Manual Control Options
The Pentax Optio T10 does come with a handful of manual control options, all of which may be accessed by touching the LCD or pressing the menu button located on the back of the camera. There is manual control over focus, exposure compensation, metering mode and white balance. The manual controls are easily accessed and navigated and shouldn’t present any problems.
Focus
Auto Focus
Focal settings for both auto and manual focus are located within the first Rec. Menu which is a submenu option first displayed when the user enters the menu structure. Users may also alter focal settings by pressing the LCD screen in regular shooting mode. In addition to focal alterations, this menu has control submenus for program mode, flash and burst modes. The AF settings for the Pentax T10 are 5-point AF, spot AF and AF assist light. The auto focus feature on the T10 worked with success in both well lit and lower light situations, although the short shutter speed time of 4 seconds and the hand-shake of the user tended to compromise images shot in less than ideal light – while this is not due to autofocus, it did result in blurry images.
Manual Focus
The manual focus settings are located within the same menu structure as the auto focus options and provide users with a digitized and overtly easy to use system. The manual focus setting may be selected from the focus submenu located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu. Once entered into manual mode, the camera displays + and – symbols at the bottom of the LCD screen. The camera quickly reacts to these touch screen alterations in an impressive way not often seen with interfaces of this nature. The placement of these controls away from the center of the LCD and in an area less likely to be a focal point of an image is also a great idea compared to the touch screen interfaces which have come before.
Exposure
When it comes to exposure, the user of the Pentax Optio T10 will find that the camera has provided a simple control that allows access to exposure compensation. The exposure compensation menu may be reached by entering into the overall menu structure and selecting the Rec. Mode 2 menu, and then selecting the EV Comp. setting. Once selected, the camera will display an EV compensation scale on the screen and the user can select between + and – symbols to quickly alter these settings. The EV Compensation scale for the T10 is +/-2 EV with 1/3 step increments throughout this scale. This scale is pretty much a standard within the point-and-shoot still camera market and the once again basic interface design makes it a strong feature of note for Pentax.
Metering
The Pentax Optio T10 comes with three helpful metering mode options that are becoming standard with most point-and-shoot cameras within this price range. The metering mode options are located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu within the aptly titled AE metering mode option. The user will see three small graphics along with corresponding buttons for selecting which metering mode to engage. The options for the T10 metering system are: multi-segment, spot and center-weighted with all three engaging a TTL or through the lens metering system to evaluate the lighting of the composition. Having three metering modes at your disposal will gives users the opportunity to compensate for complicated lighting situations which include multiple lighting sources or backlit subjects.
White Balance
The white balance settings include a handful of preset options, a full auto mode and a full manual option when shooting with the Pentax Optio T10. The white balance settings are located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu and when the white balance submenu is selected, the user is provided with a series of white balance symbols at the bottom of the LCD screen. These may then be scanned using left and right arrows found to either side in the corners of the monitor. The white balance settings for the Pentax Optio T10 can be quickly changed and provide a continual live view while remaining tucked away at the bottom of the screen so as to compromise as little of the frame as possible. The white balance settings are auto, daylight, shade, tungsten light, fluorescent light and manual modes. The manual mode is quickly and efficiently navigated and should be useable even when engaged by the novice user.
ISO
The image sensitivity settings on the Pentax Optio T10 are located within the Rec. Mode 1 menu structure which also contains the metering, focal, image options, and white balance settings of the camera. The ISO settings for the T10 are located within a sub-menu titled Sensitivity and once entered display five options which are displayed in well sized semi-transparent boxes across the surface of the LCD screen. The ISO settings for the Pentax Optio T10 are Auto, 50, 100, 200 and 400 ISO and when selected display immediate reaction to image alterations.
Shutter Speed
There is no manual shutter speed control on the Pentax Optio T10. This is a bit of surprise since the $350 price range of this camera places it in the same category as digital cameras like the Canon A610, which provides a shutter and aperture priority mode. However, considering the cost of touch screen design, this omission may be an attempt to keep costs within a lower priced point-and-shoot price range. The automatic shutter speed range is from 4 seconds to 1/2000th of a second, which is also stunted in comparison to cameras such as those being produced by Canon and others.
Aperture
There is no manual aperture control on the Pentax Optio T10, so users will need to rely on the automatic aperture range of f/2.7 to f/5.2. If manual control over aperture is needed, manufacturers like Canon will be able to provide an Aperture priority and Shutter Priority modes for users.
