The Pentax Optio E40 is an 8.1 megapixel point and shoot camera with a 3x optical zoom lens and 2.4 inch LCD..

The lens has an equivalent focal range of 37.5 to 112.5mm and the camera features all the usual functions of a modern day point and shoot including face recognition (auto focus and auto exposure) and digital shake reduction.

The Pentax Optio E40 is powered by AA batteries and comes with 'green mode' (for complete beginners).

Moving recording is at up to 640 x 480 pixels and continuous shooting is at 16 continuous images in a 2 second burst.

PENTAX Corporation is pleased to announce the PENTAX Optio E40 compact digital camera. This entry-level model accepts widely available AA batteries and is designed for simple and intuitive operation so that even beginners can enjoy photography effortlessly. With the Optio E40, we have created a model that makes it easier than ever to enjoy high-resolution pictures with such new features as Face Recognition, handy for taking shots of people, and Shake Reduction, which reduces the effects of camera shake and subject blurring.

Pentax Optio E40 Main Features:

“Face Recognition AF&AE” function that is convenient when photographing portrait
The Optio E40 newly features the Face Recognition AF & AE function*, which allows you to take beautiful pictures of people easily by letting the camera determine the focus and exposure. This “Face Recognition AF&AE” functionautomatically detects and focuses on faces, regardless of where the people appear in the photo frame. In addition, optimal exposure settings are automatically conducted so that the areas with faces are not darkened even if there is backlighting.
*Available when the photography mode is “Auto Picture”, “Program”, “Portrait”, and “Kids” and the camera is directed at people from the front
Digital SR (Shake Reduction)
A mode that reduces camera shakes and blurring of the subject when photographing still images. The sensitivity is adjusted automatically, to as high as the high sensitivity of ISO1000, to match the brightness of the subjects. This enables for photography with fast shutter speeds, and images with less blurs can be obtained.

Auto Picture mode automatically determines the best settings for the shooting conditions
The Auto Picture mode lets the camera automatically determine the shooting conditions for Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, and Normal mode and choose the optimum settings for each subject. This PENTAX original function makes photography a lot easier for users since it eliminates the necessity of making a number of individual settings.

Compatibility with widely available AA batteries
Since the Optio E40 accepts widely available AA batteries, you can shoot with confidence when away from home or whenever you want. Furthermore, the camera has been designed specifically to use less power so that you can take approximately 240 photos when running on alkaline batteries.

Equipped with the Green mode for automated setup
The Optio E40 comes with the Green mode, which automates the camera setup when shooting still images, that allows even complete digital-camera beginners to enjoy picture-taking effortlessly. A single button press automatically sets the exposure, sensitivity, white balance, and other parameters according to the shooting conditions. This function is useful when asking someone else to take your picture or when you have simply lost track of the camera settings.

8.1 effective megapixels produce exceptionally fine-detailed photos
Despite being an entry-level camera, the Optio E40 delivers high-resolution photos that look sharp even at large magnifications thanks to its 8.1 effective megapixels, which precisely captures images down to the finest detail.

3X optical zoom and 4X digital zoom for a maximum of about 12X magnification
The Optio E40 features a 3X optical zoom lens with a focal range covering angles of view equivalent to those of a 37.5-112.5mm lens in 35mm format, which is ideal for a broad spectrum of subjects from landscapes, through sightseeing photographs, to portraits. Such zooming power can also be combined with 4X digital zoom to achieve a total of about 12X zoom capability

Other Pentax Optio E40 features:

• Recording movie size is up to 640 x 480 pixels with images quality of rivaling camcorders
• Large, high-resolution 2.4-inch LCD monitor with approximately 110,000 pixels provides an easy-to-view display
• Calendar Display function allows easier image retrieval based on the capture date
• More convenient to carry thanks to the slim design, which features a lens design that fully retracts when the camera is off
• Continuous shooting mode can record up to 16 consecutive images (640 x 480 pixels per image) in a 2-second burst
• Compatible with SDHC memory card in addition to conventional SD memory cards
• Coming with about 10MB of built-in memory that allows internal image storage even when the memory card is full
• New Panorama mode enables the camera to join the captured images into one picture
• Frame composite function allows you to add a decorative frame around the image when shooting
• Compatible with PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III

Pentax Optio E40 News Release

Trusted Reviews has reviewed the Pentax Optio E40 where they write - 'For a rock-bottom price the Pentax Optio E40 offers good build quality, elegant design and a surprisingly complete set of features. Performance is a bit on the slow side, but it will reliably take usable pictures in most lighting conditions. Where it falls down however is on final image quality, with noise problems at all ISO settings, and vignetting is also an issue.'