Latest Update – Review at PCWorld (added 20 November ‘07)
Pentax Optio M40 features:
- 8 megapixels
- 3x optical zoom lens
- 2.5 inch (150K pixel) LCD
- ISO range: 50-1600 (3200 in Digital Shake Reduction mode)
- Accepts SD and SDHC media
- Lithium ion battery pack
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Reviewers Conclusions & Verdicts – (updated 20 November ‘07)
PCWorld – 20 November’07 – reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and the reviewer was surprised the camera actually came with a 187 printed manual. Here’s and excerpt from their review -
“Our lab tests saw mostly acceptable results for a camera in this price range. However, flash photos looked awful, giving flat skin tones, dull colors, and dark shadows to our test mannequin. I saw the same characteristics in the flash portraits I took of friends.”
Rating: 
Reghardware – 13 November’07 – reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and was not impressed with its indoor shooting capability. Here’s and excerpt from their review verdict -
“We think Pentax has come up with a cracking design for the Optio M40. It’s super-slim, great to hold and very simple to use. But good looks and a slender body are not enough. The M40’s optical performance means that while this camera isn’t bad, alas it’s not great either.”
Rating:
Pocket-lint – 31 October’07 – reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and warns there is digital noise at most ISO levels. Here’s and excerpt from their review verdict -
“The M40 is a nice camera, and that’s the problem, it is nice not brilliant. It looks nice, it handles nicely, and it’s nicely made.
In the end, I have to say the Pentax Optio M40 is marred by mediocrity in the image quality department something that in this competitive sector of the market is simply not good enough.”
Rating:
TrustedReviews – 25 October’07 – reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and the camera suffers from a fair amount of barrel distortion at the wide angle setting. Here’s and excerpt from their review verdict -
“The Optio M40 is only a marginal improvement over the M30, but it is not a bad little camera. It is well made, has good handling for an ultra-compact, and is extremely easy to use. It performs fairly well, and apart from the lens distortion the image quality is pretty good, especially its noise control at higher ISO settings. As before though, weak points are poor low light ability and lens distortion, but for the price it is certainly worth considering.”
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DigitalCameraInfo – 12 October’07 – reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and indicates that although the camera has many intriguing features there are just too many negative aspects and the competitive cameras are a better deal. Here’s and excerpt from the review conclusion -
“There are just too many problems working against the Pentax M40. The camera tends to produce high noise and low dynamic range at high ISO settings. Perhaps the biggest deficiency is the lack of optical image stabilization, which is critical to prevent image blur. While rare at this price point, optically stabilized cameras are available.”
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Steve’s Digicams – 18 September’07 – reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and writes;
“Bottom line – as we stated with the Optio M20 and M30 earlier this year, Pentax has created yet another appealing ultra-compact digital model. With a street price of US$199 or less, good image quality, class average performance, loads of use full features (Face Recognition, Digital Shake Reduction, 13 exposure modes, etc.), and its stylish and durable metal body, the Pentax Optio M40 offers and outstanding value. 8-megapixels of resolution will allow you to create huge prints (13×19-inch or larger), just be sure you’re using a lower ISO setting.”
Rating:
DigitalCameraReview reviews the Pentax Optio M40 and writes;
“The Pentax Optio M40 is an entry-level compact digital P&S that provides a basic feature set, yet throws in some manual inputs not normally encountered in cameras of this class. The ability to set ISO and exposure compensation in most of the various shooting modes is a welcomed departure from the norm, although it seems somewhat incongruous in a camera that really is targeting users who wouldn’t ordinarily be expected to care about, let alone use such features. Performance in good lighting conditions is adequate, but the camera struggles to focus and shoot in dim light.”
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Sample Photos
[Sample Test Photos at Reghardware]
[Sample Photos at Pocket-lint]
[Sample Photos at TrustedReviews]
[Sample Photos at DigitalCameraInfo]
[Sample Photos at Steve's Digicams]
Specifications
[Official Pentax Specifications]
Owners Manual
Press Release
PENTAX Corporation is pleased to announce the PENTAX Optio M40, a standard-class compact digital camera that is easy to carry with ultra-slim and lightweight body. The Optio M40 is well-balanced with basic functions, and high resolution of 8.0 megapixels.
While the Optio M40 comes with an ultra-slim, metallic body of sophisticated sense, being equipped with enhanced basic functions such as 3X optical zoom, a large and easily viewable LCD monitor, and excellent operability, it also realizes much higher resolution. In addition, the Optio M40 also includes a face recognition function and an anti-shake function, for which there are high market needs, and has been created as a user-friendly model that can be broadly used by many people at various scenes.
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