Pentax Optio A20

Good resolution, natural accurate color, subtle processing Subtle noise reduction holds onto detail higher up the ISO scale Excellent all-metal construction Good white balance Good flash performance Very compact Shake Reduction Useful 'green button'...

Slow focus Fairly high shutter lag Slow flash recycling Shake Reduction not as reliable as some competitors Noise visible even at ISO 64, especially in low light, very noisy at higher ISOs (see above, however) Images a little soft - and not that clean...

To quote from my own review of the A10, 'As someone who first got hooked on photography with a 30 year old Pentax and who has had a soft spot for the brand ever since, I just hope the next generation of Optio can build on the A10's undoubted strengths,...

Crisp and sharp images

Slow ; Multi-functional controls are over-complex

This is a camera that grows on you: once you've seen the stunning images it can produce, you'll forgive it almost anything

Excellent metering, great all-metal build, good feature set, great image quality, low noise

Face AF can be slow, screen difficult to use in direct sunlight, no optical viewfinder, manual exposure control limited by inflexible aperture control steps

Pentax has been a consistent performer in terms of the good quality of cameras it launches and the A20 continues that trend. It has a great feature set; even exposure compensation, a great lens and a sensor that despite the high resolution, still...

The A20's images are totally crisp and sharp in a way that few compactscan achieve

It feels slow and its multi-functional controls are over-complex to use.

This is a camera that grows on you: once you've seen the stunning images it can produce, you'll forgive it almost anything.

Easy to use, excellent menu design

Unremarkable features, LCD a little dull

In terms of picture quality, there's little to distinguish the camera from other 10 megapixel competitors so the only thing that should really affect a buying decision is the usability factor. On this count, it comes out pretty well too. Price-wise it...

High resolution.; Effective camera shake reduction system.; Great colour reproduction

Macro mode doesn't get particularly close