Pentax Optio Z10

Connectivity
Software (7.0)
The Z10 comes with a CD-ROM with ACDSee for Pentax 3.0 image viewer and management software. It works on Macintosh and Windows operating systems and supports Windows Vista. It takes just a few minutes to install.

This software has the same basics as other programs included with digital cameras. ACDSee allows users to organize images into folders and view them in folders, on a calendar, or as favorites. Along the top of the browsing window are options for navigating, getting photos, sending, creating, modifying, printing, editing, and playing slide shows. The thumbnail images’ size can be adjusted with a sliding bar in the upper right corner of the window, and pictures can be filtered and grouped easily so they are easier to find. Individual pictures can also be tagged with captions, authors, dates, notes, keywords, and categories so they are very searchable.

If users click on an image and then click on the edit button up top, another window appears with a large preview of the image and a panel of editing options: exposure, shadows/highlights, color, red eye reduction, photo repair, sharpness, noise, resize, crop, rotate, effects, and add text. This isn’t Photoshop or anything, but is still a nice selection of editing tools for an included software package.

The ACDSee software for Pentax is a nice inclusion that allows users to organize, view, and edit images as well as burn them to CD, DVD, or VCDs. Users can convert them into PDF files and/or print and e-mail them. This program offers more than what most included photo editing programs have.

Jacks, ports, plugs (5.0)
The Z10 has two ports hidden on its right side beneath two separate doors. The doors have chrome plating that blend into the camera's design, but they fold out and are attached by small rubber straps. The door at the top opens to the USB/AV terminal, while the bottom one accesses the DC-in power adapter port. The AV-out function can be set to NTSC or PAL standards.

Direct Print Options (6.5)
The Z10 is PictBridge compatible with its AV/USB jack on the right side of the camera. This camera supports Print Image Matching III and DPOF print standards. Print orders can be made from the DPOF option in the Playback menu. Users can select one image at a time or all images at once to add to the print order. Users can then choose how many copies of the image to make, from 0-99, and whether the date should be printed on it.

Battery (6.0)
The Pentax Optio Z10 has a small door on the bottom of the left side for the battery. This compartment looks large enough for a single AA battery, but it comes with a lithium-ion battery and does not accept AA cells. This is a very odd size and shape for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery; it looks similar to a Tootsie Roll. This D-L172 battery is more powerful than it looks: it gets 180 shots per charge. That’s not much, but it’s more than one would expect from a Tootsie Roll. The camera comes with a charger and a cable that hooks the charger to the wall outlet. An optional AC adapter is available from Pentax, too. The battery takes about 90 minutes to charge when fully spent. The battery is more powerful than it looks but is less powerful than the average rechargeable battery included with a point-and-shoot camera. The Sony T100’s battery, for instance, snaps 340 shots before needing a break in its charger.

Memory (5.0)
The Pentax Optio Z10 has 52 MB of internal memory, surpassing what most digital cameras offer. This allows users to capture 13 full-resolution images if a memory card is forgotten. The Z10 also accepts SD and SDHC memory cards. The Casio V8 has 11.8 MB of internal memory and the Sony T100 comes with 31 MB; the Pentax Z10 comes out on top in this category.

Other features (3.5)
Clock – If the OK button on the back is pushed while the camera is off, an analog-style clock appears, along with the date. It stays on the screen for about three seconds.

Alarm Clock – The alarm clock can be set to sound once or daily. The hour and minute can also be set in the Setup menu. One quick catch, though: if the operation volume is turned off in the Setup menu, you won’t hear the alarm. The analog clock appears, but no sound is made unless the audio is turned on, which can be done elsewhere in the menu. Just don’t assume the alarm clock will make noise if the other sounds have been deactivated.

World Time – Users can choose from 75 cities and 28 time zones and choose whether they are home or away so users don’t have to reset the clock on vacation and upon return.