Pentax's compact zoom — the Espio 90MC, to ~90mm, autofocus, program AE, 1995.
The Pentax Espio 90MC is a fixed-lens 35mm autofocus zoom compact in Pentax's Espio series, dating from 1995. The Espio line was branded IQZoom in the United States, so an equivalent US model would carry an IQZoom name. It is a mid-1990s consumer point-and-shoot built for everyday snapshot use.
This is a motorised zoom compact whose built-in lens runs from a modest wide setting up to about 90mm at the telephoto end. It uses autofocus, programmed automatic exposure and DX-coded film-speed reading, with a built-in flash providing auto, fill and red-eye reduction modes. There is no manual exposure control; the camera is fully automatic and depends on a lithium battery to operate.
The 90MC suits travel and general photography where a moderate zoom reach is useful for portraits and picking out subjects without changing position. It is compact and simple, with everything automated for point-and-shoot convenience. As with most zoom compacts the maximum aperture narrows as the lens extends, so the long end is best used in good light or with the flash.
On the used market check the zoom and autofocus mechanisms move smoothly and quietly, and test the LCD panel for missing or bleeding segments. Confirm the flash recycles and fires across its modes. Inspect the lens for haze, fungus and dust, look at the battery compartment for corrosion, and check the film-door light seals. Verify the frame counter, film advance and rewind all function before relying on the camera.