While loaded with advanced features,
the Pentax Optio 750Z can also be used to take photos as a no-fuss
point and shoot. Yet, it is quite likely that it will be the
750Z's advanced functions that will attract attention. The tools
available on the 750Z impart it with an excellent level of flexibility,
allowing advanced users to capture precisely the image they want,
albeit occasionally at the expense of some ease of use.
Aperture: f2.8, shutter speed: 1/50 sec.
Beyond offering all the basic shooting
modes and a range of scene modes, the 750Z offers advanced features
that go beyond those commonly found on comparable cameras. For
instance, the user is given the possibility to bracket not only
the exposure, but also to bracket for white balance, sharpness,
saturation and contrast.
Aperture: f4.6, shutter speed: 1/125 sec.
Similarly, the Optio 750Z is equipped
with a well-rounded set of metering patterns, from the default
Multizone pattern that evaluates a number of areas throughout
the frame to calculate the best exposure parameters, to the standard
Centre-weighted and spot patterns.
Exposure compensation is also available, controlled by the Front Lever
which is near the shutter release.
Worth noting however since the Front
Lever is easily accidentally pushed, exposure compensation can
be set even when the monitor is closed, and the only indication
that the lever has been moved is a beep from the camera.
Left to its default Auto setting,
the white balance of the Optio 750Z is quite reliable, allowing
the camera to capture colours that are usually quite true to
life. Moreover, user-selectable settings for a variety of lighting
sources are available as well, and are as reliable. And, for
the rare occasion when none of the presets are suitable, a user-set
option can be used to establish the white balance under ambient
light, therefore ensuring that colours are as close to reality
as possible.
Aperture: f6, shutter speed: 1/400 sec.
Aperture: f3.5, shutter speed: 1/800 sec.
On the optics side, the Optio
750Z's photos reveal some barrel distortion at the wide angle
end, and a bit of pincushion at the telephoto end. But by the
same token, the images reveal no chromatic aberration throughout
the focal length range of the zoom.
Noise on the other hand, while inevitable at higher sensitivities, can
also sometimes be detected in shadow areas of photos, and on occasion in
areas of uniform colour at the lowest sensitivity of 80 ISO.
Pentax has given the 750Z the
capacity to save images in TIFF, producing an image file size
just over 20MB, but which should normally preclude any artefacts
resulting from the JPEG compression.
Yet, the image quality the TIFF format yields is not noticeably different
from the three-star (Best) JPEG format, and in addition is limited to the
4:3 ratio, making its value somewhat doubtful. A very limited compression
format, in the 4:1 range, might have been more useful.
Aperture: f4.6, shutter speed: 1/160 sec.
In summary, the Pentax 750Z easily
turns out photos that are very well exposed, and which clearly
show that the default Multizone metering is trustworthy under
a wide variety of lighting conditions. Images tend to exhibit
an average sharpness throughout the range of the zoom, but are
probably at their softest with wide angle shots, and their sharpest
at the telephoto end.
Used indoors with flash, the 750Z
produces bright and well-lit photos that indicate the built-in
flash is powerful enough to yield good results in an average
size room without any increase in noise.
So, while some time must be devoted to the learning curve of the Optio
750Z — a time during which the manual becomes quite familiar — it
is also a camera that offers surprising levels of flexibility and capability,
appealing features for those that tend to keep a camera for a long time.
Compare Prices for Pentax Optio 750Z Digital Camera Battery Charger (CH-9118)
Image Quality
