If portrait photography is your main reason for looking for a new digital camera, the technology included in the Optio W10 from Pentax will be worth a strong look. The Optio W10 uses "face-recognition" technology to ensure accurate focusing on the proper subject. By recognizing and finding the face in the photograph, the Optio W10's auto-focus works better and avoids mistakes.

Outside of this high-end feature, the Optio W10 isn't going to "wow" you with a lot of spectacular capabilities. But it has several good, solid features for a digital camera in its price range.

The Optio W10 offers 6.0 megapixels of resolution, which is enough to make high-quality prints in sizes up to 11x14 inches. Photo quality is a little above average, compared to similarly priced cameras.

The Optio W10's 2.5-inch LCD is bright enough for most lighting conditions, but it's not as sharp as others in this price range. To save power, the LCD often decreases in brightness during periods of inactivity, which can be a little annoying, especially since the LCD is the digital camera's only viewfinder.

Response times are slightly above average for the Optio W10. Our tests showed you can shoot your first photo 3-4 seconds after pressing the power button, which means you may miss some spur-of-the-moment shots. Shutter lag is not noticeable in most instances, which is good. Shot-to-shot delays are 2-4 seconds in most cases. The Optio W10's continuous-shot mode allows for five photos in either 1 or 3.5 seconds, but because the LCD goes blank in continuous-shot mode, it's very difficult to follow moving subjects.

If you're looking for a lot of manual-control features, you'll want to skip this model. The Optio W10 is a basic point-and-shoot digital camera. You can give the aperture or shutter speed priority, but that's about it.

The Optio W10 is an ultra-thin model at less than 1 inch in thickness. It's a little wider (4.2 inches) than many ultra-thin models, but it still will fit comfortably in most pockets.

Finally, the Optio W10 offers an interesting feature for a sub-$300 digital camera: The ability to work underwater (up to 5 feet in depth) for about 30 minutes at a time. Most consumer-level digital cameras offer underwater housings as an add-on accessory. It definitely cannot match high-end underwater housings in other models, but it's a nice feature that adds some value to the Optio W10.


Pros: Good auto-focus capabilities, some built-in underwater capabilities, ultra-thin camera body
Cons: Very limited manual controls, LCD is the only viewfinder and it goes blank during continuous-shot mode

Warranty
1 year, limited