Pentax Optio 555


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whalaueh

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Nov 27, 2003
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Hi, i'm a newbie into photography. I would like to get a Digital Camera, budget around 1K. Read alot of reviews about Pentax Optio 555. I have searched this site for some comments on this camera but failed to find any. I am starting to wonder if its a good buy? :dunno:
 

whalaueh said:
Hi, i'm a newbie into photography. I would like to get a Digital Camera, budget around 1K. Read alot of reviews about Pentax Optio 555. I have searched this site for some comments on this camera but failed to find any. I am starting to wonder if its a good buy? :dunno:


Maybe u can consider other brands as well before deciding on the Pentax? Can also look at review sites for the Optio 555 but it's a bit early since this model just launched.
 

TME said:
Maybe u can consider other brands as well before deciding on the Pentax? Can also look at review sites for the Optio 555 but it's a bit early since this model just launched.

I would think that the 555 is a good camera, though it is rather pricy. The big concern I have about Pentax is that they wasn't represented by their own company in Singapore, but by a distributor........
 

frisky said:
I would think that the 555 is a good camera, though it is rather pricy. The big concern I have about Pentax is that they wasn't represented by their own company in Singapore, but by a distributor........

Oh! But usually no problem one right?? The agent is usually quite responsible since we complain to Pentax Japan, then they will kenna mah.....
 

The Pentax Optio 555 is probably the most advanced Pentax digital compact camera till date. Among the improvements made, I think the most interesting is the hybrid AF focusing system that's currently not found on other Pentax digital cameras, not even the *ist D (although the *ist D probably has a faster motor and processor, making it not necessary to have such an AF system).

What the hybrid AF system does is that it first attempts to detect subject distance by means of infrared, and then adjusts the focus to near that distance, and fine tunes via the standard passive phase matching system. It sounds good in theory but I wonder if it really works. If it works well, AF focusing speed can be considerably faster than other compact digital cameras in its class.
 

Hmm...... yeah I read about it as well. But I have my doubts since u are actually having 2 systems working together... bound to have some communication lag...... wonder if it is not faster to have a AF illuminator on the camera instead... that might work much faster especially if the illuminator paints an IR pattern like external flashes.....
 

whalaueh said:
Hi, i'm a newbie into photography. I would like to get a Digital Camera, budget around 1K. Read alot of reviews about Pentax Optio 555. I have searched this site for some comments on this camera but failed to find any. I am starting to wonder if its a good buy? :dunno:
i have the Optio 550 (also 5MP and 5x optical) quite similar to the 555 but slower start up. Using it for P&S and find it OK. I found my indoor shots a bit noisy compared to my other cams--but this was prob due to my lack of skills. Best thing about the cam is the 5x lens. Was thinking of getting the 555 but was distracted and have ordered the Sony 828.
 

bluz said:
i have the Optio 550 (also 5MP and 5x optical) quite similar to the 555 but slower start up. Using it for P&S and find it OK. I found my indoor shots a bit noisy compared to my other cams--but this was prob due to my lack of skills. Best thing about the cam is the 5x lens. Was thinking of getting the 555 but was distracted and have ordered the Sony 828.

F828 vs Optio 555?? Woah buddy, 2 different classes altogether!!!
 

TME said:
Hmm...... yeah I read about it as well. But I have my doubts since u are actually having 2 systems working together... bound to have some communication lag...... wonder if it is not faster to have a AF illuminator on the camera instead... that might work much faster especially if the illuminator paints an IR pattern like external flashes.....

To keep the camera still in the category of "compact cameras" I suppose. Having the illuminator pattern thingy would require more bulk.

I think the 2 system do not really work together. Suppose if the subject is 2 metres away, I think what goes on is that the infrared sensor detect that the closest subject is 2 meters away and moves the focus to 2 meters. After that, it shuts off and lets the phase matching system take over. Since the focus is already near accurate, there will be fewer hunts before the best focus is achieved.

Sounds good in theory, but wonder if it really works well.
 

Hey guyz thanks for sharing :)
I have enquire the price of this cam from Cathay and AP. The price which Cathay quote is around 30 bucks more expensive (both inclusive of GST) for the cam and the accessories... Gotta decide on which shop to go to now.. Actually i was thinking about getting Nikon CoolPix 5400 (around 1200), if i were to increase the memory and get an additional tripod it will be very costly (out of budget)
 

whalaueh said:
Hey guyz thanks for sharing :)
I have enquire the price of this cam from Cathay and AP. The price which Cathay quote is around 30 bucks more expensive (both inclusive of GST) for the cam and the accessories... Gotta decide on which shop to go to now.. Actually i was thinking about getting Nikon CoolPix 5400 (around 1200), if i were to increase the memory and get an additional tripod it will be very costly (out of budget)

How much did AP quote you?
 

freeworld said:
How much did AP quote you?

AP quoted me $600. I dun know what wahlaueh got quoted. But this price is pretty competitive within SLS since most were quoting about $630-650. One shop quoted me $585 but I didn't ask what the package was like. Anyway, for most cases, it was the standard package of the camera, 16MB SD card and whatever drivers, etc...
 

Sorrie, TME which camera are u you talking about? For Pentax Optio 555, AP quote me 940 inclusive of gst...
 

TME said:
AP quoted me $600. I dun know what wahlaueh got quoted. But this price is pretty competitive within SLS since most were quoting about $630-650. One shop quoted me $585 but I didn't ask what the package was like.

S$600 for a pentax 555? :bigeyes: Is there a typo? If not, many people, myself included, will be tempted at that price.
 

Sorry, I was talking about the Optio S. Was using it as an example to show that each individual's mileage vares with the same shop and same product..... the Optio 555 is 5MP, if it goes for $600 with its feature set, I think it will be sold out world wide........... :D
 

Does anyone has update on this cam? reviews, comments, pricing?
Thanks
 

Hi Guys,

Just wondering whether Optio 555 has shutter lag problem? Because i heard rumours that it has ley.... can any of you advise?
 

yes there is a bit of shutter lag, like 1 second, but if you do the half hold the button down so it pre focus it is extremely fast.

i took a photo of my friends watch doing that, a fancy watch where the second number rotates around the screen, and it didnt seemed to have moved when i took it. that is pre focused.

prefocus aint bad anyway, camera im using now u have to set the damn focus,

anyway im intending on buying it quite soon


::::
one more thing what is the AP shop? has any one got a link to it, thanks
 

johnnybravo said:
yes there is a bit of shutter lag, like 1 second, but if you do the half hold the button down so it pre focus it is extremely fast.

i took a photo of my friends watch doing that, a fancy watch where the second number rotates around the screen, and it didnt seemed to have moved when i took it. that is pre focused.

prefocus aint bad anyway, camera im using now u have to set the damn focus,

anyway im intending on buying it quite soon


::::
one more thing what is the AP shop? has any one got a link to it, thanks


Alan Photo (AP) is located at Sim Lim Square, ground floor opposite one of the 2 jade dragon boats.

Anyway, the lag that u describe is not shutter lag. It is a focus lag. Shutter lag means that even after pre-focussing, the shutter does not fire straightaway when u depress the shutter button. In any case, you should always pre-focus as the AI focussing system may get the focus spot wrong sometimes.
 

TME said:
Anyway, the lag that u describe is not shutter lag. It is a focus lag. Shutter lag means that even after pre-focussing, the shutter does not fire straightaway when u depress the shutter button. In any case, you should always pre-focus as the AI focussing system may get the focus spot wrong sometimes.

oh i thought it was just the time it takes to get the photo, i think www.imaging-resource.com does it that way.

Like in reviews thats how they describe it, as the optio 555 got a bad review on shutter lag, and as i said when i tested it , it was quite fast with pre focus
 

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