Pentax Announces Optio E60, M60 Cameras

Pentax has taken the wraps off its Optio E60 and M60 cameras, both sporting 10 megapixel resolution and consumer-friendly features.

Pentax has taken the wraps off its new Optio E60 and M60 point-and-shoot cameras, each offering a 10 megapixel resolution and a selection of intelligent features designed to appeal to entry-level users and point-and-shoot camera operators.

The E60 sports a 2.4-inch LCD display, 3× optical zoom, 10.1 megapixel resolution, and runs off AA batteries—a feature designed to appeal to travelers and other folks away from wall chargers. The E60 sports facial recognition technology (handling up to 10 faces), digital image stabilization, and a digital panorama mode that stitches images together into a single wide image. The camera also features a "Green mode" designed to appeal to beginning digital camera users: a single button sets exposure, sensitivity, and other options according to shooting conditions: handy for asking someone else to take your picture, or when you don’t have time to figure out the camera’s current settings. Expect to see the E60 in the U.S. this October in black and silver for less than $140.

The M60 offers a 10 megapixel resolution, 5× optical zoom, 10 megapixel resolution, and a 2.5-inch LCD display. The M60 incorporates a high-speed face recognition feature (as little as 0.03 seconds) that can handle as many as 32 people; the camera also includes Smile Capture and Blink Detection features so users can automatically take pictures of their subjects while they’re smiling and have their eyes open. (And yes, there’s a red-eye compensation feature.) The camera also features digital image stabilization, and stores images to SD/SDHC cards. No word on pricing or when it might reach the North American market, but it’ll be available in blue, pink, and silver.