Pentax Optio M50 review

Pentax's M-series cameras used to be basic budget models but the M50's 5x zoom lens and slim aluminium body in a choice of six colours make it seem more like a premium compact.

Only the lack of image stabilisation and the modest 8-megapixel sensor distinguish it from the pricier cameras in last month's Labs. This resolution is plenty for casual snaps, though, and higher resolutions can bring more problems than benefits in a compact.

The straightforward controls are aimed at point-and-clickers. There's a dedicated button to enable face detection, which successfully spotted faces in profile as well as straight on. Another press of the button enables smile detection, although this recognised only the broadest of beaming grins. The processing demands also meant that face detection became much less responsive in this mode. We were impressed that the camera could recover accidentally deleted photos, as long as no more had been taken in the meantime.

Performance wasn't great. The M50 took almost four seconds to switch on and take a photo, and three seconds between subsequent shots. Continuous shooting started at 1.1fps but slowed to 0.6fps after three shots.

Image quality was better than many of the pricier cameras in last month's Labs. Detail from its 8-megapixel sensor was only a whisker behind the 10-megapixel cameras in well-lit conditions, and colour accuracy was just as good. Noise was less obvious in low light using high ISO speeds, with the lower resolution giving more room for each pixel to measure light accurately. Automatic ISO and shutter speeds were expertly managed to keep noise to a minimum without resulting in blur.

The Optio M50's price pits it against Samsung's NV8. The NV8 produces sharper, cleaner images and captures them more quickly. However, the M50's photos don't disappoint, it uses more intelligent automatic settings in low light and its 5x zoom is better at framing distant subjects. On balance the NV8 is still our favourite, but the M50 isn't far behind.