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Pentax Optio S4 4 to 5 Megapixel

4/5 (5 Reviews)

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  • Image Sensor TypeCCD
    Resolution4.23 Megapixel
    Optical Zoom3x
    Camera TypeUltra-Compact
    Interchangeable LensNot Interchangeable Lenses
    35mm Zoom Lens35 - 105 mm
    Digital Zoom4x
    Focus TypeAutofocus & Manual Focus
    Focus Range15.72 in. to Infinity (w)
    Macro Focus Range7.1 - 19.68 in. (w) / 2.4 - 7.9 in. (t)
    Focal Length5.8 - 17.4 mm
    Camera Resolution4.23 Megapixel
    Image Resolutions640 x 480 • 2304 x 1728 • 1600 x 1200 • 1024 x 768
    Video Resolutions320 x 240 (QVGA)
    Video Speed15 fps
    Max Movie Length60 Seconds
    Video FormatAVI
    Aperture Rangef4.8 (w) - f2.6/f4.8 (w/t)
    Shutter Speed4 - 1/2000 sec
    White BalanceAuto • Manual
    Memory TypeBuilt-in • MMC Card • SD Card
    Built-in Memory Size11 MB
    Compression ModesFine • SuperFine • Normal
    Compression TypeJPEG
    File Size (High Res.)3.67 MB (35 images on 128MB card)
    File Size (Low Res.)0.12 MB (about 1,067 images on 128MB card)
    ISO SpeedsAuto • 50 • 100 • 200
    Flash TypeBuilt-In
    Flash FunctionsFlash Off • Auto Flash • Red-eye Reduction Flash
    ViewfinderOptical (Through-the-lens)
    LCD PanelWith LCD Panel
    LCD Panel Size1.6 in.
    LCD Screen Resolution84,000 pixels
    LCD Protected PositionWithout LCD Protected Position
    Interface TypeUSB
    Video InterfaceVideo Out
    Battery TypeProprietary Lithium
    Self Timer10 Sec.
    Mp3 Built In
    Built-in MicrophoneWith Built-in Microphone
    Built-in SpeakerWith Built-in Speaker
    Tripod MountWith Tripod Mount
    Operating SystemApple Mac OS 8 • Apple Mac OS 9 • Apple Mac OS X • Microsoft Windows 2000 • Microsoft Windows 98 • Microsoft Windows 98SE • Microsoft Windows ME • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
    Width3.3 in.
    Depth0.8 in.
    Height2 in.
    Weight0.22 lb.
    Warranty1 Year
    Exterior ColorSilver
    Included AccessoriesSoftware • USB Cable • Video Cable • Lithium Battery • Battery Charger
    Product ID21169986

Product Description

Sporting the tiny dimensions and light weight of its predecessor, the Optio S4 has a 4.23 effective megapixel resolution, a 3X zoom lens and a variety of features.
  • Aluminum body
  • Sensor: 4.23 megapixel CCD
  • Max resolution: 2304 x 1728 pixels
  • Lens: f/2.6-4.8 5.8-17.4mm 7-point AF (35mm equiv: 5-105mm) w. 4x digital zoom
  • Exposure: Auto, w. Picture modes, exposure compensation, and selectable spot meter
  • Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 50, 100, 200
  • File format: JPEG
  • Movie mode
  • White balance: TTL Auto, Pre-set, Custom
  • Storage media: Secure Digital and Multimedia cards
  • USB interface


    • Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

    Reviews 1 - 5 (5 Reviews Total)

    User Reviews

    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by awkwards a Intermediate

    Date Reviewed: April 24, 2004

    Strengths:    * TINY size fits in any pocket, even top shirt pocket
    * Solid construction with possible exception of battery door
    * Vast array of features, shooting modes, and controls.
    * Excellent outdoor shots.
    * Stunning macro mode.

    Weaknesses:    * Some softening in corners of the images.
    * This camera is challenged by mid-light situations and complex subjects for focus (i.e., trees from 10 ft away).
    * Teeny 4-way control can be tricky if you're in a hurry
    * The lens cover gets stuck half-way from time to time--I think it may be vulnerable to dust or even a very tiny impact

    Bottom Line:   
    Great performance and features in an ultra-compact design.

    I highly recommend this camera for those who have a larger, higher-end camera and want a pocket camera that can be taken anywhere. This is also a good camera for families who want a single, easy-to-use camera with plenty of features and good photo quality.

    I write that photo quality is "good," but it is not on par with cameras featuring larger, higher-quality lenses. It stacks up quite favorably against samples I've looked at from similar cameras.

    Overall, this camera's tiny size, great features, good photo quality, and low price make it an outstanding value.

    I also recommend:
    * At least one spare battery (Pentax part number D-L18)
    * The Pentax-manufactured leather case (part number PTX-L40; although it fits great, an Altoids tin tends to wear on the corners of the camera!)

    Expand full review >>

    Price Paid:    $300.00

    Purchased At:   walmart.com

    Similar Products Used:   Canon Powershot SD100, Penax Optio S40, Minolta Dimage F100


    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by hl1lxp a Intermediate

    Date Reviewed: February 2, 2004

    Strengths:    - Smallest size and lightest weight
    - Fairly nice & useful video mode

    Weaknesses:    - Noisy especially at ISO200
    - Hard to find half-shutter point
    - Weak(looks!) battery & memory cap

    Bottom Line:   
    Ultra compact size & weight makes it a great camera for everyday carry-around. With useful video, voice recording, and even alarm clock features, I bet this cutie is great for business travel.
    Yeap, this is noisy in low light and produces just so-so images, but think of your primary purpose when you try this kind of camera. Isn't that portability?

    Expand full review >>

    Price Paid:    $335.00

    Purchased At:   Seoul, Korea

    Similar Products Used:   - Panasonic LC20
    - Fuji S2 Pro & lots of film cameras


    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by Pete a Casual

    Date Reviewed: December 1, 2003

    Strengths:    - Size & weight
    - Battery Meter on display
    - Excellent "frame to frame" review of photo
    - Fast start up and shut down time
    - Good menu... fairly easy to make adjustments as you are shooting
    - LCD screen: clear, btight... seems pretty close to what the pic will look like when printed
    - Build quality

    Weaknesses:    - Prone to red eye (common for small P&S cameras where the flash is so close to the lens)
    - Dark corners, especially bottom right and left
    - Image softness... corners and edges
    - Not so good in low light... too dark
    - LCD panel seems to do a lot of "wavering"
    - Auto exposure in high contrast (sun & shadows)... bright areas over exosed; shadows under exposed

    Bottom Line:   
    Overall a great camera if size is the most important attribute you are looking for. Picture quality is the trade off: I compared this to a Canon S400... took a few dozen pics with each at the same time... printed on Noristu 400... The Canon won in a side-by-side comparison in all except 1 set: better color, edge sharpness, overall exposure. The Optio build quality is high... controls seem to be good for such a small package. You can really put this in your pocket and forget it's there.

    Expand full review >>

    Price Paid:    $365.00

    Purchased At:   B&H Photo

    Similar Products Used:   Canon Digital S100 & S400
    Canon Elan 7
    Nikon P&S


    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:5
    Submitted by Josh Levine a Casual

    Date Reviewed: November 27, 2003

    Strengths:    compact. tons of features and shooting modes.

    great price for 4-megapixel.

    Weaknesses:    less-than-perfect shots at night, alternate modes are a chore to figure out unless you want to spend several hours with the manual.

    Bottom Line:   
    great camera. i bought it for my wedding and honeymoon because i wanted something small that i could take everywhere with me. it's so handy that i carried it the whole time and took tons of photos.

    the photo quality at night wasn't the best, and wasn't as good as my old yashica with the zeiss lens, but it was good enough.

    Expand full review >>

    Price Paid:    $349.00

    Purchased At:   ibuydigital

    Similar Products Used:   toshiba, tons of 35mm cameras.


    Overall Rating:4
    Value Rating:4
    Submitted by phdezra a Intermediate from New York

    Date Reviewed: November 24, 2003

    Strengths:    - Small and lightweight
    - Inexpensive 4 MP camera
    - Easy to use
    - Decent quality images

    Weaknesses:    - Compact lens not as 'sharp' as prosume digicams
    - Lacks advance controls
    - Buttons a bit too small

    Bottom Line:   
    This camera is as small as all the ads say it is. Easily fits in my jacket pocket or pants pocket. I have been carrying it around for a few days now, and it weighs as much as my tiny Nokia cell phone (or less!).

    Overall, the images are excellent and can easily be printed up to 8x10. There is a very small learning curve, as the user modes are all selectable on the LCD (versus a wheel-knob on other cameras that are larger).

    Expand full review >>

    Price Paid:    $349.00

    Purchased At:   BuyDig.com

    Similar Products Used:   Minolta Dimage X



    Reviews 1 - 5 (5 Reviews Total)

    Review Options:  Sorted by Latest Review | Sort by Best Rating

    Write a Review >>

    • Image Sensor TypeCCD
      Resolution4.23 Megapixel
      Optical Zoom3x
      Camera TypeUltra-Compact
      Interchangeable LensNot Interchangeable Lenses
      35mm Zoom Lens35 - 105 mm
      Digital Zoom4x
      Focus TypeAutofocus & Manual Focus
      Focus Range15.72 in. to Infinity (w)
      Macro Focus Range7.1 - 19.68 in. (w) / 2.4 - 7.9 in. (t)
      Focal Length5.8 - 17.4 mm
      Camera Resolution4.23 Megapixel
      Image Resolutions640 x 480 • 2304 x 1728 • 1600 x 1200 • 1024 x 768
      Video Resolutions320 x 240 (QVGA)
      Video Speed15 fps
      Max Movie Length60 Seconds
      Video FormatAVI
      Aperture Rangef4.8 (w) - f2.6/f4.8 (w/t)
      Shutter Speed4 - 1/2000 sec
      White BalanceAuto • Manual
      Memory TypeBuilt-in • MMC Card • SD Card
      Built-in Memory Size11 MB
      Compression ModesFine • SuperFine • Normal
      Compression TypeJPEG
      File Size (High Res.)3.67 MB (35 images on 128MB card)
      File Size (Low Res.)0.12 MB (about 1,067 images on 128MB card)
      ISO SpeedsAuto • 50 • 100 • 200
      Flash TypeBuilt-In
      Flash FunctionsFlash Off • Auto Flash • Red-eye Reduction Flash
      ViewfinderOptical (Through-the-lens)
      LCD PanelWith LCD Panel
      LCD Panel Size1.6 in.
      LCD Screen Resolution84,000 pixels
      LCD Protected PositionWithout LCD Protected Position
      Interface TypeUSB
      Video InterfaceVideo Out
      Battery TypeProprietary Lithium
      Self Timer10 Sec.
      Mp3 Built In
      Built-in MicrophoneWith Built-in Microphone
      Built-in SpeakerWith Built-in Speaker
      Tripod MountWith Tripod Mount
      Operating SystemApple Mac OS 8 • Apple Mac OS 9 • Apple Mac OS X • Microsoft Windows 2000 • Microsoft Windows 98 • Microsoft Windows 98SE • Microsoft Windows ME • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition • Microsoft Windows XP Professional
      Width3.3 in.
      Depth0.8 in.
      Height2 in.
      Weight0.22 lb.
      Warranty1 Year
      Exterior ColorSilver
      Included AccessoriesSoftware • USB Cable • Video Cable • Lithium Battery • Battery Charger
      Product ID21169986
      Release Date6/2/2004


     

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