Denver, CO—Pentax Ricoh announced the Optio VS20 digital compact camera, a versatile model featuring a 20x optical zoom lens (28-560mm equivalent) and a second vertical shutter-release button with zoom lever for portrait-oriented shooting.
Its vertical shutter release and zoom lever give the VS20 features typically found on DSLRs, providing added stability at long optical zooms as well as a comfortable grip. The Optio VS20 even includes a vertical tripod socket for stabilized vertical support. The camera enhances vertical shooting three ways: the extra shutter-release button and second zoom lever offer a better grip for vertical shots; it automatically shifts the image display orientation (from horizontal landscape to vertical portrait) by detecting vertical alignment with its orientation sensor; and a vertical-position tripod socket allows for securely setting the camera up with a lighter, more portable tripod.
Additionally, a new handheld night snap mode was introduced to capture images with minimal blur and noise even in low light, and a macro mode shoots down to one centimeter from the subject. An intelligent zoom function was added to extend the camera’s zoom range to 144x to cover the focal length of an equivalent 4032mm super-telephoto lens without compromising image quality.
The user-friendly Optio VS20 also features: a 16 megapixel CCD sensor with mechanical sensor shift shake reduction for stabilized, blur-free images even in low light; a 3.0-inch, wide-view (170º) LCD; auto picture mode that automatically chooses the best camera settings; triple shake reduction to aid in achieving blur-free images and HD video; new scene modes that include fisheye, sketch modes and a stretch filter for more creative options; smile capture; blink detection; upgraded auto face recognition with a new face recall function that prioritizes a preregistered face when optimizing focus and exposure settings; digital level and 48-segment grid display functions to confirm horizontal and vertical alignment; a digital panorama mode; and wireless remote-control shooting using an optional Pentax infrared remote control.
The Pentax Optio VS20 will be available in black and white bodies for $249.95. pentaximaging.com
