Pentax Optio E50: Review

Posted to Digital Cameras 2008-12-08

Pentax Optio E50 Review:

The 8.1 megapixel Pentax Optio E50 with its 2.4 inch LCD screen, 3x zoom and multiple picture modes is a basic, point and shoot camera and is great for the casual user who just wants a simple camera to take pictures.

Some other features include face detection, shake reduction technology, movie mode and a voice recorder to take notes with. There is also some in-camera framing options for photos; however, they may not be up to everyone's liking.

Rating:

3.2 out of 5

Value

This is a very basic, middle of the pack camera. It's not going to fluff your feathers, but it is capable of taking decent photos. It would be especially great for the young user as it is not too expensive, is extremely portable, and user friendly with point and click in mind. It's a good value considering and you can now find this camera for around a $100. There aren't many advanced options on this camera, so if you're looking for a lot of photo manipulation you need to look elsewhere, but quick shots for random moments, the E50 is a good choice.

Features

Pretty stark on the features, but again, consider the price too. For its price range it does offer a nice sized 2.4 inch LCD screen. Three different picture modes including: Auto, Green and Program modes plus movie and voice capture are also available. The shake reduction technology is not the same as optical image stabilization, but it does help to minimize blurriness in the picture.

Performance

An 8.1 megapixel sensor is nice. However, start up time is slower as is expected with this value of digital camera. Shutter time though makes up for it as pre-focus lag is almost non-existent and focusing acquisition took about 2-3 seconds which is about average for this value of digital camera. Face detection worked just above average though it can lock onto random objects on occasion, especially in low light situations. The flash again was average for this value of digital camera. Due to the limited amount of options the E50 provides, there isn't a lot of time needed to navigate the menus, but the icon-based menus are easy to understand and quick to move through. The buttons are all conveniently located on the right of the camera allowing single-handed manipulation of the buttons when necessary.

Summary

While the Pentax Optio E50 might not be overly state of the art, it can accomplish the task for the quick picture here and there. Again, it's great for the young user or even someone new to the digital camera realm. Those looking for high picture quality or more advanced will not be satisfied, so keep looking.

Pros

Great starter digital camera
Easy to use menu
8.1 mega pixel
2.4 inch LCD

Cons

There are no cons for this product