Beginning of 2005, Pentax introduced a camera that is capable of shooting pictures under water, besides of course the normal way of shooting. This is a unique feature of the Pentax Optio WP. No more wasting your time with underwater bags or what’s so ever. The Pentax lets you shoot on a depth of 1.5 meters and the digital camera will keep up for 30 minutes (the so-called JIS class 8 ). Diving however still requires special housings, but the underwater function is great for the average snap shooter that wants to take pictures in and around the swimming pool. Also for those who want to keep on photographing in rainy weather. The Pentax WP is not the first digital camera to be water resistant, in the past, Casio also offered a similar model. It even floated on the water, where as the Pentax Optio doesn’t, it would sink if you let it go. But the Pentax WP camera is capable of handling a larger depth.
The five Megapixels of resolution are sufficient to enable the Pentax Optio WP delivering fine enlarged prints. The lens offers a 3x optical zoom ranging from 38mm to 114mm, actually a universal range. The fact that the Optio WP is waterproof makes the lens stay inside the camera, in stead of extending. If it did extend, water might enter through the seams. The construction of the lens is very special; it features eleven lens elements in nine groups. With great admiration we look at it and wonder how on earth Pentax did it…
The size of the Pentax Optio WP is pleasantly compact; it fits perfectly in the pocket of your trousers or shirt. The Pentax WP digital camera is easily carried around, to the swimming pool for example. Just hide it inside a rolled up towel and no one will notice. The large 2.0-inch monitor on the back of the camera makes shooting in or on the water easy. Of course on land the large screen is also appreciated. The Lithium Ion battery should guarantee many photos that get stored on a Secure Digital memory card.
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Waterproof to a depth of five feet, this compact, 5-megapixel point-and-shoot camera is ideal for snorkeling, poolside parties, boating, and other water-related activities. A few performance issues aside, the slim Pentax Optio WP delivers plenty of user-friendly features and image quality that will satisfy most snapshot photographers.
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While not intended for the fully manual control market, this sleek and small camera fits perfectly into the pocket of any traveling consumer wherever they go, regardless of rain or snow. Pentax Optio WP can operate free of the bulky and cumbersome add-on protective cases that other manufacturers sell in an attempt to waterproof their cameras. This camera comes with a moderate 1/2.5-inch 5 MP CCD and a 3x optical, 4x digital zoom lens. Its 2.0-inch LCD is large considering the petite and slender overall form of the camera, but the low pixel count of the screen displayed a poor overall image that is difficult to see in daylight, let alone underwater. The OptioWP can record in six still image settings and two movie settings, which offers some shooting versatility to the traveling vacationer. But if having a waterproof camera isn’t essential, then this camera doesn’t really seem like a sensible option. It is very much suited to its niche market: point-and-shooters who are looking for a smaller camera that can function in waterlogged situations. For these users, this camera is perfect; take it on the road, slip it in a pocket, and don’t worry if it gets left out on the balcony in the rain or gets dropped into the bathtub. It will still come out working and looking great.
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In both cases, the important figure is the number eight. This denotes the level to which the Pentax Optio WP is protected from the ingress of water. Class 8 (IPX8) basically denotes that the product is tested to withstand the effects of continuous immersion in water for a specific time and depth as agreed by the standards agency and the company. In essence, the WP passes Class 7 (IPX7) in that it can be operated underwater to a depth of one metre for 30 minutes. However, thanks to the WP’s rubber sealed, double locking battery/memory card latch and another 50cm of depth during tests, this little camera hits Class 8.
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Gripes, well a few. For such a well-designed camera it really could do with an AF-assist system in low light conditions. Shoot in close quarters and the macro will go down to 1cm. In these conditions with a group of friends the camera simply refused to lock focus although the images came out surprisingly clear, so it this might have been my misreading the settings rather than the camera failing to function. The lack of a lens cap lends itself well to the overall smooth aesthetics of the cameras purse-filling lines, but once the hardened-glass sheet covering the lends aperture gets scratched, and scratched it will, by the nature of the environment that Pentax are challenging the cameras users to take it to, you’re stuffed.
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