Pentax Optio 330 3 Megapixels and Smaller

Pentax Optio 330 3 Megapixels and Smaller 

DESCRIPTION

  • 3.34 megapixel CCD
  • Max resolution: 2048 x 1536
  • Lens: 7.6-22.8mm f/2.6-4.8 (35mm equivalent 37-111mm)
  • Exposure: Standard, Night Scene, Metered Manual, Movie, multiple exposure
  • Storage media: CompactFlash Type I

  • USER REVIEWS

    Showing 1-10 of 11  
    [Jan 13, 2003]
    Steve
    Intermediate

    Strength:

    Small size, rugged frame, software, ease of use, 30 second videos

    Weakness:

    no sound with video

    This is a great camera. I do as much outdoors as I can and until now I spent a lot of money on fun saver cameras and never knew if I got the shot until I was home from my trip and the film was developed. This camera is smaller then a fun saver with far, far great abilities. It has already paid for itself by saving film and time. It is the best money I have spent on a camera.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    [Oct 21, 2001]
    Michael Fanelli
    Expert

    Strength:

    Size, image quality, active histogram, ergonomic controls.

    Weakness:

    Lousy macro. Flash overwhelming.

    The Optio is very small. It''''s slightly bigger than the Canon S100 Elph and smaller than the Canon S300 Elph. But these two Canons are only 2 MP rather than the Optio''''s 3MP. It is a true pocket camera, you almost forget it''''s there. It also looks really nice with it''''s stainless steel body and beveled edges. Ergonomically, the controls are excellent. This is almost a trademark of Pentax design for all of their cameras. What I really like is the instant no-button adjustment of exposure compensation. The operation of the various modes is simple, the manual is really not needed. The Optio review on DPReview.com swears that there is a constant 1/3 under exposure. I have found this to be incorrect. I find myself adjusting the compensation up and down from "normal" equally. Exposure latitude of digital is close to slides; you have to think about exposure rather than just setting everything to default. What is really nice is the histogram function, something that can be displayed BEFORE the shot is taken. This allows you to adjust the image before rather than after the fact. This is a fantastic option that every digital camera should have. The macro function is not very good. Getting clear macro shots is almost impossible, it just doesn''''t focus well at small distances. The flash is, just like my Canon G1, overwhelming. Macros are useless with the flash on, portraits are loaded with glare. Unlike the G1, the Optio has no way to cut back the output of the flash. My G1 is permanently set to -2 stops, the Optio could do with a -1 stop setting. On the other hand, the tiny flash lights up a good sized room. The viewfinder is very good and includes diopter adjustment. It also has excellent coverage. The zoom is convenient and very smooth. You can get the exact framing without the normal back-and-forth of many power zooms. Shots can be taken consecutively very fast, much faster than my G1. Image quality is good. There is no raw mode but the best JPG setting is OK. The images from the G1 are better but that could be a result of the G1''''s complete control over settings. The sharpening on the Optio should be set to low as the other settings tend to be very heavy-handed. The PS unsharp mask does a much better job. In any case, the Optio does produce better images than the 2MP Canon Elphs. All in all, this is an excellent take-everywhere pocke

    Customer Service

    Pentax service has always been slow but excellent and reasonably priced.

    Similar Products Used:

    Canon G1, S100 Digital Elph.

    OVERALL
    RATING
    4
    VALUE
    RATING
    4
    Showing 1-10 of 11  

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