Pentax Announces E40 and M40

July 12, 2007 – Pentax yesterday announced two new point-and-shoot models, the Optio M40 and E40. The 8-megapixel M40 and 8.1-megapixel E40 both come with Face Recognition and Digital Shake Reduction. The M40 has a suggested retail price of $199.95 and is expected to ship in August. The E40 will retail for $149.95 when the camera becomes available in September.

The new Pentax M40 and E40 are both fitted with a 3x optical zoom lens. Among features the two cameras share are Pentax’s Face Recognition Technology that detects faces in a scene and sets the proper focus and exposure, even in backlit situations, according to a company press release today. The M40 and E40 also include Pentax’s Digital Shake Reduction system that promises to reduce subject blur and camera shake by boosting shutter speed and sensitivity. The M40's Digital SR has a maximum 3200 ISO, while the E40 tops out at a sensitivity of 1000 ISO.

The new M and E models tout higher megapixel counts than their predecessors, the 7-megapixel M30 and E30 models that were introduced in January. In addition, the M40 and E40 include Pentax’s Digital Shake Reduction system that promises to reduce subject blur and camera shake by boosting shutter speed and sensitivity. Like the M30, the M40's Digital SR has a maximum 3200 ISO. The Optio E40 adds a higher sensitivity of 1000 ISO versus the E30's 400 ISO maximum.

The M40 is equipped with a 2.5-inch, 115,000-pixel resolution LCD screen and the E40 carries a slightly smaller 2.4-inch, 110,000-pixel resolution monitor. The M40 accepts Li-ion batteries, and the E40 takes AA batteries.

Key Features:

Face Recognition

Digital Shake Reduction