Physical Tour

**Back **

The T10 has all but eliminated external controls thanks entirely to the 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel touch screen LCD. And while touch screen interfaces have their own host of setbacks and limitations, this certainly eliminates problems with external control navigation. The 2.5-inch LCD takes up most of the back of the Pentax Optio T10 with slight borders separating the edges of the LCD from the frame of the digital camera.

Along the left side of the LCD in a vertical black bar are five small raised dots, which act as surprisingly competent finger grips for the thumb of the left hand when shooting with two hands. The review/playback button is located on the right side of the LCD near the top of the camera. A textured pad sits directly beneath this control and is intended to provide a slight amount of grip. There is also a vertical bar along the edge between the right and back sides of the camera which should provide an added bit of grip. The menu button is located beneath the grip and near the bottom edge of the back face in a position that is simple to access and use with the thumb of the right hand.

**Left Side
**The left side of the Pentax Optio T10 has two features of note. The in-camera stereo playback speaker is located near the top of the camera, while a port cover is located at the bottom. This port cover can be opened via a small tab located on its bottom edge and once opened reveals an A/V out port beneath. While the A/V out port is certainly functional and accessible, the port cover is less than stunning in construction and attachment to the camera. With a little time and some rough use this cover could easily be separated from the T10 and be lost due to the flimsy hinge attachment.

**Right Side **

The right side of the Optio T10 has a DC in port located beneath a port cover similar in construction and design to the one found on the right side. The DC in port is located near the base, far away from the only other feature, an extending eyelet located near the middle of the camera.

**Top
**The top of the Pentax Optio T10 features the shutter button, placed on the right half of the camera for easy access with the right index finger. The shutter button is large enough to be easily activated and the sensitivity is consistent. The zoom control is a ring surrounding the shutter button and provides control over telephoto and wide angle zoom levels. When in playback mode this feature can be used to increase the level of magnification of displayed images or view as thumbnails on the 2.5-inch screen.

**Bottom
**A tripod mount is located on the base of the camera to the left of center, with a battery cover located on the right half. This cover is easily opened by pressing and sliding it to the right; once open it reveals two essential components: the battery, which is extracted via an adjacent tab, and a slot for an optional SD memory card for additional memory. With only 12 MB of included internal memory, users shooting at full resolution and needing more than a handful of shots will find additional memory essential.

Components

**Viewfinder **

There is no viewfinder on the Pentax Optio T10 and this shouldn’t come as any real surprise—the touch screen leaves little room for even the buttons. Even if there were a viewfinder, often the optical viewfinders on small portable cameras only offer about 70 percent frame coverage with minimal visibility.

**LCD Screen
**The LCD screen is perhaps one of the most drastic innovations in the Optio line this year, and with the T10, Pentax is looking to shake up a camera layout that was not too long ago relegated to camcorders. The "T" in T10 refers to its touch screen interface, a feature which allowed Pentax to do away with complicated, tiny external controls. The Pentax Optio T10 has a 2.5-inch LCD with 230,000 pixels and a touch screen design that displays transparent menus throughout the menu structure; this enables users to monitor the alterations made to their photographs in real time without leaving the menu system. The LCD screen may be navigated either with a finger or an included stylus, though the stylus is likely a better idea so that users don’t grease up the screen. Controls are well sized on the LCD and menus are broken up into logical structures, enabling fast navigation without getting tied up in long lists or circuitous menu paths.

**Flash
**The in-camera flash for the T10 is to the left of the extending lens of the camera, which is less than stellar in placement. This will most likely result in images that suffer from a shadow cast at an angle across the subject because of uneven lighting. The flash control options for the Pentax Optio T10 are located in the display menu under the flash submenu and allow users to select among flash settings of auto, flash on, flash off, auto plus red-eye, flash-on plus red-eye and soft flash. The effective range for the flash is an advertised wide angle of 0.49 feet to 14.8 feet (possible with Auto ISO), while a telephoto range of 1.31 to 8.2 feet is possible when the camera is set to Auto ISO.

Zoom Lens
**

**The zoom lens for the Pentax Optio T10 is located on the right side of the camera when facing it, and is an extending barrel which eliminates the likelihood that the user would accidentally cover the optics when shooting. This 3x zoom lens is controlled via a ring with a tab that is positioned surrounding the shutter button on the top of the camera. The zoom was smooth and quick and stopped on a dime once the proper level was set. While some variance was possible in the speed of the zoom, the user won’t have a huge amount of control over the speed. The 3x lens has 6 elements in 5 groups, with 2 dual-sided aspherical elements and a focal length of 6.2 mm to 18.6 mm and a 35mm equivalent range of 38 mm to 113 mm. The smc PENTAX power zoom lens has an aperture range of f/2.7 to f/5.2. When not in use the lens retracts into the camera and is immediately covered by an internal lens cover.

Design / Layout

**Model Design / Appearance **

The camera design for the Pentax Optio T10 is a sleek aluminum face with a polished horizontal silver bar which breaks up the otherwise smooth front face of the camera. The back of the camera features glossy black plastic with a large LCD screen. With only four controls located on the body of the camera and only two neatly tucked away ports, the exterior of the camera is devoid of any real design flaws that would detract from the otherwise clean and uncluttered look. By placing the controls of the camera within a touch screen system Pentax has really been able to clean up the body of the camera and produce a result that is small, compact and attractive. The construction of the camera is solid and durable, with all adjoining parts and seams constructed with concise accuracy. Models in Europe and Japan will feature front faces with slightly different palettes and metal finishes.

**Size / Portability **

The Pentax Optio T10 is certainly a portable camera, due to both the light overall weight and the small compact size. This camera is a clean rectangle without unnecessary protrusions or features that could snag on a pocket or in a bag of other belongings. The T10 is certainly a pocket-sized model, easy to carry out on the town for a night in either a back pocket or a purse, and could even prove a reliable conversation piece due to the sleek exterior. The camera weighs 5.5 ounces with all accessories in place and has measurements of just 3.7 inches in length by 2.3 inches in height by 0.8 inches in thickness.

**Handling Ability **

With so few external controls and a well designed menu system, Pentax has designed a camera that is minimal and efficient, functioning well beyond the design concept. The navigation of the LCD menu system may be done with either finger or stylus and the controls that are onscreen are both well sized and well labeled for clarity and ease. Even larger fingers will be able to smoothly move through the menu. The camera did freeze once during our evaluation, however, this was likely due to a glitch in the particular pre-production model we were looking at rather than an actual deficiency in the product. In our full review of the T10 we will look into this issue further.

Physically and externally, the small size of the camera makes it possible to get a good grip when shooting with one or two hands. The small sections of grip are positioned well to provide enough additional security.

**Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size **

Exterior control buttons on the Optio T10 are minimal: on/off, shutter, zoom, playback and menu. The controls on the top of the camera are comfortably accessed and engaged with the index finger of the right hand, but the zoom ring surrounding the shutter button doesn’t really provide a satisfying level of minute control over zoom when shooting quickly. Large jumps in zoom levels are likely to occur when shooting with this style of zoom control. The playback and menu buttons on the back of the camera are well placed for the thumb of the right hand and are well labeled for use when shooting, reviewing and navigating menu structures.

Touch screen controls, buttons and navigation is a blessedly simple process, which comes as a surprise. Many of the touch screen interface systems we have encountered in the past have been bogged down by petite onscreen controls, cramped features, overly complex menu layouts and other problems. The T10 sports well sized controls that can be accessed and navigated without the user becoming flustered. Included with the purchase of the digital camera is a stylus which can be attached to the right hand strap, although if it is lost, the menu layout is still more than amply sized for control with a fingertip.

**Menu **

The menu structure for the Pentax Optio T10 is navigated through the touch screen interface, is easily entered by either tapping the LCD or pressing the menu button located to the right side of the screen. The initial menu is a shortcut menu which accesses flash, burst, shooting mode and focus, while the menu button allows access to a wider range of manual control features and other options.

The shooting mode settings for the Pentax Optio T10 are Program, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Night Scene, Surf and Snow, Food, Sport, Pet and Frame. The shooting mode options are displayed as simple drawings on the LCD, all provided with a full text descriptions so that users unsure of setting parameters have some guidance.

The first menu encountered after the menu button is pressed in shooting mode displays the following options, with large buttons and well spaced layout: Rec. Mode 1, Rec. Mode 2, Movie, Common, Sound and Setting submenu options. These menu options appear on the LCD and are transparent overlays that allow the user to constantly monitor the image frame while altering and moving through the entire menu structure.

Rec. Mode 1 menu gives the user access to the following manual control options via six spacious controls: image size, image quality, white balance, focus, metering and sensitivity levels. Rec. Mode 2 menu gives access to more image control options: EV. Compensation, Auto Bracket, 1 second instant review, sharpness, saturation and contrast. The Movie menu provides the controls for shooting in movie mode, and this menu has options for movie size, movie resolution, and frame rate control.

In the Common menu only three controls can be altered, allowing access to digital zoom, memory and FN setting. The Sound menu has a surprising number of six overall settings, with access to operation volume, playback volume, start-up sound, shutter sound, operation sound and self-timer sound. With this many options it is hard to imagine that users would need additional audio control, considering this is primarily a digital still camera with video hybrid functionality included as an extra additional feature.

And finally the last menu option in shooting mode provides access to the settings for the Pentax Optio T10 layout and other setup options. The Setup menu has the following settings: format, date adjustment, world time, language, folder name and USB connection.

When the user has placed the Pentax Optio T10 in review mode, they will find that there is another menu structure system that displays four initial submenu options for playback image control. These four menu options are Mode Palette, Playback Zoom, Rotate and Delete options. The mode palette option displays a plethora of image effects options and settings to provide a wealth of image manipulation opportunities from drawing on the image surface to stamping to cropping and shifting images. These controls, like the menus found in shooting mode, appear as transparencies over images previously captured by the user prior to entering into playback mode. The control options within the submenu allow the user to engage slideshow, resize, rotation, trimming, image and sound copy, digital effects, movie edit, red-eye compensation, voice memo, protect, DPOF, start-up Image setting and the drawing feature.

**Ease of Use **

The Pentax Optio T10 excels in the ease of use category, in part due to a minimal number of manual controls as well as the intuitive nature of the whole menu structure. The menu structure features large, transparent "buttons" that have prominent labels that are full or nearly full text with accompanying setting levels and other information. While it does seem a bit odd to have menus with only three controls present, as is the case of the common menu, it isn’t hard to navigate back and forth between menu pages. After about five minutes or so, even the most technophobic user should have a reasonable comfort level and awareness of how to navigate though the menu layout.

Modes

**Auto Mode **

The auto mode is a program auto mode, which may be selected by pressing the LCD screen and selecting the program mode option from the options displayed within the first display menu. The program auto mode provides the most access to manual control options. All control settings for the T10 have default auto settings, which may be easily set back to automatic by entering the general menu. The program auto mode allows the user to set the following manual mode options when shooting: focus, metering, white balance, exposure compensation and ISO. The camera has full auto control over shutter speed and aperture regardless of what mode the user is shooting in.

**Movie Mode
**The movie mode for the Pentax Optio T10 is located and accessed by pressing the LCD screen, which shows the display menu. From this menu the user may select the program menu, and once this action is complete the user can instantly initiate video clips, which may be recorded from one second until the memory of the camera or the card is full. The movie mode settings allow the user to select between the following image resolution and frame rate options: 640 x 480 at 30 fps, 640 x 480 at 15 fps, 320 x 240 at 30 fps, and 320 x 240 at 15 fps. The maximum resolution and frame rate of 640 x 480 and 30 fps results in smooth video with TV quality display that should be good enough to cover basic shooting scenes.

An in-camera microphone is placed beneath the lens barrel on the front face of the camera to provide simultaneous audio recording when shooting video clips. Zoom may be engaged when recording video, and the zoom quality wasn’t impaired by the frame rate or resolution and resulted in smooth transitions from wide angle to telephoto and back. But regardless of how good these specifications are, still cameras with video features are not going to produce video image quality that can compete with video footage captured by a camcorder, and although hybrid cameras have advanced, the day of true hybrid functionality has still not wholly arrived for the digital camera market.

**Drive / Burst Mode **

The burst mode for the Pentax Optio T10 is accessed by pressing any portion of the LCD in order to prompt the display menu to appear. The burst mode for the Pentax Optio T10 allows users to select between single shot, continuous, self-timer, auto bracket and remote control activation. These settings are easy to alter. Users may also choose to engage the self-timer audio located within the sound submenu of the general camera menu. The burst mode displayed a quick reaction time and shot pictures until the memory card was full. There was a noticeable amount of time between shots, but nothing intolerable for the average point-and-shoot user.

**Playback Mode **

When reviewing images and video footage on the Pentax Optio T10, there are a number of image manipulation opportunities. The playback mode allows users to view images as either single frame images or a nine-image thumbnail format that may be navigated by engaging the zoom control ring located on the top of the camera. The zoom toggle also controls the level of playback zoom, allowing intensive cropping to occur if needed.

The Playback palette allows the user to scan between options, highlighting each one individually, which produces a full text description along with an illustration on how each control functions. The playback options for the Pentax Optio T10 give users access to resizing, trimming, image/sound copy, special effect, movie edit, red-eye compensation, voice memo, DPOF, start screen image and slide show options. This menu is entered by selecting the mode palette option from the first playback menu, which also displays option for rotation, deletion and information.

The playback mode presents the following digital filter options: black and white, sepia, color filter (for eight colors), B&W+Red, D&W+Green, B&W+Blue, Soft, Brightness, Illustration Special Effect and Slim. These features allow alteration of images to occur and be saved prior to printing or transfer to PC. The drawing mode is an especially interesting new feature included with this camera. It allows a line drawing to be placed across the surface of the image in a manner comparable to a basic illustration program provided with many computers or as a means of marking or labeling a particular image at the point of capture. Other settings within this drawing feature allow the user to stamp pre-designed clip-art images onto the surface of the image, so that preposterous red lips can be added to your beloved great-aunt Magee.

The playback modes are easy to engage and showed quick response the second time the camera was used, but the T10 did freeze up once when multiple effects were accidentally selected, although again, at this point it is impossible to say whether this was due to a flaw within the particular pre-production model we were evaluating or a deficiency within the camera’s hardware. Aside from this, the ability to add and subtract digital effects, drawings, and clip art should be a welcome and playful tool for occasional usage.

The playback mode allows users to set the following PictBridge controls as well as the above mentioned effects: one image print, all image print, DPOF auto print, paper size, paper type, paper quality and border.

**Custom Image Presets **

The custom image preset options are located within an overall shooting mode menu which is accessed by touching the LCD screen. A display menu appears which will then allow the user to select the mode option for the digital camera. Once this mode submenu has been entered, the

user can choose between a program auto mode or one of nine preset shooting options.

The preset shooting modes for the Pentax Optio T10 contain settings designed for optimal reaction to the following general shooting situations: Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Night Scene, Surf and Snow, Food, Sport, Pet and Frame. These modes are displayed on a transparent live view background and are represented by a basic color illustration. The user may highlight and select an option, then choose the help feature for a full screen text description with an accompanying photograph to visually and textually describe when a specific shooting mode would be appropriate. This list of features should provide a general level of control opportunity for the beginning user unsure of themselves and their camera. 

Control Options

**Manual Control Options **

The Pentax Optio T10 does come with a handful of manual control options, all of which may be accessed by touching the LCD or pressing the menu button located on the back of the camera. There is manual control over focus, exposure compensation, metering mode and white balance. The manual controls are easily accessed and navigated and shouldn’t present any problems.

**Focus **
*Auto Focus
*Focal settings for both auto and manual focus are located within the first Rec. Menu which is a submenu option first displayed when the user enters the menu structure. Users may also alter focal settings by pressing the LCD screen in regular shooting mode. In addition to focal alterations, this menu has control submenus for program mode, flash and burst modes. The AF settings for the Pentax T10 are 5-point AF, spot AF and AF assist light. The auto focus feature on the T10 worked with success in both well lit and lower light situations, although the short shutter speed time of 4 seconds and the hand-shake of the user tended to compromise images shot in less than ideal light – while this is not due to autofocus, it did result in blurry images.

*Manual Focus
*The manual focus settings are located within the same menu structure as the auto focus options and provide users with a digitized and overtly easy to use system. The manual focus setting may be selected from the focus submenu located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu. Once entered into manual mode, the camera displays + and – symbols at the bottom of the LCD screen. The camera quickly reacts to these touch screen alterations in an impressive way not often seen with interfaces of this nature. The placement of these controls away from the center of the LCD and in an area less likely to be a focal point of an image is also a great idea compared to the touch screen interfaces which have come before.

**Exposure **

When it comes to exposure, the user of the Pentax Optio T10 will find that the camera has provided a simple control that allows access to exposure compensation. The exposure compensation menu may be reached by entering into the overall menu structure and selecting the Rec. Mode 2 menu, and then selecting the EV Comp. setting. Once selected, the camera will display an EV compensation scale on the screen and the user can select between + and – symbols to quickly alter these settings. The EV Compensation scale for the T10 is +/-2 EV with 1/3 step increments throughout this scale. This scale is pretty much a standard within the point-and-shoot still camera market and the once again basic interface design makes it a strong feature of note for Pentax.

**Metering **

The Pentax Optio T10 comes with three helpful metering mode options that are becoming standard with most point-and-shoot cameras within this price range. The metering mode options are located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu within the aptly titled AE metering mode option. The user will see three small graphics along with corresponding buttons for selecting which metering mode to engage. The options for the T10 metering system are: multi-segment, spot and center-weighted with all three engaging a TTL or through the lens metering system to evaluate the lighting of the composition. Having three metering modes at your disposal will gives users the opportunity to compensate for complicated lighting situations which include multiple lighting sources or backlit subjects.

**White Balance **

The white balance settings include a handful of preset options, a full auto mode and a full manual option when shooting with the Pentax Optio T10. The white balance settings are located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu and when the white balance submenu is selected, the user is provided with a series of white balance symbols at the bottom of the LCD screen. These may then be scanned using left and right arrows found to either side in the corners of the monitor. The white balance settings for the Pentax Optio T10 can be quickly changed and provide a continual live view while remaining tucked away at the bottom of the screen so as to compromise as little of the frame as possible. The white balance settings are auto, daylight, shade, tungsten light, fluorescent light and manual modes. The manual mode is quickly and efficiently navigated and should be useable even when engaged by the novice user.

**ISO **

The image sensitivity settings on the Pentax Optio T10 are located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu structure which also contains the metering, focal, image options, and white balance settings of the camera. The ISO settings for the T10 are located within a sub-menu titled Sensitivity and once entered display five options which are displayed in well sized semi-transparent boxes across the surface of the LCD screen. The ISO settings for the Pentax Optio T10 are Auto, 50, 100, 200 and 400 ISO and when selected display immediate reaction to image alterations.

**Shutter Speed
**There is no manual shutter speed control on the Pentax Optio T10. This is a bit of surprise since the $350 price range of this camera places it in the same category as digital cameras like the Canon A610, which provides a shutter and aperture priority mode. However, considering the cost of touch screen design, this omission may be an attempt to keep costs within a lower priced point-and-shoot price range. The automatic shutter speed range is from 4 seconds to 1/2000th of a second, which is also stunted in comparison to cameras such as those being produced by Canon and others.

**Aperture **

There is no manual aperture control on the Pentax Optio T10, so users will need to rely on the automatic aperture range of f/2.7 to f/5.2. If manual control over aperture is needed, manufacturers like Canon will be able to provide an Aperture priority and Shutter Priority modes for users.

Image Parameters

**Picture Quality / Size Options
**The picture quality and size options are located within the Record 1 menu and allow three image quality settings and six still image resolution settings to be initiated. The image quality and the image size parameters have separate submenu buttons which the user may navigate with either their finger or stylus; however, the design of these controls, like all those on the Pentax Optio T10, are generous in size and well labeled. The image quality settings for the Pentax Optio T10 are Best, Better and Good, while the image resolution settings are 2816 x 2112, 2592 x 1944, 2304 x 1728, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200 and 640 x 480. These settings were quickly established and engaged.

The image quality and size settings when shooting within Movie Mode are equally generous. The user may enter the movie menu and select between three different submenus, one controlling image quality, one controlling frame rate, and one controlling the resolution of the image. The design of this menu is easy to use and shouldn’t be intimidating, even for beginning video users.

The maximum image quality setting for movie mode is 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second. This rating should result in fairly clear video with smooth frame movement that shouldn’t be jerky or awkward. Other movie mode settings are 640 x 480 at 15 fps, 320 x 240 at 30 fps and 320 x 240 at 15 fps. These settings are great for when the camera is low on memory but will be result in compromised video clips.

**Picture Effects Mode **

There are certainly a number of picture effects available on the Pentax Optio T10. These picture effects settings may be engaged within the playback mode. The picture effects available with the T10 aren’t nearly as extensive as the My Colors mode provided with point-and-shoot Canon cameras this year, but the drawing feature and other illustration features give Pentax a unique edge over competing manufacturers like Canon who are only providing more traditional overall digital filters. The options provided with the T10 allow the user to select between black and white, sepia, color filter in eight colors, black and white plus red, black and white plus green, black and white plus blue, soft, brightness illustration, special effect and slim modes. In addition to these playback effects the shooting mode allows the user to set saturation, contrast and sharpness levels within the Rec. Mode 2 menu. 

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity **
*Software
*

The S-SW45 CD-ROM is a basic image editing software program which comes included with the purchase of the Pentax Optio T10. Check back in for the full review when we’ll get a chance to sit down and really pull apart this program to find out what it can and can’t do for photographers.

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs
*There are two ports located on the body of the Pentax Optio T10, the A/V out on the left side and the DC in on the right. While both ports are well placed for easy access, the port covers are unfortunately attached via non-sturdy hinges.

*Direct Print Options
*The Pentax Optio T10 is PictBridge compliant and offers options of one image print, all image

print, DPOF auto print, Paper size, Paper type, Paper quality and borders to be dictated by the user prior to direct printing to PictBridge printers.

*Battery *

The Pentax Optio T10 comes with a light, rechargeable Lithium-ion D-LI8. The T10 can also be powered via an additional optional AC power adapter.

*Memory *

Included with the purchase of the Pentax Optio T10 will be 12 MB of internal memory. While this is a start, and will cover those times when memory cards are forgotten or when just a couple of photographs are needed, the user would be wise to purchase additional SD memory cards. The SD memory format is a commonly found format that consumers will be able to find both on and off line.

**Other Features
***Illustration Mode -* This postproduction feature allows the user to select clip art options, which include a number of kitschy visuals, as well as a drawing feature which may be applied and erased at will from the surface of the image. Images can be saved or canceled separately from the original photograph so that multiple alternate images may be created by the user.

Voice Memo - Audio files may be added to still image photographs previously captured by the user by engaging the voice memo option located within the playback mode of the Pentax Optio T10. This process is easily accomplished by selecting this option, initiating recording and speaking clearly and directly into the microphone positioned on the front of the camera. 

Overall Impressions

**Value **

With a 2.5-inch touch screen interface, intuitive menu design, quality navigation, simple construction and a durable exterior, the $350 initial price tag is sure be attractive to users who have been waiting for a touch screen that both works and is purchasable at a reasonable price level. The camera includes a handful of manual control options, all with live view, and control over images in postproduction which can lead to amusing photo alterations of a Friday night out with the boss.

The number of playback modes, digital filters and other control parameters will give the casual user who wants some image alteration the opportunity to get their feet wet without falling into the control pool. There are also some amusing effects included for a laugh. In addition to these effects, the T10 provides a 1/2.5-inch, 6 MP CCD that is equipped with a primary color filter. Overall, this is an impressive list of options, controls and specs for a camera within this price range equipped with a 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixel touch screen LCD.

**Who It’s For **
Point-and-Shooters - The point-and-shoot user will certainly find this camera to be an attractive shooting option, especially considering the simple interface, layout, and sure-to-impress new touch screen technology.

*Budget Consumers - *At just under $350, the consumer won’t find this camera the least expensive camera on the market; however, when it comes to a touch screen interface, users may find that they have a few hundred more dollars to spare.

Gadget Freaks - The touch screen—and specifically, one that works well—is a neat new feature for the gadget freak to salivate over, and the digital effects features would probably entertain occasionally. More intense techies probably won’t be interested, but for some, this camera could be an addition to their gadget oeuvre.

Manual Control Freaks - The T10 does have a sprinkling of manual controls, and the easy interface is likely to build the confidence of novices and whet their appetites for manual controls, but the interface is the main draw. Another camera would be needed in the future for serious manual control use.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists - The pros and serious hobbyists will probably find the simplicity of the layout, the point-and-shoot interface, lack of manual control, and image quality insufficient for their needs.

Conclusion

**Conclusion **

With an intuitive menu structure, manual control options which are accessible to the beginner, playback features that should entertain and a 2.5-inch LCD with a touch screen interface, the Pentax Optio T10 certainly looks to be a strong competitor in the new touch screen market. The camera has a 1/2.5-inch, 6 MP CCD, and includes a vast wealth of still image parameters and a fully functioning movie mode with 30 fps and a 640 x 480 resolution. There are a number of general shooting modes, a manual focus option that has a basic interface and manual controls in general which reflect the simple, clean and understated design of the entire camera.

The playback mode effects, while a bit cheesy, are certainly amusing to play with, and who hasn’t honestly wanted to apply giant red lips to their nearest and dearest. With this host of features and controls available, all with quick and ready menu interfaces and logical structure, it will be up to the T10’s optical performance during our full review to really make or break this camera. It’s doing well so far, but check back in the near future to see how this camera performs when tested for resolution, noise, low light, color accuracy, speed, and dynamic range.