Pentax Optio W30

Manual Control Options
Like most point-and-shoots, the Pentax W30 offers basic manual controls. Users can adjust the flash, white balance, and ISO. The focus can also be controlled digitally. As expected, users can’t manually control aperture or shutter speed.

Focus
Auto Focus (6.75)
Users can easily access the number of auto focus modes with a dedicated button on the four-way controller. The camera possesses four TTL auto focus modes: Standard, Macro, Infinity, and Pan Focus. The W30 has a 9-point automatic focusing system, with a standard focal range of 1.31 feet – infinity. If users want to zoom in closer, the camera has a Macro mode capable of focusing 0.03 – 1.97 feet from the subject. Infinity focus is geared for distance objects, like landscapes. The Pan Focus mode keeps both the foreground and background in focus, ideal for shooting scenery through a window or when a user asks a stranger to take a picture for them, according to Pentax.

In practice, we found the camera locked focus well in brightly lit conditions, though it struggled in low light due to its lack of an autofocus assist lamp.

Manual Focus (5.5)
As expected, the W30 doesn’t have a focal ring like those found on SLRs. However, users can manually focus their photos using the four-way controller and reset focus with a sliding scale that indicates distance (from infinity to 0.1m). The W30 manually focus from 0.03 feet – infinity in wide shooting or 1.64 ft. – infinity in standard range. The manual focus will most likely be ignored by most point-and-shooters, as they will tend to use the automatic focusing for quick snapshots, but it’s a nice option to include on the camera for low contrast shots or other situations that may fool the camera's auto focus.

Exposure (6.5)
The Pentax W30 has a standard EV range of +/- 2 in 1/3 steps. This is pretty much standard among point-and-shoot cameras and in-line with most of the W30's direct competition. Users can access the W30's EV compensation through the main Menu and change settings using the four-way controller. This is a slow and cumbersome setup; more advanced cameras generally allow some means to alter the exposure from the shooting position, without having to enter into a menu setup. 

The camera also has a live preview of EV values so that users can determine which setting to use. Unfortunately, this point-and-shoot does not include other exposure modes such as aperture priority or shutter, nor does it include exposure bracketing.

Metering (7.0)
The Pentax W30 has three TTL metering modes - Multi-pattern, Center-weighted, and Spot metering – accessible through the main Record Menu. Each metering mode is marked by a graphical icon. Unfortunately, the camera does not spell out what the name or function of each metering mode is, which may confuse some users at first. The Multi-pattern system divides the image into 16 sections to evaluate for exposure. The Center-weighted system, as the name implies, evaluates overall image brightness based on the center of the image. Lastly, Spot metering takes only the center spot into consideration to set the exposure.

White Balance (7.25)
There are six white balance settings on the Pentax W30, accessed through the Record menu. The W30’s white balance modes are: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Manual, which cover most indoor and outdoor lighting conditions. Users can also assign a frequently used white balance mode to the Green Button, which allows access to the setting with the push of a button. Many other point-and-shoots offer multiple fluorescent settings, but the Pentax W30 limits it to one setting which is all that is really necessary. Overall, the W30 has enough white balance choices for basic point-and-shooting and a bit beyond.

ISO (8.75)
The W30 has a range of ISO settings: 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200, making it capable of a full range of indoor and outdoor shooting. The Auto setting has a default ISO setting of 400 ISO. Pentax lauds the W30’s high top ISO 3200 sensitivity as one of its main selling points. A select few camera manufacturers including Fuji and Sony have also brought higher max ISO settings down to their entry-level cameras. The benefit of a high ISO is that users can shoot with less available light, ideal for indoor shooting, birthday parties, museums, or underwater. Unfortunately, images shot at the 3200 ISO were marred by noise and limited dynamic range – this setting should be avoided. Instead, users should stick with the lower ISO settings. Pentax also offers a digital blur reduction system called Digital SR (Shake Reduction) that automatically boosts ISO but does not reduce blur optically or mechanically.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
The Optio W30 offers a standard speed range of 4 to 1/2000 seconds. Manual control over shutter speed is not offered. For a long shutter exposure, users can opt for the Night mode or Fireworks mode.

Pentax offers a digital blur reduction system called Digital SR (Shake Reduction) that boosts ISO but does not reduce blur optically or mechanically.

Aperture (0.0)
The Pentax Optio W30 has a limited aperture range of f/3.3 to f/4.0, while other waterproof point-and-shoots offer a slightly broader range. Like shutter speed, aperture is set automatically.