5 comments about Pentax Optio W30 7.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom.

1. Bought this for my wife so she'd have a compact camera to take around. We were going on a trip around some beach areas and rivers, so I thought a waterproof model would be a good choice. Also I have a Pentax DSLR and it takes great pictures. However overall I wish we had gotten a compact Canon camera instead (I have an A-640, and it takes great pics underwater with the extra waterproof housing, which goes down to 100+ feet, unlike this Pentax which only goes to 10 feet!). This camera is "compact" but not super small, a little bulky still for a pocket. The biggest problem has been the focus and exposure... it always takes so long to focus, and often picks strange exposure settings. Also being used the the Canon, it's so difficult to get any kind of manual control (e.g. exp compensation) to override the auto settings on this camera. There are just a ton of little icons for every auto/scene mode you can imagine! Many shots come out too light or dark, or very grainy because the camera has picked a very high ISO. On the good side, we haven't had any problems with the camera leaking at all, it still works fine after a number of (not extensive) uses in and around fresh and salt water, as well as the occasional drop in the water glass as a party trick.
   
   Anyway, the short of it is if you have extra money and really need a camera for the beach or rafting or snorkeling then this might be a good option. But if you want something to use around water once in a while but mostly just to have a good compact point and shoot digital camera, then look elsewhere.



2. Works well for our work, which includes outdoor time lapse photography in a wet climate.



3. This is a great little camera. I bought one a couple years ago. I dragged this camera all over Europe and up and down the east coast and the pictures are always great. Never had to worry about dust or water with its great construction. I'm sure there could be a few bad ones out there but mine wasn't one of them. Just dont be lazy. Inspect the seal dont take them for granted. The battery life isn't bad. I could go days with our recharging the batteries and that is with taking 50+ pictures a day mixture of with and without flash. I would have no problem buying one again.



4. After owning a W10 and W20 I expected the quality to continue increasing. I was disappointed with the W30. I like my W20 the best. The focus on the W30 sucks, even after you hold the button 1/2 way it will decided to re-focus often which delays the shot tremendously.



5. We bought this camera as an upgrade to the pentax optio w10, which we loved and owned for 1 1/2. My husband went swimming with the w10 and forgot it was in his pocket so after 3 hours of swimming in depths of 10 feet or more he did ruin the camera. So we replaced it with the w30. I was so pleased with the upgrade. It was awesome. I loved the picture quality, sound, how many different settings you could put it in. It is an awesome camera. I never felt like I couldn't take it places. We took this camera in several pools and to Hawaii where we used it numerous times in the water. We also took it to water parks and even dropped it in the tub a couple times (not on purpose) but it worked great. I liked that i didn't have to worry. My daughter also put it through the wringer by dropping it off the table, pulling it out of our hands and throwing it, dunking it in the toilet. It worked great. We had it for a year and we would still have it but it was stolen. A very very sad day for us. I am no professional photographer and our pictures are just for our pleasure so for me the picture quality was great, even when printed. I am sure someone who uses DSLR and high quality camera equipment could find things wrong with it but it was perfect for what we were using it for. I ended up relacing it with a cheaper canon and couldn't be more disapointed. I used it for 4 months before tossing it and getting another w30.
   
   Pros:
   Take it anywhere
   Durable
   Compact
   Easy to use
   SD card
   Good video and picture quality
   Has a clock and alarm
   Lots of choices settings
   
   cons:
   delay time between pictures (a couple seconds but nothing to bad)
   makes a sound when you turn it on (some might not like that)

5 comments about Pentax K100D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only).

1. The Amazon price is steep for this camera that is two generations old, but if you can find on Ebay or somewhere else at a lower price, this is a great buy. I use it as a backup to my K10D. It is a simple dSLR to use, and the shake reduction is an awesome feature since few other entry level dSLRs have it. With the shake reduction built in, your investment in lenses is going to be less since it works with all K-mount lenses.



2. We have used the "Pentax K100D" for almost two years now and have been very pleased with the ease of use, quality of images, and great selection of accessories. One of the biggest selling points was the compatibility with my large collection of "K-Mount" lenses and macro photography equipment from my ME-Super 35mm days.
   
   The K100D is a fairly small DLSR and is great for people with smaller hands (like my wife).
   
   I really like that the anti-shake is built into the camera, allowing all of my old lenses to take advantage of the feature!
   
   The 18-55mm lens that was paired with the camera is very good quality and worth the extra money.
   
   Be advised, there is a newer Pentax camera out, the Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens that replaces this model and could be worth a look.
   
   Overall, recommended!



3. Well, I have had this camera for more than 2 years now and I can say it is GREAT, The bundle I got was a futureshop exclusive that consisted of 1 18-55mm lens (the same one thats included with all the other bundles) a 50-200mm lens, and two 2GB PNY SD cards for $850 (a sweet deal at the time)I was at the time upgrading from a 1.3 megapixel fujifilm point and shoot. When I first got the camera I was AMAZED at the quality of photos, the built in shake reduction worked wonders and the auto focus was pretty quick. The kit lenses are very good and I still use the 18-55mm for 'general' shots to this day.
   
   After I got those 2 lenses I couldn't stop there, I went on an auction site, pawn shops, camera shops, and on Amazon and got some sweet deals,
   
   My first purchase after I got the camera was a standalone flash unit, After 2 weeks of looking around I finally settled on a Vitar unit that works very well and got it for $50 (was the last one, and was being discontinued) After that I went to a used camera shop and picked up and older small Pentax brand camera bag, and a lens carrier for $5 (they were both in 'make me an offer' bins)
   
   Shortly after that I went to a pawn shop and seen another Pentax brand bag (was much larger, and with some new lenses on the way was just what I needed) I opened it up and it was an older film Pentax (was an auto focus model) and it has 2 Pentax lenses in there I instantly scooped it up for $55 (can remember the mm of them don't have the lenses here:D)Then on amazon I piked up a few more lenses (A Takumar, and a mirror type lens) Both were long range type and both suited my needs. I then went on a certain auction site and picked up 7-8 lenses there, they were all either Pentax or Asahai Pentax and included a fisheye,pancake and other various sizes, unfortunately all the sliver limited edition lenses constantly went above my price limit. Now with all those lenses I needed a camera backpack, I got one for cheap ($25) It was waterproof and had very thick padding, even tho it was cheap, to this day it has held up well with no rips.
   
   The Pentax K100D is a very rugged camera for the first year of its life it was used constantly I took it everywhere, And even now the LCD is scratch free and the camera body looks like I just bought it yesterday!
   
   Unfortunately, after I had used this camera for a year, I lost interest in amateur photography all together, It sat in its case for over a year before I finally decided to get into it again. And even tho now it seen as 'old' and 'outdated' It still takes suburb shots, I don't think however I'll be getting anymore lenses for it anytime soon. (I only use the original 2 lenses the camera came with, so far I just use the camera occasionally)
   
   Overall this camera is still the perfect choice for anyone wanting to upgrade to an SLR for the first time, Just beware that new lenses cost a lot of money, and you would be better off to get some second hand lenses first, to make sure you REALLY want to get into the hobby ;)



4. This camera has an awesome image stabilization feature, and I have been very impressed by most of the features; good color fidelity, great in low light etc. And it's cheap. However, recently the camera stopped recognizing the battery. Sent it to Pentax who can repair it (new circuit board) for $250, which in my view is not worth it. Things happen to technology, but I'm wondering if this is a weakness with the brand as I have never experienced such a glitch.



5. I bought it because of the price but had to return it.
   pros: price is cheap(paid $279)
   cons:
   battery life. most NH batteries won't power it.
   very hard to use manual lens

5 comments about Pentax K100D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens.

1. The Amazon price is steep for this camera that is two generations old, but if you can find on Ebay or somewhere else at a lower price, this is a great buy. I use it as a backup to my K10D. It is a simple dSLR to use, and the shake reduction is an awesome feature since few other entry level dSLRs have it. With the shake reduction built in, your investment in lenses is going to be less since it works with all K-mount lenses.



2. We have used the "Pentax K100D" for almost two years now and have been very pleased with the ease of use, quality of images, and great selection of accessories. One of the biggest selling points was the compatibility with my large collection of "K-Mount" lenses and macro photography equipment from my ME-Super 35mm days.
   
   The K100D is a fairly small DLSR and is great for people with smaller hands (like my wife).
   
   I really like that the anti-shake is built into the camera, allowing all of my old lenses to take advantage of the feature!
   
   The 18-55mm lens that was paired with the camera is very good quality and worth the extra money.
   
   Be advised, there is a newer Pentax camera out, the Pentax K200D 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens that replaces this model and could be worth a look.
   
   Overall, recommended!



3. Well, I have had this camera for more than 2 years now and I can say it is GREAT, The bundle I got was a futureshop exclusive that consisted of 1 18-55mm lens (the same one thats included with all the other bundles) a 50-200mm lens, and two 2GB PNY SD cards for $850 (a sweet deal at the time)I was at the time upgrading from a 1.3 megapixel fujifilm point and shoot. When I first got the camera I was AMAZED at the quality of photos, the built in shake reduction worked wonders and the auto focus was pretty quick. The kit lenses are very good and I still use the 18-55mm for 'general' shots to this day.
   
   After I got those 2 lenses I couldn't stop there, I went on an auction site, pawn shops, camera shops, and on Amazon and got some sweet deals,
   
   My first purchase after I got the camera was a standalone flash unit, After 2 weeks of looking around I finally settled on a Vitar unit that works very well and got it for $50 (was the last one, and was being discontinued) After that I went to a used camera shop and picked up and older small Pentax brand camera bag, and a lens carrier for $5 (they were both in 'make me an offer' bins)
   
   Shortly after that I went to a pawn shop and seen another Pentax brand bag (was much larger, and with some new lenses on the way was just what I needed) I opened it up and it was an older film Pentax (was an auto focus model) and it has 2 Pentax lenses in there I instantly scooped it up for $55 (can remember the mm of them don't have the lenses here:D)Then on amazon I piked up a few more lenses (A Takumar, and a mirror type lens) Both were long range type and both suited my needs. I then went on a certain auction site and picked up 7-8 lenses there, they were all either Pentax or Asahai Pentax and included a fisheye,pancake and other various sizes, unfortunately all the sliver limited edition lenses constantly went above my price limit. Now with all those lenses I needed a camera backpack, I got one for cheap ($25) It was waterproof and had very thick padding, even tho it was cheap, to this day it has held up well with no rips.
   
   The Pentax K100D is a very rugged camera for the first year of its life it was used constantly I took it everywhere, And even now the LCD is scratch free and the camera body looks like I just bought it yesterday!
   
   Unfortunately, after I had used this camera for a year, I lost interest in amateur photography all together, It sat in its case for over a year before I finally decided to get into it again. And even tho now it seen as 'old' and 'outdated' It still takes suburb shots, I don't think however I'll be getting anymore lenses for it anytime soon. (I only use the original 2 lenses the camera came with, so far I just use the camera occasionally)
   
   Overall this camera is still the perfect choice for anyone wanting to upgrade to an SLR for the first time, Just beware that new lenses cost a lot of money, and you would be better off to get some second hand lenses first, to make sure you REALLY want to get into the hobby ;)



4. This camera has an awesome image stabilization feature, and I have been very impressed by most of the features; good color fidelity, great in low light etc. And it's cheap. However, recently the camera stopped recognizing the battery. Sent it to Pentax who can repair it (new circuit board) for $250, which in my view is not worth it. Things happen to technology, but I'm wondering if this is a weakness with the brand as I have never experienced such a glitch.



5. I bought it because of the price but had to return it.
   pros: price is cheap(paid $279)
   cons:
   battery life. most NH batteries won't power it.
   very hard to use manual lens

5 comments about Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Ocean Blue).

1. I had this camera about 6 months and I still hate it. I mean it takes pictures and is better than a polaroid, but they should have tested this before they released it. I have to press the shoot button so hard I feel as though im gunna break it, and by then I already missed the shot. I end up with blurry pics. Once in awhile I will get a good shot. LIke 2 percent. The video, r u serious. The audio has this stupid clicking noise and all the audio is then a complete waste. I bought it to use for my website and I cant use any of the video. If you buy this camera you will be very dissapointed. The lens fogs up if I use it in the sun for longer than 10 minutes to top it off. Good luck!



2. I was quite impressed with the quality of the Pentax Optio W60. On the water, in the water or anywhere, it takes great pictures. Just went on vacation recently and everyone commented on the clarity and image quality.



3. 
   I bought the W60 early this summer when my W10 was damaged in an accident. I am extremely disappointed in the W60.
   
   The user interface is basically fine, but I find it hard to press the separate buttons (I always feel fat-fingered on it). The W10 in contrast was much easier to manipulate.
   
   The waterproof housing is noticeably improved over the W10.
   
   The battery has almost no lifespan. I get about 60 pictures (no flash) before I have to recharge it. Even more annoying, the battery doesn't sit terribly well in the recharger, so you have to be careful to ensure that it's actually recharging. I find it *exceedingly* annoying that you can't recharge this camera from the USB port -- you plug in the camera to download the pictures, and even if the camera is attached to a wall outlet, the battery fails. I am also disappointed that they changed the battery shape from the W10 -- I have perfectly good batteries from that camera, and had to buy new ones for this; not very environmentally friendly!
   
   The flash is weaker that it was in the W10; and it's now almost useless. I get about 1.5 meters (4 feet) of range before the light fails -- that's extremely close up.
   
   The focus is quite poor. Even when in "portrait" mode (when it tries to look for faces), the camera does not always focus on the face it found. About 1/3 of my photos are out-of-focus. (On the W10, I'd only have problems when the subject was moving.) My suspicion is not that the focus mechanism itself is poor, but the algorithm that decides on where to focus picks the wrong item.
   
   About 4 weeks after I purchased the camera, the power switch failed. (It took quite some googling to figure out what the problem was, as the manual only says to recharge the battery.) Since I was on vacation at the time, I was VERY happy that I had a second camera with me. I sent it back to the manufacturer for repair, and it was returned about 10 days later. They had corrected the power switch, focus, and zoom block. It still can't focus well.
   
   The quality of underwater photos is slightly improved over the W10, but given that you're moving in the water and the fish are moving, the focus problem is really serious.
   
   Overall, I'm very disappointed. Even more so because I loved the W10, and was really looking forward to the next generation.



4. I bought this camera a year ago and have taken in few outdoor trips. It's a handy waterproof camera. I noticed few water condensation in inner side of display screen when I used in sea water (1/2 feet deep beach area) for longer than 2 hours but it went away after a day and still working fine. Under water images or video are okay. But this camera is not for poor light conditions. Picture quality is not so great and takes some time to take picture on clicking. Small portable and waterproof camera for casual outdoor person. Battery life is average. However in good light condition this camera works fine, video is of good hd quality, and has different shooting modes.
   
   Pros: Durable, waterproof, good hd video in daylight, small and portable, different shooting modes.
   Cons: Not so good picture quality: average in good light and less than average in poor light.



5. I love this camera! I was looking for something to be able to take to the pool and the beach in the summer. I thought I would only use it for those purposes, but now I use it as my main camera. It works great and I don't have to worry about getting it wet or sandy. I find the Pentax Optio series the easiest menu to use and it has some great features.

5 comments about Pentax Optio E40 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom.

1. This camera is great, I have always used pentax so when I wanted to upgrade from my 2MP to 8MP, I started looking for the best over all deal. This camera has the "green" feature and makes it nice not to have to select 4 things before you shoot, and the results are awesome! The SD card has come down in price significantly so you can afford to have 2gig or 4 gig of space which is very nice when you have the large file sizes for the best Pics.
   The large screen is also excellent. Their are only two draw backs for this camera, like ALL cameras battery consumption will hurt you so invest in Re-chargables. The other is no view finder, not a big deal to me but if the Sun is behind you, you may have a hard time seeing what's on the screen. Overall, you can't beat the quality at this price.



2. This is a really nice little camera. It is pretty inexpensive, fits in your pocket/purse, is lightweight, and takes 2 AA batteries. It is really simple to use. With 8.1 megapixels, it takes nice photos. It comes with a small zip case to protect it while it is in your pocket. It will also take a 2G SD card (which I understand some cameras will not).



3. Well, please only buy cameras that you can check out in person first. I thought I was getting a deal, and this camera is a lemon. The reviews on this site made the camera sound decent enough, but now I feel I just blew eighty bucks. My main complaint is that it's really hard to get a decent looking picture with this camera. Most pictures I take end up looking kind of green. I'm really missing my old camera that I lost, I thought that just because this camera was 8mp it would be quality. Also the face recognition is not something you would recognize. Its one saving grace is that it takes decent movies.
   Oh ya, one really really annoying thing. My camera has a tendency to give a "depleted battery" message, as soon as I put NEW batteries in. It automatically shuts down. I'm not sure what's going on, I have to start the camera in a special play only mode to get it to work. Anyway, just don't buy cheap electronics without testing them out first.



4. I bought this for my grandson as a learning tool but it turned out better than his parents more expensive camera. Very easy to use and takes great pictures but you need to purchase a smart card to take more than four pictures because that's all the internal memory can store.



5. I purchased this for a 3-week trip to central america. I bought it because:
   
   *it uses AA batteries (so I could take 4 rechargeables and cycle through them continuously)
   
   *it uses SD cards which I already have. Note that it doesn't use SDHC cards, but this wasn't important to me. 2GB of capacity per card is plenty, and I took plenty of photos with room to spare on 2 2-GB cards, which i backed up onto an 8GB memory key several times.
   
   *it is very inexpensive ($80 at the time i bought it) and I wouldn't worry about putting it through some abuse.
   
   
   My only complaints:
   
   *LCD screen is a bit dim. This is only noticeable outdoors on a sunny day, but there were plenty of these in Mexico and Belize. My solution was to take multiple pictures and review later. (it was possible on all but the sunniest days to squint at the LCD screen and see the scene just enough to frame my photos)
   
   *no optical viewfinder.

5 comments about Pentax Optio SV 5MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom.

1. This little 5MP camera takes beautiful pictures, has advanced features and is reasonably priced.



2. This camera takes amazing pictures. It has a ton of functionality, which I have not figued out yet. It will take some time, but it will be worth it.



3. I purchased the camera for my girlfriend back in December 2004. I liked the idea that it had 5x zoom and assumed the shutter lag problems of the previous models would be resolved. The shutter lag remained a problem but worse was the battery life and the most disappointing is my experience with customer service. The camera would just die on us after just a few pictures and less than an hour after charging overnight this would cause the lens to stall in a half closed position allowing sand to enter the lens. We sent it for service who said there was sand in the lens but claimed they repaired the problem. When we received the camera back the problem persisted. I tried buying another battery but neither stayed charged and the lens continued to get stuck half closed. We sent it back to Pentax and this time they said sand was causing the problem again (it was never exposed to sand since its return from Pentax). Pentax wanted to charge a couple hundred $ to fix it and when we refused to pay for the repair they returned the camera in pieces. I once again called and complained and am yet to hear back from Pentax. I will never buy another Pentax camera again after being subjected to this customer service.



4. Bought it for my daughter - she's very happy!



5. Great camera at a really great price. Can't figure why Pentax stopped making it. It's one of, if not the only, really small pocket cameras with a 5X zoom and 5 mega pixels is plenty for the average photos.

5 comments about Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction and DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL II Lens.

1. The Pentax K20D takes excellent pictures and is very easy to use. I bought this model over less expensive Pentax DSLRs because it had LiveView. It would be nice to be able to focus while using LiveView, but this apparently is not technically possible. I do a lot of macro photography and even though LiveView is a great feature to have, I get by with just the viewfinder most of the time.
   I added an Eye-Fi wireless SD card which sends my pictures directly to my computer without the need to plug it in, so I haven't used the Pentax bundled software.
   I added a grip, extra battery, and remote control. It is great to have an extra battery, remote, and extra SD card stored in the grip. The grip makes it a bit heavy - very much like an film SLR.
   Overall it is an easy to use camera right out of the box. Oh, if you buy this camera from Amazon, it comes with the same accessories as if you bought it from the Pentax store (not gray market or repackaged). For some reason Amazon doesn't list what is in the box as Pentax does. It took several phone calls and then a roll of the dice to finally confirm that everything listed on the Pentax site was the same as what came in the box on Amazon's site. One thing to note though is that while it comes with an AC cord, it is not an AC adapter to power the camera. The AC cord it comes with is for the battery charger. If you want to power the directly from AC you must buy the AC adapter. Neither Pentax or Amazon are clear about this detail. The AC adapter is about $100 extra. Most people will not need it. Battery power is excellent, though a spare is nice to have. The battery charges fully in less than 3 hours and full charge is indicated by a light on the charger.



2. I came from Nikon, which does offer great products. I am now however, a full-fledged Pentax evangelist. I can't say enough about their products. I now own a K20D and two lenses: the DA* 16-50 f/2.8 and the DA* 50-135 f/2.8. The combination of these two lenses and the K20D offers some of the best semi-pro quality available for the money.
   
   There are 4 main features that made me buy this camera:
   
   1) Price. Hands down, it is in my opinion, the most value for your money.
   2) Weather proofing. 72 weather proofing seals on the camera body and coatings on their DA series lenses make this camera ideal for travel.
   3) Top-side LCD panel. This is a must-have feature for anyone serious about photography.
   4) Front AND Rear dials. This allows for quick modifications of various camera settings and are customizable for each exposure mode.
   
   Regarding image quality - the camera is somewhat important as we're now dealing with sensors instead of film, but the glass (lenses) are without a doubt the most important element of the equation. So - that said, you should seriously consider replacing the kit lens with a DA* or Limited series lens as soon as possible. The kit lens is very good (compared especially to competitor kit lenses). However, the DA* lenses are phenomenal.
   
   Regarding comfort - the camera is very comfortable to hold. I have trouble putting it down. It literally goes everywhere with me.
   
   Buy it. Don't hesitate. You won't regret it.



3. I will be returning this. The Shake Reduction doesn't work, in fact, it appears to make some pictures worse and definitely makes the camera run a little slower. I tested extensively including a Tamron 18-200mm set at 200mm, f6.7, 1/15s. In all my tests the pictures with the Shake Reduction on were either the same or worse than with the Shake Reduction set to off. This is very disappointing. This is the reason I bought this camera and not the D90 or the XSi. I wanted to use a 18-200mm with Shake Reduction (Nikon charges $800 for the lense alone in this scenario). I spent a long time on this expensive decision and I am very disappointed. I hope for other Pentax owners that this is an isolated example.



4. As a world traveler I wanted a weatherproof, dust resistant Primary DSLR for a reasonable price. This is a discontinued model which received rave reviews and cost 1/3 the price of cameras with similar features. The shake reduction works so well that I can take hand held pictures with a 300mm telephoto.



5. This camera is not the top of the line model in Pentax, but is is cheaper, (Approximately $400.00), and does an excellent job, and it does perform many of the same functions as the K7D.

5 comments about Pentax 17-70mm f/4 DA SMC AL IF SDM Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras.

1. I have owned this lens almost from the day it was introduced in the U.S. It has a lot going for it--excellent construction, quiet focusing and a very useful zoom range. Between 17-50mm focal length, it is about as good as you could ever hope a zoom lens could be. The trouble begins above 50mm, where the image is soft at infinity focus, even stopped down to f8. This is not to say that the lens in unusable between 50-70mm. It probably can hold its own against similar lenses, e.g. the Sigma 17-70, which many users like. But if you are a fanatic about IQ, as I am, you may not be fully satisfied.



2. I'm using this lens with my K200D. The lens is relatively compact, versatile, has high build quality, but performance is uneven. You never know if it will focus fast or hunt a lot, with no apparent reason. Focus at 70mm is not fantastic, as reported previoudsly. Some websites advise people to stick with the kit lens, perhaps a good idea considering the price.



3. This is the best walk around lens on the market . This lens has outstanding range and color. I also like the Sigma 17-70 but the pentax has better glass.



4. A good solid prosumer lens. The SDM focus motor is so silent, you wonder if it's working until you hear the little confirmation beep and see your subject in shar focus in the VF. A good all around lens. Somewhat heavy, but that's expected for the size of the glass and the sturdy construction. A good lens and sharp at all ranges in the center. A little soft at the edges at the longest 70mm end of the range. Good value for a solid piece of Pentax glass with SDM. Would like to give it a five-star, but that would not do justice to the DA 16-45 which beats it in overall IQ in my opinion.



5. It's big and heavy, but it takes great pictures on my Pentax K-7. The SDM focus is fast and quiet. The zoom operates silky smooth and there is no "zoom creep".

5 comments about Pentax Optio E60 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom.

1. great product with corel photoshop in the pockete. easy to use, images are so clear and beautiful.



2. FIRST I WILL TALK ABOUT MY FIRST PURCHASE-THE OLYMPUS FE-25 10MP CAMERA:
   
   I purchased this camera off e-bay factory-refurbished. I love the look of this Olympus camera-very sleek and sophisticated. But it was all show and not go. I was told by the company that this camera recorded sound in movie mode. I didn't see any speakers on this camera. Just know this beforehand. This one issue was not a deal breaker for me because I mainly bought the camera for taking pics. The main issue for me was looking at the LCD screen. The images looked slightly grainy/fuzzy for a 10mp camera. Also, I took this camera into the store and compared it to other 10mp cameras (Canon, Nikon, Kodak, Fujifilm, and other Olympus fes) and noticed a yellow/dull tint in the LCD screen in comparison. Imagine looking at the world with slightly colored amber glasses. That's what this LCD screen was like! But I am not electronics savvy, so I waited until I could print the shots to see the print quality. The pictures printed slighty fuzzy-not the quality I would expect from a 10mp camera. I contacted the warranty department and they questioned whether I had it at a high enough ISO or whether I had set it to the right mode. But high ISO settings didn't change this. The customer service was sluggish to switch the camera but offered to look at it and repair it if need be. But I decided on another camera. I thought that problems with this camera was because it was a refurb, until I read other reviews that a blurriness was a problem with this camera. A few people have reviewed the Fe-25 as taking good pictures. I don't know which is true, I just know what happened with my camera, but I will stress that it was a REFURB.
   
   NOW FOR THE PENTAX OPTIO E60:
   
   I ended up looking at the Pentax Optio E60. It is 10mp with a clear sharp LCD screen and when I uploaded pics onto my PC they were so clear compared to the Olympuse FE-25. My final choice was between this one and the Nikon L18. I even liked the look, feel, and performance of the Pentax. One plus about the Nikon was that the LCD screen (3 inch) is really large compared to the Pentax (2.4 inch) and I liked that feature, but I can see just fine with the Pentax and I can be confident that I will get a quality picture! The Olympus Fe-25 camera ate my batteries up after the first 50 pictures! The Pentax will last through about 150-200 pictures; and 3X that with two AA lithium batteries. Don't be fooled by the marketing or big names; because they may represent both great and also mediocre performers. I was not as familiar with the Pentax products or their history when I bought this camera; but if you are looking for quality pictures and features that are easy to use this is definately the way to go!



3. I have a Nikon D40, two Panasonic Lumix DCs, an HP DC, but the Pentax E60 DC performs the best overall. Ideal night scene mode for low light shootings, extra ISO helps a lot. I'll buy a Pentax DSLR next time.



4. Very good camera. Easy to use and sharp picture quality. Very good for the price.



5. I bought this camera for my son. He only got to use iy a couple of times before it stopped taking pictures. screen would be WHITE. You could view old pics but anu new pics would just be blank. He was very disappointed.

5 comments about Pentax K20D 14.6MP Digital SLR Camera with Shake Reduction (Body Only).

1. The Pentax K20D takes excellent pictures and is very easy to use. I bought this model over less expensive Pentax DSLRs because it had LiveView. It would be nice to be able to focus while using LiveView, but this apparently is not technically possible. I do a lot of macro photography and even though LiveView is a great feature to have, I get by with just the viewfinder most of the time.
   I added an Eye-Fi wireless SD card which sends my pictures directly to my computer without the need to plug it in, so I haven't used the Pentax bundled software.
   I added a grip, extra battery, and remote control. It is great to have an extra battery, remote, and extra SD card stored in the grip. The grip makes it a bit heavy - very much like an film SLR.
   Overall it is an easy to use camera right out of the box. Oh, if you buy this camera from Amazon, it comes with the same accessories as if you bought it from the Pentax store (not gray market or repackaged). For some reason Amazon doesn't list what is in the box as Pentax does. It took several phone calls and then a roll of the dice to finally confirm that everything listed on the Pentax site was the same as what came in the box on Amazon's site. One thing to note though is that while it comes with an AC cord, it is not an AC adapter to power the camera. The AC cord it comes with is for the battery charger. If you want to power the directly from AC you must buy the AC adapter. Neither Pentax or Amazon are clear about this detail. The AC adapter is about $100 extra. Most people will not need it. Battery power is excellent, though a spare is nice to have. The battery charges fully in less than 3 hours and full charge is indicated by a light on the charger.



2. I came from Nikon, which does offer great products. I am now however, a full-fledged Pentax evangelist. I can't say enough about their products. I now own a K20D and two lenses: the DA* 16-50 f/2.8 and the DA* 50-135 f/2.8. The combination of these two lenses and the K20D offers some of the best semi-pro quality available for the money.
   
   There are 4 main features that made me buy this camera:
   
   1) Price. Hands down, it is in my opinion, the most value for your money.
   2) Weather proofing. 72 weather proofing seals on the camera body and coatings on their DA series lenses make this camera ideal for travel.
   3) Top-side LCD panel. This is a must-have feature for anyone serious about photography.
   4) Front AND Rear dials. This allows for quick modifications of various camera settings and are customizable for each exposure mode.
   
   Regarding image quality - the camera is somewhat important as we're now dealing with sensors instead of film, but the glass (lenses) are without a doubt the most important element of the equation. So - that said, you should seriously consider replacing the kit lens with a DA* or Limited series lens as soon as possible. The kit lens is very good (compared especially to competitor kit lenses). However, the DA* lenses are phenomenal.
   
   Regarding comfort - the camera is very comfortable to hold. I have trouble putting it down. It literally goes everywhere with me.
   
   Buy it. Don't hesitate. You won't regret it.



3. I will be returning this. The Shake Reduction doesn't work, in fact, it appears to make some pictures worse and definitely makes the camera run a little slower. I tested extensively including a Tamron 18-200mm set at 200mm, f6.7, 1/15s. In all my tests the pictures with the Shake Reduction on were either the same or worse than with the Shake Reduction set to off. This is very disappointing. This is the reason I bought this camera and not the D90 or the XSi. I wanted to use a 18-200mm with Shake Reduction (Nikon charges $800 for the lense alone in this scenario). I spent a long time on this expensive decision and I am very disappointed. I hope for other Pentax owners that this is an isolated example.



4. As a world traveler I wanted a weatherproof, dust resistant Primary DSLR for a reasonable price. This is a discontinued model which received rave reviews and cost 1/3 the price of cameras with similar features. The shake reduction works so well that I can take hand held pictures with a 300mm telephoto.



5. This camera is not the top of the line model in Pentax, but is is cheaper, (Approximately $400.00), and does an excellent job, and it does perform many of the same functions as the K7D.