Pentax Optio V20 (2008)

The Pentax Optio V20 is a compact point-and-shoot announced in 2008. Sources differ on the exact date, with some pointing to March and DPReview listing May 19. List price was US$300. Pentax pitched it as an ultra-slim, stylish camera built around two headline features: a 5x optical zoom and a large 3.0-inch LCD. The lens covers a 36-180mm equivalent range at f/3.5-5.6, which Reviewed noted compared favorably with the 3x zooms typical of cameras in its class.

Pentax's own marketing leaned on the V20's "blink detection" feature. New Atlas described it as helping overcome one of snapshot photography's greatest problems - subjects blinking at the moment of exposure. The camera also offered Face Recognition, Smile Capture, and Anti-Shake modes. Image stabilization is digital rather than optical. There is no viewfinder, so composition relies entirely on the 3.0-inch, 230,000-dot fixed LCD.

Beyond that, the record is thin. The V20 uses an 8MP 1/2.3-inch sensor, offers ISO up to 6400, shoots 480p/30fps video, and stores images on SD/SDHC cards or internal memory. It runs on the D-LI78 lithium-ion battery, shared with several other Pentax compacts of the era, good for roughly 200 shots per charge. CNET called it "a good budget option" with a superb menu system, while Reviewed.com found the zoom range impressive for the size and price. The camera weighs 170g and measures 98 x 57 x 24 mm.

Surviving documentation is otherwise sparse. No production end date, shutter speed range, or lens construction details are confirmed in the available record.

Known specs: