Verdict

The Pentax Optio I-10 looks great from the outside as its retro design looks fresh and new, different in a class where most competitors’ compacts all appear the same. However, the overall experience is let down by the final image quality which, above ISO 200, suffers from excess noise reduction that significantly softens images and ‘mutes’ colours.

Performance is quite reasonable, albeit basic, and it’s only really when considering some other similarly-priced models on the market that the I-10 feels a little outshone.

HD movie mode is good to have, though it’s not peppered with control detail, but the rear screen is optimised for its 16:9 display – though not the priority for still images which are displayed in a small portion of the screen.

Overall the I-10 is a fashionable looker – particularly in the white finish – that falls short of the mark based on the images it produces.