Camera Reviews / Pentax Cameras i Preview

7.00 Megapixels	3.00x zoom	1/2.5 inch size sensor

The Pentax Optio T20 is closely based on the existing Optio T10 model, and as with that camera it crams a giant 3.0" LCD display with a relatively high resolution of 230,000 pixels into an ultracompact body that's just 19.5mm thick. To achieve this, Pentax needed to use most of the camera's rear panel to fit in the LCD - meaning there was little room left over for any thing else. The solution? Make the T20's LCD a touch-screen type, and put the controls on the LCD as user-friendly icons. This makes for a really clean, smooth body with a grand total of four physical buttons (power, shutter, playback, and menu) plus a zoom dial.

The Pentax T20's main upgrade over the six megapixel T10 is its 1/2.5" seven megapixel CCD imager. Other than the resolution boost, the only other spec change that stands out is an increase of the maximum ISO sensitivity from 400 to 800, although it should be noted that this new setting is only accessible in manual mode.

Other features retained from the original camera in the Pentax T20 are an smc Pentax-branded 3x optical zoom lens that provides a fairly standard 35mm-equivalent focal range of 38 - 113mm, Secure Digital plus 12MB of built-in storage memory, NTSC / PAL video and USB 2.0 connectivity (type unspecified), as well as a built-in flash and a macro mode that allows focusing as close as 15 centimeters. Power comed courtesy of a proprietary Lithium Ion rechargeable battery. The Pentax Optio T20 is scheduled to go on sale from October 2006, for the same $350 list price at which its predecessor retailed.