Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

This camera has a very slow shutter speed, by the time your piture actually appears it is blurry or grainy. Sometimes your subject is not even in it, that's how slow it is. I am very disappointed, because I have used pentax before and loved it, but this model was a waste of my money. Also the directions for use of the camera are on cd, so you have to use the computer to see how to do something, not very explanatory either. :(

It's a total waste of money. I bought this one 'cause the canon A530 I was going to buy was sold out... after playing with this one for a little bit, I returned to the store to get my money back! Awful quality, my cel phone takes better pictures FOR REAL! And yeah, too slow, if you want a steady image, you would have to photograph a statue and use a tripod. IT SUCKS

I looked at the reviews for this camera before I bought it and, like and idiot, I went for it anyway. Satan create this camera to make you cry! Seriously, it takes forever to snap a picture, the battery dies in less than a half hour, and your pictures don't even come out that great. Buy a disposable camera before you buy this one! Buy an elephant before you buy this camera! Anything just don't buy it!!!

I bought this camera hoping to have a small, very compact camera for those few moments when you want to capure a family event or, just a to take memory snapshots.

I went with Pentax E-10 knowing it's company's reputation was strong and in the camera industry for decades.

This camera needs a lot of light to operate. The flash is only effective about 6 ft. away. The pixel images are blurry at best. The colors that follow are not even close to being vivid, or natural. Out of 200 shots I might have gotten 4 that are usable.

This is truly one of the worst cameras on the market. It is so bad I will not even sell it on E-Bay.

Please if your looking for a comapct camera that will save great memories.. Keep looking there are plenty of great cameras out there. This Is Not The One For You.

The shudder speed is terrible with this camera. Don't expect to take pictures of any events or activities. The only pictures that come out are "static" shots where nothing moves.

You get what you pay for! Keep shopping! Don't buy!

I got this because I really wanted a small camera so I would be able to carry it with me everywhere in small belt pouch. I found that my large sony was always home and too cumbersome to carry all the time. Having had Pentax film camera for years, I relied on this to be a quality camera. I cant say I have had much time to use all the features. I have taken 6 pictures and gone through 6 AA batteries. on the average a set of 2 batteries lasts for 5 minutes, tops. Yes, I have used rechargeable (2500 mAh)and alkaline also.

The camera may be small enough to carry around but I cant carry that many batteries.

If I could rate this camera lower than a 1 star I would. I have never been more disapointed in a camera than I have been with this one. I own one of the first Epson 500 digital cameras that where made and it takes better photos than this does. This shutter speed is so SLOW, the person you are taken the photo of won't stay around for a second photo!

I have had this for a month now and I am in the market to buy something else. Please DO NOT waste your money on this Model!!

Pentax should be embarassed for making this one.