Pentax's slim 8MP compact — 36-108mm equiv zoom, 2.5in LCD, face recognition, 2007
The Pentax Optio M40 was announced in July 2007 alongside the entry-level Optio E40, sitting in the slim mainstream tier of Pentax's Optio compact range. It followed the Optio M30, keeping the thin metal-bodied style-compact formula while raising resolution to 8 megapixels, and was sold worldwide under the same name.
It pairs an 8-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD with a 3x optical zoom covering a 36-108mm equivalent range, framed on a 2.5-inch LCD with no optical finder. The body is about 18mm thick. Features include face-recognition AF/AE and a digital anti-shake function. Images are stored on SD cards or roughly 22MB of internal memory, and power comes from the proprietary D-LI63 rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
As a simple point-and-shoot for casual shooters it offers little manual control, which suits beginners and anyone wanting a pocketable everyday camera. Like most small-sensor CCD compacts of its era it performs best in good light, with limited high-ISO ability, and some buyers now seek these models for their CCD colour rendering.
On the used market the D-LI63 battery and its charger are the main check: cells this old often hold little charge, though third-party replacements remain available. Standard SD cards keep storage painless. Inspect the LCD for scratches and pressure marks, listen for a smooth zoom extension, and test the flash — dust drawn onto the sensor by the collapsing lens shows as soft dark spots in sky areas.