Pentax Optio E10 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

by Pentax

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 3.4 x 2.4 inches ; 3.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000CSCUV2
• Item model number: 18536
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 1.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,917 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 3, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Featuring a Mode dial that permits simple mode selection, the Optio E10 is a slim, lightweight compact digital camera aimed at beginners to photography complete with a 3x optical zoom lens.

Major features:

Mode dial for straightforward mode selection
The Optio E10's Mode dial, located on the top of the body, allows quick, clear-cut selection of the cameras eight versatile modes--six still-image shooting modes, a movie mode, and a setup mode.

Simple mode is easy on beginners
The Simple mode takes the guesswork out of taking pictures for first-time digital photographers. Just turning the Mode dial to Simple mode automatically sets all still-image photo settings except for Size and Quality.

6.0 effective megapixels provide outstanding image quality
Enjoy the top-quality photography of the Optio E10 delivered from its 1/2.5-inch CCD with 6.36 total megapixels. In addition to the high definition of 6.0 effective megapixels, the primary-color filter produces more natural, vivid colors while the 12-bit A/D converter evenly reproduces all tones from dark to light.

3x optical and up to approximately 12x total zoom magnification
The Optio E10 comes with a 3x optical zoom lens equivalent to a 34-102mm lens in 35mm format. When the optical zoom is paired with the digital zoom function (1x to approximately 4x), the camera can attain up to approximately 12x effective zoom magnification.

Large, 2.4-inch LCD monitor
The Optio E10 manages to fit in a large, 2.4-inch LCD monitor despite its compact body dimensions. Not only does the monitor's size make it easier to compose and play back images, it also permits easier operation and setup thanks to its larger, easier-to-read menu display.

AA battery compatible
The camera can be powered with widely available AA batteries so you can always get replacements, even on vacation.

Other features:

Supports SD memory cards; approximately 10 MB of built-in memory

AV output terminal for playback on televisions (supports both NTSC and PAL)

Built-in auto flash with red-eye reduction

Macro mode allows close-up photography as near as 5 centimeters at full wide-angle setting

USB mass storage class compliant

ACDSee for Pentax image viewer/image management software

DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III compatible

PictBridge compatible

Product Description

MD) CL) PENTAX OPTIO E10 DIGITAL CAM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Despite much research I ended up with this, October 14, 2006

By 

David C. Leaumont "Dave" (Bossier City, LA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pentax Optio E10 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

As a basic point-and-shoot photographer interested in cataloging my vacations and work travels, I spent a significant amount of time doing research on cameras. When I was in the store, on impulse, I bought this camera not knowing anything about it. I was overly optimistic that Pentax's reliability would continue in their low end digital.

There are 9 levels of photo quality: 6MP, 3MP, 1.2MP, each with good, better, best qualities. Anything other than 6MP/best turned out significantly grainy images in moderate indoor lighting. The highest setting produces decent images, but not great images. The images are not as good as my Canon S-20 3.3MP from several years ago.

The camera shutter and image saving is slow. I figured that with today's technology, it would not be necessary to hold the camera for several seconds for each image. I was wrong.

This camera absolutely eats batteries. I wanted a camera that worked off AA batteries because of the expense I had with my old Canon S-20. This one requires the user to replace batteries after 20-30 pictures, if using the flash.

The macro feature with this camera does turn out nice photos, provided you can keep the camera stable.

There are better cameras out there for this price. Do you research and don't be tempted by the low price and brand name.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Two Very Big Problems with this Compact Camera, March 4, 2006

By 

John Frisbie (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

There are quite a few pros to buying the camera - good-looks, big screen; uses AA batteries and affordable, stable SD cards; it takes fine pictures and is relatively cheap for a 6MP camera.

But BUYER BEWARE - there are two very big problems with this camera -

First and foremost is the SHUTTER LAG. Unbelievably slow lag between pushing the button and the picture being taken. I haven't seen this kind of lag since the earliest days of digital cameras. It's interminable. So, unless you're taking pictures of things that don't move, don't buy this camera.

Secondly, it does NOT display the picture that you've just taken.

You have to push another button, wait while the camera processes the request and then see the picture you've just taken. If you're taking pictures on the fly and want to know if the shot you've just taken is any good, be prepared to be the one waiting.

So, if you don't take pictures of kids, dogs, sports, parties, weddings, cats, night scenes, or any other mobile objects, this camera will do you just fine.

If, on the other hand, you live in the real world, save yourself a great deal of frustration and buy a camera designed with technology from this century.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just say no!, December 7, 2006

By 

Radem44 "Radem44" (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pentax Optio E10 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I know a bunch of you are out there trying to buy a digital camera as a gift for someone. If the person you are shopping for is into photography or uses their camera a lot, just stop. Right now. Stop. Don't do it.

As someone who has taken photos for a local newspaper and the Army over the years, I know that a photographer's choice of a camera is a very personal thing. Features that may be an absolute necessity for one photographer, might be optional for another. An aspect of a camera that one photographer may love can be like nails on a chalkboard for someone else.

If you buy a camera for someone else, make darn sure you know the EXACT model they want, or buy them a gift certificate to Amazon or a store where they can choose what they want. Otherwise, your loved one may find themselves with a camera they hate almost as much as I hate my Pentax E10.

My wife-to-be bought this for my birthday several months ago, and I took an instant disliking to it. No viewfinder? Why the hell would you make a camera without a viewfinder? What self-respecting photographer would want to be seen in public doing the silly "LCD Aiming Pose"--elbows sticking out, squinting at an LCD screen a foot away from their face looking like a farsighted tourist who doesn't know which end takes the picture? It's embarrassing!

But my beloved bought the E10 on QVC, so there was no returning the little lemon. I tried to work with the camera and find its good points, which are: it's cute, it's sleek, it's portable, it's aerodynamic enough that I could throw it at someone twenty feet away and have a much better expectation of hitting them in the forehead with it than I would of getting a decent picture of them.

The E10's bad points? It eats batteries like Jared Fogel used to eat Moonpies. Put a new pair of batteries in an E10, turn it off, and those batteries will be dead in a few days. And it shoots so slow that a good portion of the photos we took turned out blurry.

My biggest complaint with the E10 is the incredibly long shutter lag. Hit the exposure button, and it takes nearly two seconds for the E10 to take a photo. By then, your subject has either fallen asleep or gone off to do something more interesting. It's incredibly frustrating to see a great shot, hit the trigger, and then watch as the opportunity disappears before the camera can take the shot.

A couple weeks ago, my wife gave me the assignment of taking a headshot of her three-year-old nephew for one of those personalized kids videos. I chased the little hellion around for 30 minutes at Thanksgiving Dinner trying to get him to hold still long enough for the E10 (could the E stand for eternity?) to get a decent photo. It was nearly impossible, but I eventually got one underexposed, slightly blurry image that might be good enough.

This incident made me finally admit to my wife that I appreciated the camera she had given me, but I absolutely loathed it. Fine catch that she is, she told me to sell it and buy myself a new camera for Christmas. Man, I love that girl!