PENTAX Corporation
PENTAX Europe GmbH (European Headquarters)
2-36-9,Maeno-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 174-8639,
JAPAN
(http://www.pentax.co.jp/)
Julius-Vosseler-Strasse, 104, 22527 Hamburg,
GERMANY
(HQ - http://www.pentaxeurope.com)
(Germany - http://www.pentax.de)
PENTAX House, Heron Drive, Langley, Slough,
Berks SL3 8PN, U.K.
(http://www.pentax.co.uk)
12/14, rue Jean Poulmarch, 95106 Argenteuil
Cedex, FRANCE
(for Netherlands)
Spinveld 25, 4815 HR Breda, NETHERLANDS
(http://www.pentax.nl)
(for Belgium & Luxembourg)
Weiveldlaan 3-5, 1930 Zaventem, BELGIUM
(http://www.pentax.be)
Widenholzstrasse 1 Postfach 367 8305 Dietlikon,
SWITZERLAND (http://www.pentax.ch)
(http://www.pentax.se)
600 12th Street, Suite 300 Golden, Colorado 80401
U.S.A.
(http://www.pentax.com)
3131 Universal Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4X
2E5, CANADA
(http://www.pentaxcanada.ca)
PENTAX U.K. Limited
PENTAX France S.A.S.
PENTAX Benelux B.V.
PENTAX (Schweiz) AG
PENTAX U.S.A., Inc
PENTAX Canada Inc.
http://www.digital.pentax.co.jp
PENTAX Scandinavia AB P.O. Box 650, 75127 Uppsala, SWEDEN
SLR Digital Camera
Operating Manual
O
p
e
r
a
t
i
n
g
M
a
n
u
a
l
• Printed on recycled paper
• Specifications and external dimensions are subject to change without notice.
57294
Copyright © PENTAX Corporation 2003
02-200309 Printed in Japan
For optimum camera performance, please read
the Operating Manual before using the camera.
Thank you for buying the PENTAX w Digital Camera. Please read this
manual before using the camera in order to get the most out of all the features and
functions. Keep this manual safe, as it can be a valuable tool in helping you to
understand all the camera's capabilities.
Lenses you can use
In general, lenses that can be used with this camera are FA J lenses and lenses
that have an Aperture A (Auto) position.
To use any other lens or accessory, use the custom function settings to set the
camera to allow shutter release in modes other than lens Aperture A.
Under the default settings, the camera will cease to operate.
See page 113 for setting custom functions.
Regarding copyrights
Images taken using the w that are for anything other than personal
enjoyment cannot be used without permission according to the rights as specified
in the Copyright Act. Please take care, as there are even cases where limitations
are placed on taking pictures even for personal enjoyment during demonstrations,
industrial enterprise or as items for display. Images taken with the purpose of
obtaining copyrights also cannot be used outside the scope of use of the copyright
as laid out in the Copyright Act, and care should be taken here also.
Regarding trademarks
• CompactFlash and CF are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation.
• PENTAX is a trademark of PENTAX Corporation.
• w is a trademark of PENTAX Corporation.
• Microdrive is a registered trademark of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
Netherlands, B.U.
• PENTAX PHOTO Browser and PENTAX PHOTO Laboratory are registered
trademarks of Pentax Corporation.
• All other brands or product names are trademarks of registered trademarks of
their respective companies.
• The USB driver uses software developed by inSilicon Corporation.
Copyright © 2002 inSilicon Corporation. All rights reserved.
• This product supports PRINT Image Matching II.
When used in combination, PRINT Image Matching II enabled digital still
cameras, printers and software help photographers to produce images more
faithful to their intentions.
Copyright 2001 Seiko Epson Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
PRINT Image Matching is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
To users of this camera
• There is a possibility that recorded data may be erased or that the camera may
not function correctly when used in surroundings such as installations generating
strong electromagnetic radiation or magnetic fields.
• The liquid crystal panel used in the LCD display is manufactured using extremely
high precision technology. Although the level of functioning pixels is 99.99% or
better, you should be aware that 0.01% or fewer of the pixels may not illuminate
or may illuminate when they should not. However, this has no effect on the
recorded image.
• There is a possibility that the illustrations and the display screen of the LCD
monitor in this manual are different form the actual product.
Declaration of Conformity
According to 47CFR, Parts 2 and 15 for
Class B Personal Computers and Peripherals
We:
PENTAX U.S.A., Inc.
Located at:
th
600 12 Street, Suite 300
Golden, Colorado 80401 U.S.A
Phone: 303-799-8000 FAX: 303-790-1131
Declare under sole responsibility that the product identified herein,
complies with 47CFR Parts 2 and 15 of the FCC rules as a Class B digital
device. Each product marketed, is identical to the representative unit
tested and found to be compliant with the standards. Records maintained
continue to reflect the equipment being produced
can be expected to be within the variation accepted, due to quantity
production and testing on the statistical basis as required by 47CFR
§2.909. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This
device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) This device must
accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation. The above named party is responsible for
ensuring that the equipment complies with the standards of 47CFR
§15.101 to §15.109.
Product Name: PENTAX Digital Still Camera
Model Number: w
Contact person: Customer Service Manager
Date and Place: Aug., 2003, Colorado
165
8
A
p
p
e
n
d
i
x
FOR YOUR SAFETY
We have paid close attention to the safety of this product. When using this
product, we request your special attention regarding items marked with the
following symbols.
1
Warning This symbol indicates that violating this item could
cause serious personal injury.
Caution This symbol indicates that violating this item could
cause minor or medium personal injury, or material loss.
Warning
• Do not disassemble or modify the camera. High voltage areas are present inside
the camera, with the risk of electric shock.
• If the camera interior is exposed due to dropping or otherwise damaging the
camera, never touch the exposed portion. There is the risk of electric shock.
• Wrapping the strap around your neck is dangerous. Take care that small children
do not hang the strap over their necks.
• Do not look directly at the sun through the camera, as viewing the sun may
damage your eyes, and / or parts of the camera (e.g.: shutter curtains, etc.)
• Be sure to store batteries out of the reach of children. Seek medical assistance
immediately if accidentally swallowed.
• Always use the AC adapter specified exclusively for this product, with the
specified power and voltage. Using an AC adapter not exclusive to this product,
or using the exclusive AC adapter with an unspecified power or voltage can
cause a fire, electric shock, or camera breakdown.
• If any irregularities occur during use, such as smoke or a strange odor, stop use
immediately, remove the batteries or the AC adapter, and contact your nearest
PENTAX service center. Continued use could cause a fire or electric shock.
• During thunderstorms, unplug and discontinue use of the AC adapter. Continued
use could cause equipment failure, a fire, or electric shock.
Caution
• Do not short the battery or dispose of the battery in fire. Do not disassemble the
battery. The battery could explode or catch fire.
• Do not charge any batteries other than rechargeable Ni-MH batteries. The
battery could explode or catch fire. Of the batteries that can be used in this
camera, only the Ni-MH battery can be recharged.
• Remove the battery from the camera immediately if it becomes hot or begins to
smoke. Be careful not to burn yourself during removal.
• Some portions of the camera heat up during use. There is the risk of low
temperature burns when holding such portions for long periods.
• Do not place your finger on the flash when it is discharging as there is a risk of
burns.
2
PRECAUTIONS FOR BATTERY USAGE
• Misuse of the battery can cause hazards such as leakage, overheating,
explosion, etc. The battery should be inserted correctly with regard to polarity (+
and -) marked on the battery and the camera.
• Battery performance may be temporarily hindered in low temperatures, but will
• Keep a spare battery on hand for replacement convenience when shooting
recover in normal temperatures.
outdoors or while traveling.
• If the built-in flash is used continuously, the battery may become warm, but it
does not mean that the battery is faulty; it is one of the battery's characteristics.
• Replace the batteries at the same time. Do not mix battery brands, type or an old
battery with a new one. It may cause explosion or overheating.
Handling the Camera
• Always confirm that the camera is working properly when the camera has not
been used for a long time, or before important occasions (weddings, trips, etc.).
PENTAX is not responsible for consequential damages (costs incurred for
photography, lost profits, etc.) arising from failure of this product.
• Do not clean the product with organic solvents such as thinner, alcohol, or benzene.
• Do not subject to high temperatures or high humidity. Do not leave the camera in
a vehicle, as the temperature can get very high.
• Do not store the camera with preservatives and chemicals. Storage in high
temperatures and high humidity can cause molding. Remove from case and
store in a dry and well-ventilated location.
• This camera is not waterproof, and cannot be used in the rain or where the
camera could get wet.
• Do not subject the camera to strong vibrations, shocks, or pressure. Use a cushion
to protect the camera from vibrations of motorcycles, automobiles, or ships.
• The temperature range for camera use is 0°C to 40°C.
• The LCD display may appear black under high temperatures, but will return to
normal as temperatures normalize.
• The LCD display may respond more slowly at low temperatures. This is due to
liquid crystal properties, and is not a fault.
• Periodic inspections are recommended every one to two years to maintain high
• Sudden temperature changes will cause condensation on the inside and outside
of the camera. Place the camera in your bag or a plastic bag, retrieving the
camera after decreasing the temperature difference.
• Avoid contact with garbage, mud, sand, dust, water, toxic gases, or salts. These
could cause a camera breakdown. Wipe dry any rain or water drops on the camera.
• Use a blower or lens brush to remove dust accumulated on the lens or viewfinder.
Never use a spray blower for cleaning as it may damage the lens or viewfinder screen.
• See “Precautions When Using a CF Card” (p.151) for details on the compact
flash memory card (CF Card).
• Please do not press forcefully on the LCD monitor. This could cause breakage or
performance.
malfunction.
CONTENTS
3
FOR YOUR SAFETY............................................................................1
PRECAUTIONS FOR BATTERY USAGE............................................2
Handling the Camera............................................................................2
CONTENTS..........................................................................................3
Contents of this manual........................................................................7
9
Before using your camera
Camera Characteristics............................................................... 10
Checking Package Contents....................................................... 11
Names of Working Parts ............................................................. 12
Camera...............................................................................................12
LCD Panel Indications ........................................................................14
LCD Monitor Indications .....................................................................15
Viewfinder Indications.........................................................................17
19
Getting Started
Attaching the Strap...................................................................... 20
Powering the Camera .................................................................. 21
Batteries..............................................................................................22
Battery level indicator .........................................................................23
Backup battery....................................................................................23
Number of Captures and Playback Time (new batteries)...................24
Using the AC Adapter.........................................................................25
Turning the Camera On and Off.................................................. 26
Initial Settings .............................................................................. 27
Setting the Display Language.............................................................27
Setting the Home Town ......................................................................28
Setting the D.S.T. Mode .....................................................................28
Setting the Video Output Format ........................................................29
Setting the Date and Time..................................................................29
Attaching the Lens....................................................................... 32
Installing / Removing the CF Card.............................................. 34
Installing..............................................................................................34
Removing............................................................................................35
Adjusting the Viewfinder Diopter ............................................... 36
4
Basic Operation
37
Basic Operation (Shooting)......................................................... 38
Holding the Camera............................................................................38
Taking Pictures...................................................................................39
Basic Operation (Playback) ........................................................ 41
Playing Back Images ..........................................................................41
Selecting Previous or Next Images.....................................................42
43
Shooting Functions
Selecting the Drive Mode ............................................................ 44
Single-frame shooting.........................................................................44
Consecutive Shooting.........................................................................45
Self-Timer shooting.............................................................................46
Remote Control Shooting ...................................................................49
Setting the Recorded Pixels and Quality Level......................... 51
Setting the Recorded Pixels ...............................................................51
Setting the Quality Level.....................................................................52
Setting the Sensitivity ................................................................. 54
Setting the White Balance........................................................... 55
Selecting the Metering Method................................................... 57
Using the Multi(16)-Segment Metering...............................................57
Using the Center-Weighted Metering .................................................58
Using the Spot Metering .....................................................................58
Capture Modes ............................................................................. 59
Using the Green Program AE mode...................................................59
Using the P (Hyper Program) mode ...................................................60
Using the Tv (Shutter-priority) mode...................................................62
Using the Av (Aperture-priority) mode ................................................64
Using the M (Hyper manual exposure) mode.....................................66
Using the B (Bulb) mode.....................................................................68
About the AE-L (AE Lock)...................................................................69
Focusing ....................................................................................... 70
Using the AF.S Autofocus (Single mode) ...........................................70
Using the AF.C Autofocus (Continuous mode)...................................71
Manual Focus .....................................................................................72
Selecting the focus points...................................................................74
Focus lock...........................................................................................76
Autofocus illuminator ..........................................................................78
Hard-to-Autofocus Subjects................................................................78
AF Button............................................................................................78
5
EV Compensation ........................................................................ 79
Using the Zoom Lens .................................................................. 81
Auto Bracketing ........................................................................... 82
Multiple Exposure Shooting........................................................ 84
Using the Flash ............................................................................ 86
Using the built-in flash ........................................................................86
Using an External Flash......................................................................93
99
Playback Functions
Zoom Playback........................................................................... 100
Nine-Image Display.................................................................... 101
Deleting Images ......................................................................... 102
Deleting a Single Image....................................................................102
Deleting All Images...........................................................................103
Protecting Images from Deletion (Protect)........................................104
Printing Service Settings (DPOF) ............................................. 106
Single Image Settings.......................................................................106
Settings for All Images......................................................................108
111
Settings
Setting Menu List ....................................................................... 112
How to Operate the Settings Menu........................................... 113
Camera Settings......................................................................... 114
Formatting a CF card........................................................................114
Setting the Custom Functions...........................................................115
Setting the Color Saturation..............................................................117
Setting the Image Sharpness ...........................................................117
Setting the Contrast..........................................................................118
Setting the Instant Review................................................................118
Auto Power Off .................................................................................119
Turning the Beep On and Off............................................................119
Changing the Date Style and Date / Time ........................................120
Setting the World Time .....................................................................120
Setting the Display Language...........................................................122
Selecting the Video Output Format...................................................123
Setting the LCD Monitor Brightness .................................................123
Resetting the File Number................................................................124
Setting the Slideshow .......................................................................125
6
Sensor Cleaning ...............................................................................125
Resetting to Default Settings ............................................................126
Custom Function Chart ............................................................. 127
List of City Names...................................................................... 130
131
Connecting
Connecting to a TV .................................................................... 132
Connecting to a PC.................................................................... 133
135
Appendix
More Details about Capture Functions .................................... 136
Effect of Aperture and Shutter Speed...............................................136
Calculating flash distance from the aperture used
(using built-in flash)...........................................................................139
Calculating aperture used from the flash distance
(using the built-in flash).....................................................................139
F, FA and FA J Lenses Compatibility with the Built-in Flash ............140
Setting the White Balance Manually.................................................142
FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE WITH VARIOUS LENS
COMBINATIONS..............................................................................144
Optional Accessories ................................................................ 146
Battery grip D-BG1 ...........................................................................146
AC adaptor D-AC10..........................................................................146
Cable Switch.....................................................................................146
Flash Accessories.............................................................................147
For Viewfinder...................................................................................148
Camera Case....................................................................................148
Others...............................................................................................148
Cleaning the CCD....................................................................... 149
Precautions Regarding Memory Cards.................................... 151
Error Messages .......................................................................... 152
Troubleshooting......................................................................... 153
Main Specifications ................................................................... 154
Specification for Remote Control (Optional) .....................................157
Program lines....................................................................................158
Glossary...................................................................................... 160
WARRANTY POLICY.................................................................. 162