Olympus Stylus 820

This camera is only water-resistant, unlike Olympus's dunkable Stylus SW models, and its buttons emphasize style over function.

The compact Olympus Stylus 820 (about $250, list) seems like an odd duck in Olympus's digital camera lineup--and a duck out of water. It's water-resistant, meaning that it'll survive raindrops and occasional splashes, but if you accidentally drop this point-and-shoot in a birdbath, you may be shopping for a new camera for your ornithological outings.

If you're really worried about your camera surviving the elements, you should probably be looking at Olympus's Stylus 770 SW and Stylus 790 SW, both of which are waterproof to a depth of 10 feet; they're also shockproof from a height of 5 feet. Or, if you're looking to save money, you could consider Olympus's FE series, including the FE-280 we reviewed at the same time; it costs about $50 less.

The Stylus 820 does have a 5X zoom lens, which is 2X longer than those on the other Olympus models (and most other compact cameras). But it has the same in-camera Help Guides as on the FE-280, which present descriptions of photographic tasks; when you pick one, the camera adjusts settings appropriately. Like the FE-280 and the Stylus SW series, you can get the Stylus 820 in a few different colors; the 820 comes in bright red, baby blue, black, and silver.

The control buttons on the back of the camera are very slippery; compared to the 15 other cameras we tested in the same group, I found the 820's buttons the most difficult to press. In addition, the buttons are really shiny, and as a result, I found the text on them hard to read. The zoom button is a thin rocker switch about the width of a piece of linguine; the camera's mode dial sits just below the telephoto end of the switch, and the ridges around the edge of the mode dial makes pressing the zoom uncomfortable.

The Stylus 820 takes a pretty good picture, though. In its test group of 16 compact cameras, it earned the highest scores for color accuracy and exposure quality. On the other hand, its marks in distortion and sharpness tests, despite its 8-megapixel sensor, were below average. Judges overlooked those problems and gave it the highest score for overall quality in that test group (the image quality score in our test reporttakes all the scores into account, not just the single overall quality score). The camera lasted for 221 shots in our battery life scores, or about 70 shots below the average for our test group.

The Stylus 820 is flashy, but if you're going to pay for its weatherproof features, you might as well opt for one of the Stylus SW models and get true protection from the elements.
For an overview of similar cameras, see our chart of Top 10 Compact Cameras.

--Alan Stafford

Pentax Optio E40 digicam

Pentax, with IDLDPL (India Digital Life Style Distributors Pvt Ltd) offers the new lightweight, affordable compact digital camera, Optio E40, in India with 8.0 mega pixels at a fantastic price point.

This entry-level model from Pentax accepts widely available AA batteries so that the user need not have to charge it again and again when s/he is on travel to a remote location. As it is designed for simple and intuitive operations, even beginners can enjoy photography effortlessly.

Following the trend of packing innovation and quality into its products, Pentax Optio E40 is packed with a host of new features. Apart from being a 8 mega pixel camera, it has an advanced face recognition technology and digital shake reduction function for high quality photography. From the design perspective, Pentax Optio E40 is slim, lightweight and has simple selection mode. On top of all the features, the high resolution 2. 4" LCD makes it a perfect shutterbug’s delight.

The users can also choose from various options in the given features while taking photographs for better photography.

For example, in flash modes, s/he can either choose auto flash, flash on or flash off and even red eye reduction mode.

Other options, which make this camera powerful, include flash range - 14.1' (wide), 7.5' (tele), white balance, auto preset modes, daylight, shade, tungsten, fluorescent mode, different shutter speed mode from 1/2000 to 4 seconds scene, auto picture, program, night scene, movie, voice recording, landscape, flower, portrait, surf & snow, sport, digital SR, kids, pet, panorama, frame composite and green, etc.

In terms of weight, it is only 6.2 ounces without battery and memory card.

And size is 3.7 x 2.4 x 0.9 inch.

Post taking photographs, the user also need not worry about downloading the pictures as Pentax Optio E40 is also compatible with a wide range of photo transfer and direct printing softwares including PictBridge, DPOF, Exif Print, PRINT Image Matching III and Auto Picture.

Surinder Saini, Assistant VP, Sales, IDLDPL, said, "Pentax is always one stage ahead of the competition. Though in the market there are 8 Meg and above cameras available from various brands, they are offered at comparatively higher price. So, following the philosphy 'Best among the Rest' both in terms of quality as well as price, it has been offered from selected places at Rs 9,999, which is first in the industry. Secondly, we are offering a carry case and 1GB SD card absolutely free with this product."

He adds, "Features like face recognition technology and digital shake reduction technology to stabilise the quality of images coupled with the attractive pricing will surely make this camera a more attractive option than other brands."

Features of Optio E40

Face Recognition AF&AE" function that is convenient when photographing portrait
Digital SR (shake reduction)

Auto picture mode automatically determines the best settings for the shooting conditions

Compatibility with widely available AA batteries

Equipped with the Green mode for automated set-up

8.1 effective mega pixels produce exceptionally fine-detailed photos

3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom for a maximum of about 12X magnification

Movie capture options include VGA & QVGA

Sound recording – voice memo, movie

Compact design is convenient and comfortable to use

Continuous shooting mode can record up to 16 consecutive images (640 x 480 pixels per image) in a 2-second burst

Compatible with PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III

The MRP of Pentax Optio E40 8.0 is 12,999 but as a special offer from IDLDPL, it is now available at Rs 9999 from IDLDPL.