Viewfinder
Like most compacts, the E30 has no optical viewfinder. It relies instead on the LCD's live view.
LCD Screen
The Optio E30 has a 2.4-inch, 110,000-pixel LCD. Most cameras have higher pixel count than that, and we guess that Pentax choose this component to keep its costs down. The field of view is narrow and we found the contrast low, which might be a firmware issue. The display is remarkably sharp, though. It seemed good enough to check image sharpness critically. We were less confident of its color performance, but again, the conditions in the vibrant and exciting Las Vegas Convention Center limited our ability to make a definitive judgment.
Flash
The Optio E30's flash is tiny and slot-shaped. We did not have the opportunity to test it. Pentax says it's good to 14.4 feet at wide angle and 9 feet at telephoto, with the camera set to auto. It's close to the lens, so it's likely to produce redeye. Because it's off-center from the lens, it will cast shadows sideways, which can lead to unattractive results. The small size is a problem, too: Small light sources make very harsh shadows, a phenomenon that can accentuate skin blemishes.
The E30's flash can be set to always on, automatic (the E30 decides when to flash), off, on with a redeye reduction preflash and auto with redeye reduction.
Zoom Lens
The Pentax 6-18mm zoom lens is comparable to a 38-108mm lens on a 35mm camera. It runs from a very mild wide angle to a mild telephoto. Its maximum aperture runs from f/2.7 to 4.8. It's a typical lens for an entry-level camera. We expect that some users will be limited by the dark maximum aperture at the telephoto setting, but more-capable lenses aren't available on cameras as inexpensive as this one.
