Pentax Espio/IQZoom 928

Pentax Espio 928 by Arty Smokes (Image rights).

The Pentax Espio 928 is a 35mm compact camera with autofocus and wide-angle zoom made by Pentax. In the US it was known as the IQZoom 928. Even at it's widest 28mm focal length setting, the lens is very sharp and contrasty, with negligible distortion and not much vignetting. The camera has a couple of interesting exposure modes. Pressing the button with "mountains" icon once will set the focus at infinity, which is ideal for shooting landscapes, particularly from the window of a sightseeing bus. Pressing it twice more will put the camera in "snapshot mode", with the zoom fixed at 28mm and focus at 2.9m, allowing the shutter to fire almost immediately, since the autofocus is disabled.

The 928M model appears to be functionally identical, but in a silver-coloured fascia, as opposed to dark grey. It also has a slightly slower lens. Some models have a built-in panorama function, which blocks light from reaching the top and bottom of the film.

Specifications

• Focal length: 28-90mm
• Focusing range: 0.58m - infinity.
• Macx. aperture: f3.5-9
• Shutter speeds : 1/5s - 1/400s, plus B.
• Film speeds: DX coded ISO 25-3200 (ISO 25 for non-DX coded film).
• Power: 1x CR123A lithium battery.
• Integrated flash with slow-synchro mode, flash disabled, and red eye reduction.
• Other features: Double exposure capability, dioptre adjustment, autowind/rewind, frame counter LCD, tripod slot, remote control (optional extra).
• Dimensions: 126.5 x 73 x 57.5mm
• Weight: 315g (without battery).

Links

• A set of photos taken with the Espio 928 on flickr.
• Pentax Espio 928 in Sylvain Halgand's collection.