Pentax Optio A10

Model Design / Appearance
The shiny aluminum case of the A10 feels robust and well constructed. The corners are rounded and none of the buttons stick out too far, so you aren’t likely to damage anything if you drop it from a few feet. Just don’t drop it off a cliff. It should stand up to the slings and arrows of modern photography.

Size / Portability
At 0.9 inches thick, the case is pretty thin, and will slide easily into a pocket or bag. As mentioned earlier, the buttons don’t protrude far, so nothing is likely to get snagged when you try and pull it out quickly. The case is 3.5 inches wide by 2.1 inches tall, so it’s a little bigger than some of the credit-card sized cameras we’ve seen (like the Casio EX-S600), but it is still very portable. Users can also attach a strap to the single wrist strap lug, if they wish.

Handling Ability
The A10 fits comfortably in the hand, and shooting either with one hand or two feels fine. Two-handed shooting is easier; I found the camera can slip a little bit when trying to access the controls (which are all located on the back) when using just one hand. There’s no textured grip, but the metal surface was not especially slippery, so most users should have no problems holding onto the camera.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
The shutter and zoom controls fall naturally under the index finger and thumb. The control buttons can be accessed with the thumb, although the camera can slip sometimes if you’re just using one hand (as noted above). But the menu buttons and programmable green button require the use of the other hand to brace the camera. I had no problem with the size of the buttons themselves – they were appropriately proportioned to the size of the camera body.

The shutter button felt a little light, though: I found myself inadvertently taking a picture several times when I was testing it because I had accidentally pressed it all the way down.

Menu
Displayed over a preview of the images, the tabbed menus are easy to read and browse. The mode menu (accessed through the mode button) shows both text and icons for the 15 modes it offers. The menu system is logically laid out and well designed, so navigation is smooth.  

Setup Menu
Format	Format the SD card
Sound	Sound settings
Date	Set date & time
World Time	Set time zone
Language	Set language
USB connection	Set USB mode
Video Out	Video output format
Brightness	LCD screen brightness
Power Saving	Screen dim timing
Quick Zoom	Digital zoom speed
Quick Delete	Delete images without asking
Auto Power Off	Power off timing
Guide Display	Display help text
Reset	Reset to factory settings

Ease of Use
The A10 is generally very easy to use: the controls work in a logical way, and things are where you expect them to be. There’s no built-in help function, but most users won’t need one: the controls are straightforward and the menus are self-explanatory.