Rating: 
Summary: amazing portability but still has 3MP resolution and 3x zoom
Review: pros:
- yes, it fits in an altoid tin! the main selling point of this camera is its small size: 3.3 x 2.0 x 0.8 in, weighing in at 4.1oz.
- relatively high "wow" factor.
- average three megapixel resolution.
- good reliable metering.
- low image noise at low ISO settings.
- very good macro performance for an ultra-compact.
- wide range of focus options including manual focus!
- histogram display in live view and play modes.
- allows decent manual control for what is billed as a point-and-shoot ultra-compact.
- no color cast from flash.
- fast startup time.
- solid build quality.
- bright LCD monitor with anti-reflective coating.
- shooting priority during play mode.
- doubles as a voice recorder.
- decent battery life for a tiny camera.cons:
- some chromatic aberrations.
- some vignetting visible.
- average photo quality with soft edges.
- images noisier than competition.
- no buffering means a longer wait before you can take your next shot.
- the right most button at the top of the camera is the power button. right beside it to the left is the shutter release button. for me, the more logical button placement would be to have the shutter release button on the far right.
- no AF assist light.
- high redeye occurrence.
- metal body scratches easily.
- only JPEG format is supported.
- below average auto focus speed.
- the four way controller is hard to get used to.
- longest shutter setting is 1 second.
- only 10MB of built-in memory provided so add $$ to your budget to buy external memory.
- proprietary battery - again, a few more bucks for a spare.
- you need to remove external memory in order to access images saved in internal memory. the optio S is an amazing camera, providing a wide feature set in an ultra-compact package. it is very similar to the slightly bigger casio ex-z3. two major complaints: soft images at the corners and the lack of buffering. a camera with better photo quality (but bigger and only has 2x zoom) is canon's sd100. i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing little camera that is perfect to take everywhere!
Review: I love my new optio S! After owning 2 small APS cameras, this is an even better replacement. I will say that it helps to have small fingers (as a woman) to operate the camera, but it really only takes a little while to get used to! The features that it allows (such as taking self-portraits, sunset pictures, etc.) makes it very versitile, and I've been able to use and abuse the features in only a few weeks! Essentially, this is the perfect small digital camera to buy. I will take my giant SLR camera everywhere I go that I PLAN on taking pictures. However, my Optio S will go with me EVERYWHERE. It's what a digital camera was truly designed for -- to take fun pictures!!! BTW... if you are considering the CANON 4.0 MP ELPH, this camera has advantages in coolness and in size, not in quality. However, unless you plan on blowing up a bunch of pictures to 8x10, there is no need to purchase a bulkier camera!
Rating:
Summary: Small is Big
Review: The optio s is great!!! This tiny digicam fits in your shirt pocket and takes amazing high quality photos. Buy Now
Rating:
Summary: Impressed with Optio S
Review: Have had the Optio S for two weeks, shooting both indoors and outdoors with a variety of settings. Picture quality at best resolution is stunning. Controls and menus easy to use, with the possible exception of the multi-function toggle switch - easy to get wrong function...takes some getting used to. Compared before purchase with Minolta Dimage Xi - Optio S has more features, is smaller and lighter, and about the same price. Best feature is a manual focus for low-light situations - Dimage Xi does not have this. Buy an extra battery for travel - hard to find now. But battery life is good. Packed with features and options - as many as larger digital cameras, and then some...check the technical specs. No case available as of 4/3/03, but I use an Altoids tin as advertised. Would highly recommend even to advanced amateurs. Delivers as advertised. Update: took on a Vegas trip and took many pics enlarged to 11x14 from the highest resolution settings. No grain in most - in fact, sold some of these matted at an arts festival! Did not buy camera to take "professional" pictures with, but it is working well!
Rating:
Summary: UPDATE (RE: PICTURE QUALITY)
Review: I still love this camera, though I too had some picture quality complaints the first time I used it in bright sunshine. The reason, it seems, is that the factory setting for contrast is too hot (it was set at +3). I dialed it down to zero and the pictures are perfect. I've appended my original review. This is my 1st Pentax digicam, and I am absolutely thrilled with it thus far. The primary allure is its size: when compared to my old stand-by Canon digital Elph, this camera is less than half the bulk of the older one. The difference is immediately noticeable, as the Optio easily slips into my pants pocket without feeling too intrusive. It also looks positively 007!
Secondly, it is well built. The steel case has an aircraft aluminum-type finish, which means it is easy to grip and it resists fingerprints. It is also well shaped for holding steady. Also of great value is the automatically retracting lens with automatically deployed lens cover; no more lens caps or scratched optics!
The features list hits what I think is the "sweet spot" in today's digicams, namely a 3.2 megapixel resolution (allowing for nice 11" x 14" enlargements) plus a 3X true optical zoom. There are numerous other less vital features, my favorite of which is the camera's ability to remember *all* your favorite or your last settings when you power it up again.
Battery life seems great, especially when the crystal clear LCD screen is off (you can still use it to review a pic you just took [for a period of time you have pre-selected from the menu] just by pressing the 'play button' on the back of the camera).
My complaints are trivial: the battery charger I'm not too crazy about (long cord, not convenient for travel) and the rocker switch for accessing the menu is bedevillingly small for my big fingers. Also, as seems to be the style with all of these companies, the memory card is either too small (11 megs built-in) or not included (I bought a SD 256 card and get 356 shots at 2 megapixels of resolution).
All in all though, this is the best digicam I have yet owned.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible snapshot quality; okay for scenic pix
Review: This camera fell far short of my expectations; my friends with cheaper, lower resolution digital cameras are able to take far better pictures. Having read the reviews, I've kept/tried to use it for almost a year/several vacations and will have to purchase another camera soon. The size is cool and outdoor, scenic picture quality is good, but that's about it.
Rating:
Summary: The Great Optio S
Review: I have owned several other digital camera's in the past (Kodak and Fuji) and none even come close to comparing with the Pentax Optio S. I recently purchased the Optio S for a trip to the Greek Isles. I was a bit skeptical if such a small camera could deliver overall performance. The Optio S is fantastic. The battery life is great ( I bought an extra battery anticipating a short battery life...two batteries is almost overkill) and the SD media cards are super convenient. Just a quick switch and you have the ability to take up to 124 pictures on the highest picture quality setting. The little camera also takes video. It's not the greatest video, but it's good enough to show friends and family. The best feature about the camera is it's size...you can take it anywhere and almost forget about it, except when you want to take a picture. I get better pictures now because I take more pictures when it counts. My only complaint is that on top of the camera where the on/off switch is located, some of the markings (ON/OFF) are wearing off slightly. Nothing severe especially after the abuse I have given it. I highly recommend the Pentax Optio S digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera, ultra portable, good pictures
Review: I've don't lots of research on cameras and this one caught my eye, first because of the ultra-portable size of the body that could fit inside an altoid box! Good points:
1. Very small, if this thing can fit in a altoid box, it can fit just about anywhere.
2. excellent battery life, on a full charge I've taken about 25 pics and still on full!
3. very bright flash
4. many options for camera of this size, usually smaller cameras don't offer as many options and features as the Optio S.
5. camera bootup time is very fast, seems like a bit over 1 sec.
6. bright screen, sharp and clear.
7. rugged body (not counting the battery door or tripod mount), Body is made of rugged metal with small indentions for grip.
8. definately will draw all the ooohh's and awww's from a crowd. I brought this to work and I got about 10 "holy Sh_t" comments on it. Needs improvements:
1. very slow at taking pics because of focus mechanism, sometimes It would not take pic with my finger fully pressing on the button because it cannot focus on a subject. This is a big negative in my perspective because I sometimes like to take action photos.
2. Picture quality is not the best either. I own a sony DSC-F707 and even though it's a bigger camera with a bigger and better lense, the pics don't even compare even at the F707's low quality settings.
3. controls and menus on this tiny thing could be confusing to the newbe entering the digital camera field but with a little time going through the instruction book, functions are learned quickly.
4. The little nipple like button on back could be bigger too. I have a friend who just bought this camera also and he's over 7' tall and it's very funny watching this guy use this camera with these tiny buttons.
5. It could also come with a memory card also, I know it's got 11mb onboard memory but it's only 11mb! I bought mine from ... which does include a 128mb sd card and a nifty leather case that's very useful. I think it's a special package that ... has.
6. battery door on this thing is held on by a piece of rubber screwed onto the lid and the body. i'm not sure how long this is going to last but this is definately a future improvement point for Pentax. Also the door is plastic and it attaches to the camera by two small plastic hooks that snap on to the camera body....another future improvement needed. I've taken quite a bit of pictures with my Optio S and it seems to perform up to my expectations because of it's lense size/physical size and of course price. Pictures are not as clear as I would like them to be, but i'm used to using my Sony DSC-F707 which I cannot compare this compact camera to. I do use the Optio S for it's portability and satisfying quality photos it takes. If you're looking for a high quality picture camera with a fast focus.. keep on looking. But if you're looking for a camera with ultimate portability, this is it!
Rating:
Summary: USED FOR YEARS!
Review: okay, when i bought this camera, all i wanted was a nice macro, easy point and shoot camera with a "cool factor" im a teenager, and so that's obviously important to me. i bought it for 350, and sadly the price has dropped down to 200 now. through the years i've used this, my ONLY complaints are the slow recording speed: it takes a while for the image to be captured from the time u press the shutter; and the grainy image in low light situations. otherwise, the camrea is great, beats the Casio exillim in almost every way other than LCD. the macros are WONDERFUL all my photography classmates ask if i use a 5mp camera or a film camera and scanned it in. I LOVE MY OPTIO S
Rating: 
Summary: Beware warranty service
Review: I have had this camera for over 6 mos and have been happy with the small size and the picture quality. It has a great macro lens for closeups of flowers etc. I did find that the flash is marginal, but the camera was designed as a small, easy to carry camera. That is where I have now had problems. It is apparently fairly fragile for a camera designed for active use. Several other reviewers have commented on the lack of warranty service by Pentax. My display button quit working, and when I sent the camera in they blamed it on moisture and would not repair. I checked with several camera stores and, according to them, most of the Warranties from most companies are very poor. If you plan on using this camera for hiking, bicycling or general travel be very careful, because if ANYTHING happens it will NOT be covered by warranty. The 4 megapixel model may be better, or you may want to go to the small camera of another company. I will not purchase another Pentax. If you buy a camera for active use, you may want to consider an extended warranty such as that offered by Best Buy.
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