Last update 27 October’09 – Review and Sample Photos @ Steve’s Digicams
Pentax Optio W80 announced on June 25, 2009 is a 12.1 megapixel compact digital camera that is certified waterproof at depths of up to 5 meters for two hours. Features include shockproof for drops of up to 3.3 feet (1m) and coldproof up to -10 degrees Celsius, 5x optical zoom, 2.5″ LCD, and includes features such as HD movie recording and Pixel Track digital Shake Reduction.
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Review Index – (updated 27 October’09)
Steve’s Digicams
“This is one versatile compact camera, with the added weatherproofing it can can go pretty much any where and under any conditions. Plus it’s loaded with great features. Performance is very good, but image quality suffers a little due to a fair amount of noise in our test shots.”
ITReview
“If you need a tough little compact digital for that scuba holiday or a bit of snowboarding, then this upgrade from Pentax is certainly rugged enough, but for the price the overall quality of the images – except those taken underwater – is unexpectedly disappointing.”
PhotographyBlog
“The camera did handle chromatic aberrations well, and the 1cm macro mode is a real highlight, but you may not be able to literally see past the noise that will afflict virtually all the images that you’ll take. Which is a real shame, because otherwise we’d be recommending the Pentax W80 more strongly as a great all-round point and shoot camera that is also very competitively priced.”
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PCMag
“If you live where the weather is always sunny (and you don’t plan on shooting indoors), so you can park the camera’s ISO setting at 100 and leave it there, the $300 Pentax Optio W80 is a fine choice.”
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RegHardware
“So there you have it: if you’re looking for a camera to use in the great outdoors and, in particular, underwater then the Optio W80 is a good choice when it comes to standing up against the elements. You can use this camera on a beach, up a mountain or below water, safe on the knowledge that the Optio W80 will come to no harm, provided you don’t do anything silly. A pity though, that the resulting images may not look so robust.”
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CNET UK
“Putting aside the lens issue, the Pentax Optio W80’s picture quality is still pretty average, and its over-reliance on its menu system makes it a drag to use. Enhancements to the design mean the W80 can now tough it out with the best of its rivals, like the 8000, D10 and FT1, but the build and finish still don’t quite feel in the same league.”
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Sample Photos
[Image Quality Samples @ Steve's Digicams]
[Image Quality Samples @ PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos @ PCMag]
[Sample Photos @ RegHardware]
[Sample Photo @ CNET UK]
Press Excerpt
GOLDEN, CO (June 24, 2009) : The manufacturer that builds digital cameras to go boldly where none have gone before has announced the PENTAX Optio W80. More adventure-proof than ever, this latest PENTAX digital camera is waterproof, dustproof, coldproof, and now shockproof enough to withstand impact from a fall of more than three feet (one meter).
PENTAX first introduced dunkable digital cameras in 2003 to the delight of outdoor enthusiasts, travelers and families everywhere. Today, the PENTAX Optio W80’s waterproof design withstands depths of up to 16 feet (5 meters) to protect from rain and spills, as well as allowing full underwater photos and video for up to two hours. On dry land, the rugged, shockproof design protects against drops of up to 3.3 feet to protect the camera from hard use and occasional spills. Also featuring 12.1 megapixels, a 5X internal optical zoom (equivalent to 28-140mm), a slim one inch body, and a wide angle 28mm lens, the Optio W80 offers an expanded perspective that is ideal for landscape, group and more confined shots. With a PENTAX-developed imaging engine and a high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio W80 delivers brilliant, high-quality images with well-defined details. A Super Protect (SP) coating applied to the mineral crystal cover of the internal zoom lens helps repel water, grime and finger marks.
Available in Cardinal Red, Azure Blue and Gunmetal Gray, the Optio W80 will be available in July 2009 for $299.95 USD. To help keep the Optio W80 fresh and at hand, PENTAX offers a custom designed clear protective skin ($16.95 USD) and a comfortable floating wrist strap ($19.95 USD).
Features
Enhanced rugged performance
With the most water and airtight external joints ever, PENTAX has improved the Optio W80’s underwater performance to more than 16 feet for up to two hours of continuous operation. Along with this outstanding JIS Class 8 waterproof rating, the Optio W80 provides JIS Class 6 dustproof and coldproof performance for reliable operation at temperatures as low as 14 degrees F (–10 degrees C).
New shockproof performance
With shock-absorbent material positioned throughout the Optio W80’s rigid and durable interior design, the Optio W80 will withstand impact from a fall from a height of more than three feet (one meter)* without damage to the body for reliability even in harsh shooting conditions.
Optical 5X zoom lens for excellent zoom coverage from wide angle to telephoto
The Optio W80 features an optical 5X zoom lens covering focal lengths from 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto. With this wide zoom range, the Optio W80 may be used for a variety of challenging subjects and scenes including landscapes, architecture, large group shots and tight snapshots from a distance. For a tighter zoom on subjects, an Intelligent Zoom function extends the zoom range to approximately 31.3X.
High-quality HD-Widescreen movie recording
The Optio W80 captures beautiful, flawless, high-definition movie clips at 16:9 TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels)** at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. The camera also is equipped with advanced features designed to facilitate high quality movie recording:
* Movie SR (Shake Reduction) mode automatically compensates camera shake during movie shooting
* Underwater Movie mode automatically optimizes color for underwater movie shooting.
Auto Picture mode for automatic selection of eight different shooting modes
The Optio W80 features the PENTAX-original Auto Picture mode, which automatically selects the most appropriate shooting mode for a given subject or scene by detecting the subject’s lighting and other conditions. This user-friendly feature chooses the best mode choice for the photographer (from Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Flower, Sport, Standard and Candlelight modes).
Automatic Face Detection of up to 32 faces in a mere 0.03 seconds
The Optio W80 features the advanced Face Detection AF & AE function for more accurate people shots. This function automatically detects up to 32 faces in the image field, and then optimizes focus and exposure settings in about 0.03 seconds. The Optio W80 is also equipped with the Smile Capture mode, which automatically releases the shutter the moment the camera detects the subject’s smile and a Blink Detection function, which warns the photographer if a subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.
Large LCD monitor for effortless outdoor viewing
The Optio W80 features a large 2.5 inch high-brightness color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots. This monitor is treated with a special AR (Anti-Reflection) coating to cut the glare of external light and minimize annoying reflections, making it easy to view recorded images even in bright sunlight.
