Customer Reviews

Pentax Optio S 3.2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am not an expert by any means but I love this camera. I have put away my old BULKY digital for this LITTLE pentax that I keep in its new case (an Altoids tin! - yes it really is a good case!).

I narrowed my choices down to the Optio S, the Casio Elixm E3 and the Canon ES400. I thought the Canon was a great camera that took great pictures but was a bit bulky and [costs] more. Just couldn't see spending that since I would not be printing out 8x10's that often (the 4 megapixel camera is better for these large pictures apparently, although the 3.2 should do just fine for the average person like me. I'm sure a photographer will notice the difference but I probably will not). The Casio was a good camera also but I didn't go with it because it uses a PENTAX lens and was a tiny bit bigger. So, why buy the Casio with a Pentax lens when I could buy the Pentax with the Pentax lens.

What I don't like:
1. The biggest complaint I have is that you have to take the battery out to charge it. Plugging the adapter into the camera would have been a better choice.
2. The buttons for scroll through the menu are sooooo small...but a sacrafice I am willing to live with for the size of this camera.
3. The LCD screen could have been a bit bigger. The Casio has a great 2" LCD and it is a considerable difference. Again, willing to sacrafice for a good lens.
4. Movie mode is a pain to get to. You have to go through the menu to get there.
5. Software - it's horrible. Don't even install it. There are other products out on the market so go get one of those.

Things I like:
1. Obviously the size.
2. Picture quality has been great.
3. Taking pictures at night or even in "total" darkness is very good. Compared to my old digital this is a great feature.
4. Lots of features that help even people like me take good pictures.
5. SD slot - This was another selling point over the Canon as I have a computer with a built in SD reader and the Canon took a CF card.
6. Battery life has been incredible. I took over 150 pictures before I needed to recharge the battery and had this little guy on for almost 4 hours straight!
7. WOW factor - being a gadgeteer I always love it when peopl say "Wow, what is that!"

I have owned this camera for 3 weeks now and while I have listed some shortcomings they are by no means any reason NOT to buy this camera. I am just pointing out these things because you should have as much info as you can when making your purchasing decision.

pros:
- yes, it fits in an altoid tin! the main selling point of this camera is its small size: 3.3 x 2.0 x 0.8 in, weighing in at 4.1oz.
- relatively high "wow" factor.
- average three megapixel resolution.
- good reliable metering.
- low image noise at low ISO settings.
- very good macro performance for an ultra-compact.
- wide range of focus options including manual focus!
- histogram display in live view and play modes.
- allows decent manual control for what is billed as a point-and-shoot ultra-compact.
- no color cast from flash.
- fast startup time.
- solid build quality.
- bright LCD monitor with anti-reflective coating.
- shooting priority during play mode.
- doubles as a voice recorder.
- decent battery life for a tiny camera.

cons:
- some chromatic aberrations.
- some vignetting visible.
- average photo quality with soft edges.
- images noisier than competition.
- no buffering means a longer wait before you can take your next shot.
- the right most button at the top of the camera is the power button. right beside it to the left is the shutter release button. for me, the more logical button placement would be to have the shutter release button on the far right.
- no AF assist light.
- high redeye occurrence.
- metal body scratches easily.
- only JPEG format is supported.
- below average auto focus speed.
- the four way controller is hard to get used to.
- longest shutter setting is 1 second.
- only 10MB of built-in memory provided so add $$ to your budget to buy external memory.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- you need to remove external memory in order to access images saved in internal memory.

the optio S is an amazing camera, providing a wide feature set in an ultra-compact package. it is very similar to the slightly bigger casio ex-z3. two major complaints: soft images at the corners and the lack of buffering. a camera with better photo quality (but bigger and only has 2x zoom) is canon's sd100.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

So I've owned this little camera for about a week now (updated 29 Apr 03 - see below) and it is as good as everyone else has been spewing out. Currently I use a 3 MP Sony Cybershot P-5 as a reference, but I have owned another Cybershot and Fuji, too.

THE GOOD:
1) What they said.
2) SIZE MATTERS. Although 18 mths ago my camera was tiny, this one takes the cake. I was considering the Sony Cybershot U20 until I saw this camera. Although the Sony is smaller, it actually felt heavier when I compared the two.
3) LOTS OF FEATURES. For its size, it has way too many features that other ones tend not to have. Manual focus override, panorama mode, 3-D mode, super macro (Focal length <2 inches), alarm clock, time-lapse mode, and on and on.
4) BATTERY LIFE. My sony battery always gives me about 50 min of continuous use. From other reports this one lasts about twice as long. Although I haven't tested this myself, it seems to hold up quite well so far. Officially, 100+ shots with 50% flash use and LCD on.

THE BAD:
1) This is the deal breaker for me. First think about how many electronics you own with no battery cover -- all those TV remotes, portable CD players, and camera doors (hint). Before you buy, check out that battery door. The case is beautifully built, except for the second class battery door with two tiny, little prongs that are sure to break off with any little bump. I just don't get why they decided to save a couple bucks with this little stunt. If you can live with it, best of luck to you with your sticky, gooey tape residue holding such a wonderful camera together. Check it out.
2) The auto focus takes a little more time to focus than I'm used to, but seems more accurate with the multipoint focus.
2) Sorry, that's the best I could do. To nit pick, the optics or CCD sensor are not as sharp as my Sony, although very close. Writing to the SD card takes a little more time than the MS system on the Sony. And, the jog dial is sort of small.

Don't get me wrong, I will probably keep this camera over my Sony, but if that little battery door breaks I will curse the day I bought this thing.

UPDATE: It's week three now and I just came back from a trip in which I brought both my Sony and the new Pentax. I have to say the Optio S continues to impress me with its overall value, and I have not yet had any problems with the battery door, although I still cringe everytime I have to take the battery out.

THE GOOD--
SIZE: Definitely as tiny as you could reasonable want a camera. The selector button on the back is too tiny for those with large hands, fortunately I am not one of them.
BATTERY LIFE: As above, I am still holding firm. During my week of vacation, I never had to charge the camera battery -- LCD always on, flashes in most pictures, and plenty of reviewing pictures on my hotel TV for a total of about 50 pix - and only one bar is missing from the battery meter. Definitely feels a little stronger than my Sony in this area.
FLASH: I continue to like the power of this flash in such a small camera, although it does give an electronic feel to some indoor pix as I have noticed in all digicams -- not washed out like my Sony though.
AUTOFOCUS and SENSOR: AF seems a little faster than I felt earlier. And, it seems to do just fine in low light with focusing even though the camera doesn't verify that it is locked on the picture subject. As for the camera sensor, it seems to pick up low light better than my Sony. In low light, my Sony only sees black at times when the Optio has no problems

THE BAD:
OPTICS: Although the optics seem pretty good, because of the small lenses used, it tends to have a curving effect on objects in the periphery -- similar to a fish-eye lens, but less obvious. It is really only noticeable when a straight edge (like a building or pole) is on the side of the picture.
SPEED: Fast to start up and take a photo, but definitely too slow to store to memory compared to my Sony. I think this is attributed to the slower transfer speed using SD cards vs. Mem sticks. This is only an issue when you want someone to take a second photo in a hurry, just in case, and they have to wait for the camera to finish recording.

I still love this camera, though I too had some picture quality complaints the first time I used it in bright sunshine. The reason, it seems, is that the factory setting for contrast is too hot (it was set at +3). I dialed it down to zero and the pictures are perfect. I've appended my original review. This is my 1st Pentax digicam, and I am absolutely thrilled with it thus far. The primary allure is its size: when compared to my old stand-by Canon digital Elph, this camera is less than half the bulk of the older one. The difference is immediately noticeable, as the Optio easily slips into my pants pocket without feeling too intrusive. It also looks positively 007!
Secondly, it is well built. The steel case has an aircraft aluminum-type finish, which means it is easy to grip and it resists fingerprints. It is also well shaped for holding steady. Also of great value is the automatically retracting lens with automatically deployed lens cover; no more lens caps or scratched optics!
The features list hits what I think is the "sweet spot" in today's digicams, namely a 3.2 megapixel resolution (allowing for nice 11" x 14" enlargements) plus a 3X true optical zoom. There are numerous other less vital features, my favorite of which is the camera's ability to remember *all* your favorite or your last settings when you power it up again.
Battery life seems great, especially when the crystal clear LCD screen is off (you can still use it to review a pic you just took [for a period of time you have pre-selected from the menu] just by pressing the 'play button' on the back of the camera).
My complaints are trivial: the battery charger I'm not too crazy about (long cord, not convenient for travel) and the rocker switch for accessing the menu is bedevillingly small for my big fingers. Also, as seems to be the style with all of these companies, the memory card is either too small (11 megs built-in) or not included (I bought a SD 256 card and get 356 shots at 2 megapixels of resolution).
All in all though, this is the best digicam I have yet owned.

I sell and train people on how to use digital cameras and software. So I have had the luxury of using a variety of cameras. I myself own an Olympus z-3000 along with my new Pentax Optio S.

The Bad:
Software. The included ACDSee software is fairly limited; even more so that the Canon's included software. Even more limiting is the fact you cannot use the built-in Windows XP drivers to automate the download and erasure process.

Photo quality. I notice that the photos are a little "soft". When you look closely, you can see fuzzy edges around an object when compared to most quality digital cameras.

Time to shoot. Since this is an on-the-go camera, it is frustrating to wait for the camera lens to extend. Many shots will be lost in this start up phase. With many cameras, you can leave the power off but still have the lens extended. This is not the case with the Pentax. If you try to leave the lens extended, it will automatically power off after a pre-set number of minutes, retracting the lens.

Movie mode. Most cameras have an external button for movie mode. This is because when your taking photos and the opportunity for a movie presents itself, you don't usually have a lot of time. The movie mode on the Pentax is somewhat buried in the user interface.

Battery charging. Unfortunately you must take the battery out of the case to recharge it. Too bad Pentax could not figure a way to just plug in the recharger directly to the camera.

The Good:
Size, size, size. I'd rather take a medium quality photo than no photo because the camera was too bulky to take along.

Weight. While the Elph is almost as small, Canon's tend to weigh much more. The Pentax is light enough to wear around your neck like punk jewelry!

Intuitive interface. Most actions only take three to four button clicks.

Manual mode. It's there when you need it.

Photo quality. Yes, it's not great, but it is not poor either.

Battery life. Better than expected! Over a 100 shots in mixed flash mode between charges.

Overall: A GREAT camera. I know I found negatives, but hey, that is technology. Would I buy it again? In a dot com lifecycle.

This camera is probably the best purchase I have ever made. It is truly as small it looks (smaller than my cell phone). I say that because it drops in a pocket so easy, that I have had it with me everywhere I go nearly every day since I bought it. Next time you're at the store, try dropping even a Cannon Elf in your back pocket, and tell me that you would be comfortable carrying that thing around all night (I swear every one of my friends has one of those things, and they all want mine). I now have incredible pictures of everything that I have done for the last six months! On top of that, the battery has never failed me. This surprises me because once you take it out at any gathering; every one wants to play with it (just drop it on the charger quick before you head out, and you're set - very important feature). Simply amazing! I would recommend this camera to anyone.

As far as picture quality goes, I will not claim to be an expert. What I do know is that my images come up very clean even on my screen saver (19" monitor), and every print that I have made has been clear as can be (4x6, and 5x7). The zoom gets done what needs to get done (3x optical is plenty for this camera). I do come across a decent amount of red eye in my pictures, but with 2 seconds on the very easy to use editing software (included), everybody has their baby blues shinning again!

Like I said before, I would highly recommend this camera to any one. Make sure to grab an SD card (at least 64MB - std for any camera like this you're going to buy). This thing is put together very well. It has been with me through everything from hunting and fishing trips, to many of nights out on the town, and still looks and performs as well as ever. Keep it on the highest resolution setting because, why not? It stores pics well over twice as fast as my friends Minolta. Pick one of these up, and start taking the pictures of all of those times you wished you had your camera with you. I just wish I had one of these in my college days! Enjoy.
-Very Impressed Electrical Engineer

Excellent camera - the best camera is the one you have with you when you see a picture you want to take. There is no reason to not carry this camera with you all the time.

Pluses: It's size and weight is amazing, but it also has many features. The SD cards work great, the battery life is not an issue, built in color digital filters, optical zoom, panorama mode is great.

Misses: None - picture quality will always get better, but so far I have seen nothing to be concerned about - 5x7 sizes look fine to my eyes. Would like to have more of a wide angle lens, but I have seen nothing in the market better.

I've don't lots of research on cameras and this one caught my eye, first because of the ultra-portable size of the body that could fit inside an altoid box!

Good points:
1. Very small, if this thing can fit in a altoid box, it can fit just about anywhere.
2. excellent battery life, on a full charge I've taken about 25 pics and still on full!
3. very bright flash
4. many options for camera of this size, usually smaller cameras don't offer as many options and features as the Optio S.
5. camera bootup time is very fast, seems like a bit over 1 sec.
6. bright screen, sharp and clear.
7. rugged body (not counting the battery door or tripod mount), Body is made of rugged metal with small indentions for grip.
8. definately will draw all the ooohh's and awww's from a crowd. I brought this to work and I got about 10 "holy Sh_t" comments on it.

Needs improvements:
1. very slow at taking pics because of focus mechanism, sometimes It would not take pic with my finger fully pressing on the button because it cannot focus on a subject. This is a big negative in my perspective because I sometimes like to take action photos.
2. Picture quality is not the best either. I own a sony DSC-F707 and even though it's a bigger camera with a bigger and better lense, the pics don't even compare even at the F707's low quality settings.
3. controls and menus on this tiny thing could be confusing to the newbe entering the digital camera field but with a little time going through the instruction book, functions are learned quickly.
4. The little nipple like button on back could be bigger too. I have a friend who just bought this camera also and he's over 7' tall and it's very funny watching this guy use this camera with these tiny buttons.
5. It could also come with a memory card also, I know it's got 11mb onboard memory but it's only 11mb! I bought mine from ... which does include a 128mb sd card and a nifty leather case that's very useful. I think it's a special package that ... has.
6. battery door on this thing is held on by a piece of rubber screwed onto the lid and the body. i'm not sure how long this is going to last but this is definately a future improvement point for Pentax. Also the door is plastic and it attaches to the camera by two small plastic hooks that snap on to the camera body....another future improvement needed.

I've taken quite a bit of pictures with my Optio S and it seems to perform up to my expectations because of it's lense size/physical size and of course price. Pictures are not as clear as I would like them to be, but i'm used to using my Sony DSC-F707 which I cannot compare this compact camera to. I do use the Optio S for it's portability and satisfying quality photos it takes. If you're looking for a high quality picture camera with a fast focus.. keep on looking. But if you're looking for a camera with ultimate portability, this is it!

This camera is simply the smallest 3 megapixel camera you can get at this moment. To give you an idea of my perceptions with this new camera, I upgraded from a Canon S100 which I've had for over 2 years. The Canon S100 was a great little camera but was never small enough to fit in my pockets comfortably. The Optio S, on the other hand, is so small, it can fit inside my fifth pocket on most 5-pocket jeans. It truly is a camera I carry with me at all times. Also, it is about half as light as the Canon PowerShot Digital Elph series.

I've been using this camera for about 2 weeks now. It performed very well (as well as my Digital Elph, but in many respects, much better). I did have trouble with taking steady shots in low light conditions without flash, I don't think there is any digital camera that is an exception to that problem, including my Canon. But other than that, everything worked wonderfully. I took very close-up pictures of flowers out doors, and they turned out super sharp (I could even see the little dust on each petal!). The camera's macro and super macro modes are superb. The 3 megapixel CCD's quality is about the same as the Canon's (very good). There is no simulated film graininess that you sometimes see in other digicams, such as Fujifilm's FinePix cameras.

Particulary useful and fun features that I find myself using constantly are the 3D mode and the camera mode. The 3D mode lets you create a stereogram image of a subject, as long as you can take two pictures of them back to back without them moving. You must move the camera over a to the right very slightly on the second image taken, to get the correct 3D effect. You can view it like any other stereogram, or use a little plastic stand/viewer that comes with the camera. The action camera mode is similar to other cameras. It records video image and sound for up to 30 seconds each shot.. Each 30-second video takes up 3 megabytes of memory, which uses around twice as much space as a regular high-quality still. The camera doesn't come with much memory (11 megabytes), so getting 256MB card is highly recommended. That should provide enough space for about 160 high-quality stills. Just to let you know, the microphone on the front is very sensitive and will pick up the sound just fine, but the speaker on the back is very weak.

The battery performed excellently. I took about 100 pictures using the screen, 50/50 with and without flash. There was plenty of juice still (about half). The camera ran out of juice after the 2nd day carrying it with me everywhere.

If you plan to get this camera and carry it mostly in your pocket, versus using a case, make sure you get a PDA screen-protector pack and cut out some squares to protect the screen, glass viewfinder, and other areas where your oily fingers and dust interact with the camera alot.. I didn't do this with my Canon, and I regret it, because after about 2 years, it looks very very used (most of the text is worn off, dust inside viewfinder, and there are little scratches all over, including the screen).

My only complaint is that the camera doesn't come with a short leash like the Canon. It comes with big lanyard looking one, where you can wear it around your neck.. I hate anything on my neck! So I used my Canon's instead ;)

Anyway I highly recommend this camera. It truly is an all-purpose camera! It has lots of great features and performs excellently. Picture quality is great. The auto/manual focus and exposure control works brilliantly. The macro, camera and 3d modes are way cool. And lastly, the screen is beautiful (far clearer than the Digital Elph Powershots are). I found the little controls were not hard to use at all. The up-down-left-right-centerOK control pad was actually very responsive, easy to use. Much easier than on the Canon S45's, which alot of users complained that they accidently hit the wrong direction. Also the battery cover appears as if it might open too easily, but it hasn't come off once, so don't worry. Some people have complained about it being flimsy, but I honestly think the door design is MUCH better than on the canon's, which can snap off if pushed beyond the hinge. This door is cleverly connected with a rubber hinge that prevents that altogether.

You will love this camera for its portability and ease-of-use.

There is so much more to this camera than what I've talked about, so please look into it in further detail before buying.
You'll see why I think this will be a top seller for 2003.

This is my first digital camera and other than shutter gap, I'm delighted. The number of features and the flexibility of the camera are amazing. It can be used for short video clips (30 seconds each, total of 15 minutes), sound recording (at least an hour), regular pictures, almost anything you can think of to author non-text content. It is an all-in-one marvel. With only standard Mac OS X system software and the 128 SD card I have already created short films, slideshows, narrated video clips, pictures to e-mail - and I haven?t even sat down with the manual yet. When plugged into my PowerBook, I can copy any file (that fits) on to it and then copy it back to another computer. Now if only an iPod could be taught to take pictures, although an iPod is a bit larger. It even claims to have 3-D capability (that kind of appears to be a gimmick though.) I'm wondering if I just haven't discovered the x-ray vision yet.

Three criticisms:
Shutter gap.
Grooved front of case is a dirt magnet.
Tiny interface joystick on back to small for my thick fingers.

I also would caution those with pets. It's light enough and small enough for a kitten to assume it's a toy. Mine got knocked off my desk by our new kitten but seemed to survive intact. This is not a use advocated by the manufacturer.

All of these are small problems compared to the fun the camera offers. I highly recommend.