Pentax Optio I-10

PENTAX Optio I-10

An eye-catching digital compact camera, offering a host of advanced features in a compact, lightweight body with classic styling

Mississauga, ON – January 25, 2010

PENTAX Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the introduction of the PENTAX Optio I-10 digital compact camera. The Optio I-10 offers a wide range of advanced features, incuding a high-performance wide-to-telephoto 5X optical zoom lens, approximately 12.1 effective megapixel CCD, high-quality HD movie recording, and upgraded Face Detection function that can detect even the faces of dogs and cats, in a compact body that has the look of a mini-SLR camera.

The Optio I-10 will be available in Canada mid-February 2010.

Major Features

1. Unique design inspired by an SLR camera
The Optio I-10’s unique, eye-catching design, reminiscent of SLR cameras of yesteryear, will surely create a sense of nostalgia for many users. By positioning components such as a flash unit and a speaker to the upper middle section of the camera body, and by reducing the height of both sides to a minimum, PENTAX was able to create this original SLR-shaped body with an elevated mid section. The center section of the camera’s front panel is elegantly textured to give a high-quality appearance while all other elements, including the near-centered lens and the PENTAX logo just above it, have been carefully designed to enhance the SLR camera image.

2. Upgraded face detection — detecting even the faces of dogs and cats
The Optio I-10 features a new-generation Face Detection AF & AE function, which instantly and accurately detects up to 32 faces in the image field, then catches them in sharp focus and in optimum exposure in just 0.03 seconds. In addition to popular features such as the innovative Small Face filter, this upgraded version is programmed to detect not only human faces, but also the faces of dogs and cats. When the user selects pre-registered dog or cat faces (up to three choices), the camera automatically recognizes them and optimizes focus and exposure. The user can even program the camera to automatically release the shutter the moment the subject’s face turns straight toward the camera. These features make it simple and effortless to capture delightful faces of active pets.

3. Optical 5X zoom lens for broad coverage, from wide angle to telephoto
Despite its compact dimensions, the Optio I-10 features a 5X optical zoom lens, covering focal lengths from 5.1mm to 25.5mm (equivalent to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto in 35mm format). This wide zoom range can easily handle a wide variety of subjects and scenes, from breathtaking landscapes, majestic architecture and group shots in a confined space, to tightly cropped photos shot from a distance. When coupled with the Intelligent and Digital Zoom functions, which allow even tighter zooming in on the subject, the zoom range can be extended to approximately 31.3 times.

4. Exceptional image quality
Combining the exceptional image resolution provided by approximately 12.1 effective megapixels, the faithful colour reproduction of the PENTAX-developed high-performance imaging engine, and the camera’s high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio I-10 delivers brilliant, high-quality images with well-defined details. Even when enlarged to larger sizes, the images ensure sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness.

5. Triple anti-shake protection to prevent different types of camera shake

1. CCD-shift-type SR mechanism
   The Optio I-10 incorporates an advanced CCD-shift-type SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism, which effectively compensates for camera shake by shifting the camera’s image sensor (CCD) horizontally and vertically in relation to the amount of shake detected by the high-accuracy gyro sensor. This sophisticated mechanism offers outstanding camera-shake compensation effect, equivalent to approximately up to 2.5 shutter steps, assuring sharply focused, blur-free images even under demanding photographic conditions prone to camera shake, such as when using the lens at telephoto or when shooting a sunset or indoor scene using only incident light.
2. High-Sensitivity Digital SR anti-shake mode*
   When it detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, the Optio I-10 automatically raises the sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of camera shake and subject movement under poor lighting conditions.
3. Movie SR mode**
   During movie recording, the Optio I-10 prevents blurry images by digitally minimizing annoying camera shake through the use of exclusive software.

* When the High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed to 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels).
** When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.

6. High-quality, HD-proportioned movie recording
The Optio I-10 captures beautiful, flawless movie clips at 16:9 high-definition TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels)*** at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. This mode also offers a variety of editing functions: still images can be extracted from movie clips, and title images can be added to the beginning and/or end of a movie clip, and more.
*** When the Optio I-10’s AV output terminal is used, movie clips are output as normal image-size data. If the user wishes to play back movie clips at high-definition-TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels), the data must be transferred to a personal computer for playback.

7. Subscreen Input function for constant display of a favourite image on the screen
The Optio I-10 offers the new and innovative Subscreen Input function, which allows the user to display a thumbnail of a recorded image in the upper left corner of the LCD panel. This function comes in handy when the user wants to use a recorded image as a reference to shoot subjects from the same angle and at the same image size every time (such as photographing prepared food in the same way to compile a recipe file), or when the user wants to constantly keep a favourite image on the screen.

8. Creative digital filters to process recorded images
The Optio I-10 comes equipped with 11 digital filters to add various visual effects to recorded images without the need for a computer. In addition to the conventional Monochrome and Sepia filters and the creative Toy Camera and Soft filters, the Optio I-10 offers the new Starburst filter, which creates cross-, heart- or star-shaped highlights from nighttime illuminations or reflections on the water. The user can apply one or multiple filters to a single image.

9. Other features

1. Wireless remote shooting is possible when using an optional PENTAX remote controller
2. Auto Picture mode automatically selects one of the eight shooting modes for the optimum result
3. D-Range setting, prevents washed out highlights (overexposed) and blocked up shadows (underexposed) in your pictures.
4. Original Frame function can add a decorative frame and/or letters/characters to a recorded image
5. Digital Panorama mode creates a single panoramic picture from as many as three images
6. Digital Wide mode creates a panoramic, ultra-wide-angle picture (equivalent to an image taken with an approx. 21mm lens in the 35mm format) from two images with a 3:2 ratio, ideal for use on the MLS system.
7. Menu Magnification function enlarges menu items for easier viewing
8. Eye-Fi connected: optimized for use with Eye-Fi wireless memory cards
9. MediaImpression 2.0 for PENTAX image viewing, editing and filing software included (compatible with latest operation systems, Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6)

PENTAX Canada Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of HOYA CORPORATION PENTAX Imaging Systems Division of Japan and maintains offices in Mississauga. PENTAX Canada Inc. markets digital SLR and compact cameras, lenses, sport optics, closed circuit television lenses and medical equipment.

PENTAX on the web at www.pentax.ca