Pentax Optio M40 Digital Camera Review

Picture Quality / Size Options (7.5)
The Pentax M40 can record still images at its highest resolution of 8-megapixels (3264 x 2448-pixel resolution), 5M (2592 x 1944), 4M (2304 x 1728), 3M (2048 x 1536), or 2M (1600 x 1200). Users can also select lower resolution files at 1024 x 768 or VGA 640 x 480 for e-mailing smaller files or posting to the Web. Users can also select from three compression levels: Best, Better, or Good, represented by stars in the menu. The picture and size options are standard, but Pentax includes a convenient frame counter that notifies the user of how many images can be taken at that resolution on the existing memory card. The camera records at the standard 4:3 aspect ratio but lacks the 16:9 panoramic shooting offered on some cameras.



Picture Effects Mode (7.0)
The Pentax M40 offers a range of built-in picture effects. Users can make changes before shooting or after capture.

When the camera is set to Program and certain Scene modes, users can alter saturation, contrast, and sharpness before hitting the shutter. The Pentax M40 can shoot in black and white and sepia in Video mode, but not in Still mode.

There are more effects available in Playback mode. Users can apply a number of color filters to images, and there are additional playback options for slide shows, color filters, and brightness filters. Refer to the Playback section for more details.