It also features a mode dial for swift, effortless setting of 10 different shooting modes - ranging from the hands-off Auto Picture and the all-purpose Programmed AE, to the more creative Aperture-priority AE, Shutter-priority AE and Metered Manual.

ENGADGET: Pentax launches brass-bodied MX-1 point-and-shoot: 12MP with 4X zoom (update: now with hands-on photos)

With the Quick Action function, users can run Quick Dial, Web search, alarm setting, and music replay with a single tap.

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Running along the left side, you'll find a power toggle, a programmable jog dial (preset as a microphone monitor volume) and another for setting the volume of external sources like MP3 players.

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Thanks to a dedicated exposure compensation dial, the MX-1 assures user-friendly, direct-access shift of the exposure compensation setting without the need to recall the menu screen.

ENGADGET: Pentax launches brass-bodied MX-1 point-and-shoot: 12MP with 4X zoom (update: now with hands-on photos)