by Paul Henshaw

Created on: May 28, 2008   Last Updated: November 30, 2011

Looking back at some of my reviews, you might think that I have a lot of cameras.  Well, I do like my gadgets, but I work in the photographic industry so it's usually me that gets saddled with the responsibility of buying cameras or at least giving advice to family members. This particular camera is a purchase for my teenage niece and the specification was small, easy to use, very durable, must look good and of course the most important feature as low in price as possible. So after having a look around, I decided on the Pentax options because it satisfied all of the measures above.

The Camera 

The Pentax Optio S is not a brand new camera; in fact it has been on the market for nearly two years now. So if you are looking to buy one of these you will be more likely to have to buy one secondhand, as I did in this case.

The Cost 

On looking around on various auction sites you should expect to get this camera for between 30-70 pounds depending on overall condition and what accessories you will get with it. I paidd just over 50 pounds for a full kit that even had the original box instructions and all the original accessories and was in excellent condition.

The specs

3 MEGAPIXELS

This may seem low for a camera when you consider that your average new product will usually have 5-6 mega pixels but this camera is second hand and about 2 years old now. The mega pixels are high enough to give you excellent quality prints up to 9x6 inches in size (I find most people usually order prints at 6x4 sizes) so this spec should be ample for your everyday user.
3x optic zoom (2x digital zoom.)

Once again a pretty standard powered zoom even for the latest models and very good on this camera, I would advise against using to much digital zoom as this will affect overall picture quality and you may be disappointed with the end results. The zoom action is motorized and smooth in action.

The Lens

This in my opinion is the best feature of the camera, pentax manufacture not only lenses for their own cameras but make them for others as well. They probably produce some of the best performing lenses around today which deliver lifelike vibrant colors and are very durable in everyday use. The high performance lens is evident on this camera as it produces fantastic looking photographs.

Build quality

This camera has a metal case which makes the product feel expensive and also offers better protection over its plastic counterparts. The buttons feel firm and even though this camera is

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