Pentax Optio M20 Digital Camera Review

by James Murray
Published on December 20, 2006

Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance
Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs / Ratings

 
 

The Pentax Optio M20 adds itself to the list of unassuming plastic bodied, matte silver point-and-shoot cameras currently on the market. While not a bad thing, the milieu of look-a-like cameras is becoming a bit absurd. Pentax attempts to distinguish itself visually from competitors by including polished silver highlights on the top and front-left side of the camera body. While not distinct in design, the body is functional and the placement of controls, LCD, and microphone are practical. 

 

The Pentax M20 does have two design flaws to note. The first issue is the flash placement.  It’s located in the upper right corner of the camera’s front face and will be easily covered by the fingers of the left hand if users are not careful. The Pentax M20 also contains a piece of gray rubber on the right side of the camera body near the bottom edge. On second inspection, it becomes quickly apparent that this odd little quirk can be flipped out from the body of the camera with a little finagling. Upon successfully flipping this piece of hinged rubber, the photographer will discover that what lies beneath are the AA batteries. A little exposure to water and the batteries will begin corroding and damaging the interior of the battery compartment.  Also located beneath this cover is the SD memory card slot that is also easily damageable when exposed to moisture.

Other than these two setbacks, the design and layout of the Pentax Optio M20 is functional and should perform without impeding ease of use or shooting comfort.

 

The Optio M20 is a camera that can be held with one hand when shooting. It will also fit comfortably into the palm of a hand anytime. It’s a bit thick for fitting into a pants pocket and probably a bit too heavy to put into a shirt pocket. It will fit into a suit coat or jacket without any hassle. The smooth body and lack of a protruding lens further aids in portability while the inclusion of a sizeable wrist strap eyelet and optional wrist strap enables users to comfortably thread and engage this additional safety measure. 

 

The Pentax Optio M20 camera body measures 3.7 inches in width, 2.4 inches in height and 0.9 inches in thickness. These measurements exclude the additional protrusions like the wrist strap eyelet located on the right side of the camera body.  Additionally, the camera weighs around 6 oz with both memory card and batteries in place. This is a comfortable weight and size range for carrying in the hand or around the wrist for a day-trip or shorter event. Longer or rougher travel would make the additional purchase of a carrying case highly recommended for both transport and style points.

The Pentax Optio M20 is a small rectangular camera with rounded edges and little grip or ergonomics put into its design. Fingers have no real set position needed for proper shooting. This is reflected in the tendency for fingers of the left hand to splay across the flash lackadaisically during shooting.  While the small body size means one-handed shooting is easier to accomplish than larger and heavier camera bodies, the smooth plastic exterior and lack of grip on the front of the Optio M20 translates to a lot of shifting to retain grip. Oftentimes, it was just easier to use two hands and give up one-handed shooting entirely.

The control positions and button size on the M20 body is generous. Photographers with marginal arthritis or large fingers may find that the interface is comfortable and logical to use. Pentax has stripped down the exterior and left only those controls which are essential. The shutter button is almost oversized, but this isn’t a bad thing at all. It is easy to locate and access when looking at the LCD. Buttons with dual functionality are clearly labeled and, aside from the embossed labels found with the power button and the zoom control, the bold and painted text and symbol labels are easy to identify and select.

The Pentax Optio M20 menus display a simple design with a semi-transparent overlay that provides a live image preview when in shooting mode, and selected image viewing when in playback mode. The setup menu will appear as either a live view (when in shooting mode) or a selected image view (in review mode). The menus are logical and easily maneuverable in playback and shooting modes, allowing for quick changes to be made without having to struggle with complicated or unnecessarily lengthy menu systems. In playback mode, the textual list of menu options is replaced with an icon-based system that displays a full-text description of each icon a few seconds after being highlighted. These text descriptions are helpful for beginners but may eventually get in the way once users have become more familiar with the camera. 

 

In the shooting menu, the options for sub-menus are displayed as full text descriptions. The menu system is navigated vertically via the up and down arrows of the four-way controller. Entering into a sub-menu’s control options is accomplished by pressing the right arrow - simple, efficient and functional.  Inside the manual control sub-menus, the user is able to make adjustments to white balance while viewing an unobstructed live-view that is great when user's are unsure of what option to select. It would have been ideal if this had been continued on to the exposure compensation and ISO settings as well.

 

 

Like the shooting modes menu, the setup menu employs a semi-transparent overlay and the same text-based system that can be scanned using the up and down arrows. The most interesting feature option to note in the setup menu is the green button sub-menu.  This option allows users to switch the default green button setting of Green Mode to alternate control settings if desired. The Green Mode provides instant access to control options like white balance, AF focusing area, ISO, EV Comp and other image parameters.  This small customization can be great for users looking to avoid entering the menu system to access a feature they use frequently. 

 

 

As mentioned above, the playback menu of the Pentax Optio M20 doesn’t employ the same text-based menu structure found in the shooting and setup menus. The playback menu instead has a somewhat cutesy icon system. Access to this menu is accomplished through the mode button that is also the down arrow of the four-way control. The menu button is still functional in this mode, but instead of opening the playback options, this button will open and provide access to the shooting mode and setup menus. The playback menu system is less intuitive because of the graphic interface. To combat the potential confusion with the icons, Pentax has included a pop-up window with a full text description of the currently highlighted feature. The following editing options are also provided in-camera: resizing, trimming, rotation and filters.  

 

 

This camera excels in the ease of use category with both a simple exterior interface and a series of menu structures and displays that are intuitive, informative and logical in design. The shooting and setup menus employ a simple linear full text scrolling menu system while the playback and mode menus are designed with a graphic icon interface that includes full text descriptions when individual options are highlighted for more than a few seconds. While the auto mode is straightforward, it also provides access to both menu structures and manual controls that may be confusing to beginners. In order to avoid confusion, Pentax included a Green mode that is accessed by pressing the green button located in the lower right corner on the back face of the M20. The Green mode restricts users to two flash settings, three focus modes, a burst setting and a self-timer option. This is the ultimate in terms of simplicity and if worried about dealing with digital technology, it’s a great way to learn until more comfortable or proficient.