Pentax Optio LS1100

Pentax launched the Optio LS1100 in late 2010, and the thing you notice first is the shape — upright and boxy where almost every other compact of the year was a flat horizontal bar. Inside: 14 megapixels, an smc PENTAX 4× zoom from 27.5mm wide, 720p video, and a 3-inch screen, for £79.99. No optical stabilization. In black it drops the patterned finishes the range was known for and just looks like a small tool.

THE LOOKS

In black, the LS1100 stands taller than it is wide — an upright box rather than the usual flat rectangle, which is the one thing that makes it recognisable. The 3-inch LCD fills the back, the lens sits centred on the front, and the matte finish keeps fingerprints down. At roughly 92 × 57 × 21mm and 130g it's small and light without feeling flimsy. Black skips the decorative patterns Pentax used on the pink and cream versions. Also in those two.

THE SPECS

The smc PENTAX 4× zoom starts at 27.5mm — wide enough to fit a group or a room without backing up — and Pentax's own coatings give it an edge over the unbranded optics on rivals at this price. The 14-megapixel CCD gives warm colour at ISO 100. Stabilization is digital only, so it leans on shutter speed rather than a moving element. The flash reaches 4.8m, enough to light a room end to end. Auto Picture picks the scene; Face Detection with Smile Capture handles portraits. 720p/30fps video. SD/SDHC. ~92 × 57 × 21mm, ~130g.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• Upright boxy body: taller than wide, standing apart on a shelf of flat horizontal compacts — the LS1100's one real visual signature.
• smc PENTAX 4× zoom from 27.5mm wide: Pentax's own coated optics on an £80 camera, resolving more detail than the unbranded lenses on rivals at the price.
• Flash reaching 4.8m at wide angle: enough to light a full room end to end, more range than most entry-level compacts of 2010 could throw.

THE VERDICT

The LS1100 is a plain entry-level compact with two things going for it: the upright body that sets it apart on a shelf, and the smc PENTAX lens, which resolves more detail than the generic glass on most £80 cameras. The 14MP CCD gives the warm colour these are collected for, and the 4.8m flash covers a full room. Digital-only stabilization is the compromise — fine in daylight, less so indoors. Black strips it back to a tool.