Pentax to roll out four Optio compacts

The Pentax Optio M50, Optio S12, and Optio E50, in addition to the previously announced Optio A40, should all begin finding their way to store shelves in the coming months.

In a press release this afternoon, Pentax Imaging Company president Ned Bunnell stated that, "Every compact offering from Pentax includes the popular face recognition feature, Digital Shake Reduction, Pentax's own Auto Picture mode and high quality design." The new cameras bring new power and more color to the company's lineup of compacts, though whether they offer the specs to compete in the highly competitive compact camera market remains to be seen.

Step-up Optio M50 features 5x zoom

The 8.0 megapixel M50 builds on a basic compact platform, adding a 5x zoom lens and several body color options to expected specs like a 2.5-inch LCD. Like many new releases we're seeing this year, the M50 comes with a Smile Capture feature, which fires the shutter when subjects are smiling.

Priced at $229.95, the M50 should begin shipping in March.

S12 is small, stylish

Billed as the "smallest, most stylish 12 MP camera in its class," the Optio S12 draws its design inspiration from previous tiny S models from Pentax. Sporting a 12 megapixel sensor, an SMC Pentax 3x zoom, and manual control options, the S12 appears to offer lots of power in an easily pocketable package.

Look for the S12 in April, at around $279.95.

Budget Pentax E series gets a makeover with E50

Emphasizing easy of use, flexibility, and appeal for travelers looking for a no-worries compact camera, the 8.1 megapixel Optio E50 appears to be a basic point-and-shoot with a 3x zoom, though several key specs are still TBA at the time of this writing.

What is known, however, is that the camera should be available in March, with a bargain-basement MSRP of $149.95.

Optio A40 release announced

The official press release for the Optio A40 came a few months ago, but in addition its new cameras, Pentax has made it known that the 12 megapixel A40, which was intially anticipated last October, should begin hitting store shelves next month for a suggested price of $299.95. This advanced-user model features mechanical Shake Reduction and lots of manual control, putting it into direct competition with the likes of Canon's PowerShot A series.

For more information, check out our Pentax Optio A40 announcement.

Pentax Optio M50 specifications:

Pentax Optio S12 specifications:

Pentax Optio E50 specifications: