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Pentax Optio M40 Reviews: Digital Compact Camera

Photo of Pentax Optio M40 Digital Camera

7 Real Customer Reviews - In Summary

“Does everything you want but remains small and compact” Pauline, Burgess Hill View all 7 real customer reviews

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Product Details

2.5" Screen, 3x optical zoom, SD Card storage More »

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Expert reviews
Product details
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Real customer reviews

7 verified purchasers have reviewed this product.
90% of people recommend it.

Show scores of…

All purchasers (7)

Build Quality	9.0
Ease of use	9.4
Features	9.4
Image quality	9.1
Value for money (at time of purchase)	9.6
Overall rating	9.3

*not all purchasers provided a score or review

Score 10.0/10

Pauline, Burgess Hill

+ does everything you want but remains small and compact

- silver strap holder at side a bit obtrusive

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10 of 10 people found this review helpful

purchased 27 Nov 2007

Score 8.0/10

Loizos , Manchester

+ cheap and quite nice pics :)

- havent found any yet

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

purchased 31 Jan 2008

Score 10.0/10

Anonymous verified purchaser

+ Excellent camera for the money. Image quality is excellent and the range of exposure options is good. Large, clear lcd screen. Camera is very slim and weighs very little which means you are more likely to take it with you. Movie mode is exceptional with great quality images.

- None

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purchased 29 Jan 2008

Score 9.0/10

Mikey, Doncaster

+ Hi Res, compact, Li battery and great value for money.

- Not the highest quality, or the most comprehensive features, but for that you would have to pay a lot more.

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purchased 06 Feb 2008

Score 10.0/10

Pauline, Eastbourne

+ A real pleasure to use I am completely satisfied

- Nothing that I have found

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purchased 27 Feb 2008

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Expert reviews for Pentax Optio M40

PC Advisor expert review - by James Nolan

The sales blurb that comes with Pentaxﾒs Optio M40 states that its new camera is "a standard-class compact digital camera that is easy to carry". Talk about under-selling a brilliant product.

This Pentax Optio M40 review continued on PC Advisor

reviewed 05 Nov 2007

Product Features

Camera Type	Compact
There are 2 main types of camera: The SLR and the Compact. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras use a prism to reflect the exact image as seen through the lens and so offers a more accurate viewfinder. SLR cameras have detachable lenses offering greater flexibility if you wish to take a variety of different photographs. Compact cameras have a built in lens and an ‘above lens’ viewfinder which is less accurate but they are often cheaper, more sleekly designed and easier to carry anywhere with you to capture that moment perfectly without having to fiddle with complex settings or a bag full of lenses.
Optical Zoom Ratio	3
The amount by which the camera optics (lens) can bring the subject closer.
Screen Size in Inches	2.5
Screen size is measured diagonally from corner to corner.
Digital Zoom Ratio	4
Not to be confused with optical zoom, digital zoom enlarges a portion of the image thus simulating optical zoom. In doing so, some image quality is lost.
Face Recognition	Yes
A function for automatically detecting peoples faces and correctly adjusting the focus and exposure to take the best photo
Image Stabilisation	No
If a photo is taken at a slow shutter speed, or at a long focal length, the effects of ‘hand shake’ will be amplified. Some cameras come with built-in image stabilisation which is designed to act against this to produce sharper images. It’s great for low light shots without a tripod, like at a gig.
Colour	Silver
The main colour of the product.
Memory Card Slot	Yes
Having a memory card slot allows you to save data to a memory card and then transfer it to another device. For example you may put a photo from your camera or mobile phone onto a memory card and then plug it into your printer to print directly. Memory card slots come in many formats: Compact Flash Card Memory Stick Duo Micro SD Card MMC SD Card SDHC Card
Media Format	SD Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
Media Format	SDHC Card
This is the type of storage that your digital camera or camcorder uses to save images to. The main types of card media format: Compact Flash Micro SD MMC (Multi Media Card) SD Card (Secure Digital) SDHC (Secure Disk High Capacity)
PictBridge	No
An industry standard allowing images to be printed from camera to printer, without needing a computer. CIPA PictBridge Standard Website
Macro Mode	Yes
This mode allows close-up photograpy of small objects such as insects and flowers.
Video Recorder	Yes
Video recording functionality allows the capture of videos in mpeg or avi format which is great if you want to capture a whole scene, not just one moment.
Manual Focus	Yes
Almost all modern cameras have autofocus. Manual focus allows you to override the autofocus and set the distance yourself. This is especially useful if your camera is struggling to focus in a low-light or confusing scene.
Timer	Yes
Having a timer function is essential if you want to get into the shot yourself. Make sure your camera has this feature if you plan to go on holiday and capture photos of you and your friends or family having fun together.
Under Water	No
An under water feature means your camera is safe to dive with, usually between 3 and 5 metres. Most dSLR cameras will require expensive separate housing so consider investing in a waterproof digital compact first.
Dimensions (mm)	57.5x97.5x18
The size of the device in millimetres, in width x height x depth.
Weight (g)	115
The weight of the product in grams.
Flash	Yes
Whether or not your camera has an in-built flash. Flashes are essential for fully capturing a low light image.
Body Only	No
dSLR cameras have detachable lenses and are sold in a variety of combinations. This facet lets you know whether the package your are considering comes bundled with a lens or whether it is just the body of the camera.
Resolution (Pixels)	3264x2448
A camera sensor, that captures the photograph, is measured in pixels. The number given here is the horizontal amount of pixels followed by the vertical quantity of pixels. The more pixels a camera sensor has, the bigger and higher quality the image will be.
Shortest Shutter Speed	2000
This is the fastest speed at which the camera can take a photo. Faster shutter speeds really freeze the action and are great for sports photography.
Longest Shutter Speed	4"
This is the longest exposure your camera will take. The longer you take a photo for, the more light is let in and the more motion is captured. Long shutter speeds can give fantastic, artistic results. Try photographing the night sky at 30s or longer to see how the rotation of the Earth causes the stars to curve through the scene.
Max. Aperture Lens 1	f3.1-5.9
Measured in f-stops the aperture of a lens dictates the maximum amount of light captured. If you want to do low light photography look for something with a wide aperture like f2.8. The widest aperture is given as a range as it changes when your lens is zoomed in.
In-Built Memory (MB)	22

USB Port	Yes
Socket for connecting devices such as a computers and other components

Digital Cameras Buyers' Guide

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Manufacturer's Description

The PENTAX Optio M40, a standard-class compact digital camera that is easy to carry, with an ultra-slim and lightweight body. The Optio M40 is well-balanced with basic functions and high resolution of 8.0 megapixels.

While the Optio M40 comes with an ultra-slim metallic body of sophisticated sense, is equipped with enhanced basic functions such as; 3X optical zoom, a large and easily viewable LCD monitor, excellent operability, it also realizes much higher resolution. In addition, the Optio M40 also includes a face recognition function and an anti-shake function, for which there are high market needs, and has been created as a user-friendly model that can be broadly used by many people at various scenes.

An ultra-slim body with a sophisticated texture
8.0 effective megapixels produce exceptionally fine-detailed photos
Digital SR (Shake Reduction)
“Face Recognition AF & AE” function that is convenient when photographing portraits
Diversity of flash photography possible
Auto Picture mode automatically determines the best settings for the shooting conditions
Variety of 16 different photography modes that can be selected according to the purpose
3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom for a maximum magnification of about 12X
Large, easy-to-view 2.5-inch LCD monitor