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Pentax Optio S6 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom | List Price: $379.95
Discount Price: $199.99
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Brand: Pentax
Binding: Electronics
Release Date: 2005-10-15
Features: - 6.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
- 3x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display
- Stylish, ultra-compact body with an aluminum alloy exterior measures just 3.3 x 2.2x 0.8 inches
- Quick response with an approximately 0.01-second shutter release lag time
- Stores images on SD memory cards; powered by one rechargeable Lithium-ion D-LI8 battery
| Accessories: | | |
Pentax Wireless Remote Control E for Optio S6, S60, S40, S4i, S5z & S55 Digital Cameras |
Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (Mac) |
Pentax PTX-L50 Soft Leather Case for Optio Digital Cameras |
Pentax DL-I8 Battery for Optio S, S6, S4i, S5i, S5z, WPi & WP Digital Cameras |
Pentax K-AC8U AC Adapter Kit for Optio S6, S4i, S5i, SV, 750Z, S5z, WPi & WP Digital Cameras |
SD limitation? [Posted on 2006-12-21]
So I bought this as an X-mas present for myself. I've own an Canon SD100, 450, 600 and Casio EX-Z60 so I'm totally not a newbie to the digital world. I'm not going to repeat with others have stated in this review.
I'm really impress by the Optio S6 form factor; it really is compact. The response is quite quick turning on/off, zooming, viewing captured pict/video.
After playing with the camera for several hours, I was really disappointed in the following areas:
- temperature; the camera get warm/very warm (cool, warm, very warm, hot) after 1.5 hrs of continuous use
- continuous rapid shooting was slow; I was getting 1 pix every ~1.8sec
- can NOT read 4gb SD; I tried two different 4gb SD card I had laying around (PQI & Ridata) and received an "memory card error." All of my other cameras (even my 3 yr old Canon SD100) was able to use it just fine.
- the usb cable is propriety; why can't Pentax use a normal mini usb?
In sum, I like the camera size and its ability to record video in Divx format. The Divx function was the main impetus for purchasing this camera, but the SD limitation negate all the benefits the Optio S6 has to offer. I'm going to see if there's a firmware update (Pentax doesn't list one on their webpage) and report back here.
**update** so I received confirmation from Pentax Tech Support affirming my initial conclusion of the sd limitation. Indeed the maximum sd the Optio S6 can only read/write is a 1gb memory.
OK basic, point-and-shoot pocket camera - but buy an extra battery [Posted on 2006-12-31]
I bought one of these slightly used, because I got a great deal on it and wanted a small camera that would easily fit in a shirt pocket or on a belt without being cumbersome. It was in very good shape, there was not a scratch on it. The camera takes decent pictures, but I found it lacking in several areas.
1. SHUTTER LAG - is bad, close to 2 seconds depending on how you're using the camera. It's, especially 'laggy' if you are using any of the automatic modes and a flash. I'm constantly missing pictures with it because of this. In that respect the camera is better for taking planned/posed pictures of fixed objects. Not good for quickly pointing to and picking out quick, sudden action shots where you don't have time to set it up before hand. The lag is a little less in the manual/ semi-manual modes.
2. BATTERY LIFE - is limited. The camera eats batteries like nobody's business. The person I got the camera from had only had it for 3-4 months. I don't know if it's a bad battery or they charged it too many times or what. For example, when I'm at a gathering and I'm sitting there panning around looking for candid shots, and reviewing shots to delete and save, the batteries run down pretty quickly. I barely got 2 dozen shots in a couple of hours at a family gathering recently. So, I HIGHLY recommend getting a second battery, which I just ordered. This is a problem with all cameras that have only a video viewfinder and no optical one. If you have to have the LCD screen on all the time to take picutures, then the manufacturer should include a decent-sized battery! By comparison, the heftier battery for my Panasonic LUMIX DMC LX2, which is just a little larger camera, lasts 2-3 times as long under the same conditions.
3. THE LENS ... is mediocre at best. Unless you need to crop your pictures heavily, There is no reason to bother taking any pictures larger than about 3 MP because this lens cannot resolve them adequately. I did a side-by-side comparison with my Panasonic Lumix, with a Leica lens taking pictures of lettering on a sign at several distances up to several hundred feet away, and you could clearly see the difference beyond 3 MP. I could not read the letters with this camera (cropped at 4 - 6MP) when I could still easily read them with the Leica lens. Part of the issue could be the noise reduction engine, I'm not sure. Anyway, I use 3 MP at the highest JPEG setting 98% of the time and find it works OK.
4. THE FLASH MODES - are kind of clunky. I kept setting up different automatic modes with various flash settings that worked best in a given lighting, however, when I turned off the camera (to save batteries) my settings were gone when I turned it back on and I had to go through the menus to restore them. Therefore, I recommend that you learn to use the manual, or semi-manual modes for best results.
VIDEO - It does do video, but since this is not a really a "video camera", I'm not going to complain about the video.
THE PROS
1. AUTOMATIC MODES - Most of the automatic modes work pretty well under a reasonable range of conditions. I recommend testing them to get used to how they work. I still prefer to tweak them a little when setting up a shot.
2. FLASH MODES - The camera offers several flash modes, including a "soft flash" that ia pretty nice for a $200 point-and-shoot pocket camera.
3. PICTURE QUALITY - Even though the lens is not the greatest, this camera does take better picures than most other inexpensive cameras in its class that I've seen and used. The color noise is not too bad either, but as noted above, I think it has some rather agressive internal noise reduction that causes loss of detail, particuarly at mid to low light levels. The automatic white balance settings for different lighting conditions (fluorescent, etc.) are pretty decent. Don't skimp on "picture quality" settings to save memory. Memory is cheap enough now that you should always use the least amount of compression on your photos.
4. SIZE / EASE OF USE - The camera is a very nice compact size, and is relatively easy to use with a short learning curve for most of the features. It easily fits in a shirt pocket and is easily worn on a belt.
ok camera-WARNING Pentax is a horrible company [Posted on 2007-10-22]
Bought this camera to take pics of my new son. Had the camera a couple of days and the lens stopped retracting. Sent it in (under warranty of course). Pentax told me it wasn't working because it got wet. The camera was never even near water and was always in the case when not used (for about 3 days). I was taking a photo of my sleeping husband and son when it happened. I did some research and found numerous other people who complained that Pentax did the same thing to them. They lie so that it is not covered under warranty and you have to pay the couple of hundred dollars to get your camera back! Very poor way to do business. Would NEVER buy from them again.
Awful camera [Posted on 2008-01-11]
My husband bought this camera for me for Mother's Day last year. We just had our first child and wanted something real small to fit in the diaper bag. Being small is pretty much its only good feature. My husband and I are so so disappointed in this camera. I prefer pictures without a flash, but even in a well-lit room this camera can't take a single picture without the flash. They ALL turn out blurry. I end up taking 10 of the same shot just to SOMETIMES get one good one! And it's not user error...we went back to the store where we bought it to ask if we were using it wrong or if there were some settings that needed to be changed. We had it on the fastest shutter speed and we were told we're using it correctly. So, the only way I can get a good picture out of this camera is outside where there's PLENTY of daylight (not dusk or dark) and when I use a flash. I hate the photos taken with the flash though because they're so washed out. Anyway, this camera is pretty much only good for mid-day pictures. Other than that, forget about it.
p.s. The battery life REALLY stinks too!
The smallest, highest quality digital camera I've owned! [Posted on 2008-01-19]
I decided to buy this after comparing all of the other ultra-compact digital cameras, and found this was the smallest one. My boyfriend also had the S5 version, and absolutely loved his-- he has sworn never to buy another brand other than Pentax.
Needless to say, I have been SO impressed with this camera! The picture quality is second to none-- I honestly would have guessed the quality of pictures to be taken from a 10 MP camera, not a 7 MP. They are colorful, clear, vibrant-- I feel as though I could reach through the pictures and touch the actual objects.
A+++!!! Pentax is the best!
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