The Pentax Optio 33L is a 3.2 megapixel camera with a 3X zoom lens.
It has a medium size body, well-finished in silvered plastic. The lens
retracts completely into the thin lens trim, making the 33L slim and easy
to carry.
In one area however, the Optio 33L bucks the trend of other broadly comparable
cameras.
Unlike
the vast majority of other compact digital cameras, it foregoes an optical
viewfinder altogether, and only provides a hinged LCD monitor. And even
then, the Optio differs from others that use a similar concept. This monitor
is hinged at the top, not the side, flipping straight up, over the camera.
Once
directly above the camera, the monitor can be rotated 180° and returned
to the back of the camera, now facing out. To complement this interesting
design, Pentax adds a folding plastic hood that can be clipped into slots
on either side of the monitor, shielding it from the sun. In addition,
a real-time histogram display, which is also applicable to the Playback
mode, can be enabled in the Setup menu.
Aside from the flip-up LCD monitor, the Pentax Optio 33L is well within
the norms of other compact cameras. For example, the top of the camera
provides the On/Off switch, and a chromed, rectangular shutter release
that offers the standard AF/AE (auto focus and auto exposure) lock when
held half-pressed, and which is indicated by a green AF rectangle on the
LCD monitor.
The
right side of the 33L's back is quite standard, and very similar to other
Pentax models.
The zoom control is in the upper right, and doubles as a means to view
groups of 9 images[]
at a time, or zoom in []
with up to a 12X magnification on any part of an image shown on the screen
in Playback.
The other buttons, starting on the upper left, control:
Flash modes (Auto, Forced Off, Forced on, Auto with Red-eye
Reduction, Forced On with Red-eye Reduction) in the Capture mode.
While
in Playback, the button serves to Protect images from being
deleted by mistake.
Macro
mode, Landscape mode, or Manual Focus when capturing
images.
Delete
unwanted photos or movies in Playback, or during Instant Review.
Directly
below, a button serves exclusively to turn on the Playback mode
[];
while another [],
lower down, calls up the 33L's multi-part menu system.
The 4-way controller, the largest control on the back of the camera, serves
to navigate the Optio 33L's menu options, and confirm selections with
the OK button at its centre. Moreover, it offers additional functions.
The Right and Left arrows of the 4-Way Controller are used
to set Exposure
Compensation, available over a range of ±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
the
Up arrow first activates the Self-timer (10 or 2 second
delay); then the Continuous Shooting mode (allows shooting
as long as there is space on the memory card, but at a rate that
varies according to the image size and compression); or the High-Speed
Shooting mode, which captures 3 images and then saves them.
In
Playback, the Up arrow is used to select images that will
be printed on a DPOF(Digital Print Order Format)
compliant printer, or by a printing service.
The
Down arrow calls up the Virtual Mode Dial, which is
used to select the capture mode. Eight capture modes are
offered, including the Program mode. Many of the modes accessed
here also have additional options, also presented as "Virtual
Dials" and which are called up using the right arrow of the
controller.
Program
mode: the camera sets the aperture and the shutter speed.
Auto
Bracketing mode. Records 3 pictures in a row, and allows
varying the Exposure (±2EV in 1/3 EV increments);
White Balance (± 5 values in 1 increment steps);
Saturation; Sharpness, and Contrast.
Digital
Filter mode provides 8 filters: black and white, sepia,
red, green, blue, and combinations of black and white with
red, green, or blue.
3D
shooting mode: records 3D images in either of 2 ways,
parallel or cross. (See the Characteristics section of
the review)
Panorama
mode records a series of images that will be assembled
into a panorama. Images can be recorded so they join at the
top, right or left, or the bottom.
Movie
mode captures a 30 second video clip without sound and
with a 320 x 240 pixel image size.
Night
Scene mode: offers a slow shutter speed of up to 4 seconds
and applies noise reduction.
Picture
Mode: offers 8 Scene modes:
Landscape
(uses infinity focus and a small aperture to increase
depth of field)
Soft
(7 levels of image softness can be selected in the main
menu)
Flower
(macro focus and saturation enhancement)
Surf
and Snow (compensates for very bright subjects)
Portrait
(soft focus and a wide aperture to blur the background)
Sunset
(enhances reds)
Self-Portrait
(macro focus and a soft focus setting)
Illustration
(posterization effect)
As
can be seen from the impressively long listing of the camera's modes,
the Pentax Optio 33L is deceptively simple looking. It offers a wealth
of functions, but these are buried within its Mode menu.
The Virtual Dial concept tends to make the selection of any specific mode
a touch more time consuming, but allows for a simpler and less expensive
exterior design.
]
at a time, or zoom in [
]
with up to a 12X magnification on any part of an image shown on the screen
in Playback.
];
while another [
],
lower down, calls up the 33L's multi-part menu system.
