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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 10 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 57 found the following review helpful:
 Unbelievable Oct 22, 2006
By Brandon E. Griffith
First of all, I'm an electronics freak. I'm also an electrical freak, aka an electrical engineering student in college. I bought a Pentax Optio s5i "way back" in 2003 (it does seem like a while ago), when it was one of the first 5 megapixel cameras on the market. I loved everything about that camera: the form factor, the picture quality, the battery life, its easy menu navigation, and the fact that if you didn't like the auto picture mode, which always took great pictures anyway, you could use a dozen other preset modes (like sports, sunset, flowers, outdoor...) or you could just use the manual focus and manual exposure value.
Everything that I loved about the s5i is still in the genetics of the A20. The camera is almost the identical size, and it uses the same battery model; but its unbelievable picture quality, incredibly fast response time (auto-focus time, readiness after taking a picture, turn-on time, etc.), DivX video capability, and huge 2.5 inch LCD emphasize the lightning-fast pace at which the semiconductor industry, specifically consumer electronics, has developed.
Some more nice features:
-Since the A20 is double the resolution of my old s5i, I was thinking that the picture files would be double the size, around 5MB, but this is not so. The camera uses compression (which is adjustable in the menu) to keep files around 3.5MB at 10 megapixels at the best quality (***, three stars).
-The A20 has a "green button" that is soft-key that the user can set in the menu. Pressing the green button will change the display in the LCD to where the user can adjust 4 different settings all with just the arrow keys. The user can choose in the menu which 4 settings are displayed with the green button and the 4 settings can be any item that is in the regular menu.
-The focus capability is unbelievable. The A20 has auto, macro, super-macro, pan, infinity, and manual focus modes. I held my finger right in front of the lens and was able to take an excellent picture of my finger print...you never know when you might need a picture like that... :)
I've only had the camera for a week now, so this review probably doesn't even scratch the surface but to sum it up:
-The camera is incredibly small for 10 megapixels but not too small to use (and I'm a pretty big guy).
-The 2.5 inch LCD is massive.
-The picture quality is unbelievable.
-The customization capabilty is very very extensive.
-The manual features are great.
-The camera is VERY easy to use!
....and I love it so much, that I'm going to buy my sister one for her birthday, but SSHHH, don't tell her!!!
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Pentax Optio A10 Jan 10, 2007
By B. han
"Basil"
Purchased th A10 for my spouse. I, personally use SLRs.
Review could run several pages. Basically, the camera
is, technologically, ahead of its time and WILL out-do
a pro SLR in basic picture quality.
TIP: Try most shots without the flash. The shake-proof
feature looks after the rest. Why flash off? Limited
angle of light dispersion obviously favors center screen.
Normal picture mode in 3.2 mega pixels is generally sufficient
The A20 is 10+MP compared to the 8+MP of the A10 - for a hundred
bucks or so, more. Features are identical in both (except for
the higher MP which would seldom be warranted).
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Good technology but not good for spontaneity Mar 11, 2007
By Fragino
It's a terrific little camera. The shake reduction works well. If you are shooting subjects that can be still for more than 3 seconds it produces really nice pictures. There is where my problems lies with the camera. I like to take spontaneous pictures of people. I don't like to have them posed, and when I have to I like to do it as quickly as possible before the smiles become stiff and wooden. It takes at least a few seconds for this camera to acquire and process a scene before it takes a picture, especially in less than ideal light conditions. Before somebody berates me for being ignorant about the regular shorcomings of digital cameras, I used to own an old Kodak digital camera. It was so old that it was not even a 1 megapixel camera but it took beautiful picture and it took them quickly. Taking a picture of a person with a REAL smile as they look up when you call them was not a problem with that old camera. Why is it a problem with this one? I've tried to use different settings but so far haven't solved the problem. I guess that's where the shake reduction comes in handy because I end up with the shakes as I hold the button down the requisite seconds it takes to process and take the picture. This is not a good camera for taking a picture of a dynamically changing scene. When you see a situation that you like to take a picture of, by the time the shutter opens, it has already gone and done. The best solution so far is that if I can anticipate something, I hold the button down halfway and focus on an area close to the distance of where I think it's going to happen, let the processor work and hope and wait for the action to happen at that spot. The only problem is that the focus may be right but the movement will have changed the light and the exposure will be off. All in all, for the premium price, I'm a little dissapointed but I still carry it around because it is a nice little camera.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Great camera May 12, 2007
By J. Gonzalez
I bought this camera for a good price but I had to sign up for an Amazon credit card to get a $30 rebate. I like small cameras I can take any where in my pocket. The rechargeable battery has a long charge life and it charges pretty fast. The files for the best quality are large as expected for 10 Mpixels but using lower quality (one star) generates great pictures any way. The only annoyance is the delay when taking pictures in low light conditions. You have to hold the shutter button for 15 seconds for the picture to be taken. The soft flash is great for taking up close pictures. Overall I'm very happy with this camera.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Pentax Optio A20 is a good option for amateur photographer Jun 26, 2007
By N. Meacham
This small, easy-to-use camera readily downloads pictures to my IMac and iBook. I purchased an extra battery so that I may have one in the camera and a spare one charged at all times. I'm still getting to know the camera and its settings, but I already find it a pleasure to use, and handy to carry with me in case a photographic opportunity should arise.
See all 10 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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