Product Description

The tiny, pocket-sized, 12 megapixel Optio S12 features face recognition and dynamic range adjustment that's ideal for portraits. For easy composition and review of images, the S12 offers a generous 2.5 inch LCD monitor with an anti-reflective coating and bright mode. Digital shake reduction automatically selects a higher ISO, up to 3200, for blur-free images.

Product Details

• Color: Black
• Brand: Pentax
• Model: 17041
• Released on: 2008-03-31
• Dimensions: .90" h x 2.20" w x 3.60" l, .33 pounds
• Memory: 21MB
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 12-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-sized prints
• 3x optical zoom; Digital Shake Reduction
• 2.5-inch LCD screen; Face Recognition function
• New Dynamic Range Adjustment function
• Capture images to SD cards (not included); 21.1MB of built-in memory

Manufacturer Description

The Pentax Optio S12 is the smallest, most stylish 12-megapixel camera in its class. An ideal choice for the experienced digital camera user looking for an extremely compact camera with advanced features, the Pentax Optio S12 delivers Face Recognition, Dynamic Range Adjustment, and plenty more.

Ultra-compact, stylish design With a stylish, compact body, the Pentax Optio S12 is one of the smallest and lightest models with approximately 12.0 effective megapixels.

12-megapixel resolution With 12.0 megapixels, the camera offers high image quality and higher performance through the 1/1.7-inch CCD that features a wide light receiving area and superior tone reproduction. The high-performance image engine with excellent color reproduction and Pentax lens adds to the image quality.

3x optical zoom The Optio S12 features a 3x optical zoom lens with a focal range covering angles of view equivalent to those of a 37.5-112.5mm lens in 35 mm format, which is ideal for a broad spectrum of subjects from landscapes to portraits.

Bright, easy-to-view LCD monitor The high-intensity LCD monitor features an LCD booster function to increase the brightness of the screen. The LCD cover is coated with an Anti-Reflection coating that reduces glare. With a screen size of 2.5 inches and a high resolution of 232,000 dots, it is also easy to confirm the picture composition and the focus. Also, as the screen has a wide viewing angle of approximately 170 degrees in the horizontal and vertical directions, images may be viewed easily even from the side.

Face Recognition Function The Optio S12 is equipped with a Face Recognition Auto Focus and Auto Exposure function that automatically recognizes up to 15 faces, adjusts focus and sets the optimum settings. A new Face Selector function also enables users to select one person’s face from among multiple recognized faces.
_{*The face recognition technology Face Tracker developed by FotoNation is used for the Optio S12’s Face Recognition AF and AE.}

New Dynamic Range Adjustment Function The Optio S12 is newly equipped with the Dynamic Range Adjustment function that suppresses the generation of white-outs and black-outs by correcting the tones for the highlighted areas and shadowed areas of subjects with significant differences in contrast. Through a link with the Face Recognition function, this feature helps highlight subject even in backlit settings while background tones are automatically retained. In addition, it is possible to change settings in accordance with the photography conditions.

Digital Shake Reduction Digital Shake Reduction mode reduces camera shake and blurring of the subject when photographing still images. The sensitivity is adjusted automatically, to as high as ISO 3200, to match the brightness of the subjects. This enables photography with fast shutter speeds, and images with less blur.

Movie Recording Function The Optio S12 smoothly captures movies at 30fps (frames per second) at sizes up to 640x480 pixels with image quality rivaling camcorders. Since it employs the DivX(MPEG-4) movies format,* the Optio S12 can record long, high-quality movies.
_{* The Optio S12 is DivX certified. Movie playback is not supported on Macintosh operating systems}

Additional Features

• Auto Picture mode automatically determines the best setting for the shooting conditions
• mode palette provide quick access to 18 shooting modes and 15 playback modes
• An "Intelligent zoom" function which enables images to be magnified even larger and stored, while maintaining the image quality of optical zoom
• A Green button enables users to assign functions that are frequently used, and recall then in just one touch
• Date imprint function for easier image categorizing
• Approximately 21.0MB of built-in memory
• FotoNation’s red-eye compensation function for flash shots
• Includes the ACDSee for Pentax 3.0 viewer/image management software that supports Windows Vista
• Support PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and Print Image Matching III

Customer Reviews

Little beauty
First off: I am hardly a professional photographer,but I have been taking pictures for 45 years. So my review will not be full of technical stuff.
I gave up film cameras quite a while ago.My first digicam was a whopping 1.3mps,which I thought was astounding.I gradually progressed up to the point where I have this little gem,all 12MP's of it. I am using it as a replacement for a small,but hard-working Nikon P&S.Not a replacement,more of an addition...but I didn't want to carry a really expensive camera on my motorcycle,or when I take the menagerie to the dog park,so I use the Nikon for those things,and this Pentax for everything else.
It takes wonderful photos.It's very intuitive,and if you have ever used a typical P&S camera,you will catch up to this one in a few shoots.It takes good shots in any kind of outdoor lighting,and indoors as well.The clarity of each shot is great.Close-ups of my animals are especially good.I can see every whisker and the evil glistening in their eyes as they plot yet another way to create havoc in my house.I took one of my parrot,who hates cameras,and the "pinning" of his eyes was caught in all its maniacal glory.
I am going to use this tiny thing for a long time.It is extremely tiny,but that makes it more useable.Pocket-size is great for a P&S.I haven't noticed any unusual color problems.
All in all,it's a great camera,and I am quite happy with my purchase.

13Feb09 Update: The camera is still working beautifully.And,now I have purchased my very first d-SLR,a Pentax,of course.Together,these two cameras will cover just about any situation I might find myself in,photo-ready.Pentax optics are still astounding.I am old-school film camera,and had Pentax cameras in different formats.I am so glad to see that people are still appreciating the work Pentax puts into their cameras and lenses.

excellent product
I would like to say that this is the best camera that I have ever had. Excellent quality of the pictures, simple menu, too many options, small size and so on. I had a Sony Cybershot and I was extremly disappointed from them. So bad camera, bad quality of the pictures,problem with the batteries and so on... Highly recommend Pentax brand and especially this camera!!!

Fantastic
I bought this camera for my wife's birthday present (Dec. 15). She is "electronicly challenged", but it is so easy for her to use. The pictures are so clear. I am sure there are better cameras out there, but I don't think you'll beat this one for the price. I am more than pleased, I am ecstatic. You would have to know my wife to appreciate this review!