Presenting the Pentax Optio S4
For some time now, we have been witnessing the decrease in size of ultra-compact cameras within the digital realm. With the arrival of the Pentax Optio S, and now the Pentax Optio S4, the meaning of the word ultra-compact has been totally redefined. The whole camera is so puny, it manages to fit neatly inside an empty Altoids© tin can (similar in size to a Strepsils tin can), making for an inexpensive hard camera case if you fancy that idea. Though small on size, it is certainly not meager in features as you will find out in this review.
Before we move on to the various aspects of the camera, here are the Pentax Optio S4s detailed camera specifications:-
Pentax Optio S4 Technical Specifications
| General |
| Suggested Retail Price |
S$888 |
| Camera Format |
Ultra Compact |
| Dimensions |
83mm(W) x 52mm(H) x 20mm(D) |
| Weight (without battery and card) |
98g (113g with battery and memory card) |
| Remote Control |
Optional |
| Operating Systems |
Windows 98/ 98E/ ME/ 2000/ XP Home Edition/ Professional
MacOS 9.0 or higher |
| Tripod Mount |
Yes |
| Image Capture |
| Sensor Type |
CCD |
| Image Sensor Size |
1/2.5 inch |
| Photo Detectors |
4.23 million |
| Effective Pixels |
4.00 million |
| Sequential Shooting |
Yes |
| Number of Recording Pixels (Image Size) |
- Still Images:-
- 2304 x 1728
- 1600 x 1200
- 1024 x 768
- 640 x 480
- Video Clips:-
|
| Lens |
| Auto Focus Type |
7-point
Spot |
| Auto Focus Modes |
Autofocus
Macro
Super Macro
Infinity-landscape
Manual Focus
Focusing Area |
| Maximum Aperture |
F2.6 F4.8 |
| Focal Length |
5.8mm-17.4mm (Equivalent to 35mm 105mm in 35 mm
format) |
| Optical Zoom |
3x |
| Digital Zoom |
4x |
| Focusing Range |
Normal: 0.4m to infinity (full zoom range)
Macro: 0.18m - 0.5m (full zoom range)
Super Macro: 0.06m - 0.2m (middle zoom position only)
Landscape: Infinity (full zoom range) |
| Display |
| View finder |
Real-image zoom viewfinder |
| LCD Monitor |
1.6 inch TFT color LCD |
| LCD Pixels |
84 000 |
| Replay Modes |
Single-frame
9-frame index
Enlargement
Scroll
Slideshow
Movie playback
Histogram display
Image/ sound copying
Trimming
Resizing |
| Playback Zoom |
up to 4x |
| Exposure |
| ISO Settings |
Auto, Manual ( ISO 50, 100, 200) |
| Light Metering |
Multi-segment
Center-weighted
Spot |
| White Balance |
Auto
Preset (Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent)
Manual |
| Compensation |
-2 EV to +2EV in 1/3 increments |
| Shutter Speeds |
4s - 1/2000s |
| Shooting Modes |
Standard
Picture
Night-scene
Movie
Panorama Assist
3D
Digital Filter
User |
| Self Timer |
10 seconds |
| Noise Reduction |
Yes |
| Flash |
| Modes |
Auto
Flash Off
Flash On
Auto + Red-eye Reduction
Flash On + Red-eye Reduction |
| Range |
Wide Angle: 0.2 m- 3.5 m (at ISO200)
Telephoto: 0.1 m- 2.0 m (at ISO200) |
| Compensation |
No |
| External Connection |
No |
| Image Storage |
| Recording Media |
SD Memory Cards and Multimedia Cards |
| Recording Format |
Still Images: JPEG (EXIF 2.2), DCF, DPOF, PRINT Image Matching II
Movie: AVI, 15fps with audio (up to 1 min)
Sound: WAV |
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