Pentax IQ Zoom 200 QD Date 35mm Camera

Major frustration with this piece of equipment... shot three rolls of film before I found out that the shutter wasn't opening... clear date though... lost vacation pictures... sent it back to Pentax for warranty repair months ago... seems as though it fell into a black hole... I won't buy another Pentax... out $400... had good luck with Olympus... maybe it's time to go back.

I had previously owned an Olympus stylus 115, a Samsung 105 and was very disappointed with the picture results. This has been an answer to our dreams! The pictures are clear, and color is great! The zoom feature is awesome! Some of the portraits we have taken are super. I couldn't be more pleased. The price is high, but it is worth it for the dependable results!

This is by far the best little camera ever. Just read the technical data and reviews on this product and it literally sells itself. Though please ignor the above review that states "you can use a function which lets you out the date in the bottom left corner of the picture and there are about 500 different phrases you can put at the top of the picture. " because who ever wrote that review has mistaken their camera which is really an Efina T, if it is by Pentax. The Zoom 200 does not have the feature to add text to your photos. The only feature it has is the date stamp. So, if you want a camera that does everything easily with great power except having the option to add text on the bottom of the picture, this is the camera for you.

If you are looking for a point and shoot (P&S) camera which has it all (and if you dont mind paying those extra $$ for a quality product) then you should seriously consider the Pentax IQ Zoom 200. This is probably one of the best in P&S film cameras. Its powerful 200mm zoom feature (I think its the highest in this category) lets you capture those spots you never thought you'll be able to (clearly). The powerful zoom lets you take great pics (as in the zoo).

Ergonomics: I found the position of the viewfinder (to the left corner as opposed to the usual center) very helpful in adjusting when taking pictures (in vertical) without a pivot. When you rest the camera vertical over a couple of books (for the correct height adjustment), the viewfinder is at the top and its very convenient compared to the case when its in the center.

Features: Apart from the normal and flash (daylight sync) mode, it has the following-

Slow speed without flash: Used when flash photography is prohibited (theaters/museums) and low light conditions exist

Slow speed with flash: To photograph subjects and background in a balanced way (flash for foreground and slow speed for low-light background)

Bulb mode: long exposure times (fireworks and night scene)

Bulb Synch: Uses flash in addition to the bulb mode to take a protrait photo with a night scene in the background.

It has red-eye reduction, self-timer (10 seconds) and can also be controlled by remote. The LCD panel gives a clear readout and also indicates any errors. Has auto-focus, spot-focus and focus-lock (for difficult to focus subjects). You can also take photos in the panorama mode (as in the beach). I would recommend getting the quartz date model (which prints the date automatically). You can change the date mode from mm-dd-yy to other combinations like dd-mm-yy (common in the East), yy-mm-dd. Use film of ISO 400 for better pictures. The Multi-exposure mode lets you superimpose pictures onto a single frame to create fantastic illusions. All in all its a camera which gives you the maximum features with the ease of operation and has a powerful zoom. You could get a digital camera for the same price but it will not have the features like this one.

The only thing I'll crib about is the cost. But if you are willing to invest those $$ for great pictures then this is what you should get. Pentax has a very informative web-site which you might want to check too.

This camera is another great product made by pentax, this is another one of the many products i pruchased from them. It is durable, light, and is just plain nice looking. The 10 second timer works great and has not failed me yet it goes exactly when its supposed to. It even sets off a little red dot to tell you its going to take the picture. It zooms in great and puts everything in focus. The red eye protection works great and the flash hasn't failed me yet. It has over 500 phrases you can put at the top of the picture, like "Happy Birthday" or " Christmas" etc.... This is just a great al around cameras. I recomend this for anyone looking for a nice easy to use camera.