Pentax OptioS5n Introduced

Pentax OptioS5n unveiled by Pentax UK. The OptioS5n is a stylish and compact 5 megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom lens and 2 inch LCD screen. The Optio S5n will cost £249.99 and be available in March.

Pentax Press Release

The PENTAX OptioS5n — a Stylish Digital Camera Combining a 2.0-inch LCD monitor, Ultra-compact Dimensions, High Performance and Exceptional Ease of Use

PENTAX introduces the new OptioS5n — a stylish and compact digital camera with ultra-compact, lightweight appeal. What’s more, it also offers the power of 5.0 effective megapixels and a 3X optical zoom lens incorporating PENTAX’s unique Sliding Lens System. Developed in line with the OptioS series concept of being “stylish and ultra-compact to enable it to be worn like an accessory”, there’s so much more to the OptioS5n than its stylish, elegant appearance. Indeed with an easy-to-see 2.0-inch large LCD monitor, a useful Mode Palette function that simplifies shooting and playback and the advantage of MPEG-4 file format for high-quality, extended duration movies, the OptioS5n is every bit as versatile as it is attractive. 

Major features

1. Stylish, ultra-compact body
A high-precision spindle effect of fine engraving has been applied to the silver surface of the OptioS5n’s high-quality aluminium body. This achieves a texture that exudes sophistication and catches the light, while each of the four corners has been carefully rounded to impart a sense of softness. Handling is further improved through the use of rubber material on the back and strategic design elements on the front that lead to a more confident grip.

The OptioS5n is also highly compact. In fact, through making use of the unique Sliding Lens System, the OptioS5n features a powerful 3X optical zoom lens, yet retains ultra-compact dimensions of just 83 (W) x 52 (H) x 20.5 (D)mm*1 and has a light weight of just 105 grams*2.

With such sophisticated looks and conveniently small dimensions, the OptioS5n is ideal not only for travelling, leisure and everyday shooting, but also for various business purposes too.
*1: Excluding controls and other protrusions
*2: Excluding batteries and SD memory card

2. Large, easy-to-view 2.0-inch LCD monitor
Despite its ultra-compact body, the OptioS5n incorporates a large 2.0-inch, TFT LCD monitor — the biggest in the popular OptioS series. It offers an approximate 100% field of view with the clarity of approximately 110,000 pixels, making it easy to confirm composition at the time of shooting and displaying images with high quality during playback.

3. Extremely easy Mode Palette
Selection of both shooting and playback modes simply couldn’t be any easier. Using the Mode Palette that displays 16 shooting icons and 11 playback icons on the monitor at once, the user is free to simply choose the one best suited to the scene at hand. Furthermore, the palette itself is also translucent, so the icons are displayed directly over the desired image for even easier mode selection.

4. Quick button customizes desired functions
The user has the freedom to assign up to three functions*1 to the handy Quick button for fast access. When the user assigns the “Fn Setting” to the Quick button, it provides a shortcut to four items out of a total of 11*2 choices. Alternatively, the user can enjoy the convenience of leaving the Quick button at its default setting, Green mode, which leaves all settings to the camera for a fully automatic shooting.
*1: Functions that can be assigned to the Quick button: Green Mode, Initialize Rec. Mode, Fn (Function) Setting
*2: Items that can be assigned to the Fn Setting: Recorded Pixels, Quality Level, White Balance, Focusing Area, AE Metering, Sensitivity, EV compensation, Sharpness, Saturation, Contrast and off

5. High image quality
A number of factors converge in the OptioS5n to achieve satisfyingly high image quality. A 1/2.5-inch primary colour CCD with the power of 5.25 total megapixels captures intricate detail with excellent resolution. A smc PENTAX lens delivers high-clarity by suppressing ghosting and flare. Furthermore, the OptioS5n also incorporates a new ASIC (Area Specific Integrated Circuit) to provide strengthened image processing performance, while noise reduction has been taken to a superior level. As a result of all these advantages, the OptioS5n combines clarity and true-to-life colour gradations with meticulous colour compensation.

6. Movie shooting with in-camera editing
Offering movie shooting with 640x480 recording pixels at the smooth rate of 30fps (frames per second), the OptioS5n delivers movie quality comparable to a television image. The OptioS5n is also a first in the OptioS series in that it offers the new advantage of an MPEG-4* image compression system. In comparison to the conventional AVI (motion JPEG) system, the MPEG-4 recording format enables the user to record longer movies on the same memory card.  The user can also conduct various editing tasks in-camera following shooting, such as “Save as still image,” “Divide” and “Cut and stitch”.
*Recorded images on the OptioS5n can be played back on computers with Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP with Windows Media Player 9 or later installed. Not compatible with Windows 98/NT and Macintosh machines.

7. Handy camera stand charges batteries still in the camera and spares at the same time
The camera stand charges batteries while they are inside the camera. Furthermore, it has space for spare batteries too, which begin charging as soon as the ones inside the camera are fully charged. The OptioS5n also offers the additional convenience of being compatible with different voltages ranging from 100V to 240V (50/60Hz) — enabling users to take it along on travels and recharge it virtually anywhere in the world*.
*Requires a commercially available power plug adaptor.

8. Other features
1) Quick response with approx. 0.01 sec.* shutter release time lag
2) SD memory card compatibility, approx. 9.3MB built-in memory
3) USB2.0 (HIGH-SPEED) compatibility, AV cable connects the OptioS5n to a
TV
4) Auxiliary AF light (on/off switchable)
5) Standard image viewer, ACDSee for PENTAX software
6) Up to 4X digital zoom
7) Super macro mode allows the user to shoot as close as 6cm from the subject
8) DPOF function, Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching III compatibility
9) PictBridge compatibility
*Time taken from the moment the shutter release is fully depressed following focus lock to the moment the shutter opens, when the flash is switched off.

PENTAX, smc PENTAX, Optio are trademarks of PENTAX Corporation.
All other brands or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
This product supports PRINT Image Matching III. PRINT Image Matching enabled digital still cameras, printers and software help photographers to produce images more faithful to their intentions. Some functions are not available on printers that are not PRINT Image Matching III compliant.
Copyright 2001 Seiko Epson Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Print Image Matching is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
The PRINT Image Matching logo is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Design and Specifications is subject to change without notice.

Published: Sunday, February 13, 2005

Reader Comments

1. Mark, thank you for your postings on the Pentax cameras, and your response to my email. This is very helpful. I'll start checking to see if they are out yet.
   
   Carolyn

   Carolyn Lancaster at 03:59pm on Thursday, March 17, 2005

2. I'm in the market for this Pentax S5n camera as I accidently smashed my S4i. However I can't find it through pricegrabber or any of those other price comparison websites. Is this camera not going to be released in March as they said? I'm kind of getting the impression it's not going to be released in the U.S. too, even though it was at the PMA in Florida. Do you have any info on when and where I can buy this camera? I'd rather have the n instead of the s5i because of the larger screen and the better video. Any info which will help me get the camera of choice, would be much appreciated.
   Thanks.
   Dale

   Dale Jensen at 03:44pm on Thursday, April 28, 2005