Digital Camera News

Pentax unveils Optio VS20, unique dual-shutter compact

Pentax has unveiled their creative new Optio VS20 digital camera, a 20x travel zoom distinguished by its dual shutter releases and zoom levers designed to make portrait shooting more comfortable. This is the first new camera the company has announced since its acquisition by Ricoh last October.

We got a chance to handle the VS20 in a closed-doors meeting earlier this year, and the compact body is surprisingly comfortable in both vertical and horizontal orientations. Features like dual shutter are unheard of outside the DSLR category, but it works for this model. The lens barrel doesn’t get in the way, as we would’ve expected, and the grippy body is well-suited to quickly swapping hand positions.

Aside from this defining characteristic, the VS20 will feature a 16.0 megapixel CCD sensor with mechanical shake reduction, the aforementioned 20x optical zoom lens, a 3.0-inch wide viewing angle LCD, a scene selecting auto mode, and a selection of new scene modes including Sketch and Fish-eye.

The Pentax Optio VS20 will be available this February for $249.95, in either black or white.

(DENVER, CO) January 25, 2012…PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION announced the Optio VS20 digital compact camera today. This versatile model features a high-power 20X optical zoom lens (28-560mm equivalent) and a second vertical shutter-release button with zoom lever for effortless portrait oriented shooting. A vertical shutter release and zoom lever give the Optio VS20 a unique feature typically found on DSLR cameras, which lends itself to added stability at long optical zooms, as well as comfortable grip for such images as portraits, high rise buildings and architecture, monuments, trees, sports action, and panorama frames. The Optio VS20 even includes a vertical tripod socket for outstanding stabilized vertical support. A new Handheld Night Snap mode also is introduced to capture beautiful images with minimal blur and noise even in low light settings.

The Optio VS20 body is built in a compact digital form factor, and offers several other advanced functions and user-friendly features including:
• A 16.0 megapixel CCD sensor with mechanical sensor shift Shake Reduction for stabilized, blur-free images even in low lighting
• A large 3.0 inch, wide view (approx. 170 degrees) LCD for easy image capture and review
• Auto Picture mode that automatically chooses the best camera settings
• Triple Shake Reduction (SR) for sharp, blur-free images and video
• Other new scene modes including Fish-eye, Sketch modes and a Stretch filter for more creative options

The PENTAX Optio VS20 will be available in noble black and brilliant white on www.pentaxwebstore.com for $249.95 in February 2012.

PENTAX is a leader in the production of a variety of adventure ready digital cameras including weather-resistant digital SLRs and stylish, compact, waterproof cameras, as well as lenses, flash units, binoculars, scopes, and eyepieces. For more than 90 years, PENTAX has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of adventurous consumers and businesses. With new headquarters in Denver, Colorado, PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION is a subsidiary of PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. effective October 1, 2011. Additional details may be found here: www.pentaximaging.com/news