Pentax Optio M50 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Light Blue)

by Pentax

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.7 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches ; 4.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012QAXLW
• Item model number: 17156
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,413 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 23, 2008

Product Description

Color: Light Blue

Manufacturer Description

The Pentax Optio M50, with a 5x optical zoom housed in an ultra compact body with fun color options, is the ideal combination of style, function and price. It also features a unique Smile Capture function, which distinguishes smiles on a subject and automatically releases the shutter.

High-quality images With a high resolution of 8.0 effective megapixels and a high-performance Pentax lens, the Optio M50 offers clear images.

5x optical zoom lens The Pentax Optio M50 is equipped with a 5x optical zoom lens (angle of view equivalent to 36 to 180 mm lens in 35 mm format). A perfect zoom for portraits, landscapes, and other settings, the camera also features a digital zoom function (approx. 1x to 5.1x) for a maximum zoom equivalent to 25.5x.

Generous 2.5-inch LCD monitor with wide viewing angle The Optio M50 features a large, 2.5-inch IPS LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots resolution for easy viewing of the screen during photography, playback and for easier camera operating and setting. With a wide viewing angle of approximately 170 degrees from all directions, the monitor also makes it easy to confirm images even from the side or when viewing images in a group.

Face Recognition AF and AE Featuring Face Recognition Auto Focus and Auto Exposure, the M50 can automatically detect and focus on up to 15 faces and set the optimum exposure. In addition, a Smile Capture function distinguishes smiles on a subject and automatically releases the shutter.

Evolved Auto Picture Unique to Pentax cameras, the Auto Picture mode allows the camera to automatically determine the shooting conditions and program settings for Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Normal, Flower and Sports mode.

Digital Shake Reduction Digital Shake Reduction mode reduces camera shake and blur by adjusting sensitivity automatically to as high as ISO 6400 to match the brightness of the subjects. This feature allows photography at faster shutter speeds with less blur.

Additional Features

• Movie recording function with shake reduction enabling high image quality rivaling camcorders
• mode palette provides quick access to 16 shooting conditions and 15 playback modes
• Panorama mode for stitching three photographs into 1 panoramic picture
• Auto-Macro allows for close-up photography as near as 5 inches (10cm) without changing the normal focusing mode
• Auto-tracking AF continuously focuses on a moving subject
• Date imprint function for easy image categorizing
• Approximately 51.1MB of built-in memory
• FotoNation’s red-eye compensation function for flash shots
• Includes the ACDSee for Pentax 3.0 image viewer/image management software that supports Windows Vista
• Support PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and Print Image Matching III

Product Description

Camera, OPTIO M50, LT.BLUE, 8MP, 5X

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Little Camera for Family and Vacation Photos, September 14, 2008

By 

Timothy B. Riley (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pentax Optio M50 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Pink) (Electronics)

I bought the Pentax Optio M50 as a gift. I chose this model for the following reasons:

* It is small and compact enough to always have with you
* It is very stylish (especially for a young girl). We got it in Pink to go with her pink iPod.
* I wanted a camera with a minimum of 8MP which is plenty for home use (I have advanced digital SLRs with 8MP and they take pro-quality images)
* The zoom ratio (5x) was much better than those found on other cameras in it's class (usually 3x)
* I like the feature that automatically detects and exposes for faces (although the "Auto-Smile" feature seems to be a hit-or-miss feature so I don't suggest using it)
* It is a good value for the price

A couple of things to be aware of though:

* There is no optical viewer, you must use the rear screen to compose the image
* The "shake reduction" feature is not true electronic image stabilization, which you can find or higher-end cameras. Instead it raises the sensitivity of the light sensing chip in low light which allows the use of a higher shutter speed at the same time giving you less detail in the resulting photo. Nice feature, but not as nice as IS which reduces or compensates for actual camera shake electronically.

Over all this is a great buy. Just a few years ago a camera like this would have cost at least twice as much. Considering it's features this is a very good value and Pentax is a name that you can trust.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Light weight and beautiful pictures, May 13, 2008

By 

Graciela Saud Sandoval - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pentax Optio M50 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Light Blue) (Electronics)

It's a powerful camera even when you get it light weight at first impression.
I recommend it, take beautiful pictures. Great quality.
The smile capture feature is great, so fun!
The zoom is a little to sensitive, it goes fast to the max value and you often have to zoom out to get the point you are looking for. But great if you want to go to the max zoom in fast.
I'm very pleased with my camera.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little camera., September 24, 2008

By 

V. Valle (Miami, Fl USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pentax Optio M50 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Pink) (Electronics)

It's small and very light so you can take it anywhere. Icons that are fun and easy to use. Takes great pictures. I love the soft flash mode, the warm skin tone mode and the rechargeable battery. The only thing is that I got it in pink, great color, but my little granddaughter thinks it's her toy!

2115|RJJED124H5BJ0;2115|R244VK6528FVLE;2115|R8Y4XMPDZ84OT;