There are good entry level cameras, and great cameras for those that wish to capture major life events. The Optio RZ18, PENTAX’s latest effort, is one of these latter cameras. At a list price of $299, it represents a camera that will serve dutifully over the course of five or so years. The amount of different functions that it provides is astounding, tying together the traditional skills of a camera with that of a camcorder. Each life event and scenic vista is captured with a 16 megapixel sensor, while there is a built-in shake reduction that makes sure that one’s pictures are spot-on. For those that may not be familiar with Photoshop, PENTAX has placed a number of different filters on the camera itself.
Adding to that shake stabilization is an autofocus, ensuring that one can snap off a sharp and crisp picture as quickly as possible. For those that do not want to add yet another format of memory card to their collection, the Optio RZ18 takes SD, SDHC ,and SDXC card. I personally found myself to be a fan of the (relatively speaking) huge 3 inch LCD display. This allows individuals to actually see how the shot looks before they take it, rather than just pointing and hoping for the best.
After purchasing the RZ18, make sure to pick up any PENTAX remote control to allow for yourself to actually make it into the pictures. An additional recommendation is to buy the biggest possible memory card – the different videos that are shot at the camera’s 720p resolution are fairly large. We are absolutely in love with the Optio RZ18, and strongly recommend it for anyone that is currently in the market for a new (and cheaply priced) digital camera.
Rating: 9.6/10
PENTAX Optio RZ18 (Digital Camera) / http://www.pentaximaging.com / http://www.pentaximaging.com/digital-camera/Optio_RZ18_Orange