01.10.2005 19:31
Pentax Optio 555 - what you wanted to know
Pentax Optio 555 is 2 years old digital camera (18.9.2005). Its design si more or less gray, however its features are, especialy for this aged camera, very rich.- 5.0 megapixels, 2592x1944, TIFF and JPG
- movie: 320x240 15fps + 8kHz/8bit audio, unlimited (!)
- SMC Pentax lens / 5x optical zoom
- High speed hybrid AF
- Super macro operation from 2cm (0.78 inches)
- Long range flash - 5m
- Variety of shooting modes including fully manual operation
- Very good night modes
- Fast USB 1.1 (600-700kB/s) interface
- SD/MMC card support
- Small (1.5") but high resolution LCD TFT (113000 pixels)
- Weight 250g /w battery
- Lithium Ion battery 1800mAh (lock to protect accidental battery disconnect)
What you wanted to know
USB connector in camera is non-standard. This is combined connector for USB/AV (but two cables: camer-USB and camera-SVIDEO). The USB cable can not be simply replaced with standard one, only original Pentax I-USB7 could be used. The connector on USB cable to camera is so tiny, that it is hard to put in and put out. It can happen soon that you rip out cable isolation or even wires from connector.Movies do not record sound, even though camera can record sound!
Mode dial can not be easily switched with one finger.
Shutter button is so sunken in dial that taking a shot could cause you move the camera.
TIFF images are only possible with highest resolution, one image is 15MB.
Battery pack could be easily inserted rotated (there are no rails) - both to camera and charger, however this does not damage anything.
Under some stright light conditions there could happen white stripes appear on LDC, what's worse in reduced form also in image.
During movie recording you can not change zoom or any other image parameters.