Howard_Creech's Full Review: Pentax Optio S4 Digital Camera
Pentax is probably best known for the K1000 (one of the most popular 35mm SLR’s ever), the Pentax 110 (the smallest SLR camera ever made), and for the durability and usability of its’ work-horse medium format Pentax 67 camera. But Pentax never managed to gain a toehold in the very competitive digital imaging market until the spring of 2003 when they stunned their competition by introducing the Pentax Optio S, the smallest 3 megapixel digital camera in the world. In a masterful marketing stroke Pentax pictured the ultra compact Optio S nestled in an empty Altoids tin. Advertising is all about image and Canon’s smallest digital ELPH looked positively bloated when compared to the svelte Optio S.
Just in time for the all-important holiday buying season, Pentax has introduced the second generation Optio S4. The tiny camera is about the size of a credit card, less than an inch thick, and weighs less than four ounces. Pentax wisely retained everything that made the Optio S a winner and added (in addition to the 4 megapixel CCD imager) a snazzy new champagne colored finish, and a buffer memory (for faster shot to shot speeds).
NUTS & BOLTS
Viewfinder/LCD
The Optio S4 features a fairly bright but kind of squinty real image (tunnel style) zooming optical viewfinder. The optical viewfinder covers a slightly smaller than average (about 75%) area of the frame, and in truth is tiny and hard to use. Next to the finder are two LEDs that show flash and focus status. There are no parallax correction marks for macro/close-up shooting and there’s no diopter adjustment for eyeglasses wearers.
The Pentax Optio S4 also provides a bright, fluid, and slightly larger than average 1.6" TFT color LCD screen that covers almost 100% of the frame. The LCD has an anti-reflective coating (which reduces glare outdoors) but the brightness can’t be adjusted. The LCD screen info display provides shooting mode, focus mode, date and time, battery power level, resolution/quality settings, white balance and ISO settings, and metering mode. The live histogram display offers a graph for checking over/under exposure. If you use the LCD as your primary viewfinder you’ll need to buy at least one extra battery.
Lens
The Optio S4 uses the same unique zoom as the Optio S. Pentax’s optical engineers had to figure out how to create an optical zoom lens that could be shoehorned into a space less than an inch in depth. They shortened the 3X zoom by having the central elements swing up out of the light path when the camera was powered down, allowing the lens to be collapsed and retracted fully into the camera body. A built-in lens cover slides out of the way when the camera is powered up allowing the lens to telescope out of the body (in just over a second). The process is reversed when the camera is powered down; the lens retracts fully into the camera body and the built in lens cover slides into place automatically to protect the front element.
When I tested the Optio S I expected to see some heavy performance trade-offs (like vignetting, coma, and serious distortion) but the zooms performance is actually quite good.
The lens is a reasonably fast all glass Pentax SMC (Super Multi Coated) f2.6-f4.8/35-105mm (35mm equivalent) zoom. The complex lens design results in some loss of sharpness at closer shooting distances and corners are a bit soft throughout the zoom’s range. There is noticeable barrel distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range, but virtually no pincushion distortion at the telephoto end of the range. The Optio S4 doesn’t provide a focus aid beam (for low light focusing).
Auto Focus
The Optio S4 features a (default) seven AF point autofocus system. More advanced photographers can enable the Spot AF option or manual AF point selection. At the default setting the camera examines seven fixed AF focus points to determine which one is closest to the subject and automatically concentrates focus on that AF point.
Photographers who insist on absolute control can enable the spot focus option, which locks focus on the center of the frame. Users can also opt to manually place the active AF point anywhere in the frame, using the four-way controller. The Optio S4’s autofocus is consistently accurate, smooth, quiet, and relatively fast.
Manual Focus
The Optio S4’s Manual focus mode permits users to set the focus distance manually using the up/down arrows (an approximate distance scale is displayed on the left side of the frame). In manual focus mode the center of the LCD image is enlarged 2X to help ensure more accurate focusing.
Macro Focus
The Pentax Optio S4 is probably not the best choice if close-up photography is a really important consideration. Minimum focusing distance in Super Macro Mode is 2.4 inches (exceptional performance for an ultra-compact digital camera) but the complex lens design results in some loss of sharpness at closer shooting distances. Parallax error prevents using the optical viewfinder for composition in the Super Macro mode, but the LCD works great in tight quarters. Colors are very good, but flash coverage in the close up range is somewhat uneven. In regular macro mode the Optio S4’s minimum focusing distance is just over seven inches and while flash coverage is somewhat better, image softness is still a problem.
Flash
The Pentax Optio S4’s built in multi mode flash is about half the size of a standard postage stamp, but it does a pretty good job. Flash modes include: Auto, Off, On (fill), Auto with Red-Eye Reduction, or On (fill) with Red-Eye Reduction. The red eye reduction mode doesn’t work very well (because the lens and flash are too close to each other).
This tiny camera should be an absolute natural for a bar/party camera, however Optio S4 images shot at standard bar/party distances (6-8 feet) fall prey not only to the close range softness of the 3X zoom, but to the weakness of the on board flash. Pentax claims a maximum flash range of eleven and a half feet (at the ISO 200 sensitivity setting), but anything further than 6-8 feet from the camera is going to receive very limited flash coverage. There’s no AF illumination beam to help ensure accurate AF in low light.
Image Storage Media
The Optio S4 Stores images to SD/MMC memory cards and also provides 11 megabytes of “on-board” (internal) memory. Pentax doesn’t include a memory card in the box, so users will need to factor in the cost of an SD / MMC memory card. It’s a good idea to look around for deals that include a memory card as a point of purchase premium. SD cards are now available in sizes up to 512 MB.
Connectivity
USB 1.1 (Mass Storage compliant) for uploading images to your computer and A/V out for viewing saved images on a TV.
Power/Battery life
The Optio S4 uses a tiny proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion D-LI8 battery pack. Pentax says the battery is good for 160 exposures with full time LCD and half time flash use. Based on my experience 100-120 exposures is a more accurate estimate. Shooters who run the built in flash heavily and use the LCD for framing, composition, and frequent image review can slash that average to between 70-80 exposures. Users who opt to frame their compositions through the optical viewfinder can count on the battery lasting for 220-250 exposures. Heavy shooters will need at least one additional battery (about forty bucks) and the optional Pentax AC adapter (or a card reader) is probably a good idea. The charger is included and requires about 90 minutes to fully recharge the battery pack.
EXPOSURE
The Optio S4 functions in automatic exposure point and shoot modes only, but it does provide more advanced shooters with some manual/creative photography options. Use the Optio S4’s virtual mode dial to select from Program AE, Picture (this is the S4’s scene mode and includes Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Self-Portrait, Surf and Snow, Autumn Colors, and Sunset), Night Scene, Movie, Panorama Assist, 3D Image, Digital Filter, and User modes. Program AE is the default exposure mode and provides easy access to all of the camera's exposure options (Exposure Compensation, White Balance, metering, ISO Sensitivity, etc.). The User Mode allows shooters to select a group of personal exposure settings (which the S4 remembers). Exposures are consistent and accurate. Colors are vibrant but shadow detail is limited in the darker areas. Midtone details are good, but contrast is a bit flat. For shooting action and sports the S4’s Continuous Shooting mode captures images as long as the shutter button remains depressed (like a traditional 35mm camera motor drive) until the memory card is filled. Shot to shot interval is dependent on image size and shutter speed.
Movie Mode
The Pentax Optio S4 can record video clips (up to 60 seconds) at 320 x 240 @ 15fps (with audio).
Voice Recorder
“Q” the British Secret Service gadget master from the James Bond films would love this camera. Not only is it tiny enough to surreptitiously sneak shots without drawing attention to the shooter, but the S4 can also be used as a spy sized voice recorder, although range is very limited. The LCD displays elapsed/remaining recording time. The Optio S4 also allows users to add voice notes to still images.
Metering
The Optio S4’s default light measurement system is an accurate Multi-Segment meter that evaluates the entire frame to determine exposure. More advanced photographers can opt to use Spot metering (for more precise exposure control) or Center-Weighted metering (for a more traditional look).
Sensitivity
Auto and settings for 50, 100, & 200 ISO ((35mm equivalent)
White Balance
TTL Auto and presets for Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Manual (white card).
In Camera Image Adjustment
The Pentax Optio S4’s Exposure Compensation mode allows photographers to bias exposure ( 2/-2 EV) in 1/3 EV increments to compensate for difficult lighting or to convey mood or enhance important elements of the composition.
Like most ultra compact digicams the S4 doesn’t provide a lens barrel filter thread making it impossible to use add on filters and auxiliary lenses. Pentax added a Digital Filter mode so that users can select a variety of color effects including B&W or Sepia tone, red, pink, violet, blue, green, and yellow.
The Optio S4 also provides a nice range of incremental (hard, normal, and soft) “picture” adjustments for contrast, saturation, and sharpness.
DESIGN, CONTROLS, & ERGONOMICS
The champagne colored S4 is small enough to be easily dropped into a shirt pocket, and tough enough to go just about anywhere. The camera’s control array is mostly logical and well laid out, but the shutter and power buttons are too close together making it relatively easy to turn the camera off at the decisive “photographic moment” rather than snapping the picture. Most of the Optio S4's functions can be accessed using the multi controller switch and manual control playback button. Shooting modes are selected via a virtual Mode Dial.
The Optio S4 is really tiny and that makes it somewhat difficult to use, however once users get the hang of where everything is and how everything works, it’s a fairly easy camera to operate. The small size and smooth surface make it a tough for folks with big hands to hold the S4 securely (the indented thumb rest helps a bit) so it's a good idea to use the included wrist strap at all times.
The Optio S4 also features a World Time (64 cities in 28 time zones) clock with Alarm mode and a Stereo shooting mode that allows users to shoot two separate images (from slightly different perspectives) and then view the superimposed pictures as a single 3D image (with the included 3D viewer).
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 4 megapixels (2304x1728)
Viewfinders: 1.6” TFT color LCD and Real-image optical zoom VF
Exposure Modes: Program AE, Picture (Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Self-Portrait, Surf and Snow, Autumn Colors, and Sunset), Night Scene, Movie, Panorama Assist, 3D Image, Digital Filter, and User modes.
Lens: Pentax SMC f2.6-f4.8/35-105mm (35mm equivalent) 3X zoom
Focus Modes: 7 point AF, Spot AF, & Manual AF point
Flash: Built-in Multi Mode (Auto, Off, On, Auto with Red-Eye Reduction, or On with Red-Eye Reduction)
Exposure Compensation: Yes 2/-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments
Metering: Multi-Segment, Center Weighted, and Spot
Shutter Speeds: 1/2000th of a second to 4 seconds (longer shutter speeds are only available in the "night" shooting mode)
White Balance: TTL Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Manual (custom)
In-Camera Image Adjustment: Yes 3 steps (hard, normal, & soft) for Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness
Sensitivity: Auto, 50, 100, & 200 (ISO equivalent)
Image Storage Media: SD/MMC cards and 11 MB internal storage
Power: one D-LI28 rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack
Price: MSRP $549.00 Street Price range $359.00-$499.00
Included
(There’s no SD memory card included) D-LI28 rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, D-BC8 battery charger, Wrist strap, USB & A/V Cables, 3D Image Viewer, CD-ROM (software), and printed User’s Manual
Optional
Pentax AC adapter, wireless remote control, leather soft case
In the Field/Handling & Operation
Both my old friend (who sells digital and analog cameras and photographic equipment) and I have been waiting for an opportunity to try the updated Pentax Optio S4. Both of us have been fascinated by the ongoing miniaturization revolution in digital cameras, so when my friend was finally able to get his hands on an S4, we were ready.
Our first test was a check for color accuracy. Over the past couple of years we’ve developed a test that works very well and allows us to compare results from camera to camera. We use a homemade macro stage (a large cardboard box with the front panel cut away) lined with white photographic background paper. We first auto white balance the camera and then shoot a selection of brightly colored (red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple) plastic children’s beach toys with the camera mounted on a tripod and a very simple slaved single softbox lighting set-up. This test allows us to check not only color saturation and balance but also the accuracy of the camera’s white balance system. The Pentax Optio S4’s color was a bit warm with especially vivid reds and blues. Colors were well saturated but not garish.
After we finished our color test we decided to take advantage of the beautiful winter Saturday afternoon (the temperature was in the mid forties and the sky was blue with wispy white clouds) and head for Cherokee Park, a large urban green space bordering Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood. It was such a pretty day (after two weeks of dreary, cold, wet weather) that just about everybody in the Highlands seemed to be outside enjoying the sunshine.
The oblique frontal winter light was very bright and contrasty so we decided to shoot colorfully clad joggers and people walking their dogs. The ancient old growth trees along Beargrass Creek are very popular with our local mutts so we were able to get a couple of interesting shots of a large mixed terrier (in a red plaid dog coat) bouncing up and down on his hind legs barking at a squirrel who’d beaten him to the tree.
When we ran out of photographic subjects we headed for Heine Brothers Coffee shop our homegrown version of Starbucks. It’s a great place to warm up on a cold winter afternoon and watch the patrons (mostly college students, readers, and shoppers taking a caffeine break). Everyone who saw the tiny little Pentax Optio S4 had to come over and ask about it so we were able to talk a couple of them into posing with their books, coffee, and packages so that we could check out the flash and the S4’s indoor low light capabilities. When the sun started to go down we headed for the intersection of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue to shoot Bardstown Road Aglow. Most of the merchants along the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue corridor have their decorations up and stay open late (serving cookies, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, wine and cheese) the first Saturday in December to kickoff the Christmas Season. The area was absolutely crawling with pedestrians listening to recorded Christmas music and wandering from store to store. The Optio S4 did a good job (as long as we got in close) shooting environmental portraits of bundled up skateboarders, heavily burdened shoppers, and chilled music fans. The images ran the gamut from dark under-lit (because of the S4’s tiny underpowered flash) crap to well-exposed shots with Christmas lights in the background. After about an hour we called it quits for the day.
Overnight the temperature dropped to 28 degrees so when we got together Sunday morning there was a coating of crystalline frost on everything. We headed straight for Cave Hill Cemetery to check out some of the old gravestones in the nineteenth century section of Louisville’s oldest burial ground. Since the mid 1840’s the area has been planted with thousands of trees, shrubs, and bushes. Many of these plantings are rare flowering trees and shrubs that make Cave Hill absolutely gorgeous in the spring, summer and fall.
The cemetery was completely deserted when we got there and we were able to quickly drive to the oldest area and shoot some of old headstones still covered with frost and surrounded by ankle deep f fallen leaves. We were able to find a couple of shady areas where the Optio S4’s Macro setting allowed us to shoot mini landscapes of fallen leaves covered with frost crystals. The Optio S4 leaves a lot to be desired when shooting flat field full frame macro shots (because of the soft corners) but shots of flowers centered in the composition (with a blurred background) should work very well.
We drove to the small lake and followed the road around to a beautiful pink sandstone Moorish mausoleum that both of us really like. I was able to get some nice shots with gorgeous (It was very cold but the sun was out and the sky was blue) low angle winter front lighting. The Moorish style mausoleum made a striking composition against cloud filled blue sky and. We also spent some time shooting a huge old River Cypress that still had some of its rusty red needles. The little Optio S4 does a great job shooting scenics.
After we finished at Cave Hill we were both freezing so we headed for Morris’ Deli on Taylorsville Rd. (an old fashioned southern style deli featuring sandwiches, barbeque, and home made soups). Both of us grew up eating Kentucky style white bean soup and Morris’ Deli has the best white bean soup in Louisville The Deli (a tiny little place with only two tables) is located in a combined liquor store and beer depot so the décor is straight out of the early sixties. We got a couple bowls of bean soup and took turns photographing the deli’s interior. Everything looked really “retro” in Black & White and Sepia Tone (using the S4’s nifty Digital Filter mode).
After lunch we spent some time looking at all of the images we’d shot over the weekend. We agreed the pictures were (mostly) pretty good and that the little S4 was really a lot of fun to carry around. We printed a couple of 8X10’s (with an HP 1215 and Kodak photo paper) of some of the people shots from Cherokee Park and the colors were vibrant and the resolution was very good.
PERFORMANCE
Image Quality
Many of the images from my tests were a bit darker than expected and there was consistent corner softness in every image. Flash coverage in all our macro shots was insufficient and the overall softness distracted from the impact of the images. Colors are generally accurate, but the Optio S4’s basic image interpolation program tends to punch up saturation a bit resulting in unrealistically blue skies and occasionally glowing reds. We got our best results at ISO 50. Shooting at ISO 100 with the hard sharpness and hard contrast settings improved color accuracy and sharpness, but at the cost of slightly increased image noise. The ISO 100 images were noticeably flatter and showed slightly less detail than imafes shot at ISO 50.
Users who stick pretty much with 4X6 or 5X7 prints should be completely happy with this tiny digicam, and an n occasional 8X10 enlargement shouldn’t present a problem, especially if they’re portraits or scenics. The S4’s color is slightly warm, overall, but this is a fairly common because warmer color balance tends to flatter Caucasian skin tones and most images shot with P&S digicams are snapshots of friends and family. Noise is a bit above average, but fairly well controlled at the ISO 50 setting. Image noise is very noticeable at the ISO 200 setting.
Timing/Shutter Lag
Overall the Pentax Optio S4 is pretty quick. Start up time (boot-up cycle) is about average (between 2 and 3 seconds) and shutter lag is surprisingly short for an ultra compact digital camera.
Auto Focus speed is a bit quicker than average, especially if you pre focus (press the shutter button down halfway). The S4’s predecessor had agonizingly slow shot to shot times. The primary reason was the lack of a buffer (the camera had to completely write an exposure to the SD before another shot could be taken). Pentax listened to complaints from consumers and the new S4 has a two frame buffer memory which dramatically improves shot to shot times.
A Few Concerns
The Pentax Optio S4 is an amazingly competent picture taker and it’s likely most casual photographers won’t care about a little corner softness or the camera’s slightly warm color balance.
The Optio S4’s 3X zoom lens exhibits above average barrel distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is well controlled and shouldn’t be a problem except in very high contrast color transition areas. The lens is a bit soft, especially at distances of less than ten feet, but that is likely to be a benefit rather than a fault since most snapshots and portraits are shot between 5 and ten feet. Slightly soft focus and warm color are very flattering (which is why commercial portraits always look good) so most purchasers are going to be pleased.
Conclusion
Obviously, tiny digital cameras can’t be expected to compete with full sized units in terms of image quality and battery life---- so consumers who place a high value on ultra compact size must be prepared to accept certain limitations. The Pentax design team created an amazing piece of cutting edge miniaturization and precision engineering and I really had fun using it. The Optio S4 is all about fun. If you really want to surprise the number one person in your life----buy them an Optio S4, charge the battery (and insert an SD memory card), put the camera in one of those purple velvet Crown Royal sacks and slip it into an empty Altoids tin; wrap it prettily and drop the S4 into the toe of his/her Christmas stocking.
Who is this Camera best suited for?
The Pentax Optio S4 is a great camera for busy "on the go" folks, those who like trendy stylish techno-toys, and casual photographers who want a camera small enough to take along everywhere they go.
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