Digital Camera Home >
Digital Camera Reviews > Pentax Digital Cameras >
Pentax Optio WP
"Picky Details" for the Pentax Optio WP digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time or
delay before the shutter actually fires. This corresponds to the time required
for the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can
amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is rarely
reported on (and even more rarely reported accurately), and can significantly
affect the picture taking experience, I routinely measure both shutter delay
and shot to shot cycle times for all cameras I test, using a test system I designed
and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled, with a resolution of 0.001 second.)
Here are the numbers I collected for the Pentax Optio WP:
|
Pentax Optio WP Timings
|
|
Operation
|
Time
(secs)
|
Notes
|
|
| Power On -> First shot |
2.4
|
|
|
| Shutdown |
~0.2 - 47
|
First time is simple shutdown, second time is worst-case
buffer-clearing time.
|
|
| Play to Record, first shot |
1.3
|
Time until first shot is captured.
|
|
| Record to play |
6.3 / 1.8
|
First time is that required to display a large/fine
file immediately after capture, second time is that needed to display
a large/fine file that has already been processed and stored on the
memory card.
|
|
| Shutter lag, full autofocus |
0.92 / 1.16
|
First time is at full wide-angle,
second is full telephoto. |
|
|
Shutter lag, continuous autofocus
|
1.53
|
|
|
| Shutter lag, manual focus |
0.586
|
|
|
| Shutter lag, prefocus |
0.149
|
Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter
button. |
|
| Cycle Time, max/min resolution |
2.30 / 2.23
|
First number is for large/fine
files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images.
Times are averages. In large/fine mode, shoots 7 frames this fast, then
slows to 4 seconds per shot. In TV mode, continues at this pace for over
50 shots. Buffer clears in 13 seconds in large/fine mode, 4 seconds in
TV mode. |
|
| Cycle Time, continuous mode,
max/min resolution |
1.27 / 1.10
(0.79 / 0.91 fps) |
First number is for large/fine
files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images.
Times are averages. In large/fine mode, shoots 6 frames this fast, then
slows to 3 seconds per shot. In TV mode, continues at this pace for over
100 shots. Buffer clears in 12 seconds in large/fine mode, 47 seconds
in TV mode. |
|
| Cycle Time, "High Speed"
mode, max/min resolution |
0.29
(3.49 fps) |
Image size is fixed at 1280x960
pixels. Times are averages. Shoots 7 frames at an irregular pace, clears
the buffer in 5 seconds, and is ready for another burst. |
|
Power
The Pentax Optio WP uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power.
|
Operating Mode
|
Power
(@6.5 volts on the external power terminal)
|
Est. Minutes
(four 1600 mA cells)
|
| Capture
Mode, w/LCD |
536 mA
|
126
|
| Capture Mode, no LCD |
500 mA
|
100
|
| Half-pressed
shutter w/LCD |
533 mA
|
127
|
| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
420 mA
|
161
|
| Memory
Write (transient) |
702 mA
|
n/a
|
| Flash Recharge (transient) |
1350 mA
|
n/a
|
| Image
Playback |
297 mA
|
228
|
Storage Capacity
The Pentax Optio WP stores its photos on SD / MMC memory cards or in approximately
11 MB of internal memory, and no card is included with the camera. (I strongly
recommend buying at least a 64 MB card, preferably a 128 MB one, to give yourself
extra space for extended outings.) The chart below shows how many images can
be stored in the internal memory at each size/quality setting.
Image Capacity vs
Resolution/Quality
16 MB Memory Card
|
Fine |
Normal |
Basic
|
2560
x 1920
|
Images
(Avg size) |
3
3.4 MB |
6
1.8 MB |
10
1.0 MB |
Approx.
Compression |
4:1 |
8:1 |
14:1 |
2304
x 1728
|
Images
(Avg size) |
4
2.6 MB |
8
1.4 MB |
11
950 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
5:1 |
9:1 |
13:1 |
2048
x 1536
|
Images
(Avg size) |
5
2.1 MB |
9
1.1 MB |
14
758 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
5:1 |
8:1 |
12:1 |
| 1600
x 1200 |
Images
(Avg size) |
8
1.2 MB |
15
737 KB |
20
540 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
5:1 |
8:1 |
11:1 |
| 1024
x 768 |
Images
(Avg size) |
18
589 KB |
33
327 KB |
42
262 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
4:1 |
7:1 |
9:1 |
|
640 x 480
|
Images
(Avg size) |
39
278 KB |
61
180 KB |
75
147 KB |
Approx.
Compression |
3:1 |
5:1 |
6:1 |
Download Speed
The Pentax Optio WP connects to a host computer via a USB interface. Downloading
files to my Sony desktop running Windows XP (Pentium IV, 2.4 GHz), I clocked
it at 751 KBytes/second. (Cameras with slow USB interfaces run as low as 300
KB/s, cameras with fast v1.1 interfaces run as high as 600 KB/s. Cameras with
USB v2.0 interfaces run as fast as several megabytes/second.)
|