Jump to a part

Pentax Optio W30

First Impressions Review

Previous: Page 4

Design/Layout

Next: Page 6

Control Options

March 10, 2007 By Tom Warhol

0 Comments
(add your own)

Page 5

Recorded Pixels 640 x 480, 320 x 240

Quality

Good (1 star), better (2 stars), and best (3 stars)

Frame Rate

30, 15 fps

Color Mode

Full Color, BW, Sepia

Movie Shake Reduction

On or Off

Interval Shoot

Settings for interval between shots, total time, and start delay.

Auto Focus w/recording

On or Off

Optical Zoom

On or Off

Auto Mode

The Auto Mode on the Optio W30 is fully automatic, with no options available to the user, useful when handing the camera over to someone unfamiliar with it. There is also a Program mode that allows some options, including white balance, exposure compensation, and ISO settings.

Movie Mode

The following selections are possible in movie mode. Movie Shake Reduction uses the same Digital Shake Reduction feature available in the still settings and increases the ISO to 3200 to compensate for moving subjects in low light conditions. Only 20 seconds of movie time was possible with the internal 22 megabytes of memory at the higher quality setting. Zooming was possible while in movie mode.

Drive/Burst Mode

Settings for this mode include self-timer, burst, and continuous (standard and high speed). The continuous high speed responded well with 5 shots per burst in about 2 to 3 seconds. Extensive testing of this option was not possible as the floor model did not have a memory card inserted.

Playback Mode

Even though the W30 only allowed 8x zoom in playback, it was still enough to pick out the noise and detail of the shots taken on the PMA show floor.

Three view settings are possible on the LCD in both shooting and playback modes: no information, minimal information, and full information—featuring mode, flash mode, picture quality, battery life, date and time, focus mode, and frame number. Slideshows transition from image to image with a wipe at intervals of 3 to 30 seconds, and movies are treated as stills.

Navigation through captured images was pretty quick, with options for single image, nine image, and calendar viewing. Only single image views are suitable for immediate image review. Options for deleting single or multiple images or the whole card are possible, as well as transfer of images to a PC.

Custom Image Presets

The Pentax Optio W30 features a wide range of custom presets, with some not typically seen, including Museum, Report, and Text. The usefulness of these modes is questionable, except for maybe the text option. Many of these features will be explored in more detail in our full review.

Custom Image Presets	A.k.a. Scene Modes
Night Scene
Voice Recording	Allows users to record sound via the mike at the top.
Landscape	Brings the camera out to wide range focus for maximum depth of field.
Flower	Reproduces the outline of bright flowers softly.
Portrait	Brightens skin tones for a "healthy" look. Both Portrait and Kids modes automatically initiate Face Recognition, which adjust focus and exposure for one main face in the image.
Underwater	Renders blue colors more richly.
Digital Shake Reduction	Sets the camera at the highest ISO (3200) to reduce subject blur.
Surf and Snow	Compensates for scenes with bright backgrounds.
Sport	Preset settings for fast motion shots.
Pet	Setting for pets in motion; can also adjust exposure settings for pet’s coats
Frame Composite	Fixes recorded pixels to 3 megapixels.
Synchro Sound Record	Records sound for 10 seconds pre- and post-shutter release.
Kids	Exposes for moving subjects and renders healthy and bright skin tones.
Soft	Gives the subject a soft outline.
Self-portrait	Adjusts focus and color tone.
Fireworks	Allows a 4-second shutter.
Food	Adjust settings for highest saturation.
Text	Adjusts setting to produce clear pictures of text—color or black and white, normal or reversed.
Museum	No flash.
Natural Skin Tone	Color and brightness is adjusted for skin tone.
Report	Records at a fixed 1280 x 960 pixels to render maximum detail for reports.

Shop for the Pentax Optio W30

Loading Recently Viewed Products

Latest News
& Reviews

10-Feb-2012
Nikon S9300 First Impressions Review

It’s not often that “18x optical zoom” and “compact” describe the same camera, but that’s the Nikon S9300 for you. We’ve taken the little devil for a spin here at CP+, read on for our full impressions of Nikon’s latest travel zoom camera. Read More...
09-Feb-2012
Pentax K-01 First Impressions Review

We’ve gone hands-on with the Marc Newson designed K-01 from Pentax. Read on for our full impressions of this unique mirrorless camera as well as a full gallery of photos of the camera. Read More...
Pentax Optio WG-2 First Impressions Review 09-Feb Read More...
Panasonic Lumix ZS15 First Impressions Review 09-Feb Read More...
Nikon D800 First Impressions Review 08-Feb Read More...

Top Rated Point & Shoots

$459.99
1
Panasonic Lumix FZ150

Excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a great design add up to the best superzoom that has ever graced our labs. That distinction seems to change hands every week, but trust us when we say that the FZ150 is a truly great camera. Read full 16-part review

$459.99

Read full 16-part review

Types

Any Zoom

3,5.1

3.1x to 5x Zoom

5.1,10

5.1x to 9.9x Zoom

10,

10x & Larger Zoom

Any Megapixels

0,8

< 8 Megapixels

8,10

8 to 10 Megapixels

10,

> 10 Megapixels
$378.89
2
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

Canon's SX30 got a CMOS makeover that resulted in the SX40 HS, an impressive ultrazoom that captures beautiful shots in almost any scenario. Read full 16-part review

$378.89

Read full 16-part review

Types

Any Zoom

3,5.1

3.1x to 5x Zoom

5.1,10

5.1x to 9.9x Zoom

10,

10x & Larger Zoom

Any Megapixels

0,8

< 8 Megapixels

8,10

8 to 10 Megapixels

10,

> 10 Megapixels
$427.95
3
Sony Cyber-shot HX100V

This professionally-geared ultrazoom offers some of the best color accuracy we've ever seen. It's a shame the other scores weren't quite so strong. Read full 16-part review

$427.95

Read full 16-part review

Types

Ultra-Zoom

Any Zoom

3,5.1

3.1x to 5x Zoom

5.1,10

5.1x to 9.9x Zoom

10,

10x & Larger Zoom

Any Megapixels

0,8

< 8 Megapixels

8,10

8 to 10 Megapixels

10,

> 10 Megapixels

16.8 MP
$314.95
4
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47

Panasonic resists the urge to cram more megapixels and more focal length into their latest ultrazoom. The FZ47 instead focuses on image quality and features, resulting in an incredibly strong camera that we loved shooting with. Read full 16-part review

$314.95

Read full 16-part review

Types

Any Zoom

3,5.1

3.1x to 5x Zoom

5.1,10

5.1x to 9.9x Zoom

10,

10x & Larger Zoom

Any Megapixels

0,8

< 8 Megapixels

8,10

8 to 10 Megapixels

10,

> 10 Megapixels
$417.00
5
Canon PowerShot S100

Canon's PowerShot S100 improves on the popular S95 and takes its place at the top of the point-and-shoot food chain. Read full 16-part review

$417.00

Read full 16-part review

Types

Any Zoom

3,5.1

3.1x to 5x Zoom

5.1,10

5.1x to 9.9x Zoom

10,

10x & Larger Zoom

Any Megapixels

0,8

< 8 Megapixels

8,10

8 to 10 Megapixels

10,

> 10 Megapixels

Features

CES 2012 Digital Cameras
Read More...
DigitalCameraInfo New Year's Giveaway
Check back every day for the rest of 2011 to see what we’re adding to the grand prize package. It all starts with the Sony NEX-5N and ends with over $4000 in prizes! Read More...
DigitalCameraInfo.com 2011 Select Awards
After a year of tireless testing and deliberation, we’ve made our selections for the very best cameras of 2011. Read More...
CP+ 2011 Digital Camera Coverage
Read More...