Pentax Espio User manual

PENTAD
I ESPIO I
ESPIO
OPERATING MANUAL

NAMES OF WORKING PARTS
O Zooming lever
@ Shutter release button
0 Drive button
O Infinity-landscape button
0 Autofocus window
@ LCD panel
O Mode button
© Red-eye reduction flash
button
0 Built-in flash
0 Viewfinder window
0 Light sensor window

Congratulations on your purchase of Pentax
ESPIO and welcome to the world of Pentax
zoom compact photography! Your compact,
light weight camera is a great companion to
preserve your favorite memories. Its built-in
35-70mm zoom lens gives you the freedom to
frame everything from breathtaking land¬
scapes to family portraits, even detailed
close-ups. The built-in auto flash helps you to
capture subjects in dimly-lit places or to pho¬
tograph indoor scenes with clarity and bril¬
liance. It functions as a fill-in flash for day¬
light flash-sync photography. Since most of
the operations - including film loading, film
speed setting, winding/rewinding, focus and
exposure control - are automatic, you can
take great pictures with little effort. The DATE
model makes it easy to remember the dates
when you took pictures.
* Please read this manual carefully before
operating the camera to take consistently
superior pictures.
• Pay special attention to the cautions and
notes in this Operating Manual. Pictures
and illustrations shown herein may differ
from the camera’s actual appearance.
The names of the camera’s working parts are
listed on the front and back flaps of this man¬
ual. Keep the flaps unfolded for quick refer¬
ence while reading the manual.

CAUTIONS
• The electric circuitry inside the camera
contains high voltage working parts.
Never attempt to disassemble the camera.
• Be careful not to drop or subject the cam¬
era to strong vibrations, shock or pressure,
• Do not apply force to the zoom lens; do not
place the camera with the lens facing
down.
• Never attempt to manually open the lens
cover: it will automatically open and close
as the main switch is turned on and off.
• Make sure not to obstruct the autofocus
window, lens, light sensor window, or the
built-in flash with your fingers or hair.
• Avoid leaving the camera for extended pe¬
riods of time where temperature and hu¬
midity are high such as in a car.
• Dirt, mud, sand, moisture, toxic gas, water,
salt water, etc., penetrating the inside of
the camera may cause damage or render it
inoperable. Therefore, handle it with great
care.
• Never use solvents such as paint thinner,
alcohol or benzine to clean the camera.
PRECAUTIONS FOR BATTERY
• The misuse of battery can cause hazards
such as leakage, overheating, explosions,
etc. Battery should be Inserted with the
and sides facing correctly.
• Never try to disassemble, short or re¬
charge the battery. Also, do not dispose of
the battery in a fire, as the battery may
explode.
• Battery performance may be hindered
temporarily in low temperatures, but it will
recover in normal temperatures.
• Keep a spare battery on hand for conve¬
nience when shooting outdoors or while
traveling.
• Keep the battery out of reach of children.
• When the camera is in a bag, make sure
the main switch is off: otherwise, battery
power may be wasted if the shutter release
button is pushed accidentally.
1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Names of working parts.Flaps
• Introduction.Front foldout
• Outline of basic operations .... Inside cover
• Cautions. 1
PREPARATIONS BEFORE TAKING
PHOTOGRAPHS
1. Strap attachment. 3
2. Main switch and battery check.4
3. How to hold the camera.5
4. Operating 35 - 70mm zoom lens.6
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS
1. Usable film. 7
2. Film loading.g
3. Viewfinder displays and shooting
ranges.10
4. Green/red lamps. 1 1
5. Ordinary photography. 1 1
6 . Taking pictures.12
7. Focus-lock shooting. 1 4
8 . Unloading film.ig
2
TAKING BETTER PHOTOGRAPHS
How to select modes
/Red-eye reduction flash mode.18
Daylight-synchro shooting . 1 9
Taking pictures at slow shutter speed.20
Slow-shutter-speed synchro shooting.20
Backlight compensation.21
Bulb shooting.22
Bulb-synchro shooting.22
Self-timer shooting.23
Dual-frame self timer shooting.23
Auto tele-wide self-timer.24
Consecutive shooting.25
Multi-exposure shooting.26
Interval shooting.27
Infinity-landscape shooting.28
Date model. 3 0
MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS
Battery exhaustion warning .32
Installing/Replacing the battery. 3 3
Taking care of your camera. 3 4
Troubleshooting. 3 g
Specifications. 3 8
Warranty policy. 4 0
LCD panel.Back foldout

PREPARATIONS BEFORE
TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS
You should be aware of certain funda¬
mentals to make it easier to use this
camera in the best way.
1. STRAP ATTACHMENT
Fit the strap on the camera as illustrated. Use the
clamp's protrusion to depress the ADJUST but¬
ton on the date model.
• To prevent the camera from swaying exces¬
sively while walking, adjust the strap so the
camera rides above your waist.
3

2. MAIN SWITCH AND BATTERY CHECK
To switch on, push the main switch button. The
lens extends slightly to the wide-angle 35mm
setting and LCD panel is on. To switch off, push
the main switch button again. Make sure the
camera is switched off when not in use.
• Use one 3V lithium battery, type DL123A or
CR123A. Do not remove the battery before it
is exhausted, since it is also used by the date
function on the DATE model to keep constant
track of time.
• The lens cover automatically opens and
closes when the main switch is on and off.
Never attempt to open the lens cover manu-
4 ally-
Battery check
After you turn the main switch ON, the lens
slightly extends and the lens cover opens.
Then, you are ready to shoot. (See page 32
when the battery exhaustion symbol (p ) ap¬
pears on the LCD panel.}
* If the camera is on and left unused for over
3 minutes, the lens automatically retracts
and the power switches off to save battery
power.
If the main switch is turned on within 30
minutes of auto-power off, the previous
setting will return.
• Refer to page 33 for directions on battery
insertion.

3. HOW TO HOLD THE CAMERA
When shooting, hold the camera securely
with both hands. Keep the camera as still as
possible, and gently depress the shutter re¬
lease button. (If too much force is applied, the
camera is likely to shake, and the picture will
be blurred.) Try to brace your elbows against
your body, or support yourself and the cam¬
era against a stable, stationary object, such as
a wall.
When using the flash with the camera posi¬
tioned vertically, hold the camera so that the
flash is above the lens.
Caution:
Do not hold the zoom lens because it moves
back and forth when zooming.
Note;
• Make sure not to obstruct the autofocus
window, lens, light sensor window or the
built-in flash with your fingers or hair.
5

4. OPERATING 35-70 mm ZOOM LENS
When you move the zooming lever to the right ( ^ ),
the lens moves towards the 70mm telephoto setting
and frames the subject more closely. When you
move the zooming lever to the left ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) , the lens
moves towards the wider-angle 35mm setting. When
the lens zooms to the desired setting, release the
zooming lever and depress the shutter release button
fully to take pictures.
Note:
• The shutter cannot be released when zooming.

TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS
After familiarizing yourself with opera¬
tions on the camera by reading this in¬
struction manual, you're ready to insert
the film.
Notes:
• When buying DX-coded films, make sure
the package bears the "DX" mark.
• IMon-DX coded film cannot be used,
• Use high-speed film with an ISO rating of
1000 or higher mainly for shooting indoors
or in dimly-lit conditions.
1. USABLE FILM
Automatic film speed setting
This camera is designed to use DX-coded
films with ISO ratings from 25 to 3200. When
any of these films are loaded, the proper film
speed is automatically set for the camera.
7

2. FILM LOADING (Mate sura Itw power is off before inserting the film.)
1 Slide the back cover release lever down in
the direction of the arrow to open the back
cover as illustrated.
2 Place the film cartridge in the film chamber
by fitting its flat side on top of the rewind
shaft first and then slide the top end into
the camera.
3 Pull the film leader out far enough from the
cartridge to reach the take-up spool O-
Align the tip with the film leader end mark
@
Notes:
• Make sure not to touch the lens with your
fingers.
• Make sure the film is placed properly be¬
tween the guide rails 0 .
• If there is dirt on the film detection section
O, film cannot be wound properly.
CFIat YES!
8
X Slack NO!

4 After the back cover is closed, the film auto¬
matically advances to the first frame.
* Even if no film is loaded, the motor oper¬
ates for a second or two after the back
cover is closed.
5 When (I ) appears in the exposure counter
on the LCD panel, the film automatically
stops winding. The indication appears as
shown above. If {j ) does not appear on the
LCD panel, it indicates that the film is not
properly loaded. If this occurs, reload the
film. If (f) blinks on the LCD panel, it
means the film is not properly loaded.
* The exposure counter indication will re¬
main on even if the main switch is turned
off.
• Make sure the film is taut as illustrated on previous page. Take up any slack in the film by
pushing it back into the cartridge.
• If the end of the film leader is extremely bent, straighten It or cut off the bent portion.
9

3. VIEWFINDER DISPLAYS AND SHOOTING RANGES
First, switch on power by depressing the
main switch button.
O Autofocus frame
Focus on the subject with this frame.
0 Close distance compensation frame
When the camera-to-$ub]ect distance
is between 0.6m {2ft) and 1m {3.3ft),
compose the picture within this frame.
0 Picture area
When taking a normal picture, com¬
pose the picture within this frame.
Shooting ranges (effective camera-to-sub-
ject distance)
• The ordinary setting allows a shooting
range from <» (infinity) to 0.6 meter (2ft).
• Subjects closer than 0.6 meter (2ft) can¬
not be focused properly.
10

4. GREEN/RED LAMPS
When you de¬
press the shut¬
ter release but¬
ton halfway,
the lamps O
and/or Q light
up or blink as
shown at left.
A Green lamp: When the subject is in focus,
it will light up to indicate that
you can take the picture;
when the subject is not in
focus, it will blink, indicating
that you cannot take the pic¬
ture because the camera-to-
subject distance is too close,
d Red lamp: When the flash is ready to
discharge, it will light up.
When the flash is being
charged, it will blink.
Notes: ,
• If the subject is too close, the green lamp
blinks. Adjust the camera-to-subject dis¬
tance so that the green lamp lights con¬
tinuously, then release the shutter.
• If the subject is even closer {approx. 30cm),
the green lamp may light continuously.
5. ORDINARY PHOTOGRAPHY
When the
power is
switched on by
depressing the
main switch
button, the
camera auto¬
matically selects the Auto and Single-Frame
Shooting modes and the exposure counter
indication remains on even if the mam switch
is turned off. These modes are used for taking
ordinary pictures. The built-in flash will dis¬
charge automatically when the subject is
poorly illuminated.
• When the LCD panel displayed is different
from the one shown above {which indi¬
cates the other modes are set), switching
power OFF and then ON restores the Auto
and Single-Frame Shooting modes.
* When the built-in flash automatically dis¬
charges, the camera uses the shutter speed
approx. 1/40th sec. (when 1SO100 film is
used).
11

6. TAKING PICTURES shooting distanc«:0.8ni(2ft)-oo(infinity)
1 Composing the shot
After zooming the lens and composing
your shot, focus on the subject with the
autofocus frame in the center of the view¬
finder.
2
g
2 Checking the lamp indication
Depress the shutter release button half¬
way. When your subject is in focus, the
green lamp will light up. If the subject is
closer than 0.6 meter (2ft), the green lamp
will blink. In this case, lengthen the camera-
to-subject distance.
• When the red lamp lights up, it indicates
that the built-in flash will discharge. Make
sure that you are within the flash effective
range before shooting, (see page 13.)
12

3 Shooting
Depress the shutter release button fully,
and the shutter will release. Then, the filnn
automatically advances to the next frame.
Notes:
• When the shutter is released, the self-timer
lamp lights up momentarily to indicate that
a picture has been taken.
• If you wish to focus on another subject, lift
your finger off the shutter release button
and depress the shutter release button
halfway again.
• The shutter cannot be released while the
lens is zooming.
Automatic Flash Emission
When taking pictures in low light, the flash
will automatically discharge. When the shut¬
ter release button is depressed halfway in low
light, the red lamp will light up, indicating the
flash is ready to discharge. If the red lamp
blinks, this indicates that the built-in flash is
being charged. Therefore, make sure the red
lamp lights continuously before taking pic¬
tures.
Red-eye
Shooting portraits with the flash may result in
"red-eye", the red dot in your subject's eye.
This camera includes a red-eye reduction
flash function, which suppresses the red-eye
phenomenon by using preflash. See page 18
for details.
Flash effective ranges (Nega-color film used)
Lens
100
200
400
Wide-angle
35mm
( ♦ ♦ ♦ )
0.6-4.3m
0.6-6.0m
0.6-8.6m
Telephoto
70mm
( ♦ )
0.6-2.7m
0.6-3.8m
0.6-5.4m
13

If you shoot without positioning the autofo¬
cus frame (C J) on the main subject of the pic¬
ture as shown above, only the background
will be in focus. When the main subject is off
the autofocus frame In the center of the
viewfinder, use the focus-lock technique.
( Focus-lock is the function to lock focus.)
1 Focus on the subject with the autofocus
frame (C D).
When you wish to focus on the face, which
appears very small in the viewfinder, focus
on the chest instead to fill the focus frame
with more of the subject.
2 When the shutter release button is de¬
pressed halfway down, the green lamp on
the right-hand side of the viewfinder lights
up and the exposure and focus are tempo¬
rarily locked.

3 While depressing the shutter release but¬
ton halfway, re-aim the camera or recom¬
pose the picture, then release the shutter.
Note:
• You can release focus-lock simply by lifting
your finger off the shutter release button.
Hard-to-autofocus subjects
Like many other autofocus cameras, the cam¬
era’s autofocus system is highly precise, but
not perfect. Some subjects may not be fo¬
cused as you wish. In such a case, use the
focus-lock technique on a subject near the
actual one and equidistant from the lens.
Subjects which may fool the system include:
1. Black objects like hair, which don't reflect
much light (and therefore don’t reflect in¬
frared autofocus beams).
2. Wire netting, latticework, iron exercise-
bars, etc.
3. Flickering light sources such as neon signs,
fluorescent lamps, TV images, sunlight
coming through trees, etc. and subjects il¬
luminated by these light sources.
4. Glossy and reflective surfaces like glass,
mirrors, car bodies, etc.
5. Fast-moving objects, like trains or automo¬
biles in motion.
6. Water jets, water surface, smoke, flame,
fireworks, etc., which have no distinct or
consistent form, or a subject in mist.
15

1 Rewinding the film
After you have exposed the last frame of
the roll, the film rewinds automatically.
Then, the motor stops, and { 0 ) blinks as
shown to indicate that the film has been re¬
wound.
• 24-exposure roll of film takes about 20 sec¬
onds to be rewound.
• During rewinding, the exposure counter
counts frame numbers In reverse.
• The entire roll of film including the film
leader is always rewound into the cartridge
to prevent any parts of the film being ex¬
posed to light.
16
2 Unloading the film
Open the back cover, and remove the car¬
tridge from the chamber by pulling the top
out first with your finger.
Notes:
• The shutter may be released a frame or two
even after the specified number of frames
have been used up as indicated by the
number of shots shown on the film canis¬
ter. If this occurs, those frames may not be
developed.
• Never open the back cover until the whole
film roll is rewound.