Equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD monitor,
the Optio A30 provides a clear view under most lighting conditions,
with the exception of when the monitor is under direct sunlight.
The information superimposed on the image is fine and detailed,
icons and text are shown in white with with black contours,
allowing them to stand out very legibly from the image, be
it in capture mode or in playback.
The
button, which can be programmed to provide a direct access
to almost any of the Rec. menu options, offers the advantage
of a quick access to often needed settings without having
to navigate through the menu. But, while most of the other
controls of the camera are easy to use, the way in which the
shutter speed (right and left directions) and the aperture
(up direction only while the down direction always
calls up the Mode Menu) are assigned to the 4-way controller
increase the likelihood of mistakes.
The menu the A30 displays when the MENU
button is pressed is always the same whether the camera is
set to a capture mode or the playback mode. The menu is divided
into 2 parts, the first offering capture options, the other
containing Setup options:
Format: serves to format a memory card, or the
camera's internal memory. Formatting deletes all files,
including those that have been protected.
Sound: this option serves to select the sounds,
if any, that the camera makes for operations: start-up,
shutter release, self-timer, and playback. A sound can even
be captured with the camera and assigned as a start-up sound,
or for the shutter release.
Date Adjust: allows adjusting the clock and calendar
of the Optio A30, and select the format of the date and
time.
World Time: serves to select the time zone in which
the camera is located, making it possible to select a destination
time zone, so the camera can time stamp images accurately
in both time zones.
Language: controls the interface language (English,
French, German, Spanish Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish,
Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Russian,
Thai, Korean, Chinese (traditional or simplified), or Japanese).
Folder Name allows changing the way folder
names are created by the camera: Standard
(XXXPENTX) or based on the date.
USB Connection: serves to select the
USB protocol PC (Mass Storage) to connect the camera
to a computer, or PictBridge to print directly to
a PictBridge compatible printer.
Video Out: NTSC or PAL, allowing the camera to
be compatible with the two major television standards.
Brightness Level: allows adjusting the LCD monitor's
brightness over 7 steps.
Power Saving: allows choosing a time delay
after which the monitor dims when the camera is inactive
(Off or 5, 15, 30 seconds, 1 or 2 minutes).
Quick Zoom: decides whether or not the telephoto
side of the zoom control, /
, instantly zooms to 8X when pressed in playback, or if
the zooming is progressive.
Auto Power Off: serves to choose the delay after
the which the camera automatically turns off when it is
not being used (3 or 5 minutes or Off)
Guide Display: decides whether or a not a short
text description of each mode is displayed as it is being
selected.
Reset: returns the camera to its defaults, with
the exception of the date and time, the world time, the
interface language and the video out setting.
A printed manual is supplied along with the Optio A30, and
is one of the most complete currently included with a compact
camera. Explanations for functions, controls and options of
the camera are clear and detailed, and often accompanied by
helpful hints. The manual includes a diagram of the camera
where the parts and controls are labeled with the relevant
page numbers; and includes an in-depth section that walks
the user through printing images directly from the camera.
Software
Pentax bundles a single CD called
Software S-SW66 with the Optio A30. It contains
the following programs:
ACDSee for Pentax 2.0, which includes:
ACDSee version 6,
ACD FotoSlate version 3
ACD Showtime!
DivX (codec 5.2.1) to play back the movies
captured with the A30.
DirectX 9.0.
As we have noted previously
in the software section of other Pentax cameras, the ACDSee
version included with Pentax cameras is relatively old, but
still one of the best image organizers/viewers available.
Images can be reviewed in a wide variety of possible presentations,
and the program's main window can be reorganized at will:
full screen, variable size thumbnails, with or without detailed
shooting data, etc.
ACDSee can also serve to perform
some image corrections, once an image has been selected and
opened in the editing window, which has the editing tools
on the right.
The tools make it possible
to adjust the exposure, colours, correct red-eye, sharpness,
crop, apply noise reduction, rotate or resize images.
The image can have special effects such as whirl, magnify,
or oil paint applied to it, or be converted to sepia or black
and white. A BeforeandAfter window
is provided, making it possible to evaluate the effect of
the applied adjustments or effects.
FotoSlate is designed to print photos, to create
Index prints, albums, calendars, postcards, or even to create
templates that can be reused.
Showtime! is designed to create presentations containing
photos, movies and sounds. Worth noting, its installation
requires the prior installation of Microsoft Windows Media
Player version 7.0 or higher.
Compare Prices for Pentax Optio A30 10MP Digital Camera
Interface & Software
button, which can be programmed to provide a direct access
to almost any of the Rec. menu options, offers the advantage
of a quick access to often needed settings without having
to navigate through the menu. But, while most of the other
controls of the camera are easy to use, the way in which the
shutter speed (right and left directions) and the aperture
(up direction only while the down direction always
calls up the Mode Menu) are assigned to the 4-way controller
increase the likelihood of mistakes.
/
, instantly zooms to 8X when pressed in playback, or if
the zooming is progressive.
