Pentax will next month expand its clan of S-series compacts by launching the Optio S7 – a seven-million-pixel model with a 3x optical zoom.

Sporting a ?non-glare? 2.5in LCD screen the S7 is due out in UK stores at the end of August priced around £250.

Features include a ?Blur Reduction? mode which aims to achieve sharp pictures in low light by automatically adjusting equivalent ISO sensitivity up to ISO 1600.

Also on board are 16 shooting modes, as well as ?Face Recognition? AF and AE, a mode designed to help focusing and exposure when taking portraits. ?This function automatically detects the position of the subject anywhere in the photo frame, then adjusts the focus and optimises the exposure for the subject?s face,? claims Pentax.

The LCD monitor has a resolution of 232,000 pixels.

A full specification for the camera was not available at the time of writing.