Pentax Optio A40 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Shake Reduction Zoom

I picked this camera up about a year ago for a discounted price of around 100 dollars. I got it to replace my 6 year old Canon Powershot S40 which I had bought freshmen year of college. I would definitely NOT pay 280 dollars for it as listed here on Amazon though, it's not worth that at all. You can find far superior cameras for equiavlent or maybe even cheaper prices.

This camera has been excellent so far. It's got a great set of features and the battery life lasts for quite some time. The camera is incredibly easy to operate and the automatic mode selection works quite well. The pictures it takes are great as long as there is adequate light. They are very colorful and it is rare that they turn out blurry unless it is in the dark.

The camera is light weight and easily fits in the pocket of my jeans. If you're female, it probably won't simply because you ladies have those extremely tiny pockets!

The camera is also rather durable and has taken quite a beating. I took it with me to Hawaii on several hikes and even took the camera on a 'cave tubing' trip. I took it inside a plastic bag as it is obviously not waterproof. The camera did end up getting a little wet and the inside of the bag was damp, but the camera functioned no problem and has worked fine for over 6 months after.

The only real drawbacks I have to say the camera has are that it takes lousy pictures in the dark and that the flash sometimes takes an excessive amount of time to charge.

Excellent camera. Lots of features. More than
expected. Item was shipped the same day as
ordered. Fantastic service!!! Thank you.

I stick the Optio A40 in my right pocket and my cell phone in my left. It has become part of my daily equipment. As state commander of The American Legion I find myself in situations that I want to document all the time and share on facebook with friends. My Nikon digital SLR is not something I can carry around so the Pentax makes me very happy. I can't remember the last time I drug out the Nikon.

After a few minutes the user can easily navigate the camera features and change modes, macro, flash, self timer, etc. Preview is simple as is delete. To transfer images I just select all and drag to the folder I choose. Downloading 200 pictures takes a few seconds.

I have used the movie mode a few times and the HD moves compare to my HD JVC Camcorder, except the sound of course.

You can check out the pictures I have taken on my facebook page: Gene McVay

I hope you enjoy this camera as much as I have. I would like to have a Pentax with 5X zoom but have not decided which one.

This little camera can hold it's own against any of those more expensive point and shoot cameras. The only hick ups I've come across are the auto focusing on non detailed images and the lag time when the flash is being used. But of all the point and shoot cameras I've played with this is the fastest one yet. Take the time to research this camera and I truly believe you will end up buying it.

Wow, what a piece of junk!!! This thing rarely focuses correctly. I just got the camera back from pentax because I thought it was broken. It wasn't broken, it's just a poor excuse for a camera. Not only does it not focus correctly, it has noise coming out the wazoo! 12 megapixels?...right! Would that be 12 megapixels only in full sun??? Because if the flash goes off...you're pretty much limited to wallet size pictures. Don't waste your time or money...buy a canon or Nikon - my brother's 100 dollar Kodak takes much better pictures.