Pentax Optio S10 review

The interval between two consecutive shots is a brisk 1.3 seconds, which rises to 2.5 seconds with flash. It lags behind the competition in burst mode, however, where it snaps at only about 1.1 frames per second.

Unlike many budget models we've seen lately, such as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2, Pentax strikes the right balance between noise suppression and sharpness in the S10. It produces nicely sharp photos with relatively little image noise, which remains usable up to and including ISO 400 -- about a stop beyond the usual.

We were quite impressed with the sharpness of the S10's photos

It displays very good colour, with generally neutral-to-cool white balance, even with exposures and a broad dynamic range. The camera's only apparent weakness is its lens geometry, which exhibits slightly worse-than-usual barrel distortion at its widest end.

Conclusion
Though it's not quite up to the performance standard of the Canon Digital IXUS 70, the Pentax Optio S10, at around £140, certainly holds its own against higher-profile competitors from companies such as Sony and Olympus.

Additional editing by Jon Squire