Model Design / Appearance
The Optio M10 does not have a lot of adornment and conspicuous “styling”. Instead, it leans toward what I have come to call the German automotive school of design: silver gray surfaces, flush buttons and controls, a certain minimalist look. If form follows function, then the M10 looks this way for a reason.

I had no trouble either holding the boxy, squared body in my right hand or holding it in both hands. Wisely, Pentax has moved the flash away from the corner, where it often gets covered up.

Even at this entry level, the camera has a high standard of fit and finish. The matte silver polycarbonate body does not look “plasticy”. The bottom door for the battery, for example, shows almost no seam line in the closed position. The hatch cover for the USB port mates to the body itself cleanly. Buttons have a reassuring “click” to them that provides needed tactile feedback.

Size / Portability
Dimensions of the Optio M10 are 3.5 inches wide by 2.3 inches high by 1 inch thick, with a weight of 4.2 ounces without memory and batteries. This is right in the middle range. The carrying lug is located on the right side, recessed for the strap (included). When the camera is off, the lens retreats into the body and a protective cover seals off the front element. It’s not an ultra slim model, but it’s certainly small enough for a medium-sized purse or coat pocket.

Handling Ability
There is an unavoidable tradeoff between size and handling. A camera can be too small, to the point where it disappears into the hands; then it gets harder to use, not easier. Likewise, minimal control buttons can get too minimal. The Optio M10 is a good compromise all around, and balance and weight are pleasing. I can easily put the camera in a safe spot, either a pocket or bag, remove it, hold it and compose a reasonable image without much effort, so the design is pragmatic.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
Pentax has kept a simple control button philosophy, and I personally like this. On top is the shutter release, of course, and next to it an on/off button, recessed just a bit to prevent accidents. The camera shuts itself off when idle, part of a power management system.

As mentioned, the viewing screen takes up most of the back surface area, so the back controls have to be small. The four-way switch is perhaps the most critical and it is nicely integrated into the body, but is a little too flush for my taste. In order to activate any of the quadrants, you really have to get a fingernail into place, and the OK button in the middle is the same. Using this with gloves on would not be possible. The zoom switch is a left-right depression and also small enough to cause the same sorts of problems. To give Pentax some design credit, nomenclature is clear and the arrangement is logical.

Menu
The menu system of this entry level camera tries to be considerate of beginners who don’t want to play with buttons and dials, have trouble following menu navigation, and don’t like to read instruction manuals.

At the same time, I note a lot of more advanced features on this entry level camera. For example, there is a choice in the menu of three different focus strategies: wide, narrow and follow focus.

Hit the menu button after the camera boots up and you’re into the recording options, three screens worth. Here’s where you set the usual shooting defaults; this is the list on screen 1: recorded pixels, JPEG quality, white balance, focusing area, and ISO sensitivity. Screen two takes you through EV compensation, movie, digital zoom, instant review, and a memory checklist that presets 11 starting points for flash mode, drive mode, focus mode and so forth. By page three we are left with sharpness, saturation and contrast settings.

Selections are made the usual way, by using the left/right and up/down switches of the four-way control and then clicking the Ok button. I was able to jump around quickly, as the structure of it all is consistent from screen to screen, and an icon onscreen always informs you of what to do to get back.

From the home menu you can click directly to a series of three setup menus. Screen 1 sets format, sound volume and effects, the startup screen, date adjust, and language. Screen 2 gets you to folder name, USB, Video out, LCD dimming, auto power (off, 3min, 5min). Screen 3 leaves only quick zoom and reset.

Navigation is thoughtful, the text clear to read, color is used appropriately and icons are always backed up by text nomenclature at the bottom. After the first few minutes I had with the camera, I was moving through menus with ease.

Ease of Use
The Optio M10’s conventional design and “Green” mode (Pentax’s version of auto mode) makes this a fast camera to use. The screen, big by last year’s standards, goes a long way to aiding the beginner to determine picture quality.

Not content to stop there, Pentax has included a Help subsection, accessed by hitting the bottom switch on the four-way, then the trash (Green) button at the bottom. The context-sensitive screens were useful and helped me when I was getting familiar with the settings and icons.

The onscreen live display has three flavors with varying amounts of information, which you can cycle through, but as the info displayed goes up, so does the clutter. My suggestion to beginners is to shoot with no overlays.

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