Customer Reviews

Pentax Optio 50 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have owned this camera for about 6 months now, and purchased for a vacation to Europe.

My criteria were the following (in order of importance)

1. Use regular (non rechargeable) batteries

2. Small size

3. Low price

4. 3x optical zoom (or better)

5. Maximum pixels (although this is getting to be silly measurement for these point-and-shoot cameras)

The battery requirement was very important to me. Always hated the lack of flexibilty with rechargeables. You can find slightly smaller / sexier cameras (like Casio and Minolta), but they all had proprietary rechargeable batteries.

All of my expectations have been met, and the quality of the photos are very good. Operation is simple; really I could not expect any more from a $200 camera.

Minor nits:

- No positive user feedback when picture is actually taken (like a click sound)

- To view prior shots, camera must be turned ON, which also requires the lens to be extended

- Case is plastic (not metal), although quality is fine and has proven to be robust

- Yes, these things do eat batteries (just like any other), so keep some AA's handy

Note:

I had read that this camera is not really made by Pentex; instead it is simply a "badge engineered" generic model from a no-name manufacturer. Could be true, and not sure it matters.

I got this camera as a gift and I never had a digital camera before. I thought the instruction booklet the camera came with was extremely helpful and I had no problem using it. I even can make movies with it. I feel like a pro!

I love this camera and recommend it to those who think they can't operate a digital camera.

Overall, this camera is excellent for the price. Picture quality is there for a 5 Megapixel Camera. Landscapes and Portraits work great. This camera is lightweight and will fit in your pocket for ultra portability. Cons: Battery Life. Usigin 2 AA batteries will last about 30 or 40 pictures. I have tried rechargeable batteries but have found that only about 15 pictures can be taken before the camera turns off and battery dies. Overall, this camera is great for the price!

Excellent camera for the beginner. Good size and capability for a low price.

It's smaller than you think. Even with the substantial case it will easily fit into your pocket. There is a convenient belt loop on the case, and a wrist-strap for the camera. It is very light in weight, too.

Despite what another reviewer said, it is made of metal and plastic ... and the metal is where you need it for structural integrity. The controls are laid out very well, even if you have big hands.

It has an automatic mode and both aperture- and shutter-priority modes. Despite what the product description here says, there is no manual exposure setting. It even has a bracketing feature, which just might save your bacon one day.

You can leave it on automatic, you can use the presets, or you can adjust almost every parameter you can think of ... once you figure out the menu system.

It has a macro setting. I photographed a nearby dollar bill on macro and it came out sharp as a tack.

You can make decent quality movies, too. That's why it is a good idea to get a bigger SD memory card. BTW - You can save movies and stills in the camera at the same time.

Yes, it uses up batteries .... just like every other digital camera does. So you keep two AAs in your pocket. Big flippin' deal. I recommend good quality rechargeables.

Two minor issues:
- The optical viewfinder doesn't show the actual digital zoom - just that it is being used. It is still aa great thing to have on the camera.
- There is no way to turn off the LCD finder.
- The control wheel icons are really small.