Amazon.com Product Description

The SAFOX VI phase-matching autofocus system assures that the Pentax ZX-30 camera body gives you high-precision, high-speed autofocus operation, even under low light conditions. If your subject is in motion, the predictive autofocus function automatically activates and predicts the subject's position at the moment of shutter release for pinpoint focusing. In addition, the six-segment multipattern metering system gives you optimum results, even in difficult, high-contrast lighting conditions, such as side-lighting and backlit situations.

With six-selectable picture modes: standard program, portrait program, landscape program, close-up program, action program, and night scene program, complicated exposure control is simplified. Mode selection is simple and straightforward; all you do is turn the mode dial to the picture mode that best fits your scene and your picture is properly exposed. To further improve the quality of your images, the ZX-30 also offers two conventional autoexposure modes, aperture-priority AE and shutter-priority AE, as well as metered manual mode and bulb mode. These features give you the creative freedom to expose your images as you want, not according to the preset picture modes.

If low-light and/or backlight conditions are detected, the built-in flash pops up and discharges automatically. The flash unit also makes a brief discharge in the dark to assist the camera's AF system. Normally complicated flash techniques, like daylight sync, slow-shutter sync, and bulb sync are simple to use (even when used in combination with a dedicated flash unit), thanks to the ZX-30's advanced TTL flash control system. When using the flash, the red-eye reduction feature helps reduce those unsightly red dots from your subject's eyes.

By pressing the memory-lock button, you can store the present exposure value in memory for 20 seconds and recompose the image without changing the value. The exposure compensation feature lets you shift exposure across a range of +/-3, in + 1/2EV increments, giving you the ability to create interesting visual effects. An easy-to-read bar-graph indicator is visible in the viewfinder, so you can see your current compensation value. Multiple exposure allows creative effects such as multiple appearances of the same subject on a single frame. Set your own pace with three drive modes, including single-frame advance, consecutive-frame advance at two frames per second, and a self-timer with a 12-second delay.

The fixed molded penta-mirror viewfinder has a natural-bright-matte focusing screen and lets you check on several of your camera's indicators, including: shutter speed, aperture value, exposure compensation, close-up program, action program, and night scene program. You can also check settings on the external LCD, such as: film loading, film advance, film rewind, film loading error, auto pop-up flash function, red-eye reduction flash, and battery exhaustion warning. ... Read more

Features

• SAFOX VI phase-matching autofocus system for high-precision, high-speed autofocus operation
• Six-selectable picture modes for simple exposure control
• Built-in flash pops up and discharges automatically if low-light and/or backlight conditions are detected
• Several features for creative control over images
• Lens not included

Reviews (1)

easy
I like it better than my pz-70 you can get to manuel fast ... Read more

Features

• Designed for proprietary PENTAX Kaf Mount
• Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens for superior sharpness and color correction
• Responsive Quick-Shift Focus System allows instant shift from AF to MF
• Image circle is designed to match the CCD used in PENTAX digital SLRs
• Convert focal length to 24.5mm-69mm with *ist D (optional)

Features

• May be compatible with other current or future models as specified here or by the manufacturer

Amazon.com Product Description

The Pentax SMCP-A Zoom 35-80mm f4.0-f5.6 lens is a manual-focus lens that can be used with all Pentax SLR camera bodies. It will fit on a Pentax AF SLR camera, but it will not focus automatically. At just over 2 inches and weighing only 6.5 ounces, the lens is easy to take with you anywhere. ... Read more

Features

• Can be used on all Pentax SLR camera bodies
• Minimum focus distance of 1.3 feet
• Lens construction of 7 elements in 6 groups
• Fully automatic diaphragm

Reviews (3)

Pretty good for the price
This lens came with my Pentax ZX-M camera and has served me well. I use it mostly to document paintings but have also taken some black and white portraits with it. It's reasonably sharp, has enough contrast, and gives good colors. Of course it's not as sharp as a prime lens but it's a good, economical, all around lens.

Incorrect rating?
If it was that wonderful, why did you give it only 1 star? I can only assume you made a mistake

Pentax SMCP-A Zoom 35-80mm manual Focus Lens
This lens is really well put together like all genuine brand name Pentax products. The zoom range from 35-80 mm offers great versatility, from wide angel shots to very nice crisp and clear close up shots. 35mm ideal for wide landscape shots and 80mm ideal for close-up portraits of people. This lens has given me lots of enjoyment. It operates exceptionally well, my pictures are crips and clear. It was a pleasure to operate this lens on my Pentax camera. A great deal for a lens of this high standard. Well done Pentax ! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Pentax SMCP-A Zoom 80-200mm f4.7-f5.6 lens is a manual-focus lens that can be used with all Pentax SLR camera bodies. It will fit on a Pentax AF SLR camera, but it will not focus automatically. At just under 4 inches and weighing only 10.4 ounces, the lens can go anywhere with you. ... Read more

Features

• Can be used on all Pentax SLR camera bodies
• Minimum focus distance of 3.6 feet
• Lens construction of 11 elements in 7 groups
• Fully automatic diaphragm

Amazon.com Product Description

The Pentax SMCP-FA 28-70mm f4.0 lens has a fully automatic diaphragm and a minimum focus distance of just 1.3 feet. At just under three inches and only 8.4 ounces, this lens is easy to take with you everywhere. ... Read more

Features

• Works with all Pentax SLR camera bodies
• Lens construction of 9 elements in 7 groups
• Lightweight and extremely portable
• Fully automatic diaphragm
• Minimum focus distance of 1.3 feet

Features

• Quartz Dating
• f/6.3-f/12.5 lens
• Infrared active autofocus system
• Focusing Range -2.6 ft. to infinity
• Shutter -Programmed AE electronic lens shutter

Reviews (1)

love this camera
this camera is lightweight and easy to use. the zoom lens makes it perfect for taking pictures at a distance or you can zoom in for that close-up. It also features red-eye reduction and a auto-timer. It also has the date display which comes in pretty handy This camera is a must have. Great camera for a great price!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Though the Pentax ZX-5N autofocus camera body has all of the popular attributes of its predecessor, the ZX-5, several sophisticated features--such as six-segment metering, center-weighted metering, spot metering, as well as a TTL phase-matching autofocus system--have been added. A single turn of the metering mode switch lets you select one of the three metering mode options, giving you full control in any lighting situation. The automatic exposure compensation, which works with the multipattern metering system in the autoexposure mode, lets you try many creative options. Pentax's original electronic control mechanism also lets you preview your image in any exposure mode. Simply push the preview button and you can pinpoint the exact in-focus area (depth-of-field) of your image in relation to the selected aperture.

The TTL (through the lens) phase-matching autofocus system gives you high-quality, crisply focused images, no matter the lighting conditions. You get to choose between one of two autofocus frames--three-point or spot AF--whichever suits your individual preference or needs. The autobracketing is easy-to-use and automatically takes three different exposures: normal, under-, and overexposed of the same scene in 1EV or 1/2 EV steps; using a simple dial control, you can quickly shift exposure across a range of +/- 3EV in 1/2EV steps. This feature works when using flash photography, too.

When you want to frame the same scene a little differently, you can simply push the memory lock button and your current settings are memorized for 10 seconds. This lets you recompose your subject without changing all of your settings. If the standard setting just doesn't capture the scene, you can switch to panorama mode at any frame on a roll of film. This is perfect for large group shots or landscapes. In addition, you can also set your own pace with three drive modes: single-frame advance, consecutive-frame advance at two frames per second, and a self-timer with a 12-second delay.

With all of these options, it could be easy to forget what your camera's indications and settings are. However, the ZX-5N has a multidata, fixed pentaprism viewfinder and easy-to-read LCD panel so you can keep track of all your information, such as: the exposure frame number, exposure compensation factor, battery exhaustion warning, flash use recommendation, and recharge completion/incompletion. The LCD panel even has an automatic brightness level adjustment, so you can easily check your settings whether it's day or night. ... Read more

Features

• Autobracketing takes normal, under-, and over-exposed images
• Viewfinder and easy-to-read LCD panel help keep track of the settings
• 6-segment metering, center-weighted metering, and spot metering
• Preview your image in any exposure mode with the electronic control mechanism
• Lens not included

Reviews (5)

Fantastic concept, but limited flexibility.
I really love this camera! Why do I then just rate it as a 4? Although I think this camera deserved to be SLR of the year when it came, it lacks some of the flexibility that would be nessessary for a 5 rating. The manual shutter speeds are to few and too far apart. The shortest shutter speed is 1/2000 and the longest 2 seconds, which somewhat limits your ability for different light situations. Otherwise, the handling of the camera makes it easy and logical to work with. No need to spend ours reading the manual to be able to take advantage of the different exposure modes.

Easy to use
My first camera was a Pentax ME which I wore out. Because I had such good luck with the ME, I purchased this camera as a replacement. I found it very easy to use and the built in flash with the red-eye flash to be very helpful. My only complaint is that if you use the built in flash the batteries in the camera do not last as long. Also the built in flash does not light large areas very well. I like the fact that the camera will not take a picture if there is not enough light.

I'm still a huge PENTAX fan after 20+ years with them!
I grew up in a photography family and my Dad gave me a Pentax MX when I was pretty young. It was great for high school yearbook photos and photography class, then later on in college for more photo classes. I ended up with a Minolta Maxxum for a little while (4si, I believe) and ended up finding every little limitation it had and being very annoyed with it in the long run. Then it occurred to me that that wonderful "brick" MX that I had had for so long was still great, so why not try a modern Pentax. After great debate as to which model to purchase, I settled on the ZX-5 (the predecessor to the ZX-5n...the same without one or two little options). The reason I chose it was because the layout of the controls was so intuitive, as the MX was...I could switch easily from one to the other with no difficulty whatsoever. I am a semi-professional photographer and have done everything from private model photo shoots to wedding photography and have loved every minute with my ZX-5 and have come out with some great results! I highly recommend this to any photographer who is in classes due to the fact that it has a full manual mode, to the amateur who just wants better quality photos than the little point and shoots produce, or even the professional due to the many settings on the camera and accessories that are readily available for this model. If you are looking for something similar in Nikon, Canon, or Minolta, then check this one out and I bet you 9 times out of 10 that the Pentax has a better price...same for the accessories!

Really Good, But . . .
I've had this camera for over two years and I really like it. Very easy to use but with lots of advanced features. Also, it's fairly light-weight so it's easy to carry. My only complaint - and it's a big one - is that higher-end lenses (zooms with 2.8 aperature) for this camera are very expensive and not quite as good as a comparable Nikon.

pentax rocks
i first used a pentax in my yearbook class in high school. i soon became photography editor because of the great shots i captured ... thanks all to the camera! my friend has this camera and has let me borrow it. I love it!! it is easy to use and has the great features of past pentax slr's but it gives you more options as far as the lighting goes. ill admit if you dont know about lighting it might be confusing at first. however the manual explains it well and it is fun to learn how to manipulate the settings by just fooling around and having fun. this camera is definitely worth your investment in fact i am buying one for myself! ... Read more

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. ... Read more

Features

• Powerful 38-130mm, 3.4x zoom lens for close, detailed pictures
• Actual image viewfinder
• Fail-safe film loading that loads and advances the film automatically
• Six-segment multipattern metering system and built-in flash
• Easy-to-read external LCD panel for quick check camera settings

Reviews (31)

Disappointed
I had a very good picture taking Pentax 105 point-n-shoot bought sometime around 1992. It was large and black, but comfortable... and photos were very clear, very vibrant... everything was in focus. Pictures taken indoors in poorly lit conditions were adequately lit, with NO red eye. Even though the Pentax 105 had a red-eye reduction feature, I never needed it, because the camera simply took great pictures without it. Unfortunately, my old Pentax 105 recently quit working so off to the store to try some new models.

Figuring there must be new and better technology developments that have happened in photography the last 10 years, I was hopeful that it would be a matter of simply getting another Pentax point and shoot(in this case the Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date) to achieve the same excellent, if not better, picture quality.

Boy was I disappointed. Yes, this camera has some very capable features. The pictures were clear and the colors vibrant. Pictures on max zoom were a bit grainy, but still in focus... I expected this. The user interface, buttons, and ergonomics are the best of the cameras I tried (Canon 115u, Olympus models, and Nikon). And the flash is better than many of the other point and shoot cameras out there because it more evenly disperses the light, somewhat reducing the bright-face/black-backgound effect common on other small point-n-shoot cameras. Unfortunately, the red eye on the photos produced with this camera is horrendous. I'm not just talking about a straight on shot. Even shots taken from an angle or to the side of the person produced the worst red eye I've ever seen in a camera. This problem comes from all camera makers' eternal quest to produce the smallest, most compact cameras on the market. In laymen's terms: the flash is located too darn close to the lens!!! This could be easily prevented if the camera had the lens located at least one inch further away from the lens. I compared my old Pentax to this new Pentax and the flash was roughly 1.5 inches further away from the lens on my older model than on this new model. Again I NEVER needed the red-eye reduction feature on my old model. Could I use the red-eye reduction on the new camera to prevent this problem? Sure, but here is how it works on the Pentax: a flash goes off, which dilates the pupils, than another flash goes off again and the picture is taken. Works great in theory. The problem with this scenario is that people think the first flash is the picture flash, so once it goes off people relax their smiles, people blink, etc. What you actually capture is people in their natural state after they think a picture has been taken. So get ready to have to inform people, "Now... there will be two flashes because I'm using red-eye reduction on you!" every freakin' time you take a picture of people.

I really wanted to like this camera but I returned it and will try others. Consequently, I tried the Nikon One Touch Zoom 90 QD because I noticed in the store the flash was located further away from the lense. When I compared the Nikon to my old Pentax... the distance between the lense and flash on the Nikon was approximately the same as on my old Pentax. So I took similar pictures with the Nikon (without red-eye reduction) that produced the devilish red eye in the Pentax IQ 130. When I got my pictures back from the Nikon One Touch 90, there was NO red-eye, thus proving my theory correct... by locating the flash further away from the lense, red-eye could be reduced! Unfortunately, I don't like the ergonomics and flash as well on the Nikon. Furthermore some shots which were well composed and should have turned out great came out blurred simply because my toddler moved a couple inches. I guess there are no perfect cameras. All in all, the Nikon One Touch 90 takes very clear pictures and you don't even need to utilize the red-eye reduction feature.

I guess there are no great point and shoot cameras anymore. Most cameras worked great a few years back. Now all these so called "new features" that they came out with the last 10 years have rendered point and shoot cameras about as good as the disposable kind.

The perfect do-everything Camera
On a recent trip to Italy a bag of mine was stolen at the train station in Rome containing my old Camera, a Pentax that I had had for almost 9 years. I loved it, it had everything I could every want from a camera and took excellent pictures. When it cam to replace it I decided on the Pentax IQ Zoom 130M Date 35mm Camera after a little digging and reading other reviews on Amazon. And I have been happy with it ever since. I have been using the camera now for just over a year and have used it in a wide variety of locations. It works wonderfully in almost any light condition. I have used to for portraits, scenery, fireworks, action photos, and close up stills. In every situation in performed just as expected. The only situation where the pictures did not turn out well was on a trip to the Lewis and Clark caverns. Normal flash mode did not provide enough light causing the pictures to be grainy and out of focus. I attempted to use the slow shutter sync but did not have a tripod to stand it on causing the photos to be blurred and jerky. If you are looking for a do-everything, easy to operate, compact camera you can't go wrong with this model. I highly recommend it.

Great value for the money...
I bought this camera for an up-coming trip to New Orleans. My decision was based on the reviews here on amazon.com. This is my first time using a Pentax.

I have shot one roll of film, trying different lighting situations, different zoom lengths, in-doors, out-doors, regular and panoramic mode.

I have always used Minolta professional cameras in the past. The quality of photos from this little camera is as good, if not better, than those from my Minolta equipment.

I am now ready to take on New Orleans in style and with a camera that is light-weight, easy to use, offers lots of useful features, and provides quality photographs, confident that I will be able to capture the beauty of the Big Easy with ease.

One note to the user complaining about black lines at the top/bottom of panoramic shots. The problem may be with your processor; it certainly isn't with the camera. While you do see, or appear to see, black lines when you look through the viewfinder with the camera in 'panoramic mode', my photographs were full size, great in their detail, and had no lines at top/bottom. If you are contemplating purchasing this item, don't let that deter you.

For the price, this is a great little picture-taker.

great little point and shoot!
I purchased this camera one year ago and, although I am not an expert, have been very satisfied. If I spend a little more for the processing, the pictures are crisp and clear and fabulous. I have had no problems with any pictures being out of focus, which I have experienced in the past with other brands. I thought the battery would not last long given that the LCD always displays the date and number of exposures, but so far I have not had to replace it.

Best Camera I've owned
This is a superb camera. It takes excellent pictures and well worth the money. In fact, this camera beats some of the higher end Pentax, Minolta and Olympus cameras Ive tested. An excellent value! ... Read more

Features

• Impressive 38mm-150mm (4x) power zoom lens features a high-performance optical design and an aspherical lens element to deliver top quality images
• Stylish, slim, and ultra-compact body is made of a high-quality aluminum for a stunning appearance and reduced weight
• 5-point autofocus system aims at five separate points to determine the optimum setting
• Automatic backlight compensation fires the flash during backlight conditions to properly expose the subject
• Date version of the IQZoom 150SL lets you imprint the date or day and time on your photographs

Reviews (3)

Somewhat disappointing!
We purchased this camera about a month ago. All the reviews we read at numerous sites indicated it was a good choice. This camera only seems to take crisp, clear pictures when you are outdoors in relatively sunny weather. The worse the light, the worse the picture quality. One of the biggest things that bothered us was how bad the red eye was. On the same occassions I was using my digital camera and an SLR camera which resulted in little to no red eye. The Pentax had noticable red eye in every picture, each time we used it on people or animals indoors.

Price + Rebate = Great Deal!
I don't own this camera but have owned the 120mi for 2+ years and am very pleased. Pentax gets great reliability ratings from Consumer Reports. There is a $30 rebate on this camera through Jan. 31, 2004. That plus this price makes this camera hard to pass up. Go to pentax.com to download the rebate form.

WOW!!!
I am a college grad. I got this camera because for months i had been using one (a good but cheap aps fuji) that had no zoom. I wanted something that could zoom. and boy can this zoom!

i love it. most of the pictures i have taken have come out great. from what i can see it has good battery life too!

I HAVE EVEN TAKE GREAT PICTURES OF FIREWORKS AND NIGHTSCAPES!!(no flash needed)

Highly recommened.

please note the one downside is the TINY viewfinder so beware if you ware glasses as i do. it does have an adjustable diopter but its more pain then its worth, just keep your glasses on. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Pentax's IQ Zoom EZY-S camera gives new meaning to the phrase "point-and-shoot." It adjusts the focus and exposure of your shot automatically for sharp, clean results every time. The high-quality 38-70mm, 1.8x zoom lens makes framing your shots extremely easy, ensuring that you always get the picture you want.

The versatile built-in flash has several programmed exposure modes that suit a variety of lighting situations. If it detects an insufficient amount of light, the flash fires automatically; the backlight compensation uses the available natural lighting (without a flash) to improve the balance of light between the subject and the rest of the picture. The advanced flash functions let you flex your creative muscles; the flash-on mode can help eliminate shadows when sunlight is behind your subject, while the flash can be turned off for those times when use of flash is restricted--in museums or during concerts. You can also use the red-eye reduction lamp to help reduce that ugly red-eye effect often caused by flash photography.

For those times when your subject is in the distance, you can use the infinity-landscape mode to capture the image clearly--even through glass. With the 10-second self-timer, you can also add yourself to the picture. With all of these options, keeping track of your settings may seem a bit challenging. Pentax has a solution--the easy-to-read LCD panel lets you see all of your settings and levels, including: exposure counter, battery exhaustion warning mark, red-eye reduction, flash-on, flash-off, slow shutter, bulb, backlight compensation, infinity landscape, and self-timer, with one quick glance.

Since the IQ Zoom EZY-S is fully automatic, all you have to do is load the film and go. The film transport system handles the loading, winding, and rewinding. It even turns itself off after three minutes of inactivity, which saves battery power and protects the lens. ... Read more

Features

• High-quality 38-70mm, 1.8x autofocus zoom lens
• Easy-to-read LCD panel indicates current settings and levels
• Auto film handling allows easy loading, winding, and rewinding
• Versatile built-in flash has several programmed exposure modes
• Includes Infinity Landscape mode and 10-second self-timer

Reviews (1)

Wow
This little camera is great! First off, it's a very hardy camera. It's been dropped a few times, and has lived without a scratch. It isn't as delicate as many of those other cameras we see nowadays.

The camera is aesthetically pleasing as well. It looks very formal. It is the perfect camera to bring on vacations as it is small and you can fit in your pocket. Don't use it for spur-of-the-moment photos (like from a car), becauseit may be a little blurry. It is perfect for landmarks, wildlife-just about anything.

I used it on my trip to Egypt, and I got wonderful results from my photos. Beautiful pictures of important landmarks. This camera is great.

For it's price, it's a good camera, especially for an amateur photographer. It's a good camera to bring to family functions, too. ... Read more