First of all, I'm an electronics freak. I'm also an electrical freak, aka an electrical engineering student in college. I bought a Pentax Optio s5i "way back" in 2003 (it does seem like a while ago), when it was one of the first 5 megapixel cameras on the market. I loved everything about that camera: the form factor, the picture quality, the battery life, its easy menu navigation, and the fact that if you didn't like the auto picture mode, which always took great pictures anyway, you could use a dozen other preset modes (like sports, sunset, flowers, outdoor...) or you could just use the manual focus and manual exposure value.

Everything that I loved about the s5i is still in the genetics of the A20. The camera is almost the identical size, and it uses the same battery model; but its unbelievable picture quality, incredibly fast response time (auto-focus time, readiness after taking a picture, turn-on time, etc.), DivX video capability, and huge 2.5 inch LCD emphasize the lightning-fast pace at which the semiconductor industry, specifically consumer electronics, has developed.

Some more nice features:
-Since the A20 is double the resolution of my old s5i, I was thinking that the picture files would be double the size, around 5MB, but this is not so. The camera uses compression (which is adjustable in the menu) to keep files around 3.5MB at 10 megapixels at the best quality (***, three stars).
-The A20 has a "green button" that is soft-key that the user can set in the menu. Pressing the green button will change the display in the LCD to where the user can adjust 4 different settings all with just the arrow keys. The user can choose in the menu which 4 settings are displayed with the green button and the 4 settings can be any item that is in the regular menu.
-The focus capability is unbelievable. The A20 has auto, macro, super-macro, pan, infinity, and manual focus modes. I held my finger right in front of the lens and was able to take an excellent picture of my finger print...you never know when you might need a picture like that... :)

I've only had the camera for a week now, so this review probably doesn't even scratch the surface but to sum it up:
-The camera is incredibly small for 10 megapixels but not too small to use (and I'm a pretty big guy).
-The 2.5 inch LCD is massive.
-The picture quality is unbelievable.
-The customization capabilty is very very extensive.
-The manual features are great.
-The camera is VERY easy to use!

....and I love it so much, that I'm going to buy my sister one for her birthday, but SSHHH, don't tell her!!!

I absolutely love this little gem. It's the size of a deck of cards
and takes incredibly detailed picutures. This camera is not slow like
its predecessor the Optio A10.

I briefly glanced at the 200 page manual that came with the camera
but I must admit that the menue system is so intuitive and easy
to figure out that I don't need the manual at all.

I have found noise levels to be acceptable for this camera and
actually much better than other high resolution pocket digicams
including the Canon A700. I don't buy the argument from some reviewers
that one could be better served by buying a lower resolution camera
for reduced noise at higher ISO settings. That to me is illogical.
The resolution of the OPTIO A20 is absolutely incredible for a camera
of this size.

If you want to reduce the number of recorded pixels then you can readily
do it if you want on the Optio A20 ... it's good to have choices.

I own about 5 digicams and by far this one is the easiest to use
right out of the box. It's discreet so you don't necessarily have
to worry about missing those spontanious shots. I love the live
histogram display on the screen before you take a shot. Focusing
is very accurate and about the best I've experienced with a pocket
camera.

The macro mode is simply the best in its class. One reviewer stated
that the macro mode does not get close enough. However, the camera
has a super macro mode that obviously the reviewer failed to
mention and obviously did not try.

The camera has a pet mode that I love. Have gotten incredible 10 megapixel images of my little friends that I probably would have missed
with another digicam.

No camera will ever be absolutely perfect. But this little cam does
everything that I want it to do so far and with good results.

The only fault that I can possibly find with the camera is that
in very bright daylight the LCD screen can be somewhat difficult
to see. If that's a problem then just wear a cowboy hat or a straw
hat so that you have some shade covering the lcd screen.

It's really not the big deal that some reviewers make it out to be.

I have owned this Camera now for about 4 months or less. It has been a salvation for me , for family, Ebay and all other types of situations that I need to take pictures.

It's simple to use.
The learning curve is so short and low.
I would recommend this to anybody who wants to get into the digital camera arena or who just wants great quality photos with ease of use.

Also if you want to make pictures more complex or use more features , there are alot there to use and they can be made even greater with a little bit of alterations!!!

Go for it..... want a buddy, this is it!!! Save those valuable moments in time. It's Light and I carry it everywhere!!
Enjoy!!

Purchased th A10 for my spouse. I, personally use SLRs.
Review could run several pages. Basically, the camera
is, technologically, ahead of its time and WILL out-do
a pro SLR in basic picture quality.

TIP: Try most shots without the flash. The shake-proof
feature looks after the rest. Why flash off? Limited
angle of light dispersion obviously favors center screen.

Normal picture mode in 3.2 mega pixels is generally sufficient
The A20 is 10+MP compared to the 8+MP of the A10 - for a hundred
bucks or so, more. Features are identical in both (except for
the higher MP which would seldom be warranted).

I got this to take informal wedding pics. Worked as well as could be expected for an inexpensive camera. The shake reduction seems to work OK. Good take along camera but not go primary camera for must have shots.

It's a terrific little camera. The shake reduction works well. If you are shooting subjects that can be still for more than 3 seconds it produces really nice pictures. There is where my problems lies with the camera. I like to take spontaneous pictures of people. I don't like to have them posed, and when I have to I like to do it as quickly as possible before the smiles become stiff and wooden. It takes at least a few seconds for this camera to acquire and process a scene before it takes a picture, especially in less than ideal light conditions. Before somebody berates me for being ignorant about the regular shorcomings of digital cameras, I used to own an old Kodak digital camera. It was so old that it was not even a 1 megapixel camera but it took beautiful picture and it took them quickly. Taking a picture of a person with a REAL smile as they look up when you call them was not a problem with that old camera. Why is it a problem with this one? I've tried to use different settings but so far haven't solved the problem. I guess that's where the shake reduction comes in handy because I end up with the shakes as I hold the button down the requisite seconds it takes to process and take the picture. This is not a good camera for taking a picture of a dynamically changing scene. When you see a situation that you like to take a picture of, by the time the shutter opens, it has already gone and done. The best solution so far is that if I can anticipate something, I hold the button down halfway and focus on an area close to the distance of where I think it's going to happen, let the processor work and hope and wait for the action to happen at that spot. The only problem is that the focus may be right but the movement will have changed the light and the exposure will be off. All in all, for the premium price, I'm a little dissapointed but I still carry it around because it is a nice little camera.

I purchased this awful camera from Amazon expecting it to be a high quality camera like the other reviews stated. However, I learned right away that this camera takes very grainy indoor pictures. The pictures look fine on a computer monitor at 33% resolution, but when the dimensions change to actual size, virtually every square inch of the pictures are covered with scattered blue grainy looking dots. If the Pentax image sensor can not handle taking clean indoor pictures at 10 mega pixels, then they should not manufacture it. I replaced this camera with a Canon Powershot SD700 which is so far superior to this camera and is not grainy when taking indoor pictures. I should have realized that I was getting an inferior camera when I saw how low the price was for 10 mega pixels. It really doesn't help that the camera itself is made with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship because it can not take clean indoor pictures. It fails at its most basic task and hence the one star rating which is over generous in my opinion.

I recently had a baby and I wanted a digital camera that would take pictures without the hassle. It works great. The zoom and quality of the shots were great. I am able to email family members the shots instantly. I would recommend this product for any new parents or any photo buff.

I bought this camera for a good price but I had to sign up for an Amazon credit card to get a $30 rebate. I like small cameras I can take any where in my pocket. The rechargeable battery has a long charge life and it charges pretty fast. The files for the best quality are large as expected for 10 Mpixels but using lower quality (one star) generates great pictures any way. The only annoyance is the delay when taking pictures in low light conditions. You have to hold the shutter button for 15 seconds for the picture to be taken. The soft flash is great for taking up close pictures. Overall I'm very happy with this camera.

This small, easy-to-use camera readily downloads pictures to my IMac and iBook. I purchased an extra battery so that I may have one in the camera and a spare one charged at all times. I'm still getting to know the camera and its settings, but I already find it a pleasure to use, and handy to carry with me in case a photographic opportunity should arise.

first digital camera and it is great. I like that I can use a memory card or not and it comes with usb cable to transfer pictures if I don't have a memory card in. Very easy to use and takes good pictures. Have not yet tried video yet.