Tech Shout!

Pentax Corp. has announced the launch of the new Pentax Optio A30 compact digital camera, which features 10.0 effective megapixels and an enhanced anti-shake function, enabling photography of fine yet high-quality images

The Optio A30 compact digital camera from Pentax has a host of great features such as 10.0 effective megapixels that enable for high-resolution images, a 1/1.8-inch CCD with a wide light-sensitive area for superior tone production, an smc Pentax zoom lens, an image processing engine that makes a rich color reproduction possible and three different kinds of anti-shake functions.

The three types of anti-shake function featured on the Pentax Option A30 digital camera are Shake Reduction, Digital Shake Reduction and Movie Shake Reduction. The shake detection accuracy of the Optio A30 has been enhanced by incorporating a high-accuracy gyro sensor and a control algorithm. The Digital SR mode automatically changes sensitivity according to the brightness of the subject and effectively reduces camera shakes and subject blurring. Lastly, the Movie SR mode is an electronic shake reduction function that can be used mainly for capturing movies, where it helps to correct distortions in images due to camera shakes through software.

Apart from the above new functions, the Pentax Optio A30 digital camera is equipped with a high-intensity 2.5-inch LCD screen with an LCD booster function that makes it possible to improve the brightness of the screen when needed. Besides, you can even view the LCD screen outdoors in bright sunlight due to its wide viewing angle. The LCD screen offers a high resolution of 232,000 pixels and is thus becomes easy to confirm picture compositions and the focus.

The Pentax Optio A30 camera is equipped with a “Face Recognition AF and AE” function that automatically detects and focuses on faces. Various operation speeds for photography and playback have been increased, making it possible to use the camera more swiftly. In addition to a 0.02-second release time lag, the time it takes for the camera to focus and to start up has been speeded up.

The Optio A30 is newly equipped with an ”intelligent zoom” function, which is an evolved form of digital zoom, enabling for images to be magnified even larger and stored, all while maintaining the image quality of optical zoom. With yet another mode called Programmed Exposure mode, the camera automatically determines the shutter speed and aperture. This camera also includes “Shutter-Priority AE” mode and Manual Exposure” mode.

In spite of the larger CCD, the SR system and a 3x optical zoom lens with a large focal range, the Pentax Optio A30 compact digital camera has a slim and light-weight body.

Other notable features of the Pentax Optio A30 include:

Auto-tracking AF continuously focusing on a moving subject

Compatible with new SDHC memory cards, in addition to conventional SD memory cards

Mode Palette provides quick access to 15 shooting modes and 15 playback modes

A ”Green button” that enables you to assign functions that are frequently used, and recall them in just one touch

Approximately 22MB of built-in memory

Calendar Display function allows image retrieval based on the capture date

Easy searching and organizing of images on a PC using the Date Folder function

FotoNation’s red-eye correction function for correcting red eye after shooting, which occurs easily when photographing with flash

Includes the ACDSee for PENTAX image viewer/image management software

Supports PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III