May 12, 2005 - Pentax announced the release of the 5 megapixel OptioSVi today, currently destined for the European market. Inspection of the new SVi's internal specs, however, reveal it to be essentially the same camera as the slightly older OptioSV, dressed in a modified body and reduced price tag.
The key points of differentiation between the elder SV and the SVi are that the latter has a sleeker appearance, minus some aesthetic details on the camera's front face, as well as being about $100 cheaper than the SV. Everything else from the LCD size to optical zoom and frame dimensions are the same on both Optio models.
Camera buyers in Germany, Hungary and Spain will have first dibs on the new OptioSVi. Like the SV, the SVi has 5 megapixels, a 1.8-inch LCD screen, 5x optical zoom, and 12 shooting modes cased within its 3 x 1.8 x 0.9-inch body.
Shooting with the SVi, consumers can rely on familiar modes and functions, such as Program, Picture, Night Scene, Movie, Voice Recording, and USER modes as well as the more advanced Manual and Priority settings. The SVi is also PictBridge compliant.
The OptioSVi is set to retail for €349, but availability has yet to be announced.
