Pentax's mid-range Espio compact — 38-80mm f/4.8-9.5 zoom, bulb and slow-sync modes, CR123A power
The Pentax Espio 838 is a mid-1990s autofocus 35mm zoom compact in Pentax's Espio series, one of the less common models in the line and distinct from the later Espio 838S and 838G. Several dealer archives list its North American IQZoom name as the 80E, though US naming for this model is reported inconsistently across sources.
It carries a powered 38-80mm f/4.8-9.5 zoom of 5 elements in 5 groups, focusing to 0.6m via active infrared autofocus with focus lock. The programmed electronic shutter runs from about 1.3 seconds to 1/320 with a bulb setting for long exposures, and exposure control includes a +1.5EV backlight compensation button. Flash modes cover auto, off, slow sync and red-eye reduction, with a flash-plus-bulb mode for creative night shots. DX-coded film from ISO 25 to 1600 is handled with automatic load, advance and rewind, and one CR123A cell powers roughly 15 rolls of 24 exposures.
The notably faster-than-average f/4.8 wide end and the bulb and slow-sync options give it more creative reach than most budget Espios, and its 38-80mm range covers everyday snapshots through short portraits. It remains a fully automatic compact with no manual exposure control.
As with all Espios it is completely dependent on its CR123A battery, so verify power-up, zoom action, autofocus lamp and rewind before purchase. Test the flash charge and the slow-sync/bulb settings if possible, inspect the light seals around the film door, and check the top LCD for faded segments. Date-back versions have a quartz date function whose calendar range ends in 2019 and can no longer print correct dates.