Pentax Optio S40 Review | NeoCamera.com

Pentax Optio S40

Basic Specs

4 Megapixels

ISO 100-400

3X Optical Zoom

Shutter 1/2000s-4s

1.6" LCD 118K Pixels

Custom white balance

320x240 15FPS Movie mode

Optical tunnel viewfinder

Voice recording mode

Secure Digital

Previous Street Price: $189 USD, $280 CDN

Pentax Optio S40
Overall Score: Average

Assessment

The Pentax Optio S40 combines above average features with below average photo-quality. The picture quality is good enough for small prints and sharing on the web so if that is your target medium the positive points will outweigh the negatives.

The main advantages of the S40 over other ultra-compact cameras are its features and the usage of AA batteries. Those looking for an ultra-compact to take into the wilderness won't have many models to pick from. What lets this camera down however is that its pictures are noisier than others and that it frequently has trouble focusing under household lighting. For a secondary camera to share pictures electronically or for small prints (4x6), its seems good enough. We recommend to look for something better if this will be your only digital camera.

Hands On

This is a really fun camera. It is an ultra-compact which is full of features like a live-histogram, panorama assist mode, custom white-balance, manual focus, voice-record mode, digital effects and more. Short of manual shutter and aperture, most features are there. For an ultra-compact camera this is very rare. Also rare is an ultra-compact that takes "AA" batteries, so that you can shoot all day long without spending money on a proprietary battery.

The Pentax Optio S40 is very easy to use. Numerous functions can be accessed without going into the well-designed menu system. The four-way controller can be used to change flash mode, drive mode, focus mode and picture mode. Each direction on the four-way controller can also be assigned a custom function which is invoked by pressing the Func button before using the arrow button. For greater clarity, the menu system can be zoomed-in!

On the downside, the 1.6" LCD panel is clearly below average in size. This leaves more room for control buttons, but is less comfortable than a larger LCD. Note that even at 1.6", the LCD does not skimp on resolution (some bigger LCDs have much less pixels). Another downside encountered during extended use of the S40 is its lower-than-average speed. Most notably, the flash takes several seconds to recharge and the camera cannot be used during that time (this problem is not unique but an annoyance nethertheless). Shutter lag is good , as is startup time, but lfocusing speed is not.