Pentax Optio S12

190 reviews

Apr, 2024

Positive
usability (111)
portability (87)
price (64)
image quality (47)
performance (36)

Negative
zoom (9)
lens (2)
contrast (2)
stabilizer (1)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 190 reviews of Pentax Optio S12. The average rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. People are impressed by the performance and image quality. The price and portability are also mentioned favorably. Views are divided on the color. Some have doubts about the image stabilizer and lens.

usability, portability, price, image quality, performance

zoom, contrast, lens, stabilizer

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Pentax Optio S12 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 86/100 = Very good quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 190 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(53% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (21% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (6% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (6% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (14% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
Show positive (93%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)

portability
Show positive (97%)Show negative (3%)(Show all)

price
Show positive (91%)Show negative (9%)(Show all)

image quality
Show positive (69%)Show negative (31%)(Show all)

performance
Show positive (86%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)

Show more features

Showing 162 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 147 of 162 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (28)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Pentax Optio S12

alaTest has collected and analyzed 114 user reviews of Pentax Optio S12 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 3.9/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. Reviewers really like the performance and image quality. The price and portability are also mentioned favorably, whereas views are divided on the zoom. Many are critical about the color and reliability.

usability, portability, price, image quality, performance

reliability, color

77% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Pentax Optio S12

alaTest has collected and analyzed 23 user reviews of Pentax Optio S12 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.6/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Opinions about the performance and design are on the whole positive. The portability and price also get good feedback, whereas many are less positive about the battery and zoom. Comments are divided on the color.

usability, price, portability, design, performance

image quality, zoom, battery

91% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Apr, 2024

Expert review by : Trusted Reviews (trustedreviews.com)

Pentax Optio S12

Pentax updates the Optio S series with a 12MP sensor

Feb, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by : Danny Palmerlee (techadvisor.co.uk)

Pentax Optio S12 review

What do you get when you cram 12Mp and great battery life into a very tiny, very durable, and sublimely easy-to-use camera? You get the Pentax Optio S12, a solid competitor for the upper echelons of the point-and-shoot category.

Despite these flaws, you could do a lot worse for £119. If you want a gazillion dedicated buttons and specialized functions, you'll have to look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a sturdy, toss-it-in-your-pocket camera that takes good (though not...

Oct, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by (ephotozine.com)

Pentax Optio S12

Continuing the tradition of slim metal-bodied compact cameras which started with the Optio S, the Optio S12 is a slimline, easy to use point and press camera with a whopping 12Mp resolution and 3x optical zoom.

Great images in good light; Good colour reproduction; High quality build; Plenty of automatic settings to keep casual snappers happy; Green panic button for a quick reset to full auto

Occasional Mis-focus when using face detection

Nov, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Danny Palmerlee (techworld.com)

Pentax Optio S12 review

Oct, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Debbi Allen (digicambuyer.co.uk)

Pentax Optio S12

Great looking, slimline and versatile – but what can the S12 offer consumers over other compacts?

For this price, the S12 is a great little shooter. However, the unpredictable results at its longer end are disappointing

Jul, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : Elias Plastiras (goodgearguide.com.au)

Pentax Optio S12

It may be a tiny critter, but the Pentax Optio S12 is capable of taking some beautiful pictures when the light is right. It's aimed at people after an...

130 grams, relatively crisp and clear photos, good colours

Noticeable lens distortion, some fringing in high-contrast areas

Good picture quality and a very small size make the Optio S12 a great camera for parties, day trips or travelling overseas. It's well-worth considering.

Jan, 2009

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Danny Palmerlee (pcworld.com)

Pentax Pentax Optio S12

What do you get when you cram 12 megapixels and great battery life into a very tiny, very durable, and sublimely easy-to-use camera? You get the Pentax Optio S12, a solid competitor for the upper echelons of our Top 10 Point-and-Shoot Cameras chart....

Durable, very compact body ; Superior battery life

Limited manual capabilities ; No image stabilization

Perfect for the pocket, the stylish Optio S12 has a solid feel and is exceptionally simple to operate.

Oct, 2008

Read the full review

Expert review by : PJ Jacobowitz (pcmag.com)

Pentax Optio S12

The Pentax Optio S12 delivers terrific still images and top-notch DivX video.

Compact. Terrific picture quality. Offers a variety of onboard editing options. Able to record in DivX format for high-quality video in a small file size.

Looks and feels flimsy. No option for 16:9 still-image shooting. Video playback on a PC or Mac requires installation of (a free) DivX codec. Menu system could be streamlined.

More Digital Camera Reviews: Ricoh Theta SC Sony a9 SeaLife DC2000 Nikon Coolpix W100 Canon EOS M6 more

Sep, 2008

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Elias Plastiras (pcworld.idg.com.au)

Pentax Optio S12

This ultra-compact Pentax camera offers a 12-megapixel sensor and a 6x optical zoom.

130 grams, relatively crisp and clear photos, good colours

Noticeable lens distortion, some fringing in high-contrast areas

Jan, 2009

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Mark Harris (cnet.com.au)

Pentax Optio S12

The smart Pentax Optio S12 looks and feels as classy and assured as any of the Pentax S series from recent years. The venerable chassis, though, doesn't really suit such a high-resolution sensor — the previous 10-megapixel S10 gives just as much usable...

Small but solid ; Effortless menus and buttons ; Natural pictures

Minor build issues ; Erratic focus ; Soft on detail

Another impressive style camera from Pentax, the S12 continues its tradition of combining sublime ease of use with decent — if not staggeringly good — image quality. The S12 isn't constructed as flawlessly as Canon's IXUS range of cameras, but it isn't...

Jun, 2008

Partner Source

Read the full review