Pentax Optio 33L 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Pentax

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches ; 6.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008NDZY
• Item model number: 1811300
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,865 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 20, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Packed with a host of features including an optical and digital zoom, swiveling LCD monitor and a plethora of pre-programmed picture modes, the Pentax's Optio 33L has it all.

Offering a 3x optical and a 2.7 digital zoom all in a camera that resembles a standard 35mm compact the first question you're likely to ask is where is the LCD display and optical viewfinder? The later has been disregarded just like latest cameras from Nikon. The monitor however, can be raised through 180 degrees and rotated horizontally through 180 degrees. This not only allows you to protect the screen from scratches as it hides it away - a very good idea - but it also allows you benefit from still being able to see the screen if you are holding the camera above a crowd at a gig or sporting event.

Powered by two standard AA batteries, the camera weighs 230g (with batteries) giving it a sturdy feel and it sits comfortable in the hand. The zoom capabilities give it 38 - 114mm equivalent to 35mm standards with a f-stop range of 2.6 - 5.0.

On the inside, the camera offers plenty to the aspiring photographer with eight picture modes (Picture scene mode, Program, Night Scene, Movie, 3D image, Auto bracket, Digital filter, and Panorama assist) plus a manual focus option. Further searching within the camera's simple to use menu system, you'll also find a live histogram option (not normally found on entry level cameras) and the ability to change shutter speed, aperture settings, white balance and flash settings on a whim.

The 33L copes admirably with greens and multiple focus points. Even on the auto focus setting, pictures were impressive, holding plenty of detail and producing low amounts of noise. The four images size options (2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480) give plenty of choice for both picture quality and memory usage. Using the digital zoom on its highest setting produced images that were affected by noise, making this the only downside to the cameras performance.

This is a great entry level camera that offers users slightly more than they might need from a camera in its category.--Jason Denwood, Amazon.co.uk

Product Description

Pentax Optio 33L Battery. This is a 3 Volt, Lithium Battery . Dimensions: 1.10 x 2.00 x 0.50. 100% OEM compatible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great price, great camera, June 14, 2003

By 

J. Leigh "jleigh7" (chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pentax Optio 33L 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Pros:
- Great user interface
- Includes panorama mode and supporting software. Panorama mode provides a ghosted image of the previous image to help you overlap edges. Also lets you choose panorama direction- left-right, right-left, up-down, down-up
- Stereoscopic photography mode. Nice to see this come back. There hasn't been many 3D cameras since the 50s.
- Small, compact size
- 3.2Mp for the price is excellent
- Flip around LCD display lets you take your own photo easily.
- Compact flash
- AA batteries or lithium cell

Cons:
- No view finder
- Since there is no view finder you depend on the LCD display for everything. In bright sunlight the LCD is washed out.
- Battery life on NIMH is short. Battery life on Lithium is excellent.

Summary:
Extremely feature packed 3.2Megapixel camera in a small package at an excellent price. Lack of a viewfinder is the only significant disadvantage- for outdoor daylight shooting.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome camera, but one VERY IMPORTANT WARNING, November 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Pentax Optio 33L 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

This camera is great. Lots of features, super-cool LCD monitor...and a GREAT price.

However, beware of one thing. Do not try to power the camera with the "Power 2000" brand rechargeable AA batteries. I bought these batteries along with the charger from a website that suggested these batteries as an accessory for this camera. When I tried to use 2 fully charged Power 2000s, the camera would make 4 quick beep sounds and wouldn't turn on. After calling Pentax and telling them about my problem, they said I had to send it in for repair, and that it could take over a month. When I got the camera back I found out there was no problem with the camera. I was just using an "off brand" of AA battery that is not intended to power this specific camera.

I was angry at the retailer for suggesting a brand of battery that isn't even capable of powering this camera, but I was even more upset that the Pentax service rep didn't ask me over the phone which type of battery I was using. That whole problem and time spent without my camera could've been avoided if he had asked me that one simple question.

In summary, I would only use the Lithium Ion CR-V3 type battery with this camera. It lasts the longest, and now that Pentax themselves told me that it's the type of battery that is intended for use with this model, I won't try any other. It's too bad because I find it very wasteful and expensive to constantly purchase and throw away non-rechargeable batteries.

And one other thing - the reviewer that said he's had his camera "for 2 years" is either lying or accidentally reviewed the wrong camera. The Pentax Optio 33L was introduced in March 2003. It's less than a year old.

Don't let the negativity of my review deter you, though, because I love the camera. I'm just bothered by the service I got.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great value, perfectly functional, March 17, 2005

By 

drenchedinwine (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pentax Optio 33L 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I bought this camera half a year ago because of all the great reviews. Well it's true! I've been using this camera all the time, and it hasn't failed me yet!

necessary accessories: Rechargable batteries & larger compactflash memory card (I have a 128mb one which is fine)..

WHAT I LIKE:
- easy & automatic. This was my first digicam, and I had no problems figuring it out. It works like a point and shoot, so you can start using it right away & get great results. You can explore the rest of the features later; you don't have to be confused & stress about learning to use it right off the bat, like my friends did over cannon a95 or whatever that took blurry pictures unless you set it on proper settings etc. Pentax optio takes great pictures on default settings, no worries!
- intuitive menu. When you do have the time to explore the camera a bit more, it's easy! You don't even need to look at the manual that much.
- clear sharp good quality pictures. it seems like cameras nowadays are just competing to have higher and higher megapixels. But for the everyday standard casual user, I can vouch that pentax's 3.2 megapixels is more than satisfactory. When I upload the pictures onto my computer, they are HUGE and have great resolution; not blurry or fuzzy at all! Much more than enough megapixels to produce your standard 4x6 print, and a few sizes larger.
- swivel LCD! It's so convenient! Countless times I've seen people without swivel LCD cameras try to take pictures of themselves with others by aiming randomly and hoping for the best. But with this swivel LCD, you can easily easily take self-portraits and pictures of you and other people without haphazard guess-and-check. Also, since the LCD swivels, You don't have to worry about scratching it or getting a special protective bag or anything; the LCD folds face-down neatly so that it's automatically protected when you close it.
- timer. much fun, very useful for group pictures that you want to be in. It has a 3 second and 10 second timer, for whatevers more convenient for your situation
- fun color filters. You can take sepia, black & white pictures, or pictures with red, blue, & green color filters. This is a neat feature; for example, it's fun to take black/white/red filter pictures if you're photographing a bright red flower or something, because it comes out cool...the only color in the picture would be the red flower that stands out a lot! I've gotten a lot of positive comments from people about pictures that I take with the filters. a nice little extra.
- i like that it has a video, another nice little extra.
- easy to use software. I just loaded in the CD, hooked up the camera to the computer, and it's all done.
- overall, decent battery life with rechargable AAs. Good flash that you can set to on or off or automatic. A number of different picture settings. Great & versatile.
- GREAT PRICE! I got mine for $168 off ebay after much research. Well worth it, great value.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER:
- no viewfinder. others have mentioned this already, and have said it wasn't really a problem because youve got your LCD that you use all the time anyway. I agree. Never in my months of using it, have i ever thought "aw, I wish i had a viewfinder!" It's really not needed, so this isn't really a con.
- video quality. The picture quality of the videos isn't that great, and there is no sound. Better quality & sound would be nice, but I see having a video at all as being an extra already, so Im not really complaining.
- slow load. Sometimes, especially if the batteries are low, it takes a while for the LCD to light up when you turn on the camera or switch between picture-taking and picture-viewing modes, which is only a slight annoyance. Maybe a faster shutter speed would be nice too, because sometimes it takes a second to take the picture so people start moving again and its blurry. But generally, it's fine.

So overall, I highly recommend this camera for the typical non-professional user on a budget. Easy to use, takes great pictures, has fun extra little features, and is relatively inexpensive! You can't ask for more than that!