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Pentax Optio W30

First Impressions Review

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March 10, 2007 By Tom Warhol
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Manual Control Options
The W30’s manual control options are adequate, with typical settings found on most compact cameras. Unique features, like the Focus Limiter, Green Button controls, and 3200 ISO, are very helpful for this type of camera—a point-and-shoot used for outdoor or underwater fast moving subjects with quick changes between focusing ranges, say from a close-up of a coral reef sponge to a quick wide angle of that shark bearing down on you. The ability to change ISO is key, especially when the Auto setting is 400. It also defaults back to this setting when the camera is turned off and back on, so it’s important to be able to change it quickly. Linking ISO settings to a Green button would be a good first customization.
 
Focus
Auto Focus
Auto focus performed well, but some close subjects, especially under lower light conditions were difficult to assess with the low resolution of the LCD. Three settings are possible: full screen, spot, and panning focus. Only full screen focus was tested, and this did provide challenges to the telephoto settings of objects at various depths of field, but again, this is based on a preproduction model.
 
Manual Focus
Manual focus was pretty easy to access. All focusing options are accessed through one of the 4-way controls. The options are Auto focus, Macro, Infinity, Pan Focus, and Manual. Manual and Macro focus were tested. The manual focus controls were easy to use via the top and bottom keys of the 4-way. Focus speed was moderate. It was difficult to ensure correct focusing on the LCD on the show floor so focusing outdoors in daylight lower ISOs is probably much easier.
The macro function worked well and did indeed focus as close as the 0.5 inches cited in the spec sheet. With the Focus Limiter set to off, focus was easily switched from the letters on a page to a display twenty-five feet away.
 
Exposure
Exposure compensation range for the W30 was typical, with a range of -2 to +2, settable in 1/3-stop increments.
 
Metering
Three focusing modes—Multi-segment, Center-weighted, and Spot—are common to compact cameras, so no surprises here. However, the multisegment option seemed to overexpose images on the show floor.
 
White Balance
The Optio W30’s white balance settings performed as well as could be expected in the confines of the Convention Center. Auto White Balance left color casts on some surfaces. The manual setting produced similar results.
 
ISO
The W30 boasts an impressive ISO range for a compact camera— Auto (400), 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. Many don’t go as low or as high as this camera, although it was not possible to adequately test the lower settings at the show. There’ll be further examination of this in the full review.
 
Shutter Speed
A good range of shutter speeds are utilized by the W30’s programmed AE electronic lens shutter, from 4 seconds to 1/2000 second, which is entirely adequate for users of this camera, especially with a 3200 ISO option. No manual settings of shutter speed are possible with this camera.
 
Aperture
The aperture range of this camera, f/3.3-f/4.0 is, in one word, pitiful. We assume Pentax was limited by the lens design having to remain within the confines of the camera body, but the limited depth of field places serious constraints on users looking to photograph any landscape-like images. Comparable waterproof cameras, such as the Olympus Stylus 770SW, have only a slightly larger range, f/3.5-f/5.0. 
 

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Pentax Optio W30
First Impressions Review
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