If you're wondering where all this camera news is coming from, it's the run-up to photo trade show PMA. Pentax is first out of the blocks with the Pentax Optio H90, E90 and I-10.
The H90 sports a 5x optical zoom lens, with a wide angle of 28mm, equivalent to a 35mm camera. It comes in black, white or an unusual bright orange. Like the I-10 also announced today, the H90 has a determinedly retro look. Where the I-10 looks similar to the dSLR-inspired styling of the Olympus E-P1, the H90 recalls the louchely compact Olympus concept that preceded the E-P1.
The H90 sports a 69mm (2.7-inch) screen on the back. It shoots 720p high-definition video, with the option of lower resolutions if you prefer. Other features include a panorama mode, novelty frames, and a recycle bin to recover erased images. Optical image stabilisation has been left out, for some reason.
Also announced is the Pentax Optio E90, an entry-level 10-megapixel point-and-shoot. It runs off AA batteries and includes a 3x zoom and 69mm (2.7-inch) screen. The rubber coating comes in black or red, pictured below.
Both cameras arrive sometime in February, like a bunch of petrol-station flowers from an absent-minded lover. The H90 will set you back £130, which isn't bad for a 5x zoom and large screen, while the E90 costs a mere £80.