... Now I like photography but I’m no David Bailey so I wasn’t ready for a SLR camera but I did want a flexible camera for a wide range of shots, enter the Pentax Espio 200.
The Espio 200 is a 35mm camera with electronic zoom lens from 48mm to 200mm.
The camera itself is silver and black, ... Read review
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A review by ian.grist on Pentax Espio 200 Compact Camera November 11th, 2002
Author's product rating:
Picture Quality
Excellent
Range & Quality of Features
Diverse
Ease of Use
Easy
Overall Look & Design
Good
Value for Money
Good
Advantages:
Powerful zoom, ease of use, plenty of functions
Disadvantages:
Bulky, sometimes the auto focus is out .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
The time had come, my compact camera had packed up on me and so it was time for a new one. Now I like photography but I’m no David Bailey so I wasn’t ready for a SLR camera but I did want a flexible camera for a wide range of shots, enter the Pentax Espio 200.
The Espio 200 is a 35mm camera with electronic zoom lens from 48mm to 200mm. The camera itself is silver and black, has a flash that retracts when the camera is off and comes with strap, case and battery (CR-123A) as standard as well as the statutory 1 year warranty. Dimensions are 127.5mm (W) x 74.5mm (H) x 78mm (D) and weighs 11.3 oz without film and battery. It has a screw fitting on the base for the use of a tripod.
The film Auto loads when you close the camera door and winds on when photos are taken and rewinds when the film is finished. To take a photo you depress the button half way and a green hexagon appears at the bottom of the viewfinder, if it is solid the camera is focused if it blinks you need to release the button and try again, there is no override for the auto focus so it is a case of persisting until it locks on to the subject. A red lamp may also appear which indicates the flash will discharge, again it will blink if it is still charging, the flash also features red eye reduction.
Shooting range is as follows: 48mm - 0.8m to infinity 200mm - 1.2m to infinity To operate the zoom there is a lever near the shutter button which when pulled to the right the lens zooms in and zooms out when pulled to the left.
The camera has several modes which are selected by turning a dial which is positioned on the top left side of the camera body, these are:
Off – Lens and flash retracted and shutter locked.
Auto – All functions automatic except zoom.
Daylight sync – flash will always discharge, ideal for backlit situations.
Slow shutter speed (Flash off) – For use where flash photography is prohibited, the shutter remains open for up to 2 seconds, I recommend a tripod for this.
Slow speed sync (Flash on) - To photograph subjects in a balanced way by using the flash to expose the foreground object and slow shutter speed to expose a low light background.
Bulb mode – for shooting night scenes.
Bulb sync mode – As bulb mode but with flash to allow a portrait photo with a night background.
Other features include:
Self Timer - The camera also has a 10 second self timer and allows an optional remote control to be used for when you want to be in the picture.
Infinity Landscape - The auto focus can be overridden in any mode by selecting infinity landscape shooting, this allows you to take a sharp picture of a distant subject or photograph a subject through a window.
Multi Exposure – When selected the film will not advance after a photo is taken allowing another picture to be taken over the first, after the second shot the multi exposure mode terminates allowing you to resume normal photography. Ghostly photos can be achieved when the camera is static on a tripod and doesn’t move between shots but the person in frame switches position.
Panoramic View – Allows a nice wide view, ideal for landscapes.
The battery life is dependant upon flash use but will last around 300 photos with 50% flash use.
I brought the camera mainly for the zoom which is excellent and although I rarely use any mode other than auto I have tried all modes and the results are superb.
This camera produces the best quality photos of any compact I have used and I do not regret buying it at all. I paid £200 for my camera but they have since reduced and you can pick one up for around £160 now.
Advantages: 200 mm zoom, good design and looks Disadvantages: Pictures can on occasions lack sharpness, can be difficult to use
I have owned Pentax zoom camera's for a number of years. I bought the Pentax 200 as a replacement for my previous camera which had been stolen on a holiday in the Alps.
My previous Pentax Espio had had a 150mm zoom and I found for taking close up's of mountains and panorama's this wasn't sufficient so I was drawn to the 200mm zoom of this model. ----Style----
I was attracted to this model partially by its undeniably good styling... at least it ... ...cameras of this price the Pentax 200 Zoom has a normal flash (apart from the fact that the flash pops out from the side of the camera when the camera is initially turned on) band a red eye reduction flash along with DX coding, automatic exposure, automatic film transport and self timer.
The features that made this camera stand out from the rest were almost similar to those on some SLR's. On the top of the Camera on the left of a small auto illuminated ...
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Advantages: lovely long zoom; accurate focus and lighting Disadvantages: no wide angle; quite bulky
200 mm zoom lens in a compact? “I want it… NOW!” was my immediate reaction. But does this combination really work? Or have the physical limitations of a compact camera been stretched a bit too far this time? Well, it works surprisingly well – the passive autofocus does an excellent job, and the light meter gets it spot on nearly every time, even at 200mm. The zoom gives you lots of flexibility. Of course, one drawback is that if you try using the ... ...flash or a tripod, but I’ve had very few photos not come out because of this. It’s also not small enough to fit in your pocket, but it is surprisingly light. The only other drawback is that the lens starts at 48 mm, which sometimes is not wide enough. For me, the pros outweigh the cons. If you want a compact you can take serious pictures with, and get candid portraits of those friends who think they aren’t photogenic without them even knowing you’ve ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: tight compositions at long distances Disadvantages: easy blur at 200mm;dim viewfinder;fat & ugly
...Point & Shoot cameras.Got this Pentax 200 for a lowly $31(someone gave it up to go digital?). This camera proves to me that people are jumping the digital gun. The image quality of this Pentax gives punchy, sharp 8X10 inch prints & beats 5mp digitals. For people who love image quality I can stop there. But some people need more convincing. Many digitals have only 3 power zooms going to equivalent 110mm & no other film P&S goes past 170mm. The 200mm ... ...much sharpness & pleasure.
The Pentax 200 viewfinder is darker than most other P&S digital or film cameras. Picture taking at dawn, dusk or quickly can be difficult. Also, I feel the auto focus mechanism isn't as sure as other cameras. It has Landscape & Spot Exposure-Focus modes which help the auto focus unsurity tho. Like most P&S cameras, it has auto film feed, advance, rewind, exposure, flash & red-eye settings. Unlike most P&S's the Pentax ...
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