Pentax Launches 12.1MP Point-and-Shoot DigiCam

Pentax announced two new compact, point-and-shoot digital cameras today, the Optio A40 and Optio V10.

The A40 has an advanced feature set and includes a 12.1-megapixel imaging sensor and three forms of shake-reduction technology. To cut down on blurry still-shots caused by unsteady hands, the 3X optical zoom camera comes with mechanical and digital image stabilization. For steady video capture, the A40 also features a special movie anti-shake ability. Weighing in at 5.3 ounces, the A40 saves pictures and movies to standard SD and larger capacity SDHC memory cards. The A40 can record video in the popular Divx AVI file format as well.

Much more of a party cam, the slim and trim OPTI V10 weighs a slightly lighter 4.9 ounces and features a large 3-inch LCD for framing and sharing your photos. The V10 uses an 8-megapixel sensor and 3X optical zoom lens, and a 9-point autofocus system also is able to lock onto people and objects.

Expect the Optio A40 to hit stores this month for a list price of $299.95. The Optio V10 should ship in November 2007 with a lower price of $249.95.