Customer Reviews

Pentax X90 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 26x Super-Telephoto Triple Shake Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The pictures come out really well and almost professional looking. The camera responds well, feels really comfortable in the hand, with the controls easily accessible and responsive. I was looking for an inexpensive camera like the Nikon P100 but without too many picture taking compromises and without AA batteries. So the X90 fits the bill, yet, the missing lens thread, manual pop-up flash and the childish scene options interface make it a bit awkward overall. I am tempted to keep it though because it is pretty fast in startup, while less so in flash charging, light weight and capable of tremendous zoom. It looks great here on Amazon but rather amateurish once I opened the box. Of course, I shouldn't expect that much from a camera in this price range, and perhaps I should just appreciate the terrific picture quality this baby is capable of - so thanks Pentax, a job well done albeit it a bit lacking in some regards, Wish I really could have that Fuji E900 in an upgraded version, but the Pentax X90 will do for now.

UPDATED

After taking a number of shots with the camera over the past few weeks I can say that it performs remarkably well. Sure, it's not a professional camera but the clarity is astounding at this price point. The image stabilization is world class IMHO. Both at macro and tele, the camera performs excellently. There were a few situations in which it underperformed. A friend's Samsung P&S was able to get better backlit portrait shots (the background came out much better - but that same Samsung did a terrible job with any other portrait shot so Pentax left it far in the dust overall), and I had to adjust the flash to -2.0 to reduce the strength. The default settings of the camera have the flash set for super bright and white balance to wash out most colors. This is adjustable once I became familiar with the menu options. What I really, really like about it is that it remembers all your custom settings. I have one at Program, Scene, and Manual. Each time I want to take three different shots to get a variety of results in difficult lighting conditions, all I have to do is turn the dial to another mode and it automatically returns to my previous setting. When I couldn't get a good outdoor portrait shot of my wife, I turned to Manual mode, adjusting the aperture such that I got good exposure with the flash and in the background. The options are virtually endless! The camera says it's made in Indonesia if that is important to you. Excellent job Pentax!

PROS
Numerous customization options for the beginner and advance amateur
Superb image stabilization
Relatively small size
Excellent fit and grip for average size hands
Excellent image quality for the price
Li-Ion battery for large number of shots

CONS
Awkward menu options, takes many clicks to get what you want (but that's too be expected considering how many options there are)
Awkward lens cap (comes off easily)
Build quality average, when you shake the camera you can feel the lens moving about a little
Charging unit comes with separate cord. The plug should have been built in for easier carrying (like Panasonic in same price class).
No lens thread. This is actually a major disadvantage because a polarizing filter could make lots of outdoor pictures with this camera much better than they already are. In this economy, Pentax should have taken the trouble to put a thread in, even if it were plastic, IMHO.

UPDATED JANUARY 12, 2011

Since Amazon has it back in stock, let me expand a bit on my experience with it. After several months of extensive use, I no longer find the lens cap issue to be a big problem. Even though I put the camera right into a shoulder bag with other items or in a backpack or briefcase, the lens has yet to get scratched by anything. The cap comes off quite easily, but that's actually an advantage too, I flip it off with a finger of the same hand that's holding it. The viewfinder is excellent and gives you all the info you need. I make much more use of it then I thought in the beginning.

Image quality in wide angle mode is pretty amazing overall. The only problem I find is with the panoramic function. It could be just me but I have the hardest time lining up the overlapping parts. The camera guides me through the process so it should be a piece of cake but the results are always off somehow.

Now that I live close to the beach I take more wildlife and surfing pictures. Chromatic aberration is noticeable especially at the longest zoom setting in higher contrast situations. I love the long zoom, rarely do I take pictures in between the wide angle and farthest zoom setting.

VIDEO

I have yet to get any useful video out of the camera. It's always overexposed and jittery. Don't buy this if you're planning to shoot video with it!

Hi there i want everyone to know, i finally have found a great point and shoot camera, i have owned many cameras including the panasonic f35 which has great ratings, how ever the pentax has gone a few steps forward. Its great having an electic view finder as well as a nice size screen, the 26 xx zoom is fantastic. The camera is made well, in gun metal blue. it really come close to using my slr, with out carrying all the lenses, etc, Thank You Pentax.

I ordered this to take pics of the kids playing baseball, getting awards, and all of the other fun stuff kids do. I received the camera in my hand less than 24 hours after ordering it. It has a slight learning curve, but only took a little time to get. I am so pleased, I recommended the camera to a co worker, and she ordred one as well. It takes great pics. So vivid. Well, thats my $.02. Thanks so much.

For the price and performance I was quite delighted. I had wanted a small sized camera with a SLR and also with see through viewing. LCD screens have their place but they can be difficult in light/shadow environments. Simply put, it was simple to use and served ny needs.

I have had this camera for more then a month. I have taken well over a thousand photos and am thoroughly impressed with the camera overall. The super macro is outstanding. I have taken so many close ups of very small things....(Ex. Ladybug eggs, small dragonflies, water droplets on greenery)that numerous people have asked me what camera am I using. I have also taken some really cool digital zoom photos as well. I am an amateur photographer and have used Fuji, Hp, Pentax SLR 35mm. I find that every photographer and their camera will not take perfect pictures 100 percent of the time but if you read your manual and enjoy taking photos you will not only find awesome ways to use this camera but you will not want to let go of this camera.

Some Pros:Amazing super macro, digital zoom, anti shake, many shooting options, ease of use, fun pre-installed picture frames, night time with flash, good size screen, viewfinder, battery charges a quick hour and a half. A cinch to connect to PC.

Some Cons; lightweight, not enough rubber grip, I would have liked a larger grip area, lens cap(but similar camera lens caps generally come the same),battery life about 200 or so pictures. Picture playback option a bit awkward (have to hold power button and play button together? Just play button would have been fine.

Conclusion.... At the new much lower price (Price was higher when I bought it) I would tell you to jump with both feet! Awesome camera for this price point Period. I have some photos up from this camera..check them out!

I am very pleased with my new camera, although I've only shot about 200 pictures so far and not in every condition. I took a bunch of shots out on the water on a very blue, sunny day and was extremely pleased at how well they came out. The zoom is fantastic. My favorite feature by far. The only feature I'm not fond of is the flash and the fact that you have to manually turn it on before you can use it. After using a point and shoot where the flash was 100% automatic, it is difficult to remember to turn the flash on before you take the shot. This is my second Pentax camera and I would definitely recommend this one to anyone.

I purchased this camera about a month ago and love it. Still reading and becoming familiar with it's uses, but it is really easy. I am not a professional photographer, but I know a good picture when I see it. This camera takes great pics. I also ordered 16GB card and 2 Wasabi batteries for the camera when I purchaesd it. Batteries are great and card is to. I love the camera! Also, It has a small built in memory capacity. I would recommend to the casual user that enjoys taking pictures of family, landscapes, and events.

We shopped over 6 months before we got this camera and trust me the price alone was the closing piece. But overall this is the best camera we have ever used and the pictures are great. We will re order from this company in the future.

all i can say is WOW, great value for money it is just brilliant for new wanabe photographers, it is a good price it has a great zoom and is not to bulky, I like the fact that it is a point and shoot camera but you can also play with the settings and do manual focus etc. I am not planing on being a profetional photographer but this is all you will ever need foor family photos and is also good at long shot photos of the family pet and the birds they are chasing.

all in all a great buy

I did a lot of research to find a hybrid camera - one with the features of SLR, and the convenience of a digital point-and-shoot. Some of my photographer friends helped me learn some terminology and made recommendations, but in the end, I had to make my own decision.

The Pentax X-90 has the features you'd find on hybrid cameras heavily advertised on television, but costs much less. It's not terribly heavy, offers tons of options, and is easy to use. If you buy the special memory card, you can also transfer your media from the camera to your computer wirelessly.

Image stabilization is awesome on this camera. My hands always shake a little, making it difficult to get clear images, especially in low light. Don't get me wrong, for some photos, you still need a tripod, but I was surprised how crisp most of my photos are. I love the electronic viewfinder, too. The LCD screen is pretty good in the sun, but nothing surpasses a viewfinder on a sunny day.

Getting started is easy, too, because there are settings for many situations, like sports, portraits, and landscapes. You can even set the camera to automatic if you want. The placement of the buttons and the icons is quite intuitive. I was changing settings every which way really quickly, something I'm not able to do with my point-and-shoot.

Now that I have this camera, I may become a hobbyist. This camera is fun to use! I uploaded a few images so you can see the kind of results a newbie can obtain.