InventorSpot

The new Pentax Optio S10 is a "no-frills" digital camera with 10 megapixels of resolution, 3x optical zoom, small design, and inexpensive price tag. The S10 may not have many of the features that more expensive digital shooters have, but it does have a lot of the features that consumer's want in a compact point-and-shoot digital camera.

Design of Pentax Optio S10

Pentax has designed the Optio S10 to be extremely compact and easy to travel with. The S10 measures in at 2.1 x 3.4 x 0.8 inches, and it weighs only 4.6 ounces. There are two body colors available: gray and silver or a blue and silver model that's exclusive to Wal-Mart.
2.5 inch LCD display
The controls are layed out in a very simple manor; very much like other similar cameras. The S10 features a relatively large 2.5 inch LCD screen, but it doesn't have an optical viewfinder. The S10 accepts SD or SDHC memory cards. Images are transfered to the computer through a USB cable connection.

Features of Pentax Optio S10

The feature-set in the Pentex Optio S10 is rather lackluster, although it does offer the bare necessities. There is a very nice Macro mode which is used to take extreme close-ups, and it makes good use of the camera's 10 megapixel sensor. There is an auto-ISO feature which will limit the ISO level to a specified number from ISO 100-1,600, and it helps to get the best quality shot when lighting is dim.
Pentax Optio S10
Some of the other cool features in the Pentax Optio S10 include:

• red-eye reduction
• in-camera photo editing
• variety of scene modes
• fully-automatic focus, exposure, aperture
• shake reduction feature that limits blurriness in photos due to camera-shake.
• 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom
• VGA quality video at 30 fps (DVD speeds)
• 1 year warranty

Performance of Pentax Optio S10

The Pentax Optio S10 seems to be a relatively speedy camera according to the experts. Cnet says, "...the S10 performs well for a budget shooter." Their tests showed shot-to-shot times of only 1.3 seconds in good light and 2.5 seconds in low-lighting conditions. These are very respectable speeds for a camera in this class.

Looking at some performance stats from TrustedReviews, they confirm that the S10 is a good performing compact camera. Their performance tests revealed similar numbers as Cnet's, and they also commented about performance of the S10's automatic focus (AF) system. They said, "a lot of this improvement in performance is due to the vastly improved AF system, which I would now rate as one of the best in a compact camera in terms of both focusing speed and accuracy, and in low light ability." That's quite high praise for this little shooter.

Image Quality of Pentax Optio S10

The Pentax Optio S10 produces very good photos with excellent sharpness and vivid colors. This camera is above average when compared to other cameras in it's class like the Sony Cybershot DSC-T2 . Pentax has a good reputation for creating cameras that produce good quality photos, and that's the case with the Optio S10.

The  Pentex Optio S10 will take detailed photos within a few centimeters of an object. The 10 megapixel sensor really works well at producing extremely detailed close-ups.
Macro mode
The Pentex Optio S10 is capable of reaching ISO levels of 1,600. Tests have shown that the S10 keeps image noise in check up to about ISO 400, so it's recommended to keep ISO levels below 400. Above the ISO 400 threshold produces images that show noticeable image noise.

Conclusion About Pentax Optio S10

Overall, the Pentax Optio S10 is a nice, compact point-and-shoot digital camera with very few features but good performance. The MRSP of this camera is $249, and it was released in August of 2007.

Sources: Cnet , TrustedReviews

Joe Eitel's Gadget Blog
InventorSpot