GOLDEN, Colorado (August 16, 2004)….PENTAX Imaging Company has introduced a little heaven on earth in the new Optio750Z digital camera. With 7.0 megapixels and a 5X optical zoom, the Optio750Z will delight advanced photographers seeking high quality images from a compact digital camera. Strategically positioned at the high-end of the PENTAX Optio Series, the Optio750Z offers true performance in a pocket-sized digital camera.

Classically designed with an aluminum alloy exterior and a leather-grained rubber façade, the Optio750Z delivers high-precision imaging with 7.0 effective megapixels, a high-performance smc PENTAX 5X optical zoom lens, newly developed ASIC (Application Specified Integrate Circuit), and other impressive features. The camera's 10 shooting modes meet a variety of shooting situations, and a large dial simplifies mode selections. The generous 1.8 inch, low-reflection LCD monitor enhances visibility and shooting freedom and the camera captures VGA video with sound at a rate of 30fps (frames per second) with 640 x 480 recorded pixels up to the full available capacity of the chosen memory card.

The PENTAX Optio750Z and other new and exciting digital products will be on display September 20 at the PEPCOM Holiday Spectacular in New York City.

As with all newer PENTAX Optio digital cameras, the Optio750Z includes the latest version of ACDSee™ 5.1 software. With a $150 value, ACDSee™ digital camera software makes it easy to retrieve, view, manage, print, enhance and share your digital photos.

The Optio750Z will ship along with the software to major camera retailers in September 2004.

PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of digital and film cameras, binoculars, spotting scopes, eyepieces, lenses, mobile printers, scanners and internet cameras. For more than 80 years, PENTAX technology has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of consumers and businesses. PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PENTAX Corporation of Japan.

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Major Features of the PENTAX Optio750Z

High-precision, high-quality imaging

The Optio750Z employs a 1/1.8-inch primary color CCD with a total of 7.41 megapixels. It also incorporates a high-performance smc PENTAX which compromises seven groups of nine elements (two aspherical lenses) to achieve clear, high-contrast images with optimal compensation for spherical and other aberrations. The lens is treated with a unique lens coating that keeps ghost and flare to a bare minimum. The Optio750Z delivers more natural reproduction of gradations and meticulous color compensation thanks to the newly developed ASIC (Application Specified Integrated Circuit).

5X optical zooming and wide-ranging telephoto to macro shooting

The Optio750Z is equipped with a powerful smc PENTAX 5X optical zoom lens. To ensure maximum shooting versatility, this 7.8mm-39mm lens offers a focal range covering angles of view equivalent to those of a 37.5mm-187.5mm lens in 35mm format. In combination with the approximate 8X digital zoom, the user can achieve a total of up to 40X zooming. In Macro mode, the user can shoot from as close as 15cm from the subject at all zoom ranges and when the zoom is set at the wide mode end, the user can move in closer still to about 2cm from the subject. The Optio750Z is also equipped with Super macro mode, which allows the user to fill the whole frame with an area measuring approximately 3.37 x 2.47cm.

10 shooting modes for convenient and versatile shooting

To cope with wide-ranging shooting situations, the Optio750Z is equipped with 10 shooting modes – Program, Aperture-priority AE, Shutter-priority AE, Manual, USER, Picture, Panorama assist, 3D image, Digital filter and Movie.

Large mode dial

Mode selection is extremely simple with the Optio750Z. Just by turning the large mode dial that's positioned on the top surface, the user can easily select the desired mode.

Easy-to-view, easy-to-use LCD Monitor

The 1.8-inch, 134,000-pixel LCD monitor employs a low-reflection mechanism that ensures drastically improved visibility compared to common permeation types of monitor and remains easy-to-view even in bright sunlight. The LCD monitor additionally offers the versatility of being able to swing out over a range of 180 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically, which makes high-angle shooting in a crowd or low-angle shooting in Macro mode exceptionally easy.

An easy-to-use camera with a classic design

Despite its compact dimensions, the Optio750Z features an easy-to-hold grip, a large mode dial and strategically placed levers and buttons that maximize operability. Making it even more attractive still, its compact body is made of an attractive aluminum alloy and the front panel is accentuated with classic-looking leather-grained rubber.

Auto flash with discharge level compensation and rear curtain sync

The Optio750Z is equipped with an auto flash that discharges automatically in low light. The user can also make use of a flash discharge level compensation function that controls the amount of discharge by ±2EV in 1/3 steps, which is especially handy when using a flash for a subject at a close distance. The Optio750Z is also equipped with a rear curtain sync function that is ideal for capturing attractive images of light trails.

Selectable horizontal/vertical ratios

In addition to the ordinary horizontal and vertical image ratio of 4:3, the user can also choose the 3:2 ratio, which is the equivalent ratio to that of images produced by a 35mm film camera. For those who are more used to film cameras, this ratio setting ensures a more familiar sense of composition and shooting and produces images that can be printed out with no border in a size that's the same as a conventional photograph.

Hybrid AF

Autofocusing precision and speed have both been enhanced by the incorporation of hybrid AF. Combining TTL contrast detection with an external passive sensor, it allows the photographer to choose from Wide AF, Spot AF and 11-point area selectable AF, and also features an auxiliary AF LED to achieve the best possible results when shooting in low light.

Digital exposure metering mode

Upon selection of Digital exposure metering mode, the user can use the Optio750Z as a high-performance digital exposure meter, with display of EV values at up to two separate points on the monitor for high-precision metering.

Movie shooting with sound and voice recording mode

The Optio750Z has the ability to capture VGA video with sound at a rate of 30fps (frames per second) with 640 x 480 recorded pixels up to the full available capacity of the chosen memory card. The Optio750Z is also equipped with a Voice recording mode that records audio only.

Other features

1. Real-time warning display for overexposed (washed out) areas and under exposed (blacked out) areas
2. TIFF format recording that stores images without compression
3. Five auto bracketing functions that allow shooting with different levels of exposure, white balance, etc.
4. Image trimming and resizing
5. Diverse drive mode functions, such as Continuous shooting mode, Interval shooting mode, Multiple exposure mode, etc.
6. Digital filter function that's effective not only at the time of shooting but also on recorded images
7. Mode Pallet that displays all 12 Picture mode icons at once for easy selection
8. Actual-image optical viewfinder with diopter adjustment (+3m -1 ~+1m -1 )
9. Folder creation that allows folders to be named by date
10. Image rotation function that converts vertically shot images to horizontal compositions
11. Standard image viewer, ACDSee for PENTAX software
12. USB mass storage class compatibility
13. PictBridge compatibility
14. DPOF, ExifPrint and PRINT Image MatchingIII compatibility

• PENTAX, smc PENTAX, Optio are trademarks of PENTAX Corporation
• All other brands or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
• This product supports PRINT Image Matching III. PRINT Image Matching enabled digital still cameras, printers and software help photographers to produce images more faithful to their intentions. Some functions are not available on printers that are not PRINT Image Matching III compliant
  Copyright 2001 Seiko Epson Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
  PRINT Image Matching is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
  The PRINT Image Matching logo is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
• Design and specifications is subject to change without notice

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