Like a number of other manufacturers, Pentax took advantage of the fact
that the 4-megapixel CCD has the same form factor as the 3-megapixel CCD
they were using in the Optio 330, to produce the Optio 430.
Outwardly,
two details identify the Optio 430 from the 330 besides its name: the
turquoise arc under the lens of the 330 is sky blue on the 430, and the
similarly blue "4.0" megapixel stencilled near the lens.
Although
the camera is quite small, it offers an optical viewfinder with a diopter
correction; and the back is fitted with a 1.6 inch LCD screen that has
a crisp and bright image. The
controls are arranged to the right of the viewfinder and of the LCD screen,
creating a clear and usable layout.
Like the front of the camera, the back is entirely covered by metal, with
the exclusion of the CompactFlash slot cover.
The
top right of the Optio 430 provides a small ON/OFF switch and, next to
it, a 6 position Mode Dial that has a two-stage shutter release in the
middle.
Auto
Night
Scene
Manual
Mode
Movie
Mode
Multiple
Exposures
Playback
The
buttons near the viewfinder offer a quick access to the most commonly
used settings:
Flash
Modes: Auto, Forced Off, Forced On, Forced On with Redeye reduction,
Auto with Redeye Reduction;
Self
timer (10 sec), Remote (optional remote unit), Continuous
(shooting interval depends on image size and compression);
Macro,
Landscape, and Manual Focus.
A
bit further to the right, the zoom
button serves to control the 3X lens, and is used in Playback to magnify
photos up to 4X.
The remaining four buttons are for calling up the camera Menu and
navigating it with the 4-direction control beneath. Choices or
selections made in the menu are confirmed using the OK button at
the centre of the directional control. Finally, near the base of the camera
is the Display button which is used to turn on or off the LCD screen and
display a real-time histogram and all the current camera settings.
The histogram indicates
the distribution of brightness for what the camera is pointed at, and
can be used to judge if the image will require some sort of exposure compensation.
