S$650
Product Summary
7
out of 10View score
The bad: No optical zoom; slow shot-to-shot interval; fixed focus.
The bottom line: Its simple elegance and touch-sensor interface should appeal to casual shooters looking for a fun and take-anywhere camera.
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Average User Rating
CNET Asia Review
Breaking away from tradition, the Toshiba PDR-T10 is unlike most standard digicams you'll find today. Its 1.5-inch color LCD display utilizes a unique touch-screen interface for all its camera functions (except taking pictures). Thanks to this feature, this 172g camera comes with only a power switch and shutter release button, enabling the folks at Toshiba to keep the form factor simple and elegantly slim at 90 x 73x 29mm.
Touch-Screen Technology
Taking a closer look, we observed that the 35 x 44mm touch screen makes use of a fixed array of grid sensors to operate the camera. The LCD panel forms the part of the sensor pad that displays the various selected options, while the four main functions (Menu, Display, Zoom and Mode) cover the rest of the real estate.
We tested the touch-screen interface and found it responsive to both light taps and the supplied stylus which actually attaches to the wrist strap. Our concern that this mode of input might be abrasive to the vulnerable screen was unfounded. The pressure-sensitive pad proved durable to a week's constant contact via fingertip, nail and stylus.
A User Interface That Grows On You
The clever use of icons and arrows for navigating through the various menus was intuitive enough. The only time we referred to the user guide for clarification was the leaf icon which had us stumped, until we discovered it represented the desired picture quality needed. Other than that, it took a mere 10 minutes to master most of the camera's features.
Surprising Set
For such a modest offering, there are a number of surprises onboard. Besides a fully automatic mode for point-and-shoot users, those desiring to coax more out of the PDR-T10 can utilize the manual features such as exposure, ISO, white balance and color settings. There's also a scene option which lets users configure the camera to the most suitable preset scene setting during a shoot. We came across an innovative Touch Sensor function, where the camera automatically switches to recording mode once the user touches the shutter button. Also useful was a feature which allows the camera to revert to play mode after a specified period of inactivity.
Decent Images
Multiple test shots resulted in decent quality images which, while not as sharp as those from other cameras in the same pixel range, showed an even flash illumination and good color balance. We did notice a slight bit of noise in some of the indoor shots when we switched to a higher ISO rating.
The major complaint we had with the PDR-T10 was the camera's sluggish performance. It took 6 seconds to fire up, and as much as 8 seconds for the next shot. This was a disappointing development considering that the digicam doesn't have the burden of an optical zoom lens or lens cover.
What's In The Box
The PDR-T10 runs on either two AA-sized batteries (supplied) or one CR-V3 Lithium pack, and ships with an 8MB SD card for storage. We were unable to test the battery life of the camera because the pre-production unit sent to us runs only on direct AC power. The unit connects to the PC for image transfers via the supplied USB cable and is bundled with two pieces of interchangeable face plates (silver and white). Other accessories include a wrist strap, camera pouch, operating manual and software CD-ROM. Additional faceplates are sold in packs of four at S$59 (US$32).
Verdict
Possibly the first digital camera to use a touch-screen display for all its camera operations, save photo taking, the Toshiba PDR-T10 with its estimated price tag of S$650 (US$357) should appeal to casual shooters looking for some fun. But if what you really want is a camera with optical zoom, movie recording and greater creative control, look out for the similarly compact but more versatile Minolta Dimage X.
Note: The PDR-T10 camera was initially scheduled for availability in Singapore before end April. However, due to shipment delays, it will now be available only from May.
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