Product Description

A compact digital camera with a powerful 5X zoom, the Optio M50 sports a stylish design, shake reduction, face recognition, simplicity, and great image results for still and movie modes. You are assured high-resolution images with its 8.0 megapixel CCD and review your images easily with a 2.5-inch wide view LCD. This all-around Optio also offers Smile Capture and Face Recognition to capture perfect portraits. The M50 is just a great everyday camera for home, touring, or just anytime. Panorama mode automatically stitches a series of three images into one wide scene 2.5? TFT color LCD TTL contrast detection autofocus; Autofocus - 9 point autofocus, multi/spot/auto-tracking autofocus available; Manual focus; Macro focus Built-in series-control auto ElectronicFlash; Flash modes - Auto, flash on, flash off, redeye; Effective range - 14' (wide, auto ISO), 9.2' (tele, auto ISO) Internal memory - 51.1 MB; Removable memory - SD, SDHC USB 2.0 hi-speed, AV out; Video out - NTSC, PAL; Printer interfaces - PictBridge File formats - Still - JPG (EXIF 2.2), DCF 2.0 (design rule for camera file system), DPOF, Print Image Matching III; Movie - AVI (Motion JPG), 30/15 FPS w/sound, color/sepia/B&W, Movie SR; Sound - WAV (PCM), monaural Unit Dimensions (W x H x D) - 3.7 x 2.2 x 0.9?; Weight (without battery or removable memory) - 4.1 oz; Loaded and ready - 4.6 oz Includes USB Cable I-USB7 (39551), AV Cable I-AVC7 (39552), Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI78 (TBA), Battery Charge Cradle D-BC78(A), AC Plug Cord (39477), Strap O-ST51 (39328), Software S-SW77

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27752 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Light Blue
• Brand: Pentax
• Model: 17156
• Released on: 2008-04-14
• Dimensions: .90" h x 2.20" w x 3.70" l, .29 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16x 22-inch prints
• 5x optical zoom; Digital Shake Reduction
• 2.5-inch LCD monitor with wide viewing angle
• Face Recognition AF and AE
• Capture images to SD cards (not included); 51.1MB of built-in memory

Manufacturer Description

The Pentax Optio M50, with a 5x optical zoom housed in an ultra compact body with fun color options, is the ideal combination of style, function and price. It also features a unique Smile Capture function, which distinguishes smiles on a subject and automatically releases the shutter.

High-quality images With a high resolution of 8.0 effective megapixels and a high-performance Pentax lens, the Optio M50 offers clear images.

5x optical zoom lens The Pentax Optio M50 is equipped with a 5x optical zoom lens (angle of view equivalent to 36 to 180 mm lens in 35 mm format). A perfect zoom for portraits, landscapes, and other settings, the camera also features a digital zoom function (approx. 1x to 5.1x) for a maximum zoom equivalent to 25.5x.

Generous 2.5-inch LCD monitor with wide viewing angle The Optio M50 features a large, 2.5-inch IPS LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots resolution for easy viewing of the screen during photography, playback and for easier camera operating and setting. With a wide viewing angle of approximately 170 degrees from all directions, the monitor also makes it easy to confirm images even from the side or when viewing images in a group.

Face Recognition AF and AE Featuring Face Recognition Auto Focus and Auto Exposure, the M50 can automatically detect and focus on up to 15 faces and set the optimum exposure. In addition, a Smile Capture function distinguishes smiles on a subject and automatically releases the shutter.

Evolved Auto Picture Unique to Pentax cameras, the Auto Picture mode allows the camera to automatically determine the shooting conditions and program settings for Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Normal, Flower and Sports mode.

Digital Shake Reduction Digital Shake Reduction mode reduces camera shake and blur by adjusting sensitivity automatically to as high as ISO 6400 to match the brightness of the subjects. This feature allows photography at faster shutter speeds with less blur.

Additional Features

• Movie recording function with shake reduction enabling high image quality rivaling camcorders
• mode palette provides quick access to 16 shooting conditions and 15 playback modes
• Panorama mode for stitching three photographs into 1 panoramic picture
• Auto-Macro allows for close-up photography as near as 5 inches (10cm) without changing the normal focusing mode
• Auto-tracking AF continuously focuses on a moving subject
• Date imprint function for easy image categorizing
• Approximately 51.1MB of built-in memory
• FotoNation’s red-eye compensation function for flash shots
• Includes the ACDSee for Pentax 3.0 image viewer/image management software that supports Windows Vista
• Support PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and Print Image Matching III

Customer Reviews

A Nice Little Camera for Family and Vacation Photos
I bought the Pentax Optio M50 as a gift. I chose this model for the following reasons:

* It is small and compact enough to always have with you
* It is very stylish (especially for a young girl). We got it in Pink to go with her pink iPod.
* I wanted a camera with a minimum of 8MP which is plenty for home use (I have advanced digital SLRs with 8MP and they take pro-quality images)
* The zoom ratio (5x) was much better than those found on other cameras in it's class (usually 3x)
* I like the feature that automatically detects and exposes for faces (although the "Auto-Smile" feature seems to be a hit-or-miss feature so I don't suggest using it)
* It is a good value for the price

A couple of things to be aware of though:

* There is no optical viewer, you must use the rear screen to compose the image
* The "shake reduction" feature is not true electronic image stabilization, which you can find or higher-end cameras. Instead it raises the sensitivity of the light sensing chip in low light which allows the use of a higher shutter speed at the same time giving you less detail in the resulting photo. Nice feature, but not as nice as IS which reduces or compensates for actual camera shake electronically.

Over all this is a great buy. Just a few years ago a camera like this would have cost at least twice as much. Considering it's features this is a very good value and Pentax is a name that you can trust.

Light weight and beautiful pictures
It's a powerful camera even when you get it light weight at first impression.
I recommend it, take beautiful pictures. Great quality.
The smile capture feature is great, so fun!
The zoom is a little to sensitive, it goes fast to the max value and you often have to zoom out to get the point you are looking for. But great if you want to go to the max zoom in fast.
I'm very pleased with my camera.

Great little camera.
It's small and very light so you can take it anywhere. Icons that are fun and easy to use. Takes great pictures. I love the soft flash mode, the warm skin tone mode and the rechargeable battery. The only thing is that I got it in pink, great color, but my little granddaughter thinks it's her toy!