Pentax Zoom 90 User manual

PENTAX
OPERATING MANUAL

1
2
3
4
Frame your subject and
operate the zooming lever to
determine the composition
(see page 5).
Focus your subject
(see page 12).
Press the shutter release
button. In dark conditions,
the flash fires automatically.
When the film reaches its
end. the camera automati¬
cally rewinds the film
(see page 16).

Welcome to the world of Pentax zoom compact
photography! Your compact, lightweight camera is a great
companion to preserve your favorite memories anywhere
at any time. Its built-in 38 — 90 mm zoom lens gives you
the freedom to frame e^rything from breathtaking
landscapes to family portraits, even detailed close-ups.
Built-in auto flash helps you capture a subject in a dimly-lit
night or an indoor scene with clarity and brilliance, and
functions as a fill-in flash for daylight 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 when you take pictures.
Please read this manual carefully before operating the
camera to learn how to take consistently superior pictures.
Names of the camera’s working parts are listed on the
front and back flaps of this manual. Keep the flaps
unfolded for quick reference while you read.

0 Built-in flash
0 Viewfinder window
0 Autofocus window
0 Mam switch
0 Shutter release button
0 Macro button
0 Strap lugs
0 Self-timer lamp
0 Light-sensor window
0 Zoom lens

0 Zooming lever
0 LCD panel
0 Drive button
0 Mode button
0 Mode/drive clear button
0 AF (Green) lamp
0 Back cover release lever
0 Release socket
0 Auxiliary rewind button
0 Battery chamber cover
fixing screw
0 Battery chamber cover
©Film information window
©Tripod socket
0 Back cover
©Viewfinder eyepiece
©Flash (Red) lamp

PRECAUTIONS ON BATTERIES
• Use lithium CR-123A or DL'123A batteries.
• Keep the batteries out of the reach of childreri.
• The misuse of batteries causes hazards such as leak¬
age, heating, explosions, etc. Batteries should be
inserted with the ( + ) or ( - ) sides facing the correct
direction.
• To prevent explosion, never try to break up or recharge
the batteries, or throw exhausted ones into fire.
• Battery performance may temporarily decrease in low
temperatures, but it will recover in normal temperature.
• Keep spare batteries on hand for convenience when
shooting outdoors or traveling.
• When the camera is in a bag, make sure the main
switch is off; otherwise, battery power may be wasted
with the accidental push of the shutter release button.
LCD (Liquid-crystal display)
• When the LCD is exposed to a high temperature of
about 60°C, it may blacken, but when the temperature
falls, it will return to normal.
• The LCD may also slow down in response to lower
temperatures, but this is an LCD characteristic, not a
defect.
Battery life (with 24-exposure film)
Normal photography
Approx. 125 rolls
When normal photography
and flash photography are
alternately performed
Approx. 30 rolls
(CR-123A battery used; based on our own test conditions)

OPERATIONS OF MAJOR FUNCTIONS
• Names of working parts . Flaps
• Outline of basic operations.Inside cover
PRESHOOTING PREPARATIONS
1. Strap and soft case.®
2 . Main switch and battery check .®
3. How to hold the camera .®
4. Operating 38 — 90 mm zoom lens .®
BASIC OPERATIONS
1. Usable film .®
2. Film loading .®
3. Viewfinder displays and shooting ranges .®
4. Green/red lamps .®
5. Ordinary photography .®
6. Taking pictures .®
7. Focus-lock shooting .®
8. Unloading film .®
Taking macro pictures .®
How to select modes .@
Flash-On (forced emission) .@
Flash-Off (flash override) .®
Exposure Compensation .@
Bulb, Bulb-Synchro and Bulb-Timer.@
Consecutive Shooting . ®
Self-Timer .@
Dual-Frame Self-Timer .@
Multi-Exposure .@
Interval Shooting .@
Combination chart of exposure and shooting systems . ®
• DATE model .®
• Battery exhaustion warning . ®
• Replacing batteries .®
• Taking care of your camera. ®
• Troubleshooting . ®
• Specifications .®
• Warranty policy .®
• Precautions on batteries .®

Soft case (optional) Strap
When putting the camera into Fit the strap on the camera as illustrated.
the soft case, be sure to turn Use the clamp’s protrusion 0as a screwdriver to open
the main switch off ( O I- the battery chamber cover.
On the DATE model, use protrusion 0to press the
SELECT and ADJUST buttons.

Main switch
On ( I ): The power is on, and the camera is ready for
setting and shooting.
Off ( O ) : The power is off, and the camera is not in use.
Caution;
The lens cover automatically opens when the main switch
is on ( I }, and closes when the main switch is off (O )•
Never attempt to open the lens cover by hand.
Battery check
After you turn the main switch on ( | ), the lens slightly
extends and the lens protector opens. Then you can
shoot.
Notes:
• If you have a DATE model, do not repnove the batteries
until they are exhausted, since they are used to keep
constant track of time for the date function.
• Refer to page 37 for directions oil battery insertion.

When shooting, hold the camera securely with both
hands. Keep the camera as still as possible, and gently
press the shutter release button. (If pressed forcefully, 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 camera against a stable, stationary
object, such as a wall.
When using flash with the camera vertically positioned,
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:
• Do not place your fingers or hair on the lens, autofocus
window, sensor window, flash, etc.

When you press the zooming lever to the right ( f ), the lens frames the
subject more tightly, moving towards the 90 mm telephoto setting. When
you press the zooming lever to he left ( ♦ ♦ ♦ ) , the lens moves towards
the wider-angle 38 mm setting.
Notes:
• As you press the zooming lever, the lens focal length is displayed on
the LCD panel. (The shutter is not released when zooming.)
• The zoom lens has two operational speeds. It moves slowly when the
zooming lever is pressed lightly, and moves quickly when the lever is
pressed further.
• When the camera is left for more than 3 minutes with the main switch
on ( I ), the lens automatically returns to the 38 mm (wide-angle)
position.
©

DX FILM Petiorations Film cartridge
After reading this instruction manual to familiarize yourself Automatic film speed setting
with operations, you’re ready to insert the film. This camera is designed to use DX-coded films with ISO
ratings from 50 to 1600. When such film is loaded, its film
speed is automatically set in the camera.
Notes:
• When buying DX film, make sure the package bears the
’’DX’’ mark.
• If non-DX film is loaded, the film speed will be automati¬
cally set to ISO 100. regardless of the film's actual
speed.
• Use high-speed film with an ISO rating of 1000 or 1600
mainly for shooting indoors or in dimly-lit conditions.

Slack
I Pull the film leader out far enough from the cartridge to
reach the take-up spool ^ Align the tip with the film
leader end mark^
Notes:
• Make sure the film perforations properly engage the
sprocket teeth O
• Make sure the film is properly placed between the guide
rails O
• Make sure the film is taut as illustrated. 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.

D Close the back cover. The film automatically advances
to the first frame. (Even if no film is loaded, the motor
operates for a second or two after the back cover is
closed.)
H When 'T ” appears in the exposure counter on the LCD
panel, the film automatically stops winding. The indica¬
tion seen above appears.
Notes:
• If ”1" does not appear on the LCD panel, the film Is not
properly loaded. Reload the film.
• After the shutter is released for each exposure, the film
automatically advances to the next frame, unless the
camera is in Multi-Exposure mode.
@

fl Autofocus frame
Position this frame at the subject of focus.
O Plcture-area frame
This is the ordinary picture area. Compose the picture
within this frame.
O Parallax-correction frame
When taking a macro picture in which the subject Is
about 0.6 meters (2 ft) away, or an ordinary shot In
which the subject is about one meter (3.3 ft) away,
compose the picture within this frame.
—Pari of the lens front appears in the viewfinder when the
lens is in its wide-angle position, but this won't appear on
the film when the picture is taken.
Shooting ranges
(effective camera-to-subject distance)
• The ordinary setting allows a shooting range from
(Infinity) to one meter (3.3 ft).
• The macro setting allows a shooting range from one
meter (3.3 ft) to 0.6 meters (2 ft). No subject closer than
0.6 meters can be clearly photographed.

When you press the shutter release button half-way, the
lamps O O shown above glow or flicker.
O Green lamp: When it glows you can take a picture.
When it flickers, you cannot
e Red lamp: When it glows, flash is ready to fire. When it
flickers, flash is being charged.
Note:
• If the green lamp flickers in the ordinary or macro set¬
tings, the subject is either too close or too far. Adjust the
camera-to-subject distance so that the green lamp
glows, then release the shutter.
When the LCD panel is as shown above, the camera is in
the Auto and Single-Frame Shooting modes. These
modes are used for ordinary picture-taking situations. If
the LCD panel displays indications other than those
above, press the mode/drive clear ( C) button to reset the
LCD panel to appear as above.
@

subject in focus, and the green tamp glows.
H After zooming and composing your shot, position the subject is closer than one meter (3.3 ft), the green
autofocus frame (^) on the subject lamp flickers and the shutter cannot be released. In
this case, lengthen the camera-to-subject distance.
Note:
• If you wish to shift subject focus, release your finger
from the shutter release button and press the shutter
release button again.

B Press the shutter release button all the way down, and
the shutter is released.
Then, the film automatically advances to the next
frame.
Notes:
• When the shutter is released, the self-timer lamp glows
momentarily to indicate that a shot has been taken.
• When the green lamp flickers, the macro mark (©) on
the LCD panel also flickers to recommend use of macro
settings.
• The shutter cannot be released while the lens is
zooming.
★ When taking pictures In the dark, the flash auto¬
matically fires.
When the shutter release button is lightly pressed in
dark lighting, the red lamp glows, indicating that flash is
ready to fire. A flickering red lamp means the flash is
being charged.
Therefore, make sure the red lamp glows before
shooting.
Flash-effective ranges (Nega-color film used)
Lens ISO
50
100
400
1600
38mm(444l
1 ~ 3.5 m
1 ~ 5 m
1 —10 m
1 —18 m*
90mm { ♦ )
1 ~ 2.1 m
1 ~3m
1 ~ 5.9 m
1 -10 m
Macro ( © )
0.6 -1 m
0.6-1 m
0.6 -1 m
—
* Because of high film speed, overexposure may occur at
close range.
Amount of film that can be shot with new batteries:
Approximately 30 rolls of 24-exposure film when the flash
is used for 50% of shooting. (This is in accordance with
Pentax testing conditions, using CR-123A batteries.)

If you shoot without positioning the autofocus frame ( □ )
on the main subject of the picture as shown above, only
the background will be in focus. When the main subject of
your picture is off the autofocus frame in the center of the
viewfinder, use the focus-lock technique.
D When taking a picture of two people, for example, first
position the autofocus frame (^) on one of the two.
B As you press the shutter release button half-way, the
green lamp on the lefthand side of the viewfinder eye¬
piece glows, and focus and exposure are temporarily
locked.