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Pentax Optio S5i

camera on top sides back

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The good: Ultracompact and stylish design; fun effects and modes; useful preset button for most frequently used feature; decent picture quality; minimal shutter-lag.

The bad: Tiny optical viewfinder; small size may make controls difficult for large hands; sluggish burst mode at full resolution.

The bottom line: Pentax has crammed a host of useful features inside this decent 5-megapixel shooter.

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CNET editors' review

  • CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
    Detailed editors' rating
      Design : 7.0
      Features : 8.0
      Performance : 6.0
      Image quality : 7.0
      Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
  • Reviewed on: 10/22/2004
  • Released on: 09/15/2004
Although definitely targeting snapshooters who are looking for an ultracompact and stylish camera, the Optio S5i also offers enough features to please those who will want to tweak their photos as their skills grow. Pentax couples an array of fun features with the image quality you'd expect from a 5-megapixel shooter. The chief drawbacks are a sluggish burst mode (it measures in seconds per frame rather than frames per second at full resolution), a smallish optical viewfinder that made composing images difficult, and diminutive controls that might prove awkward for those with large hands.

This Optio's sleek, textured, silver aluminum-alloy body, available in silver or indigo blue, measures just 3.3 by 2 by 0.8 inches and weighs a featherlight 4 ounces with its rechargeable lithium-ion battery and an optional SD memory card aboard. The camera ships with 10MB of internal memory, good for a mere three pictures at full resolution and minimum compression, so add an SD card to your wish list.

Its controls are logically arranged for the most part, though not always well separated: if there's a way to open the battery/memory card door without simultaneously turning the camera on, it escapes me. Atop the camera is a power switch that glows green when the camera is on and a shutter-release button. One-handed operation is awkward if you want to rest one finger on the shutter release while thumbing the back-mounted zoom rocker. The back panel is studded with no fewer than six control buttons (for macro, flash, focus/burst, playback, menu, and display options), plus a four-way cursor pad with a central Set/OK key.

You can preset the Quick button to any of 10 optional functions that you perform frequently, including switching to movie mode, activating the Mode palette, setting the white balance, formatting either the internal memory or the memory card, or resizing and trimming images. In addition, the left/right cursor arrows can be assigned a custom function, such as making exposure value (EV) adjustments. The up/down keys are permanently dedicated to activating the Mode palette (which crams all 21 available scene modes onto a single screen), and adjusting the self-timer/remote control/burst mode or choosing DPOF (digital print order format) print options.

Its 21 scene modes handle everything from fast-moving sports to underwater photography and movies (using an optional waterproof housing). They include unusual options such as 3D stereoscope photos, a posterization effect, and a "slim" effect that horizontally compresses the image to create an anamorphic look. The modes include some offbeat choices such as Food or Museum; a few genuinely useful special modes such as an action-freezing Sports mode, 3D image, and panorama; plus the usual assortment of landscape, portrait, self-portrait, surf and snow, sunset, soft-focus, and text modes.

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Editors' rating: 85

    Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 469 reviews of Pentax Optio S5z from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 70/100 and users 86/100. Comparing these reviews to 554627 other Digital Compact Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 85/100 = Very Good.

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  • dpreview.com

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: In an ever-growing sub-compact market the Optio S5i has much to recommend it; it's probably the lightest - and one of the smallest - in its class, has fast focus, no discernible shutter lag, lots of useful features and is a real joy to use.

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  • laptopmag.com

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  • digitalcamerainfo.com

    Summary: The Optio S5z doesn't overcome the limitations inherent in such a small camera - it's hard to hold steady, the buttons are small, and the zoom is pretty short.

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  • macworld.com

    Editors' rating: 60

    Summary: The 1.8-inch LCD is somewhat dark and grainy, but the menus are easy to navigate and a live histogram helps you gauge exposure

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  • personal computer world

    Editors' rating: 60

    Summary: A good compact digicam, but very few new features compared to previous Optio cameras

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Pentax Optio S5i