Pentax Optio A30

Reviewed April 2007

Characteristics

The Optio A30 is equipped with a 1/1.8 inch, 10.37 million pixel CCD of which 10 million pixels — 10 megapixel — are effective when capturing an image. Seven image sizes are offered:

• 10M = 3648 x 2736 pixels
• 7M = 3072 x 2304 pixels
• 5M = 2592 x 1944 pixels
• 3M = 2048 x 1536 pixels
• 2M = 1600 x 1200 pixels
• 1024 = 1024 x 768 pixels
• 640 = 604 x 480 pixels

As with most Pentax cameras, the Optio A30 can save images at any of three compression levels for all image sizes, each level represented by one to three stars:

• Best: has a compression ratio of approximately 5:1.
• Better: has a compression ratio of approximately 10:1.
• Good: has a compression ratio of approximately 14:1.

CCD sensitivity begins at 64 ISO and can be set, in all modes, to 100, 200, 400, 800 or 1600 ISO. Moreover, an Auto setting that starts at 64 ISO is provided, and its range can be limited to a maximum of 100, 200, 400, 800 or 1600 ISO. In addition, the Digital SR mode allows a sensitivity level of 1600 ISO or 3200 ISO.

The A30 is fitted with an SMC Pentax 3X optical zoom that has a focal length of 7.9 to 23.7 mm, the equivalent of a 38 to 114 mm zoom on a 35 mm camera. The lens is composed of 7 elements in 6 groups and includes three aspherical surfaces to control distortion. Its diaphragm has two apertures: f2.8 and f8 when the zoom is at the wide angle end, f5.4 and f15.4 at the telephoto end.

The Optio A30 is also equipped with a 4X digital zoom that is enabled by an option in the capture menu (see further). This is a cropping tool that interpolates a section cropped from the centre of the image, causing a loss of image quality that is more or less pronounced depending on the amount of digital zoom used.

The shutter speed range available in the Manual mode covers from 1/2000 second to 4 seconds. Generally speaking, however, the automatic modes have a maximum exposure time of 1/4 second, with the exception of the Night Scene mode that also has a maximum exposure time of 4 seconds. Any image captured with an exposure time of 1 second or more is automatically processed for noise reduction.

As explained in the Ergonomics section of the review, the MENU button displays the same menu options, whatever the camera mode. The menu is composed of 2 sections, each identified by a tab near the top of the screen: Rec. Mode and Setup. The setup section of the menu contains basic settings for the Optio A30, and its contents are covered in the Interface and Software section of the review.

The options available in the Rec. Mode menu are always the same, irrespective of the capture mode, but the accessibility of specific options can vary. With the Optio A30 set to the Manual mode, however, all options are accessible:

• Recorded Pixels: serves to select the image size (see above).
• Quality Level: allows choosing the compression level (see above).
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent or Manual, this last option making it possible to set the white balance under ambient light using a white surface as reference.

• AF Setting controls the way the auto focus functions:
  • Focusing Area selects the AF Mode: Multiple, a wide area AF; Spot, which focuses on a small area at the centre of the frame; or Automatic Tracking AF, which allows the camera to track a moving subject.
  • Focus Limiter: allows adjusting the focus, quickly limiting the focus distance to the long range with standard photography, and the macro range when the macro mode is selected.
  • Aux. AF Light: decides whether or not the AF assist lamp lights when there is insufficient ambient light for the AF to function reliably.

• AE Metering: serves to choose the metering pattern Multi-segment, Centre-weighted or Spot.
• Sensitivity: serves to set the CCD sensitivity and the Auto Correction range (see above).
• EV Compensation: allows compensating the exposure over a range of ± 2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
• Movie contains settings for the Movie mode:
  • Recorded Pixels: serves to set the frame size to 640 x 480 pixels or 320 x 240 pixels.
  • Quality Level: decides the compression level used for movies (, or), the same as it is for images.
  • Movie SR: allows the camera to compensate for camera shake, but prevents the use of the digital zoom.
• Shake reduction: controls the image stabilization system (On or Off).
• Digital Zoom: controls the 4X digital zoom (On or Off).

• Instant Review: decides how long an image is shown on the monitor immediately post capture (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 seconds or Off).
• Memory: allows selecting the settings that will be recalled after the camera has been turned Off. Settings that can be recalled are: flash mode, drive mode, focus mode, zoom position, MF position, white balance, AE metering, sensitivity (note that the Auto correction range is memorized automatically), EV compensation, digital zoom, display, file number.

• Green Button serves to configure the function of the green button:
  • Green Mode (default): returns the camera to the Auto Pict mode, irrespective of the mode it was in.
  • Shake reduction: On or Off.
  • Fn Setting allows assigning another function to the green button: recorded pixels, quality level, white balance, focusing area, AE metering, sensitivity, EV compensation, shake reduction, sharpness, saturation, contrast, or Off.
• Sharpness: controls the sharpening applied to the image: softer (-), normal, or sharper (+).
• Saturation: controls the colour saturation, less (-), normal, or more (+).
• Contrast: controls the contrast, less (-), normal, or more (+).

When the A30 is set to the Playback mode, the playback options appear when the MODE button is pressed. Called Playback Mode Palette, the following options are offered:

• Slide show: allows selecting the on-screen time of images in the show (3, 5, 10, 20 or 30 seconds), the transition effect (wipe, fade, shrink or none) and if there is a sound effect played at the transition.
• Resize: allows sizing down an image to make its file size smaller or changing its compression. The image can then be saved by overwriting the original or saved as a new image.
• Cropping: allows saving a part of an image magnified on screen as a new image. If the selected image size is larger than the cropped image, it is interpolated to the selected size.

• Copying Files: serves to copy files from the internal memory to a memory card or vice versa.
• Rotate: allows rotating an image in 90° increments to the left or right using the 4-way controller. Pressing the button afterwards records the image with its new orientation.
• Colour Filter allows modifying an image using one of 13 filters: black and white, Sepia, eight different colours, B&W + red, B&W + green or B&W + blue.

• Digital Filter: allows applying any of five filters to the image: Soft, Illustration, Special Effect 1 or 2, and Slim.
• Brightness Filter: allows changing the brightness of a captured image over a range of ±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
• Movie Editing: serves to extract still images from a movie, or divide a movie into two parts and save the edited sections separately, or even extract a section from a movie and save it as a new movie.
• Red-eye Reduction: allows automatically, or manually, the correction of an image for red-eye, and saving the corrected image as a new image, or overwriting the original with the corrected version.
• Voice Memo: serves to add a voice annotation to an image. The annotation can be as long as 60 seconds.
• Protect: to prevent the accidental erasure of an image.
• DPOF: serves to select images that will be printed on a DPOF or PictBridge compatible printer. The number of copies to make, whether the date is superimposed on the image, can be selected. (Note that a PictBridge menu is displayed when the A30 is connected directly to a PictBridge compatible printer, allowing the selection of the print sizes, etc.)
• Start-up Screen: allows selecting one of three screens that can appear when the camera is powered on, or one of the images in memory, or nothing.
• Frame Composite: allows adding one of three frames to an image, then recording it as a new image or overwriting the original.

The Pentax Optio A30 has a 22 MB internal memory and is not retailed with a memory card. It is equipped, however, with an SD (Secure Digital) card slot that is located next to the battery compartment, and covered by the same solid door.

The chart below lists approximate capacities for the internal memory and for an optional 1 GB memory card:

The Optio A30 is powered by a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery (D-LI8) which is kept in place in its slot by an orange spring-loaded clip so it cannot slide out when the memory card is accessed. A charger, D-BC8, is included in the kit, and takes approximately 100 minutes to fully charge a depleted battery.

At the bottom is the PC/AV jack whose function is determined by which of two cables is used:

• USB Port, whose communication protocol can be set in the setup menu to be PC for use when connecting to a computer, or PictBridge when connecting directly to a PictBridge compatible printer.
• Audio/Video Out, which can be set to NTSC or PAL in the Setup menu, making it possible to connect the camera to a television in a variety of countries.