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August 21, 2006 - Today, Pentax Imaging Co. announced the addition of the mid-level Optio M20. The 7.0 megapixel camera will retail for $200 when it becomes available next month.
The compact camera is an "ideal travel companion," stated today’s Pentax release. With an extended battery life, the Optio M20 can process 700 images on AA Li batteries or 220 images on AA alkaline batteries, according to the release.
The Optio M20 follows its predecessor, the M10 with the same 2.5-inch LCD screen size and 3x optical zoom. Priced at $30 less than the original retail price of the M10, the new M20 carries an additional megapixel over the M10’s 6MP sensor.
The M20 has a significantly higher ISO sensitivity of 1600, up from the M10’s top ISO setting of 400. The Optio M20 is also equipped with a new High ISO Blur Reduction mode that automatically adjusts shutter speeds to reduce camera shake and motion blur when engaged. The camera also has video capabilities of 640x480 at 30fps, complete with an anti-shake movie function.
The Pentax M20 has auto-tracking AF for moving subjects such as children or animals. With its face recognition AF and AE, the camera can detect faces and automatically focus and expose for proper portraits.
Other features include a world time function, a calendar, and soft flash. The M20 is compatible with ImageLink printers and accepts SDHC memory cards.