Pentax Optio S

If you’ve already read the review of the Casio
Exilim EX-Z3 this issue, then let’s start off by
saying that it has a lot in common with this
Pentax Optio S model. The Optio S also has a set of
external dimensions that are really quite extraordinarily
small. Both cameras are so slim that you wonder how
they can accommodate the 3x optical zooms they’re
equipped with, never mind all the other electronics
needed to capture, process and store digital images.
Not only is the Pentax incredibly slim, it also exudes
an air of quality that belies its comparatively modest
price. This impression’s enhanced by a milled metal
finish that not only looks good but also gives your
fingers a surface to grip on. All too often, digital cameras
can come across as a triumph of style over function, but
the Pentax offers both features and design finesse in a
package so neat that it makes other cameras look
positively bloated.

The ultimate lightweight?

The Optio S is quite a departure compared to other
cameras in the Optio range. Pentax’s other digital
models are pretty compact, but the Optio S and its
aluminium body weigh in at just 98g – as the press
material points out, that’s less than a mobile phone.
This doesn’t seem to restrict the camera’s
photographic features at all. The 3.2-megapixel CCD is
large enough for enlargements up to A4 and there are
all the usual controls such as white balance, EV
compensation, digital zoom, adjustments for sharpness,
saturation, contrast and white balance.
The Pentax goes further. There’s even a world time
function and an alarm clock. This isn’t just a camera, it’s
practically a personal organiser.
The Optio S is also similar physically to the Casio
Exilim EX-Z3, though internally, there are more
differences. Where the Exilim provides 21 Best Shot
modes, the Pentax offers a selection of eight
comparable ‘scene’ modes. Interestingly, you can get to
these by pressing down on the four-way navigational
control pad whereupon it displays a circular mode
‘wheel’ on the LCD, rather like the system used in
some Olympus cameras.
The navigational controller itself is on the small side.
It’s a little thumbpad with a central ‘OK’ action, and
while it looks good, it’s not as effective as separate
buttons – it’s too easy to accidentally push in one
direction or another when you want to ‘OK’ an action.
Having said that, the Pentax doesn’t have the worst
controller we’ve used by any means, and it gets the
job done.
The LCD display is a pretty good size given the
dimensions of the camera, at 1.6 inches. It’s bright and
sharp, though it does tend to respond a little sluggishly
in very low lighting. Outdoors, it’s very effective – it’s
only in the very brightest lighting that it starts to get a
bit too faint to make out.
Feature-packed
The Pentax’s startup time is not bad at three seconds,
and its shutter lag – or lack of it – is especially
impressive. Indeed, when you’re shooting in good light
out of doors, you could almost convince yourself it’s not
focusing at all. (Nevertheless, shots are consistently
sharp and well-focused.) Repeated tests suggest that
the shutter lag averages out at no more than half a
second, and it seems no slower indoors in lower lighting
either. The lag increases with longer telephoto settings,
but not by much.
You can focus manually, too, via a distance scale.
You can also choose focusing points when you’re in
autofocus mode. The Pentax offers a surprising level
of sophistication in other areas, including three
different exposure metering patterns.
And Pentax has its own trademark feature – a 3D
mode. It uses the old stereoscopic principle, shooting
the same subject from two slightly different angles
(you have to reposition the camera yourself). The
two images are then placed side by side and
viewed using special 3D glasses (you can practise
your own 3D viewing skills without them). It’s a
novelty, maybe, but the 3D effect also happens to
be eerily convincing.
With a camera of this size, of course, handling is
going to be a concern. Because small though it is,
the Pentax is also remarkably wieldy. The milled
metal finish is easy to grip, and an indentation on
the backplate gives you somewhere to rest your
thumb. The Optio S is neat and effective to use –
more so than many much larger cameras.

What’s on the menu

The menus are big, easy to navigate and
straightforward. This is essentially a point-and-shoot
camera after all, so you wouldn’t really expect them
to be that extensive. Besides, you don’t need the
menus at all for many of the functions. To apply EV
compensation, for example, you just press the
navipad to the left or right, repeating the action to
set the level of compensation you want to apply to
your pictures. Playback mode offers fast cycling
between images, and you can add voice annotations
to saved images at this point too.
So far, the Pentax seems to offer few advantages
over the similarly priced Casio Exilim. Indeed, the
Exilim’s Best Shot mode offers more choice than the
Pentax’s scene modes, and the Casio’s LCD is a lot
larger, too. So is there any reason to choose it?

Winning combination

The Pentax does produce better images. They’re a
little crisper, a lot more saturated and have more
overall ‘punch’. They might not have the sheer
vividness and clarity of the Canon PowerShot A70,
but they’re still good by 3-megapixel standards.
More to the point, this is a sub-miniature camera
that’s as sophisticated, as wieldy, as affordable and
as downright good as any 3-megapixel snapshot.
This makes the Pentax a truly impressive package.
If you’re on a tight budget or you’re determined to
get the maximum number of features possible per
pound, then this isn’t the obvious choice. But if your
photographic knowledge is basic and you’re looking
for a beautifully made camera capable of highquality
shots – and one small enough to carry
around with you all the time – then this is surely
the camera for you.