Optio X: A Look at Pentax's Ultra Thin 5MP Digicam
by Stephen Caston on February 6, 2005 5:01 PM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Noise
The noise test consists of pictures of our studio shot taken at increasing ISO levels to show the effect on the image. The pictures were taken after resetting the camera to its factory default settings. The camera is then set to record with the highest quality option with manual WB. Click on a 100% crop below to view the full-size image. All images are sRGB.| ISO 80 |  Click to enlarge. |
| ISO 160 |  Click to enlarge. |
| ISO 320 |  Click to enlarge. |
At ISO 80, the noise levels are fairly low and our sample image contains a decent amount of detail. When set to ISO 160, there is a substantial loss of clarity as the noise level increases. At ISO 320, images from the Optio X are still usable despite a noticeable decrease in image sharpness and the addition of soft noise. The effects of the increased noise levels are minimized by softening the image at the expense of clarity. If images are printed at 8"x10" or smaller, the noise at ISO 320 may not be a problem.
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vshah - Thursday, February 10, 2005 - link
my dad has the s410, i have the optio x. i have to admit, the canon is faster and has better image quality. usually what i end up doing is setting the res to 4mp, which is still plenty for printing. this speeds up the camera a bit...why use 4mp on a 5mp camera you ask? i just love the design, and this thing is so easy to carry around with you. i end up taking a lot more photos than i would with another camera. my primary purpose for taking photos (with this camera) is to record memories, and it excels at that.
semo - Monday, February 7, 2005 - link
thanks Souka, that camera looks sweethere in the uk it is about £200 btw.
Souka - Monday, February 7, 2005 - link
#4 Look at the Canon S410. Great image quality, small size, li-ion recharageable batt, CF cards, durable, and good software to boot.I see pricing at about $240 on-line from a variety of vendors....
Quiksel - Monday, February 7, 2005 - link
nice pix of NCSU.... :-Di miss my state days... :'(
~niko ^_^
semo - Monday, February 7, 2005 - link
from last paragraph on page:"However, considering all the downfalls and a price tag of $300+, it might be a better idea to consider other cameras."
what other cameras? i'm absolutely clueless when it comes to cameras. all i know is that i don't want a thin (compact) camera because that means high price and lower quality. i don't care too much about video and a rechargeable battery is a big plus for me. any ideas?
kcma - Monday, February 7, 2005 - link
maybe there'll be a cheaper 3/4 MP version that's almost as good in image quality =PSouka - Sunday, February 6, 2005 - link
Why buy a high MP camera if image quality is poor?TinyTeeth - Sunday, February 6, 2005 - link
310 bucks is cheap for a 5 MP camera. Promising, though it seems to lack some image quality.