Pentax Optio S5Z

 

Picture Quality / Size Options (6.0)
Following a standard pattern for compact 5 megapixel cameras from a variety of manufacturers, the Optio S5z offers six image sizes and three quality settings. The sizes are 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 megapixels, plus 640 x 480 pixels.

Again, conforming to the trend, Pentax uses vague and optimistic names for the quality settings - "Best, Better, Good." "Best" images look much better than "Good" images on the Optio S5z. In the camera's manual, Pentax recommends only "Best" quality images for printing. "Better" is for computer screen viewing, and "Good" is for email. Quality is only one side of the coin in this measuring system, because "Best" images take up about three times more memory than "Good" images—which might not be the best thing, depending upon your situation.

Picture Effects Mode (6.0)
Pentax went a little nuts with the effects modes on the Optio S5z, which actually adds a bit of interest and personality to the camera. The commonly included effects are black-and-white and sepia modes. The camera also offers a Comment Space mode, which puts a white strip along the bottom or left edge of the image, so users can write notes on their prints.

Pentax has also gone a bit beyond to include a Posterization mode, which flattens gradations of color into flat patches. The S5z also includes a Soft-focus mode, for all that wonderful private boudoir photography that the digital revolution enables so well. Finally, the Optio S5z offers a distortion mode called the "Slim" filter. Indeed, it can slim down subjects, squeezing the image. It can also fatten them up. The examples in the manual show the effect on a wire-haired terrier, but the results will probably be more interesting if you use them on people who, up until now, think you're a nice person.