1. 4.0 MegaPixel CCD
2. Ultra lightweight aluminum alloy body weighs only 3.5 oz
3. Movie mode records 60 seconds of footage as an AVI file with sound
4. LCD monitor bright enough for use in direct sunlight
5. 11MB internal memory

Customer Review :

Great camera - but serious picture delays

As an owner of an older model, I had been very pleased with the camera, particularly its small size (and perfect fit in a mint tin). However, with the S4 I was very disappointed with the shot to shot time. Especially for flash pictures, the picture button must be held down for a full 4 to 5 seconds to take a picture. Reviewing pictures is also slow - there is a 3 to 4 second pause between each picture when reviewing them on the camera. After using it for a year and being very pleased with all other features of the camera, this drawback alone has gotten annoying enough to want to get a different brand. According to the Optio, the delay is a result of slower processing speed within the camera. So if I was buying again, I would go with a different model of Optio with a better processing time, or check out a different brand.

Rating :

Small form factor, decent pictures

I bought this camera because I was looking to replace my small, point-and-shoot film camera.

The Optio has been a great replacement, giving decent image quality in a very small form factor.

The interface is solid and relatively easy to use. My only complaint is that the power button and the shutter release seem to be switched around -- the power button is often pressed by people that have never used the camera when they mean to take a picture.

Overall, I am very happy with this camera.

Rating :

The Smallest Line of Real Digital Cameras

I had the very first Optio S, and I could not find many things about it to improve upon, except for the battery door hinge, less barrel distortion, and more megapixels. Well, the next generation Optio's have 4, 5, and 6 megapixels, so take your pick. The biggest selling point for me has always been the size. These cameras fill niches that a bigger camera frequently cannot. It is ideally suited for street photography, travel, candids, and snapshots.

The Optio S line is tiny and inconspicuous. Your subjects won't often realize that you have a camera in hand. The Optio S4 fits inside an Altoids tin just like the first model, and it should always be that way. I would like for them to make an even smaller camera. An average-sized hand can conceal it quite nicely. I love the picture quality, even though there is barrel distortion and vignetting, but the kind of photography that I pursue often benefits from it. If I want to do architecturals and mural-sized landscapes, my medium-format camera or 4x5 view camera is what I use. Like I said, the Optio S fills a certain photographic niche, just as a large-format technical camera would for architectural photography. And like all cameras, this one won't make you a better photographer; that takes STUDY and PRACTICE.

If there was any other camera that came before the Optio S; that comes closest to it in terms of character, rendering style and other intangibles, I would say it was the Pentax K-1000. If you know anything about the K-1000's cult-like following, you would know what I mean. It's like the K-1000 was reborn as the Optio S. The Optio S is the digital K-1000.


Rating :

2 years experience now

So I figure I might as well give my thoughts on it. I don't have much to compare it too, but I really appreciate this camera, and I continue to feel, looking back, that this was a great buy.

Firstly, I used to play with the white balance, and could never get it right, but my wife discovered the easy mode on the camera, and ever since, I've had only great color. I have no complaints at all about color, resolution, etc. I find the quality much better than film cameras, and that's all I needed.

At first, the battery life was great, but after about a year and a half, it started to go. By now, I get like 60 pictures on a battery.

The one thing that annoys me is the occasional lag between when I press the button and when the camera snaps the picture. I think this is normal of digital cameras, but I can't help being annoyed by it. Fortunately, it's not too bad, and doesn't happen all the time.

Of course, size is great. I got a leather case for it, and stick it in my pocket.

The camera seems to work like new. I had no problems with it at all, which is of course nice.

All in all, very happy with it.

Bruce

Rating :

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this camera

I've had this little gem for a year now and use it daily. The size of the camera and the quality of the pictures makes it the best investment I've ever made in a camera. I have tried other larger, more technical digitals in the past few months, thinking I would like to upgrade my little Optio, but always come back to my faithful little friend. It goes everywhere I go, weddings, outdoor shots, even my son's rollerblade competitions and I've never been disappointed. It's so easy to use, I've had no problem with the battery life as long as I keep my eye on the LCD and it shows me when it's getting low on energy. It doesn't take that long to recharge...just a matter of my knowing when.
The only thing I wish it had was more optical zoom.


Rating :

More reviews...

1. Combined high-resolution digital still camera and full-capacity digital video camera
2. 3.2-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 10-by-14-inch enlargements
3. Records VGA quality MPEG-4 video at 30 frames-per-second
4. 10x optical zoom lens; 10 picture modes; supports USB 2.0
5. Ergonomic swiveling grip handle; articulated 1.8-inch LCD monitor; compact design

Editorial Review :

Two great cameras in one! Can't decide between a high-quality digital still camera and a full-motion video camera? The decision is made simple with the OptioMX, which combines both formats into one remarkable camera. This innovative digital still/movie camera features 3,2-megapixel resolution and a powerful 10X optical zoom lens to capture whichever format you choose to shoot in clear and vivid details.

Customer Review :

Great camera /camcorder

Small, easy to operate, and fairly inexpensive if you look in the right places. The Pentax Optio MX is a good buy. However, be aware that the software that comes bundled with it will NOT work if you have installed Windows Media Player 10. It only works with Windows Media Player 9.0 or earlier. Camera controls are intuitive and easy to access but holding the camera steady is a bit tricky. The included 16 MB SD card is a joke but you can buy a 256 MB for about $20 and that will do the job. Although the manual advises that you buy a "fast" card, a regular card works great even while recording at best resolutions. Autofocus noise is a bit of a nuisance if you are taping in a relatively quiet setting (just turn the volume down). Overall, a great alternative to bulky low resolution camera/camcorders for $235 bucks!


Rating :

Fantastic!

I finally bought this camera after about a year researching it. I was looking for a camera that could take both good video and pictures. I was surprised (disappointed) to find that there were not many cameras out there that would do this. I thought it was absurd to think I was going to have to buy a camcorder and a digital camera to get everything I wanted when it seemed to me they could easily combine the two. Finally, after a lot of looking I found the Optio Mx. The consumer reviews were great but the professional reviews were mediocre, so I sat on a fence about it for a while until the price was right ($159) and then, a year later, it was finally in my greedy little hands.

The first thing that struck me was how small it was. This is a small but solid little device. It reeks of quality. Initially I was very impressed and my enthusiasm only grew as I started using it. The video is awesome, even in low light. It takes great looking pictures but I had to make some manual adjustments to get it just right. There are so many options and settings on this camera I had to read the manual a few times just to get an idea of all the things it will do.

I'll keep this long story short. This is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Pentax has produced a truly great product here. I would suggest getting a 1 gig memory card so you won't ever run out of memory. And be patient, read the manual thoroughly, and definitely buy this camera!

Rating :

Excelent Purchase!

This is my third Digital Cam I have bought, and I can tell you that for a non-profesional photographer perpective is amazing!!... I have a lot of problems with my other cams taking pictures at night, but with this cam you can be in complete dark and take a very quality pictures.

Another advantage is the recargable battery and the easy way you can handle the cam.

Rating :

Ninehundred what!!??

This is an excellent product, I bought mine when it was the newest model and even then it was only $250 at Costco, anyone who pays $900 for it , needs to get their head checked now!

Rating :

Fantastic Digital Camera

I have used many different digital cameras over the past six years..Olympus..Fuji..Vivitar & Nikon..The Pentax Optio MX is a fun and unique little digital camera..for either the novice or advanced digital photographer. The camera is actually quite small and easily fits into a pocketbook or fanny pack..a little heavy for a shirt pocket..The Four Way Controller is quite small compared to other digital cameras I have used and I could see where this might be a problem for anyone with larger hands or fingers..All of the other controls and menus are fairly easy to use once you read the manual and figure out how the camera operates..The camera has both auto and manual settings which is nice for the more advanced digital photograper. I took quite a few flower photos and was quite pleased as to the quality especially in the macro and super macro modes. The videos are also quite good..for a digital camera..I was quite pleased with the video I took of my dog and kitty..not quite the quality as a DV camcorder but good enough for viewing on tv and recording to a VHS tape or DVD..I read many reviews on this digital camera before I made my purchase..Most of the reviews from the experts were overall not to favorable..however in reading the reviews here most of the folks that had purchased this camera seemed to give the camera a fairly good rating so I decided to go ahead with my purchase..I would definitely recommend this camera to anyone who wants both a quality digital camera and camcorder all packed into one neat little camera..plus you also have the 10X zoom!!

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