Pentax Optio S

Excellent small digital camera. Fast action, good battery time, average picture quality. A fun camera can carry everywhere for snapshot.

Small, lightweight, fast response

Body built looks weak, poor designed battery door

Olympus C40Z

No Need

I am an avid bike rider. I see some amazing things, but was never able to capture them due to the size of digitals. The Optio fits the bill nicely. As for the poster below saying the LCD broke...I am pretty sure it wan't meant to be in pockets. You have to have some common sense. The camera takes wonderful pictures. It has way more functions than I will ever use. I put the camera in an altoids tin with some thin foam, and it goes on every bike ride. I took it on a recent Tour de Tucson and took some amazing picutres. Click here for an example. http://gallery.consumerreview.com/webcrossing/images/start1(4).jpg

Very small Takes great pictures Rechargeable batteries

I agree about the battery cover...the little rubber thing looks like it could be a problem.

Pentax El100 Samsung Digimax230

I had owned this camera for a month when I pulled it out of my pocket one evening and found the LCD screen broken. When I sent it in under warranty the friendly folks at Pentax told me that I would have to pay $410 to get it fixed, as it was caused by "excessive pressure or impact". Bull! There was no such impact, and any pressure was caused only by my trouser pocket on my 5 minute walk home from the restaurant where the LCD was last okay. I had looked after the camera well, and it was only 4 weeks old when it broke. My EOS 500 has survived some massive hits and water entry and is still going strong after 6 years. My advice would be steer well clear of this model, perhaps choose the Casio Exlim which has a different LCD. I would advise against Pentax brands completely for their poor customer service. I won't be buying another Pentax based on this experience.

-Small size -Good photos and feature range (sound, movies, etc)

- LCD Screen VERY prone to damage - Lens cover prone to sticking open regularly and not protecting the lens as it should - Will happily take a blurry photo unless you take good care to hold the shutter half way and wait sometimes ages for it to focus. - Low contrast focus ability is really bad compared to my old EOS 500 SLR from 1997. Bright, contrasty subjects are okay though.

Olympus C-50 - bigger, but not too much more advanced apart from extra pixels.

Very poor indeed. A 4 week old camera that breaks with no particular event to cause it should be a valid warranty claim.

Upon seeing it in person for the first time, I’m immediately pleased with the body styling. It has a contemporary classic look to it, and I can see this camera in a museum one hundred years from now, inside a glass case. Its small size would make it ideal for candid photographs, but its bright finish easily catches light and attracts attention to itself. Because of this, I thought it would be a good idea for Pentax to produce it in black or gunmetal grey for added stealth. The ergonomics of this camera is quite good for its size. The face is aluminum with arching ridges cut into it. The back of the camera where you would place your right thumb has a one inch long rectangular-oval depression; which is about 1/16th of an inch deep for an excellent hold. At the top right is the shutter button and the power switch. The shutter button is to the left of the power switch, which to some should be the other way around. It’s a minor inconvenience, because the shutter button is twice the size of the power switch, and the power switch is recessed into the body of the camera. Just by feel, you can easily distinguish the two. The battery door is made of rigid plastic. It is hinged with a 1/8th inch wide piece of flexible plastic. Pentax’ use of such a flimsy-looking hinge must be due to the material’s special durable properties. Only time will tell. As I quickly pored over the operating manual, I was pleasantly surprised that the only language inside it was English. This makes the manual less visually confusing and thus easier to read. I happen to find the picture quality to be a grade B+ at the highest quality setting. Its competition has an edge over it, but not by much. 8x10” prints made from this camera is excellent (use the highest quality setting). A photographer with artistic and professional-caliber abilities would certainly make the B+ into an A grade. For some examples, go to Photosig.com, and go to Photos, then Categories, then Cameras. Scroll to the Pentax brand, and model: Pentax Optio S. At about $400, you certainly get what you pay for in this camera. It is well worth the price.

Stealthiness, compact size, good ergonomics (I've no problems with any of the buttons), good picture quality, uses high-capacity SD or MMC card, charges in 1 hour, 40 minutes; more than adequate quality for up to 8x10" prints.

Flimsy plastic battery door & hinge. If you're a careful person, it's no problem. Big-fingered people might have a hard time handling it. The bright finish almost defeats its usefulness as a candid or spy camera.

Pentax UC-1 (35mm ultracompact camera)

I've not yet had to contact them; hopefully never.

Finally! A good replacement for my smallest 35mm P/S, TC-1. I'm really love the size and the build quality. Since this is only my fun camera, the image quality and the features are quite suitable for me. If I need high quality images, I just use my DSLR.

Size, build quality, image quality, and ease of use.

no control over the exposure.

Minolta Dimage F100 Fuji S2 Pro