Test: Pentax Optio A20

	Click photo for more views of the Pentax Optio A20.

The Pentax Optio A20 (street $300) doesn't look all that special on the outside, but beauty is on the inside, and this 3x zoom (38-113mm equivalent), 10MP point-and-shoot has a few features that really stand out.

Of the five cameras in this test, the A20 is the only one with a physical shake reduction technology for still imaging. That's right: a series of gyroscopes move the sensor to compensate for camera movement at low shutter speeds.

The gyros only work in still mode, though. On the movie side of things, there's a digital shake reduction feature, but the big news with the A20's video is the incorporation of the DivX codec, which is meant to deliver smaller file sizes with less compression artifacting. Home moviemakers can shoot at 640x480 at 30 frames per second until you fill the card. One bummer with video is that you can't change focal length while shooting, a decision Pentax made based upon the zoom motor and speaker location.

The LCD is 2.5 inches diagonally, which helps make the Optio the least wide of the five cameras in this test.

Playback mode offers the usual slideshow and some other neat functions, such as voice memo, cropping, resizing, and color and photo effect filters. One of these photo effects takes HP's slimming concept and betters it. Via the left-right buttons, the “slimming effect” can be applied along either axis, horizontal or vertical.

The A20 is a small camera but it fits well in the hand. It is primarily menu driven, and though possible to navigate with one hand, two-handed navigation is preferable since many useful and frequently used functions are buried in submenus. The useful Exposure Compensation command is hard to find, and this is an obvious navigation mistake. ISO settings are likewise not handy one-touch fixes. Pentax should put these at easier reach.

In the lab, the A20 boasted the best low-ISO resolution, with a score of 2270/Excellent at ISO 64. At ISO 400, it dropped slightly to 2160/Excellent, and dropped again to 2080/Excellent at ISO 800, all good numbers. But noise ventures into the Unacceptable range at ISO 400 and 800. At lower ISOs, noise stays Low at ISO 64 (1.8), Moderately Low at ISO 100 (2.0), and Moderate at ISO 200 (2.4). Our concerns about the noise getting high as soon as ISO 400 are lessened by the shake reduction system, which should let the A20 shoot at lower ISOs in dimmer light than its non-shake reducing competitors. Color is Extremely High, with an average Delta E of 8.88 at ISO 64 Auto-balanced.

The Bottom Line:

For the performance you get, the Pentax Optio A20 ($300 street) is a bargain. Resolution tested Excellent at all user-selectable ISOs despite noise issues at ISO 400 and 800. The gyro-based shake reduction system should help keep this camera in its best performance zone; when other cameras compensate for low light by cranking up the ISO, this one can move the sensor to make a sharp photo. In movie mode, the DivX compression codec will help get more minutes of video on your SD card. The few negatives: no zooming during video recording, and useful commands such as exposure compensation are hard to find among the various sub-menu buttons.

Certified Test Results:

Noise: Extremely Low at ISO 64 (1.8), Moderately Low at ISO 100 (2.0) Moderate at ISO 200 (2.4) and Unacceptable at ISO 400 (3.2) and 800 (3.8)

Color: Extremely High. Average Delta E: 8.88 ISO 64 AutoBalanced

Resolution: at ISO 64 (2270) Excellent at  ISO 400 (2160),  Excellent at ISO 800 (2080)

In the Box:

Pentax Optio A20 $300
D-LI8 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
D-BC8 Battery Charger with D-CO2 AC Power Cord (Type A)
I-USB17 USB Cable
I-AVC7 A/V Cable
O-ST20 Wrist Strap
Software CD-ROM (Drivers, ACDSee 5, FotoSlate, Photostitcher, FotoCanvas)
Operating Manual
PC Connection Manual
1-Year Pentax U.S.A. Limited Warranty