Digital Home Thoughts: Pentax Announces Optio VS20 with Vertical Controls

Pentax, recently acquired by Ricoh, is now trying to be a little crazier than the competition by offering this travel zoom camera with vertical shooting controls, along with a tripod socket for mounting the camera vertically on a tripod. Almost like a SLR with a vertical grip. I am not sure how well it will handle in portrait orientation, but I certainly can see that it probably is not the most pressing concern for most buyers of such digital cameras. The specifications are not much to shout about as well. The most interesting thing is probably the lens, a 20x optical affair at 28-570mm equivalent f/3.1-4.8 lens, with a sensor-shift stabilised 16 megapixel sensor, a 3" HVGA LCD, and 720p video mode. The camera will go on sale in February for US$250.