Pentax Optio I-10 Slaps Mega Processing into Miniscule Package
Once upon a time, many years ago, Pentax built a miniature SLR camera that accepted 110 film cartridges. The Pentax Auto 110 was the world’s smallest SLR with gem-like interchangeable lenses and it had a following. Fast forward to 2010 and Pentax, now a subsidiary of Hoya Corp, has recreated the diminutive package but basing the camera on a 12-Mpixel sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens (no longer interchangeable). The result is the $300 Pentax Optio I-10 and Pentax has smacked the camera with massive processing abilities that rival and exceed the tiny camera’s bigger brethren.
For example, the Optio I-10 features triple anti-shake technology. Antishake scheme #1 uses an internal gyro sensor to detect horizontal and vertical motion and the camera compensates for this unwanted motion by moving the image sensor horizontally and vertically to subtract out the unwanted camera movement. Antishake scheme #2 automatically boosts the sensor’s ISO sensitivity in low-light situations, which ups the shutter speed (and picture noise). Antishake scheme #3 employs special antishake-processing software when the camera is used in video mode.
The other rather unique form of in-camera processing is face recognition as a focusing aid. Nothing special about normal, human face recognition but the Pentax I-10 also recognizes pre-registered dog and cat faces to make sure Fido and Puffy don’t come out blurred in the photo. To prevent the inevitable not-looking-at-you and blinked-when-you-tripped-the-shutter images, the photographer can program the camera to shoot the picture only when the recognized subject is looking straight into the camera. Now that’s how to convert processing power into desirable features.
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