Pentax Optio M20 Review

Here you can see the fully automatic "Auto Picture" mode. The camera selects all of the exposure settings, you just simply point-n-shoot.

Program AE mode, is also an automatic exposure mode, but it still allows you to select from many menu or function options like ISO, White Balance, etc.

When the shutter is half-pressed and the autofocus locks, the active AF point bracket will shrink and turn green.

Pressing the OK button toggles the amount of overlay information displayed on the LCD. Here you can see extended exposure information with the live histogram.

Press the 4-way controller "MODE" button to change the exposure mode. Choices are: Auto Picture, Program, Night scene, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Surf & Snow, Sport, Kids, Pet, Blur Reduction, Food, Frame.

Record Menu options:

Recorded Pixels - 7M, 5M, 4M, 3M, 2M, 1024, 640
Quality Level - Best (***), Better (**) or Good (*)
White Balance - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent or Manual
AF Setting - Choose focusing area
Sensitivity - Auto, or User select ISO 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (ISO 1600 only during Blur Reduction Mode)
EV Compensation - ±2.0 in 1/3EV steps
Movie - Adjust movie mode settings (shown below)
Digital Zoom - On/Off
Instant Review - 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 secs. and Off
Memory - Saves shooting function settings when camera is turned off
Green Button - Define function of the GREEN button
Sharpness - Hard, Normal or Soft
Saturation - Hard, Normal or Soft
Contrast - Hard, Normal or Soft

The Optio M20 lets you get up close and personal with its Macro and Super Macro focus modes. Macro covers 4.0 in (0.1m) at 6.3mm to 2.62 ft (1.0m) at 18.9mm, while Super Macro covers 1.92 in (0.05m) at 6.3mm to 1.31 ft (0.4m) at 18.9mm

To focus manually -- Press the Focus mode button and select "MF". Then press the OK button and adjust the focus distance by using the Up and Down positions of the 4-way controller. While you are actively changing the focus, the center portion of the LCD display is magnified and a distance scale is shown on the left.

You can record 640x480 or 320x320 motion video at 15 or 30 fps with audio. Movie clips are stored as QuickTime MOV format video files. Zoom and wide angle controls work while recording your movie, and the anti-shake setting helps to make a smooth recording. The length of these movies is limited only by available memory.

Movie options found under the Rec. Menu.

Record Pixels - 640x480 or 320x320
Quality Level - Best (***), Better (**) or Good (*)
Frame Rate - 15fps - 30fps
Color Mode - Full Color, B&W, Sepia
Movie anti-shake - On or Off