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Pentax Optio A40

80

Very Good

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Pros
Attractive design
Great features and 12-megapixel sensor
Cons
Battery door seems a little flimsy
Can't get very close with macro mode

Pricing: Average: $230 (12/19/2008)
Performance: Good: 78
Features: Good: 76
Design: Very Good: 88

Find out how these four scores, and their relative weights, combine to produce the PC World Rating.

Pricing

Average: $230

Performance

Good: 78

Battery
Battery Life Score	Good
Number of Batteries	1
Number of Shots	250
Battery Life	136

Image Quality Tests (Max. points = 100)
Image Quality Score	Good
Image Quality, Color	67.4
Image Quality, Exposure	62.9
Image Quality, Exposure--Flash	47
Image Quality, Exposure--Normal	69.7
Image Quality, Sharpness	54
Image Quality, Distortion	51
Image Quality, Overall	49.8

Features

Good: 76

Imaging
Max. Megapixels	12Megapixels
Maximum Resolution	4000 by 3000
Optical Zoom	3X Zoom
Zoom Range Min. (mm)	37
Zoom Range Max. (mm)	111
Highest Shutter Speed	2000
Lowest Shutter Speed	4
Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum	2.8
Telephoto Aperture Maximum	5.4
Manual Focus	Yes
Interchangeable Lens	No
Lens Model	Pentax Lens
Accessory Lens	No

Hardware
LCD Screen Size (inches)	2.5LCD Screen
Dimensions	3.9 by 2.2 by 0.9
Weight (ounces)	5.2
Viewfinder	None
Image Stabilization	Hardware
Media Slots	SD Card
Starter Media or Internal RAM	Yes
Battery Type	Rechargeable lithium ion
Charging Dock	No
Remote Control	Optional
Flash Shoe	No

Controls
Scene Modes	20
Aperture Priority	No
Shutter Priority	No
Full Manual Exposure Control	No
White-Balance Calibration	Yes
White-Balance Bracketing	No
Exposure Bracketing	No
ISO Range	ISO 50 to ISO 3200
Flash Slow Sync	Yes

File & Printing Formats
File Formats	JPEG

Other
Included Hardware	USB Cable, AV Cable, Battery, AC, Strap
Included Software	ACDSee for Pentax 3

Warranty & Support
Labor Warranty (years)	One
Parts Warranty (years)	One
Weekday Support Hours	9
Saturday Support Hours	0
Sunday Support Hours	0
Toll-Free Support	Yes

Reliability & Service
Summary of results for all of brand's products in this category	Product reliability is decent, but Pentax cameras need to be easier to use. The below-average usability grade is a step down from our last survey, where Pentax earned an average score.

Reliability of brand's products in this category
Reports of product arriving with problems	Average
Reports of products with any significant problems	Average
Reports of problems that render a product unusable	Average
Buyers' rating of product's	Worse than Average
Overall satisfaction with reliability of brand's products in category	Average

Design

Very Good: 88

Pentax Optio A40 Digital Camera Review

by Kathleen Cullen, PC World

- The Pentax Optio A40 is the latest result of Pentax's tradition of producing simple, usable, ultracompact cameras that have high-quality optics. Retailing for about $250 (as of September 1, 2008), this 12-megapixel black-and-silver model has a serious look.

Read Complete Review »

User Reviews for Pentax Optio A40

Reviewed by: Bess008

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Not yet tested

Weaknesses: Could not find any so far

Overall Evaluation: I have just received it, bought from tv shopping for only £145 with most accessories. Took a picture of 2 school children in bright sunlight and wondered if anything would come out. It is brilliant. Previously had a fuji 5mp, was very bad at night. Pentax is very good at night and will take pictures soon.

See all user reviews

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