Pixiq

Pentax released its Optio S1 earlier this year into a very crowded not-too-expensive, does-most-things, point-and-shoot market. It looks stylish and that’s a lot of its selling-point; Pentax has realised that the S1′s target market wants something attractive as well as functional. The question is, how much functionality has been sacrificed at the altar of aesthetics? The reviews have been a real mixed bag. Some people love it, others reckon that the images just aren’t good enough. Maybe it’s what you can expect for a camera around £100, but the competition is so fierce, maybe there’s something else out there you’d prefer?

Camera.co.uk says ‘This 14 megapixel camera takes average images. The best settings is the Auto Picture mode where the colors are saturated giving it that nice full color some people prefer. For more natural looking colors the program mode it a great setting to use.’ – Read the full review on Camera.co.uk

Digital-Camera says ‘The Pentax Optio S1 may be a looker but there are brains behind its stylish façade. With many fun features and high-quality image production this little camera will not only act as a great fashion accessory but give you great photographs as well.’ – Read the full review at Digital-Camera

Digital Camera Review says ‘While the camera produces very pleasing colors, overexposure in bright outdoor conditions is sometimes a problem, both with still images and movies. While sharpness is good at the center of the image, it tends to drop off at the corners. Images lose definition and color at higher than 400 ISO.’ – Read the full review on Digital Camera Review

ePHOTOzine says ‘Priced at £99.99 the Optio S1 enters a very competitive market and performance wise can certainly hold its own. It’s not exactly feature packed and one or two of the modes give strange results (HDR), but if you enjoy shooting landscapes and portraits then the camera doesn’t disappoint. The addition of Shake Reduction, and a 5x optical zoom lens in an ultra compact body makes it more appealing and the support for infra-red remote control is an unexpected extra.’ – Read the full review at ePHOTOzine

IT reviews says ‘The Optio S1 maintains the smart looks, high performance and solid build of its predecessors, while upgrading the detail and zoom and adding a host of new filters and system improvements.’ – Read the full review on IT Reviews

Pocket-lint says ‘There’s not much to the Pentax Optio S1; it’s your average, easy to use “auto everything” £100 pocket snapper disguised as the chrome domed Silver Surfer. Ironically, this flash exterior led us to unwisely hope for a much better performance when it came to still images and video than the S1 delivered, so the overall disappointment was that much greater.’ – Read the full review on Pocket-lint

What Digital Camera says ‘The Pentax Optio S1 brings together a capable zoom range and user-friendly features inside a tiny body, and in fine lighting conditions it can record noise-free images with good detail and colour. Sadly, image quality is let down by an unpredictable Auto White Balance system and plenty of softness in the corners of the frame.’ – Read the full review on What Digital Camera