PentaxEspio 160 / IQZoom 160

The Pentax Espio 160 / IQZoom 160 comes out of 1996-99, when the spec wars had cooled and manufacturers were quietly perfecting what they already had. Catalogued as a autofocus zoom compact, it pairs the smc Pentax 38-160mm f/4.5-12 zoom with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: a 38-160mm zoom was unusually long for a 1990s compact, giving the body a deep 'Tengu nose' lens barrel when fully extended.

Format

35mm

Year

1996

Lens

smc Pentax 38-160mm f/4.5-12 zoom

Shutter

1/2s – 1/400s

Min. focus

0.8 m

Flash

Built-in pop-out (auto, off, slow sync, bulb-sync)

Battery

1× CR123A

The smc Pentax 38-160mm f/4.5-12 zoom covers wide-to-short-tele in one barrel — one lens, no decisions, point and shoot. On the film-availability spectrum, plain 35mm is as easy as it gets in 2026. A single CR123A lithium cell powers everything including the motor; still cheap and stocked at most camera shops. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.8 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. One thing worth knowing before you load a roll: sold as IQZoom 160 in North America and Espio 160 everywhere else — same camera, different badge. Built for family events, holidays and anything where you'd rather reframe than walk.

Zoom compacts are still the bargain corner of the film market — pick up the Pentax Espio 160 / IQZoom 160 cheap, run a roll through it and judge whether the convenience outweighs the slower aperture. Worth remembering: the pop-out flash slides out horizontally whenever the camera is powered on, acting as a finger guard and a distinctive design cue.

• §1A 38-160mm zoom was unusually long for a 1990s compact, giving the body a deep 'Tengu nose' lens barrel when fully extended.
• §2Sold as IQZoom 160 in North America and Espio 160 everywhere else — same camera, different badge.
• §3The pop-out flash slides out horizontally whenever the camera is powered on, acting as a finger guard and a distinctive design cue.
• §4The mode dial replaces the usual on/off switch — twist to Auto and the camera is ready in one motion.