Pentax Optio E30

The bottom line is, it's a good digicam for the price of approximately Rs. 7,500, but if you're regular traveler who's a real photo-buff, just remember to stock up on those batteries. Or you could opt for rechargeable cells. But you'll need a lot of...

- Price: $149.95 isn't much - Controls are laid out well and easy to use - Manual white balance - a good feature to retain on a bare-bones camera

- It's ugly - Lack of manual controls - Poorly sealed against dirt and moisture - AA batteries fall out when changing memory card

The Pentax Optio E30 is a very inexpensive, very simple camera. The appropriate market for it is the price-conscious non-photographer - someone who wants the occasional snapshot, but wants to avoid the details of photography, and doesn't have ambitions...

Ease of use ; 2.4 inch LCD ; 7.1 MP effective resolution ; 30 fps movie capturing ; Manual ISO selection and manual focusing

Uses AA batteries, making it larger and heavier ; Modest 3x zoom ; No traditional viewfinder ; Combined cable for computer and video connection

The E30 is a great choice for first time camera buyers, or simply someone wanting an easy to use camera that offers decent quality.  It offers sharp, high resolution photos that are true in color, and is intuitive in its design and operation.  The...

Inexpensive 7.1-megapixel camera, Good lens, good picture quality, Logically laid out and very simple to use, Uses standard AA batteries or rechargeables, VGA movie mode at almost 30 fps

Some menus and functions are buried or not marked, Choppy digital zoom in movie mode, No anti-blur, AF illuminator, or super-macro, Low 110k pixel resolution LCD

Every lineup has an entry-level camera, and among the Pentax Optios, the E30 is it. You pay less for it, and you get less. There are fewer features, fewer adjustments, and fewer amenities. And some features don't work as smoothly as they do on the...

Inexpensive 7.1-megapixel camera, Good lens, good picture quality, Logically laid out and very simple to use, Uses standard AA batteries or rechargeables, VGA movie mode at almost 30 fps

Some menus and functions are buried or not marked, Choppy digital zoom in movie mode, No anti-blur, AF illuminator, or super-macro, Low 110k pixel resolution LCD

Most of the backside is taken up by a 2.4-inch LCD. None of the new Optios has an optical viewfinder anymore, and that includes the E30. The LCD is large enough (only a few years ago it would have been considered enormous) but its marginal 110k pixel...

value for money, usability, image quality, build quality, viewfinder

responsiveness

75% of reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

I bought a Pentax Optio E30 a few months ago. After taking a few pictures (10-15) I had to replace the batteries. The new batteries lasted only 2-3 days and I only used the camera for less than an hour. I bought a charger and some rechargeable Ni-Mh...