enables you to assign functions that are frequently used, and recall them in just one touch
• An “Intelligent zoom” function which enables images to be magnified even larger and stored, while maintaining the image quality of optical zoom
• Mode palette provides quick access to 18 shooting modes and 15 playback modes
• Data imprint function for easier image categorizing
• Approximately 22.0 MB of built-in-memory
• Compatible with SD memory cards and SDHC memory cards
• FotoNation's red-eye compensation function for flash shots
• Includes the ACDsee for PENTAX image viewer/image management software
• Support PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III

Pentax Optio Z10 specifications

Pentax Optio S10 specifications