Pentax Optio M40

Introduced in July 2007, the 8-megapixel Pentax Optio M40 is one of a number of 3x optical zoom cameras on the market for less than $200. Its most touted features are digital shake reduction and face priority autofocus and auto exposure. Read on to see how it compares to the competition.

Physical Tour

Front (7.0)
The Pentax Optio M40’s 3x optical zoom lens takes up most of the front face. Surrounded by a circular metal ring, the lens extends from the body to expose a two-tiered plastic barrel, inscribed with the lens specs: "Pentax Lens 3x Optical Zoom 6.3mm-18.9mm 8.0 Megapixels Pentax Lens." To the lower left of the lens is a tiny hole for the microphone.

A long, horizontal flash sits above and to the left of the lens. To the left of the flash is a red auto assist lamp. A metal plate inscribed with Pentax Optio M40 sits in the center of the front.

Back (6.0)
The LCD monitor fills up most of the back surface of the Pentax M40. It sits on a shallow platform and is surrounded by a black border and Pentax logo. The control panel is to the right of the screen. At the top is the zoom toggle, marked with two blue icons to indicate the wide-angle and telephoto functions.

Below the zoom toggle is the playback button, labeled with a blue play icon. To the right of the playback button are five Braille-like dots that function as a thumb grip. Just below the center of the control panel is the four-way controller with five icon labels: Self-Timer, Flash, OK, Macro mode, and Mode. Bordering the bottom of the camera is a small menu button and Green mode button that doubles as the trash function.

Right Side (6.75)
The right side of the Optio camera has a non-rotating eyelet for the camera wrist strap. There are two small screws on either side of the eyelet.

Left Side (6.75)
Much like the right side of the camera, the left side of the Pentax M40 is pretty bare. At the bottom of the left side is the DC-in port, safely hidden under a rubber door. Above the DC port are six tiny audio ports, which are usually placed on top of the camera so users can better listen to sound.

Top (6.0)
The top of the camera shows off its thin, slightly curved body. The camera’s top has a two-tone design with a capsule-shaped shutter button and small, circular, embedded power button. The Optio label is also inscribed here.

Bottom (6.0)
On the left side of the bottom is the dual battery and memory card compartment, housed under a flimsy plastic-hinged door. To its right is the exposed PC/AV port for computer and printer connection. There is also a plastic tripod socket that sits directly beneath the center of the lens. The socket is surrounded by three screws that hold the bottom plates together.