Portability worth the compromises

Author's Rating:

Pros: Fantastic balance of portability, photo quality, battery life and capacity (with 256 MB SD card)

Cons: Shot to shot time; initially awkward controls

The Bottom Line: 
The Optio S is a portable digital camera that you can (and will) always take with you

Author's Review
I am a snapshot photographer and not a serious enthusiast or professional. My first digital camera was a 2MP Toshiba PDR-M5 that I bought in 1998. I found that I loved the digital format. However, as the technology developed, I found myself wanting better resolution, contrast and battery life. Most importantly, though, I wanted greater portability; I often found myself choosing to not take the Toshiba with me because of its size.

Five years later, the 3MP Optio S appeared. Finally, a digital camera with true "shirt pocket" size and weight. The Optio is always with me, not just for "occasions", but every day, like my cell phone.

Yes, it has just average 3MP resolution. I have a buddy with a 5MP camera that takes far superior photos, but it is SLR-sized and requires him to carry a camera bag.

Battery life is excellent. I tend to take photos with the flash and have yet to run out of power unexpectedly. And the batteries are so small that I keep a spare in my wallet, anyway (yes, they are that small).

I know this sounds like stretching to turn a negative into a positive, but one of the advantages of 3MP over 5MP images is that, unlike my buddy, I don't need an IBM microdrive to have decent capacity. I have a Lexar 256 MB SD card I bought for $47.99 (after $20.00 rebate) that holds 124 highest quality photos, which is more than I ever take at one time.

The lack of a buffer can be annoying. You must wait for the camera to write a photo to memory before you can take the next shot.

The automatic white balance is poor. It fails to recognize incandescent lighting and adjust accordingly. However, you can set the toggle control to give you quick and easy manual white balance control.

Yes, the toggle control is tiny and it is easy to press it inadvertently. However, it becomes easier to use with practice.

Yes, the on/off switch is awkwardly positioned next to the shutter release. However, like the toggle control, you will not hit the wrong button with practice.

I read a review in which the reviewer lamented his inability to view photos in the camera without extending the lens. Like other reviewers have said, you MUST read the manual for the Optio S. If you hold the [>] button when you turn the camera on, it will turn on in view only mode and not extend the lens.

I realize this is not a technical review but, as I said, I am a snapshot photographer and the Optio S perfectly fulfills my needs. It offers a fantastic balance of portability, photo quality, battery life and capacity (with 256 MB SD card).

In the end, the high value of this camera for me comes from the fact that I always have it with me to take photos of my family at any time and for any reason. Heck, it works so well for me that I no longer have any reasons to not take a photo (i.e., I never worry about the Optio's image quality, battery life or capacity).