"Picky Details" for the Pentax Optio 330 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)
Timing
I measure both cycle times and shutter delay times, using a proprietary Imaging
Resource test system. Here are the numbers I collected
for the Pentax Optio 330:
NOTE: My qualitative characterizations of camera performance below (that is, "reasonably fast," "about average," etc.) are meant to be relative to other cameras of similar price and general capabilities. Thus, the same shutter lag that's "very fast" for a low-end consumer camera might be characterized as "quite slow" if I encountered it on a professional model. The comments are also intended as only a quick reference: If performance specs are critical for you, rely on the absolute numbers to compare cameras, rather than my purely qualitative comments.
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| Power On -> First shot |
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About average for a camera with a zoom lens.
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| Shutdown |
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About average for a camera with a zoom lens.
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| Play to Record, first shot |
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Time until first shot is captured. Pretty fast.
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| Record to play |
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Time to display a large/fine file after capture. Pretty
fast.
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| Shutter lag, full autofocus | First time is for wide angle zoom setting, second is for telephoto. Wide angle time somewhat slower than average, tele time is slower still. | |
| Shutter lag, manual focus | Time to capture in manual focus mode. A bit faster than average. | |
| Shutter lag, prefocus | Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button. Faster than average. | |
| Cycle Time, max/min resolution |
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First number is for large/fine files, number in parentheses is large/fine between second and third shot, last number is time for small/basic images. Fast between first and second shot in large/fine mode, slow between second and third. Fast between all shots at small/basic resolution. |
| Cycle Time, continuous mode, max/min resolution |
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First time is for large/fine, first two shots, second for large fine on alternate shots, third number is for small/basic files. Small buffer only holds one shot, so camera alternates between two shots fairly quickly, then pauses before third, then another two fast, and so on. |
The Optio 330 is about average, speed-wise. It's fairly fast between one shot and the next, but needs a goodly pause before capturing the third. Shutter lag is on the long side of average in autofocus mode, somewhat faster than average in manual focus, and noticeably faster than average when prefocused. Overall, the camera wouldn't be a first choice for sports photos, but should be fine for other shots.
Power
The Optio 330 uses a tiny custom LiIon cell for its power source, with the
shorter run times this generally implies. It's helped quite a bit though, by
circuitry that dissipates nearly no power when the LCD is turned off. Thus,
you can leave the 330 in record mode with the LCD off all day, without worrying
about draining your battery. As always, I *strongly* recommend buying a spare
battery though. The table below shows the Optio 330's power consumption in various
modes, and approximate run times for each, based the 900 mAh rated life of its
3.7v LiIon battery pack:
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(@4.5 volts on the external power terminal) |
(w/provided LiIon battery pack) |
| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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Overall, not too bad for an ultra compact camera. The best news is the incredibly long battery life if you just stay off the LCD.
Storage Capacity
The Optio 330 stores its images on Type I CompactFlash cards, and a 16 MB
card is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least
another 16MB card, preferably a 32 MB one, to give yourself extra space for
extended outings. - Heck, these days memory cards are so cheap, there's no reason
not to get a 64 MB card, which could store 36 images at maximum size and quality!)
The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16MB card
at each size/quality setting.
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Resolution/Quality 16 MB Memory Card |
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| Full Resolution 2048x1536 | Images (Avg size) |
9 1.6 MB |
13 1.2 MB |
615 KB |
| Approx. Compression |
6:1 | 8:1 |
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| XGA Resolution 1024x768 | Images (Avg size) |
410 KB |
308 KB |
174 KB |
| Approx. Compression |
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Images (Avg size) |
154 KB |
103 KB |
72 KB |
| Approx. Compression |
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