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The Pentax Optio SVi is a 5.0 megapixel digital camera with a 5x Optical Zoom and 1.8 inch LCD screen. It looks like being a European release initially - based on the Optio SV released elsewhere.
Trusted Reviews has a review of the Pentax Optio SVi and writes - 'An excellent photographer’s camera at a very reasonable price – the SVi has a lot of creative versatility and the image quality to back it up. Superb build quality, nice handling and an attractive design make it an outstanding all-round camera, especially for the more ambitious photographer or newcomer who wants a camera that will let them learn. Very slow start-up, sluggish performance and slow autofocus system are handicaps however.'
Penatx Optio SVi Press Release
The PENTAX OptioSVi — a Compact Digital Camera with the Power of 5.0 Effective Megapixels, the Versatility of 5X Optical zoom and an Exciting New Design
PENTAX introduces the new OptioSVi — a compact, lightweight digital camera designed specially for the utmost in portability. With 5X optical zoom capability, it gives you the freedom to compose as you like. And with a new design featuring an improved grip, it delivers comfortable handling that adds to shooting confidence.
Major features
1. New design with an enhanced grip
The body of the OptioSVi is crafted from a high-quality aluminum alloy with a fine spindle-pattern surface that is pleasant to the touch and catches the light in an attractive manner. And on the right hand side of the front, the OptioSVi features a transparent resin element that contributes to holding comfort and further complements the overall design.
2. Versatile shooting, from telephoto to macro composition
Equipped with an smc PENTAX lens with a high optical zoom ratio of 5X and a focal length of 5.8-29mm (covering angles of view equivalent to those of a 36-180mm lens in 35mm format), the OptioSVi enables the user to zoom in for portraits or zoom out to capture beautiful landscapes. Such zooming power can also be combined with 4X digital zoom to achieve a total of 20X zoom capability, while Super Macro mode allows shooting from as close as 3cm from the subject.
3. Excellent image quality
A 1/2.5-inch, primary color CCD with a total of 5.36 megapixels ensures high-quality imaging, while the renowned smc PENTAX lens achieves excellent compensation for aberrations and delivers clear, high-contrast images with minimized ghost and flare. Imaging quality also extends beyond such advantages too, with a higher performance ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that
succeeds in achieving more natural gradations and more faithful color compensation.
4. Compact, lightweight body
Despite incorporating an impressive 5X optical zoom lens, the OptioSVi boasts compact dimensions of just 91.5mm (W) x 56mm (H) x 28mm (D) — an achievement made possible thanks to the unique PENTAX Sliding Lens System, which offsets the central lens groups from the optical axis and divides the lens elements into two groups for storage. Not only does this advance lead to reduced
lens barrel length, but it also brings about a reduction in body depth too. Furthermore, such design success is also complemented by PENTAX expertise in the strategic, space-efficient mounting of parts for reduced weight and size overall.
5. Simple shooting mode selection
The OptioSVi offers the ample range of Program, Picture, Night Scene, Movie, Voice Recording, USER and M (manual selection of Aperture-priority AE and Shutter-priority AE settings) shooting modes — all of which can be selected with just a turn of the mode dial. Once in Picture mode, all the user has to do is select the icon that best matches the scene at hand from a choice of 12 on the Mode
Palette on the LCD monitor, then point and shoot for pleasing results.
6. Function settings tailored to individual user tastes
A handy shortcut function lets users gain swift access to settings such as recording image size, white balance, sensitivity and other frequently used functions, while the M (Manual) position on the mode dial can be altered to activate Tv (Shutter-priority AE) or Av (Aperture-priority AE) shooting according to user preferences. All of these settings, can be accessed through use of the Fn (Function)
button and the four-way controller, and such customization capability contributes to a more comfortable, personalized and enjoyable shooting experience.
7. Battery stand charges batteries still in the camera and a set of spares too — wherever you are in the world
Not only is the battery stand capable of recharging batteries without them having to be removed from the camera, but it can also house a spare set too that begin charging automatically as soon as the ones in the camera are full. This handy charger is also compatible with currents ranging from 100V to 240V (50/60Hz) too, which makes it ideal to take when traveling around the world for use with the appropriate adapters.
8. Other features
1) Movie shooting with sound, voice recording function
2) AV cable connects the OptioSVi to a TV
3) Choice of 5 kinds of auto bracketing
4) Simple Menu allows the user to hide a portion of the menu display as desired
5) SD memory card compatibility
6) USB 2.0 (High-speed) compatibility
7) Actual-image optical viewfinder
8) World time function (covers 68 cities worldwide)
9) Standard image viewer, ACDSee for PENTAX software
10) PictBridge direct print compatibility
11) DPOF function, Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching compatibility
Posted by Darren in our Pentax category on May 12, 2005