...has always recommended Pentax. The Pentax Optio immediately got my attention. It is tiny, about the size of a box of paracetamol in all dimensions.
It has an aluminium body and is very classy to look at. I have been told that the case can be scratched very easily. I have had mine now for a month and I am not the most careful of people around and there is not a scratch in sight.
By pressing the on/off button on the right hand side at the top of ... ...to off and the lens recedes back into the body. This helps to protect the lens and keeps the size of the camera to a minimum when you carry it round
The lens has a 35 -105 mm range. The zoom which is both optical and digital is controlled by a button on the back of the camera letting you go from wide-angle to telephoto amazingly quickly. Optical zoom is the best because it keeps all the quality in the picture. When you use the digital zoom which ...
hakken_krakk 10.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Superb design, great quality Disadvantages: telescopic barrel broke twice!!
Well Im not realy into the technical side of cameras, all I know is the more mega pixels the better! the s4 packs a more than adiquate 4 mega pixels
I have owned an s4 for around 10 months now and it must be the most idiot proof camera available just point and shoot, with its factory settings achieving quality snaps every time. There are plenty of adjustments to make if your that way inclined but Ive found you have to know what your doing or else ... ...3d photos that you look at with the supplied gogles! A time laps function so you can speed up 1 hour of sunrise into seconds. Plus the usual video, dictaphone extras you would expect from a quality camera.
I must say I was disapointed with the shutter time delay which admitadly you do find on all digital cameras, but its frustrating when your finger captures a great shot only to find the shutter lagging half a second behind! SLR's win on that front ...
B-atch 23.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Its size! Disadvantages: Barrel distortion at widest zoom setting and some noise from the small sensor.
The S4 is my first digital still camera, and I am pleased with what I have got. It all depends on what you compare it with and what you expect. You have to realise that to get all those features in such a tiny case, some sacrifices have to be made.
Compared with 35mm, 4mp is very low (Velvia50 is the equivalent of at least 40Mp). Also, because the sensor is far smaller than the 35mm frame, the depth of field, even at full aperture (sp?) will be ... ...a problem, but blurred backgrounds in portraits may have to be done in the editing stage.
Compared to larger compacts, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you do not have full control over the picture taking. That said, you can set the flash mode, AE pattern, focusing (manual/auto/specific point), and a few picture modes (e.g. portrait, landscape...) Also, the smaller sensor will create more noise in all but the brightest conditions with ...
iMacfan 15.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
There's an MC Escher drawing of a small house with a staircase on the roof that on closer inspection never ends. You get a similar feeling of endless depth when looking at the functions of Pentax's Optio S4 digital camera.
Despite being comparable in size to a pack of cards, it crams in a 3x optical zoom, a massive 1.6in TFT screen, and it takes four-megapixel images.
The S4 might be deeper than Casio's Elilim EX S2 (i reviewed earlier), but the ... ...it's multiple shooting modules and options that make the S4 a really great camera.
There are over 20 different profiles for creatively shooting a range of images, from black and white to long exposure shots. You can also tweak a range of settings, such as white balance.
Despite the large 1.6in TFT screen, the Optio S4's battery life is excellent, so you dont need to worry about taking your time to frame images when taking pictures. There's more ...
mbikerdav 12.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Compact/ High quality pictures Disadvantages: Short battery-life/ no memory card included
This camera is a small (3.3 x 2 x 0.8 inches), robust and reliable camera and has some of the best picture quality I've seen in any 4 MegaPixels digital camera. This camera has 3x optical zoom which for its size is very impressive though the very edges of pictures can blur with full zoom. If you especially want a camera with good quality zoom pictures then this camera is not for you.
The camera features a menu screen which will take some getting ... ...is very credible and it is very advanced technically. This camera also includes a simple cam-corder function.
However, with all these hi-tech features there has to be a couple of downfalls, and there are! Unfortunately the battery is drained very (very) quickly and so you will almost always need to carry a spare. You will also need to buy a memory card and case as these do not come included with the camera.
Overall this camera is a pretty stylish ...
JGreenwood1 14.06.2004 (15.06.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Verry Small But Gives High Qulity Pictures 3x zoom Disadvantages: Slight barraling When taking pictures without zoom
Before to Buying this camera, I had tried other cameras in the ultra-compact category. None of which came close to the quality and sharpness of the S4. It is packed full of feachers. including the video mode is not bad to for e-mailable video greetings and the time laps mode is very good
The battery life is quite good even with flash
a problem with this camara is that the power button and shooting button are too close together and the wrong way ... ...camara for its size and wate and the unique lens design gives very good qulity picturs and a flush fitting lense on a camara 2cm wide.
Before to Buying this camera, I had tried other cameras in the ultra-compact category. None of which came close to the quality and sharpness of the S4. It is packed full of feachers. including the video mode is not bad to for e-mailable video greetings and the time laps mode is very good
The battery life is quite ...
jacob_a 20.10.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Pocket-sized, lightweight, stylish, easy to use Disadvantages: Short battery charge
I received my Optio S4 yesterday, having upgraded from a 3 year old Kodak 1.3 megapixels. I fell in love immediately. This camera really does deliver everything it promises. The lightweight, very small case means you really can just pop it in your pocket and take it anywhere. It certainly has the "WOW" factor, with it's impressive design. Most importantly, it delivers very high quality, crisp, clear pictures.
It takes no time at all to learn to ... ...absoultely packed with features, for example colour filters (which I have already found great fun on sunset shots), panoramic pictures, and a very useful voice recorder. Video recordings are of a very acceptable quality too.
I would say the one downside with the S4, is the short battery life after charging. It takes about 1 3/4 hours to charge, but does empty after about 60/70 shots. It would definitley be an advantage to have a backup if you are ...
johannauk 18.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: picture quality, size, optical zoom Disadvantages: battery life
...no sound
3 - the pentax has optical zoom, takes sd and records video with sound. Combine this with the fact it was the smallest of the three it won. I am very happy with my decision. I would list the features but that would take forever. It gets colour just about spot on which is rare for a digital camera, is very easy to use, comes with good software and from a good brand.
There are some bad points.... firstly the battery life can be quite restricting... ... ...for a noght but a weekend... so buy a spare. Secondly, the overall build quality is very good but the battery flap and connection covers feel cheap.
Apart from the above i cant find fault. There are plenty of options for the enthusiast who wants to manipulate the picture but it can also be used to point and shoot. Everyone who has seen it cant believe the size of the thing compared to the quality it produces which can be put on a4 with no real problems.
...
MrFunkE 31.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Size, weight, ease of use Disadvantages: Button positioning, battery life, flimsy battery cover
...purchased a casio exilim EX-Z40 and this is similar in size to my pentax and takes equally good shots. I originally chose the pentax because it was £30 cheaper but the casio has since dropped in price. I would recommend the casio if it proves cheaper than the pentax S4i. ...
Jess6 26.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: Size Disadvantages: After sales service
...I am still waiting for Pentax (and Pixmania) to repair and return my camera. Two months of waiting and chasing and I have missed photos of a trip to Australia, NZ and Christmas. I have no idea whether my camera will be returned in the next two months either as I have been unable to get any commitments from Pixmania or Pentax as to when it will be returned! The Optio S4 is a small and stylish camera, although the picture quality is nothing amazing ...
Kiwidan 03.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Advantages: price Disadvantages: not wide enough lens angle
Picked one of these up in Australia and 50% less than price quoted here - i know that's no consolation or help unless you are off to Oz shortly.
Easy to use, good quality, and a good camera for those looking to take holiday snaps. Not receommended for anything more than that - you need to spend more money for something multi functional.
Lots of button and features. The 15 second movie is fun but how practical overall?
Buy rechargeable batterieS!
... ...this properly but i feel that is unneccessary. If you want to buy a camera you need to look and feel and see the thing reading only takes you 50% of the way. A camera is apersonal item and one person's idea is anothers nightmare.
The camera is thus far reliable but i think you need to own it a year to really roadteast it. Sorry i feel 120 words in this instance is unneccessary. Those of you who disagree sorry, but it you want a proper camera review ...
jillsa 18.05.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Pentax Optio S4
Fully mirrored screen protection: Reflective and hard coated!Acts as a mirror and a ... more
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