Reviews for Pentax Optio S5z 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

almost perfect

Strengths: light weight & love the large lcd screen

Weakness: no view finder, i use mine in the sun a lot & you can't see the screen

I love the compact size, it fits anywhere yet the navigation is
accurately spaced. I had to have the large LCD screen.You get a
more true idea of your picture. It cuts the guess work out of what you're really taking a picture of. The down side is no view finder, I bought it to photograph my son swimming. You can not see the picture on the screen in the sun at all.

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GREAT PRICE!

Strengths: great price, 5mp, small, sd memory, large lcd, easy to use, light

Weakness: tripod mount plastic, lcd quality not as good as others, no view finder

This is my second Optio from Pentax. I used to have a Optio S4, but the firmware crashed! Therefore, I wanna get another Optio so I can use my existing batteries.
This new Optio S5z is great! Is a lot better than my old S4, and the features are much better, and of course, that LCD is huge! However, with that large LCD has to sacrfice that view finder.
I got this for 200.5 brand new, and i cannot be happier.
Great buy for its class, and i totally recommend this to all!

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Great little camera

Strengths: Large LCD screen; lightweight; compact

Weakness: no viewfinder

I would highly recommend this camera. For the price, the quality and features are very good. The compact size is perfect for carrying even in a small evening bag. Very easy to use.

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Stylish, compact and easy to use

Strengths: Battery life. Compact/durable design, the size of a credit card. Overall, this camera seems like a great value for the price.

Weakness: Screen covers 75% of the backside, so it can easily be scratched. The huge screen also makes it more difficult to hold the camera.

In shopping around for a digital camera, I was looking for something that isn’t too complicated to use, is small in size and would produce good quality pics. I liked that the menu function is very easy to follow. The body of the camera is made of an alloy material, that is strong, shiny and light. Overall, I think this camera has features that would otherwise cost more in other brands.

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Very Friendly Camera : )

Strengths: Small and easy to be operated bcz of friendly menu!!! The picture color is so nature and beautiful.

Weakness: In dark, it takes longer time to have enough flash. And it may to small for big hand person.

This is my second Pentax Digi-cam. Pentax is very reliable!!! I will suggest my friends to buy one. But custmers should prepare extra one bettery with them. Overall speaking, it's a very good camera!

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Neat little camera

Strengths: Small, easy to use, light weight, excellent picture quality, big LCD screen, multiple shooting modes, a variety choices of menu languages

Weakness: Weak flash, no viewfider, the LCD resolution can be higher, no composite or component output

This is my second Pentax digital camera. My first one was Optio S4 and I was really impressed of that little functional camera so I purchased a second Pentax for the 2.5" LCD screen. The flash is still as weak as Optio S4 but I think most compact cameras have the same issue on weak flash. Optio S5Z is really easy to use just like Optio S4, even a first time user can take quality pictures easily.

I was hesitating between Canon SD450 and Optio S5Z. They both have 2.5” LCD screen and similar size. Although SD450 has stronger flash, it is more expensive and much heavier than Optio S5Z. Therefore, I chose Optio S5Z over SD450 for the price and the weight. Optio S5Z has all of the functions I need and it is very affordable. I am not a professional user and all I want is a cheap, small, light, functional, easy-to-use camera which I can put in my purse without noticing the weight. Optio S5Z is the one meets my need.

Optio S5Z can be better if it has a viewfinder. I normally don’t use the viewfinder but it is better to have one just in case someday I might need it. S5Z would be ever better if it has a composite or component output so that I can view the images on my TV. However, not many digital cameras equip composite or component output. For the price I paid for it, I really cannot complain about the viewfinder and output choice. Besides, it is nice that Optio S5Z has many shooting modes. Some shooting modes are kind of ridiculous but it is better to have more than less.

I purchased a case (Pentax PTX-L40 Soft Leather Case) to carry my new camera. I found that it is a little too small to S5Z although the case says it is for Optio S, S4i, S5i, and S5z.

To sum up, I think this camera is a good buy just for what it offers.

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Pentax Optio S5z

Strengths: Very compact, large display, reasonably priced

Weakness: No viewfinder, too many unnecessary shooting modes

The Pentax Optio S5z is an excellent camera for the money. It is extemely compact with a very large display. It takes good quality pictures and can also be used to take short video clips.

The display can wash out in bright sun, so the lack of viewfinder could be a problem. There are a lot of different unnecessary shooting modes that don't seem to make much difference to the resulting pictures.

This is perfect for someone who wants an ultra compact 5 MP camera with a large display. It can be found at online retailers in the $200 to $220 range, which is a bargain for a camera with these features.

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I LOVE THIS CAMERA!

Strengths: small, larger LCD, cheap

Weakness: no viewfinder

I love every bit of this camera. for what i paid for, this is the bang for the buck! I use it mainly outdoors, and i find it okay to be used anywhere! I recommand this camera for all!

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Optio s5z

Strengths: Small and ultra compact

Weakness: LCD screen is not clear in low light

This camera is ultra portable and lightweight. This camera has great picture quality and is very small and can fit in any pocket. I found the picture quality to be very good and it is just as small as the cannon digital elphs but this camera is much lighter. I think that it is a good buy for the money.

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A Great Compact Camera but Far from Perfect

Strengths: Small body,Large Display,Good Video resoultion, No craddle, Easy Controls, There is a quick (AUTO) button, Long battery life, Great macro and Ultra-macro lens, and In-camera minor image editing

Weakness: See comments

I have had this camera for a couple of months now. I started with the Casio Exilim Z-50 (equivalent to the Pentax Optio S5Z). They both have identical Pentax lens. I dropped the exilim a couple of times, so I decided to buy the optio since it was almost identical and I loved the exilim. Even though the optio has a larger screen, it does not have a view finder like the exilim. But all that is not a big deal. Photo quality was the main difference. The pentax optio S5Z had the same flaws as the casio exilim Z50 but to a much greater extent. Here are the pro and cons of the PENTAX OPTIO S5Z: PROS: 1. Small body (slightly slimmer than the exilim) 2. Large Display (1/2 inch bigger than the exilim) 3. Good Video resoultion (640X320) 4. No craddle needed to charge the camera 5. Easy Controls 6. There is a quick (AUTO) button (not in the exilim) 7. Long battery life (like the exilim) 8. Great macro and Ultra-macro lens (the exilim only has macro) 9. In-camera minor image editing CONS: (from personal experience) 1. No view finder 2. Max ISO is 400 (not clear pics indoors unless with tripod, the exilim has ISO 800, which gives better pics in low ligh and artifical light settings) 3. Longer Lag when photos are taken than with the exilim, even with the top line Scan Disk ULTRA-II Professioal series SD card) 4. A few times when I was in movie mode, the camera just froze. The camera would not respond to anything but the power button, until I plugged in the USB cord and that fixed it somehow, but no one ever has the cable on them when they are out taking pics) 5. White balance is not great especially in AUTO setting 6. Cannot choose white/black photos unless you scroll through the long list of options 7. Camera frequently forgets the setting you put as you have to remove the battery from the camera to charge it unless you buy an EXTRA charger (does not come with the camera). Overall, the OPTIO is better than the exilim in video but not photos, but the optio is still a great camera compared to many other ones in the same price range. Check out DPREVIEW.COM for more reviews by expert photographers. Thanks

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Pentax Optio S5z Digital Camera Review

The Pentax Optio S5z, a 5 megapixel compact camera with a 1/2.5-inch CCD, 3x zoom, and a 2.5-inch LCD, is the smallest camera in Pentax's Optio S line at 3.3 x 2.2 x 0.8 inches and 4.2 ounces. It's also the most expensive, with an MSRP of $349.95, though online prices range from $270 to $350. It's about $50 more than Pentax's Optio S55, and about $120 more than the Optio S45. <p> <p>Like the...

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