Of the big-name conventional camera makers, including Nikon, Canon, Olympus and Minolta, Pentax is one of the last to enter the 'new' digital market. The Pentax EI-200 is a midrange model with some interesting innovations. Top of the list is image-sensing technology developed by Hewlett Packard.

The 2.1-megapixel CCD at the heart of this camera is not cutting edge in terms of resolution, compared with the 3.3-megapixel chips found in some of the competition. However, it boasts 10-bit colour sensing as opposed to the more conventional 8 bits. Technically, this boosts the colour sensitivity of the CCD from 256 shades of each primary colour to 1024. The aim of this technology is to provide images with improved colour saturation and tone.

In its highest quality setting the image resolution is 1600 x 1200 pixels. A memory-saving lower resolution setting of 800 x 600 pixels can also be used. At the higher setting, using JPEG compression, each picture is on average 1MB in size. This means you are only likely to be able to store seven or eight images using the supplied 8MB CompactFlash memory card. This falls to just one picture if you choose to save an uncompressed image. Although this camera supports Type II CompactFlash memory cards, the camera's manual makes a point of mentioning that it is not compatible with IBM's high-capacity CompactFlash Microdrive hard disk cards (reviewed here soon).

Other features include continuous and time lapse shooting, average, centre-weighted or spot metering, programmed auto-exposure with shutter priority and aperture priority options (but no fully manual option), remote control capability (although the remote control is not supplied as standard), TTL autofocus and wireless infra-red communications with Hewlett Packard printers equipped with infra-red JetSend receivers. The camera is also USB equipped, can display pictures via composite video cable on a TV (supporting both PAL and NTSC) and pictures can be annotated using an audio recording facility. On the other hand, although a set of alkaline disposable batteries are supplied with the camera, rechargeable batteries are not.

Anybody who has used a Kodak digital camera will recognise many common features with the Pentax EI-200. Remarkably similar controls are used, and the clincher is the inclusion of Digita scripting facilities for programming camera functions. Other recognisable Kodak touches include camera orientation sensing; so if you shoot with the camera turned by 90 degrees, the picture is displayed the right way up when viewed via the built-in 2-inch polysilicon LCD screen. A battery-saving optical viewfinder is also fitted.

Most of what we have described so far is technology provided apparently by Kodak and definitely by Hewlett Packard. Indeed, we are told that there is a version of this camera which bears the Hewlett Packard brand. However, Pentax does make a contribution in the form of a 3x zoom lens, equivalent to a 35mm format 34-108mm zoom lens.

On paper the EI-200 looks well specified. In practice, we were left slightly underwhelmed. The camera itself has somewhat bland styling. There is no filter thread for using accessory lenses and filters. Unlike some of its more ambitious competitors its handling is limited by not having a swivel view screen. Most disappointing of all, picture quality - although quite acceptable - was unexceptional and certainly not in the same league as, say, similarly priced Olympus, Canon and Sony models.

The Pentax EI-200 is certainly not a bad camera, but there are better choices from other manufacturers for around the same price. Must try harder.