The Pentax Optio A10 combines the company's 'Sliding Lens System' technology seen in some of the company's past models (which removes elements from the optical path as the lens retracts, allowing a slimmer profile when the camera is powered off), along with a newly developed 'Shake Reduction System' that uses two gyro sensors coupled with focusing information and a proprietary CCD shift mechanism to reduce blur caused by camera shake. It looks set to be a strong rival for Konica Minolta's DiMAGE X1 - both cameras feature similar pricing, both have the same resolution of eight megapixels from a 1/1.8" imager, and both offer image stabilisation. While the X1 is just a few millimeters slimmer, Pentax wins in overall size with a body that's almost 13% smaller by volume (based on the listed dimensions). Both cameras sport large 2.5" LCD displays, but Pentax's choice of display offers about twice the pixel count, at 232,000 pixels. Other notable features on the Optio A10 include an ISO sensitivity range from 50 - 400 (or 800 in Candle mode), Secure Digital card storage plus 24MB of built-in memory, and both USB data and NTSC / PAL switcheable video connectivity.
The Pentax Optio A10 will ship in February at a price of US$350. Full specifications, a product photo, and a "fact sheet" provided by Pentax follow below, along with the official press release.
PENTAX Optio A10 FACT SHEET
High Image Quality With A Large CCD
The Optio A10 is equipped with a new large 1/1.8-inch CCD boasting 8.32 total megapixels. Featuring approximately 1.6 percent more light receiving area of conventional PENTAX compact camera CCDs, this CCD offers advantages in superior tone reproduction, texture delineation, and noise reduction.
High-Performance smc PENTAX Zoom Lens
Constructed from seven elements in five groups, including three double-sided aspherical lenses, the newly developed smc PENTAX zoom lens produces clear, high-contrast images. The design corrects effectively for spherical and other aberrations and original coating cuts out ghosting and flare.
New ASIC*
A new ASIC equips the Optio A10 with dramatically more image-processing power. The ASIC’s high-speed processing capability assists the Optio A10 in attaining a higher level of tone reproduction and color correction based on enormous amounts of actual photo data.
* Application Specific Integrated Circuit
Shake Reduction System (SR)
A Shake Reduction system unique to PENTAX delivers stability in shooting conditions that are sensitive to camera shake, such as telephoto shots or indoor shots without a flash. Specifically, the SR mechanism features:
- Two internal gyro sensors that detect the amount of camera shake.
- A dedicated CPU calculates the necessary correction from the amount of camera shake and the focusing data of the lens.
- A proprietary mechanism adjusts the CCD based on the calculated correction to compensate for the camera shake.
Super-Compact, Lightweight Body
PENTAX maintains the slim dimensions of the Optio A10 despite completely redesigning the lens unit including the optical lens and the image sensor, enlarging the CCD, and adding an anti-vibration mechanism to absorb camera shake. Furthermore, using the PENTAX Sliding Lens System and high-density mounting technology, PENTAX offers dimensions of 3.5 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches (88.5 ´ 54.5 ´ 23 mm) and a weight of 4.4 ounces (125 g) body with an efficient layout that leaves almost no spaces between components.
Note: PENTAX’s proprietary lens system offsets the central lens groups from the optical axis and houses the lenses in two separate stages in the lens barrel to reduce the overall lens length and thereby minimize the body depth.
Elegant, Stylish Design
The Optio A10 features refined highlights including a highly textured aluminum alloy exterior, a multi-faceted accent lens ring, and a connector cover designed to blend in with the camera.
Intuitive Mode Palette
The Mode palette lists various modes on the LCD monitor to allow quick navigation and selection from the 15 shooting modes and 15 playback modes through the translucent display, which superimposes mode icons over the LCD monitor image. So, changing settings while framing the subject is simple.
Auto Picture Mode
Auto picture mode makes taking photos easy and fun. Selecting the Auto picture mode from the shooting Mode palette has the camera automatically select the mode from Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, or Standard according to the shooting conditions.
High-Quality Movie Mode With Long Recording Times
The Optio A10 smoothly captures movies at 30 fps (frames per second) at sizes up to 640 ´ 480 pixels with image quality rivaling camcorders. Since it employs the DivX® MPEG-4 movie format,* the Optio A10 can record longer, high-quality movies. Camera shake can also be corrected automatically by switching on the Movie anti-Shake feature.**
* The Optio A10 is DivX® certified. Movie playback is not supported on Macintosh operating systems.
** Using the Movie anti-Shake feature results in a narrower field of view than normal.
High-definition, easy-to-view LCD monitor
Despite the slim body, the Optio A10 manages to fit in a large 2.5 inch LCD monitor with the clarity of approximately 232,000 pixels. The monitor is easy to see even in bright locations because of its backlight and low-reflection type. All of this means it is easier to navigate menus, make settings, and compose shots as well as to display crisper, more beautiful images.
Other features
- Precise autofocus with a tracking AF function feature
- Candlelight mode allows high-sensitivity shooting at a Standard Output Sensitivity of 800
- Approximately 24 MB of built-in memory; supports external SD memory cards
- Built-in AF-assist light (can be switched on or off)
- Frame composite function can add decorative frames to images
- Pan-focus function for effortless snapshots
- Convenient image-rotation display for confirmation of vertical shots
- ACDSee for PENTAX image viewer/image management software
- FotoNation’s red-eye compensation function for flash photography
- USB 2.0 (HI-SPEED) compatible
- DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III compatible
- PictBridge compatible
PENTAX, Optio are trademarks of PENTAX Corporation.
“DivX” is trademark for DivX, Inc. and is used under license.
This product supports PRINT Image Matching III. PRINT Image Matching enabled digital still cameras, printers and software help photographers to produce images more faithful to their intentions. Some functions are not available on printers that are not PRINT Image Matching III compliant.
Copyright 2001 Seiko Epson Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Print Image Matching is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
The PRINT Image Matching logo is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Design and Specifications are subject to change without notice.
All other brands or product names are trademarks of registered trademarks of their respective companies.
| Pentax Optio A10 |
 |
| General |
| Camera Type | Compact |
| Manufacturer | Pentax |
| Model Number | A10 |
| Dimensions | 3.5 x 2.1 x 0.9"
88.5 x 54.5 x 23.0mm |
| Weight | 145.0 g
5.1 oz |
| Planned Price | $350.00 |
| Image Capture |
| Sensor Type | 1/1.8
8.32 megapixels (total)
8.00 megapixels (effective) |
| Filter Type | RGB |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3 |
| Image Dimensions | 3264 x 2448 (8.0 megapixels)
2592 x 1944 (5.0 megapixels)
2304 x 1728 (4.0 megapixels)
2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels)
1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels)
1024 x 768 (0.8 megapixels)
648 x 480 (0.3 megapixels) |
| Image Preview / Review |
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD | 2.5", 232 pixels |
| Playback Zoom | 8.0x max |
| Lens |
| Lens Type | smc Pentax Power Zoom
3x optical zoom |
| Image Stabilization | Yes |
| Focal Length | 7.9 - 23.7mm (actual)
37 - 112mm (35mm equivalent) |
| Aperture Range | f/2.8 (wide) - f/5.4 (tele) |
| Focusing System | 5 point AF, Spot AF, Tracking AF, Infinity Landscape, Pan Focus
Manual Focus possible (0) steps |
| Focusing Range | Normal: 14" - infinity (35 cm - infinity)
Macro: 4.9" - 16" (12 cm - 40 cm) |
| Exposure |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 |
| Shutter Speed | 4 - 1/2000 second |
| Exposure Modes | Program |
| Metering Modes | Multi, center, spot |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2.0EV in 0.3EV increments |
| White Balance | Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Manual, Manual |
| Internal Flash | Modes: Auto, Flash-off, Flash-on, Auto+red-eye reduction, Flash-on +red-eye reduction, Auto backlight compensation |
| Creative |
| Scene Modes | Night Scene, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Surf & Snow, Candle, Text, Food, Sport, Frame composition, Pet |
| Digital Zoom | 4x |
| Self Timer | Yes, 10 seconds |
| Movie Format | MPEG4 Divx with audio
640x480 and 320x240
Max. frame-rate: 30 frames per second
Max. clip length: 323 seconds (640x480) / 1,052 seconds (320x240) |
| Storage |
| Recording Medium | SD/MMC, Built-in |
| File System | Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF) |
| File Format | JPEG (EXIF 2.2) |
| Connectivity |
| Video | Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable |
| Computer | USB 1.1 |
| Power |
| Battery Type | D-LI8 Li-Ion |
| Battery Form Factor | Lithium-Ion pack |
| Product Bundle |
| Software | Software (S-SW42) |
| Battery / Charger | Li-Ion battery and charger |
| Flash Memory | 24.0MB Internal |
| Other |
| Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant | Yes |
| PictBridge Compliant | Yes |
| Internal Microphone | Yes |
| Internal Speaker | Yes |
| Remote Control | Yes |
| Operating Syst em Compatibility | Windows, Mac OS |
| |
Pentax: 8mpix digicam with image stabiliser