Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date 35mm Camera

by Pentax

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 2 x 2.6 inches ; 8.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005B2CU
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,654 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 3, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

At about the height of a normal roll of film, the Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date camera is extremely compact and lightweight, yet it packs a powerful 38-130mm, 3.4x zoom lens for close, detailed pictures. The zoom macro feature lets you get even closer for amazing photographs of flowers, insects, and other small subjects. For those times when the standard print format doesn't fit your scene, you can switch to panorama mode and ensure that you capture the entire sweeping landscape, and that no one gets left out of a large group shot.

The IQ Zoom 130M takes the guesswork out of framing your shot with its actual-image viewfinder; it shows you the image size in relation to your zoom setting, giving you a precise preview of your finished photo, while the adjustable diopter lets you set the viewfinder image to your personal eyesight requirements. A high-precision, passive five-point autofocus system ensures clean, sharp images every time, even if you're shooting from a distance or through a window. The spot autofocus setting keeps your subject in focus, whether it is off in the background or other subjects are in the foreground.

The built-in flash has several modes so you can pick the setting that best suits the lighting conditions of your scene; chose from flash-on, flash-off (museum mode), slow shutter sync (sunset mode), bulb sync with or without flash for special effects, and bulb (evening mode) for great pictures in any lighting condition. The backlight compensation feature uses the available natural lighting, instead of the flash, to improve the balance of light between your subject and the background. To help reduce the distracting red-eye effect that a flash often causes, the IQ Zoom 130M has a red-eye reduction feature that keeps your subject's eyes clear and natural-looking. When the six-segment multipattern metering system is combined with the built-in flash, you get a flawless exposure whatever the lighting conditions.

The Pentax IQ Zoom 130M also has a fail-safe film transport system that loads and advances your film automatically. The 10-second self-timer gives you plenty of time to join the shot. The time/date stamp lets you print the date or day and time on your images, if you want, so you'll never forget when you shot the roll of film. An easy-to-read external LCD panel shows you the settings for the exposure counter, date indication, zooming lever, battery exhaustion warning, flash-on, flash-off, slow shutter, bulb, infinity landscape, spot AF, self-timer, and red-eye reduction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

176 of 177 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good results from first 13 rolls of film, August 4, 2001

By 

"tecolli" (Glenwood, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date 35mm Camera (Electronics)

I bought this camera before going on a two-week vacation in the Mediterranean. Most of the pictures I took were outdoors, bright or hazy sunlight, but some cloudy and evening pictures as well. Almost all turned out well. I was extremely pleased with the results. I previously had a Minolta Freedom Zoom 90 from which I upgraded to get the date and panorama features. Panorama works great, mid-film or anywhere. Remember it doesn't expand the viewing area, so generally you have to be far enough away to see the whole panorama in the normal viewing area of the view finder. Controls are easy to use. Normally use autofocus and let the camera make the decisions. When shooting where there are objects in foreground off center and the center objects are much further away, autofocus will alert you to use spot focus or infinity. Good results with this. When shooting at night, the moonlight/noflash mode works well. But you must hold the camera still for 2 seconds after clicking the shutter. I didn't have a tripod, which is the correct way. Shots where I could hold the camera very steady turned out great. In doors, red eye feature helps. Excellent camera for the average casual photographer.

156 of 158 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Pictures, Easy to use, June 4, 2001

By 

Douglas B. Cote (Wyckoff, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date 35mm Camera (Electronics)

I bought this camera last week for my trip to the Tony Awards, and I was more than pleased with its performance. After a quick glance through the manual, the camera's functions were easy and convienent.

The camera has a lot of options, including different flashes, red eye reducer, and a great auto-focus. Everything worked perfectly, and I had no problems with the camera. Even the panorama mode was an easy change.

This camera is good for someone who knows a little about photography, and needs more than just a basic point and shoot. It is simple to use, and the pictures all came out crystal clear.

I would recommend this very small and very light camera to anyone who wants to take a good picture, with very little hassle.

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Features and Price = Great Value, December 27, 2001

By 

"waterlou" (Chalfont, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date 35mm Camera (Electronics)

We have been through several rolls of film, all with good results, indoors and out. The camera is very easy to use in the automatic point & shoot mode and I'm pleased with the availability of the additional settings provided (e.g. zoom, flash options, redeye reduction, auto timer, etc.). I especially like that the camera shutter has a Bulb mode for taking extended exposure shots. I will give it a try with some astrophotography....

The camera quality appears to be good and there were no defects noted. Comsumers Union has indicated that Pentax cameras have a lower "frequency of repair" than many other major brands (which is good). We recommend this camera.