Pentax X90 – Built to Zoom

Photography News

GOLDEN, CO. (February 24, 2010)…PENTAX Imaging Company announced the latest model in the manufacturer’s megazoom digital camera line: the PENTAX X90. Featuring an extra-wide zoom, longer battery life than its predecessor and an electronic viewfinder, the X90 delivers effortless picture-taking in a wide variety of situations to photographers of all levels.

The key feature of the PENTAX X90 is the 26X megazoom, super-telephoto lens (26-676mm equivalent) also designed with a Macro mode that focuses to less than one inch away to capture images of subjects that are near or far.

Other important features of the PENTAX X90 include:

• 12.1 megapixel sensor, ideal for large prints or cropping flexibility
• 2.7 inch LCD with anti-reflection coating or electronic viewfinder with new diopter adjustment for composing and playback of images and video
• Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity for built-in Wi-Fi capability to transfer photos and videos from the camera to a computer or an online sharing site such as Picasaweb, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube (Eye-fi cards sold separately.)
• HDMI port plays back beautiful high resolution images and video on HDTVs
• A perfect blend of digital compact and SLR technology including powerful automatic operation or creative manual and priority modes
• Triple Shake Reduction technology includes a high quality mechanical sensor-shift SR mechanism, Digital Pixel Track and high ISO SR, and Movie SR
• High speed continuous shooting up to 11 frames per second
• Fast Face Detection technology quickly finds up to 32 faces
• Powerful, lightweight Lithium Ion battery and improved power efficiency

Priced at $399.95 USD, the PENTAX X90 will ship in April 2010.

PENTAX X90 FACT SHEET

Versatile optical 26X zoom lens to accommodate a range of subjects
With a compact, lightweight body, the PENTAX X90 features a high-magnification optical 26X zoom lens offering a focal-length coverage between 26mm wide angle to 676mm super telephoto (in the 35mm format). Combined with a Macro mode to capture images of subjects less than an inch away, the X90 captures images near and far.

The X90 also features an Intelligent Zoom function, which extends the zoom coverage to approximately 162.5 times (for a focal length of an 4225mm in the 35mm format) without compromising the optical performance of the zoom lens.

Dependable shake-reduction system for sharp, blur-free images
The X90 incorporates the PENTAX-original CCD-shift-type SR (Shake Reduction) system to assure sharply focused, blur-free images even under demanding photographic conditions prone to camera shake, such as when using the zoom lens’s super-telephoto range or when shooting a sunset or indoor scene with natural light only. By accurately detecting the amount of camera shake using a high-performance gyro sensor and shifting the CCD image sensor vertically and horizontally at high speed, the X90 offers an outstanding camera-shake compensation effect, equivalent to approximately three shutter steps.*

* The degree of shake-reduction effect may vary, depending on the photographic conditions.

Extra-powerful battery for extended shooting sessions
With a large-capacity lithium-ion battery, the X90’s battery life has improved by 50 percent over the previous PENTAX megazoom. The camera records approximately 255 images* on a full battery charge. * Based on measurement conditions conforming to CIPA specifications using the exclusive D-LI106 Lithium-ion Battery.

Electronic viewfinder with diopter adjustment for clear image viewing outdoors
The X90 comes equipped with an electronic viewfinder with a diopter adjustment mechanism for clear views of subject and electonronic indicators.

Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity
Eye-Fi SD memory cards store media and offer built-in Wi-Fi capability that accesses an assigned wireless network to effortlessly transfer photos and videos from the camera to a computer and online sharing site such as Picasaweb, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube. Equipped with an Eye-Fi Card, the PENTAX X90 allows users to enable/disable the Eye-Fi Card’s Wi-Fi connectivity via the camera menu and provides an on-screen card activity indicator. (Eye-fi cards sold separately. More details available at www.eye-fi)

Movie shooting in high-definition TV image quality, with anti-shake protection
The X90 captures high-quality movie clips, equivalent in image quality to high-definition TV (1280 x 720 pixels). The camera features Movie SR (Shake Reduction) mode* to minimize camera shake during movie shooting through the use of exclusive software. As a result, the photographer enjoys high-quality, blur-free movie shooting with minimal effort. An HDMI micro terminal for audio/video signal output supports high-resolution movie viewing on a high-definition TV monitor.

* When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.

Multi-mode exposure system to accommodate different applications
In addition to the advanced Programmed AE mode, which automatically selects the optimal combination of aperture and shutter speed for a given subject, the X90 offers Aperture-Priority AE, Shutter-Priority AE and Metered Manual modes.

High image quality
With 12.1 effective megapixels, a sophisticated imaging engine and a high-quality PENTAX zoom lens, the X90 delivers super-clear, high-quality images with a Bright, Natural or Monotone finishing touch option.

Auto Picture mode for hands-off selection of seven different shooting modes
The X90 features the advanced Auto Picture mode, which selects the most appropriate shooting mode for a given subject or scene by detecting the subject’s lighting and other conditions. This user-friendly feature selects the best mode from a choice of Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Flower, Sport or Standard modes and features an Auto Macro mode, which automatically switches the camera’s focus range to macro in close-range applications.

Face Detection AF & AE function
Feauring an upgraded Face Detection AF & AE function, the X90 automatically detects up to 32 faces in the image field in a mere 0.03 seconds and captures each with precision, even when the faces are tilted or turned sideways. In addition, the X90 offers other user-friendly functions designed to produce beautiful portraits with ease: the Smile Capture function, which automatically releases the shutter the instant it detects the subject’s smile; and the Blinking Detection function, which warns the photographer when the subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.

High-sensitivity anti-shake mode to minimize camera/subject shake at indoor events and fast-moving subjects
The X90 comes equipped with the advanced High-Sensitivity anti-shake (Digital SR) mode,* which allows the photographer to use higher shutter speeds in dimly lit locations by automatically shifting the sensitivity level to as high as ISO 6400 based on the subject’s lighting condition. By coupling this function with the dependable CCD-shift-type SR system, the photographer can effectively minimize adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake, even when shooting at such demanding locations as concert halls and indoor sports arenas.

* When the High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode is selected, the image size is fixed at 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels).

Additional features

• The Burst shooting* at a maximum speed of approximately 11 images per second to capture decisive moments
• Choice of image format: 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 or 1:1 proportions
• Large 2.7 inch color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots, treated withAR (Anti-Reflection) coating to minimize reflections
• Shooting mode palette for easy selection of a desired shooting mode from 20 different options,
• including a new Baby mode programmed to capture the healthy, lively face of a baby
• D-Range setting to minimize excessively overexposed and underexposed areas in the image
• A selection of digital filters, including Toy Camera and Retro, to add creative visual effects
• MediaImpression 2.0 for PENTAX image viewing, editing and filing software included (compatible with latest operation systems, including Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6)
• When the continuous-shooting mode is selected, the image size is fixed at 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels).