Pentax Optio WP - Easy Review

In January 2005, Pentax unveiled the new Pentax Optio WP, an amphibious digital camera that offers 5 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens that can be immersed in a meter and a half of water for up to thirty minutes at a time. This model is a point-and-shoot with simplistic menus that appear on the 2-inch LCD screen and 20 preset shooting modes. The waterproof OptioWP retails for $349.95 and will compete with other compact digital cameras that sell separate waterproof housings. Those separate housings can cost about $100-150, so the WP is worth looking at if you’re into scuba diving or you are outside photographing Seattle year-round.

The frame of this camera is reminiscent of older cell phones, long and low slung and not very stylish aesthetically. The Pentax Optio WP has petite measurements of 4 x 2 x 0.9 and a 4.2-ounce weight. Unfortunately, the small Optio does not have a hand grip or gripping material, which makes it hard to grasp underwater. It seems odd to design a camera for water use and not consider the surface or handling differences which are inherent between a dry and wet camera. The Optio WP has a nicely sized 2-inch LCD screen, but only 85,000 pixels on it.

We tested the Pentax Optio WP and found that it produced fairly accurate colors, although it did tend to over-saturate the reds and blues a bit. We also found that this model produced a notable amount of noise, the green and purple random dots that show up in some digital photographs. While excessive noise is avoidable with added lights, flashes, or daylight shooting, it isn’t always possible to have your romantic sunset kiss lit by a series of imported Tahitian Tiki lights and photographed by this Pentax.

There are many simplistic aspects of the Pentax Optio WP. The auto mode, known as the “Green Mode,” takes over all control and lets the photographer focus on zooming in and taking the picture. There aren’t many other controls to distract the photographer, of course. ISO, exposure compensation, and white balance can all be selected, but shutter speed and aperture cannot be adjusted manually. The menus are simple with text and icons and a Help mode for any confused photographers. To add some flare and perhaps avoid some post-camera editing, Pentax included ten picture effects, so you can turn your pictures pink or black and white.

The Pentax Optio WP’s movie mode shoots a selectable 15 or 30 frames per second of 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels. This is fairly low resolution when compared to other compact digital cameras that can shoot television-quality 640 x 480 video. The Pentax Optio WP is more impressive in its burst mode, which can take up to 3 frames per second. Images can be saved on 10.5 MB of internal memory or on the optional SD card.

The Pentax OptioWP is a digital camera designed for a fairly specific group of users who want underwater functionality while maintaining a simple point-and-shoot format. The major setback with the Optio WP is its depth limit. Although five feet is better than nothing, snorkeling photographers will have to pay attention to depth, as well as the 30-minute time limit. Still, the 5-megapixel Pentax Optio WP could be a fun option for photographers who have a tendency to drop their cameras in fountains or get caught in downpours and still want a nice point-and-shoot digital camera.

 

Pentax OptioWP - THE BOTTOM LINE... Rating:288.58

Likes

- Small, sleek body allows for simple transportation - cool included software – goes well beyond most packaged bundles - no worries when dropped in water - well sized 2.0-inch LCD - preset options for the point-and-shoot user are easy to access and not intimidating

Dislikes

- limited range of manual control options and image control settings such as metering and aperture - low LCD pixel count of only 85,000 pixels - poor microphone placement beside the on/off button on the top of the camera body - slow shutter to exposure time

Pentax OptioWP Compared to the...

Pentax Optio 43WR Rating:	Olympus Stylus 500 Rating:292.71	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 Rating:305.81	Canon PowerShot A95 Rating:309.92	Nikon Coolpix 5900 Rating:
Better	Better	Better	Better	Better
- 640 x 480 movie resolution possible  - Metering modes  - Undersized optical viewfinder  - 16 MB memory card - Interesting square body design and structure	- 2.5 inch LCD screen  - 21 preset shooting modes  - 32 MB memory card included  - Pixel resolution on LCD screen  - Two metering modes  - Larger ISO range overall  - Good microphone placement  - High resolution scores  - Handles noise more successfully  - Shutter to shot times	- 6x optical zoom lens  - Lower Price Range  - 9.43 Color score  - 76% resolution score "good"  - Auto Noise levels  - Manual Noise levels  - Control design and layout  - Larger Shutter Speed range  - 14 MB internal memory  - Faster shutter to shot times  - Image Stabilization	- Microphone placement  - Good external control layout, design, size  - Flip/Rotate LCD  - Auto ISO noise levels  - Conversion adaptability  - Optical viewfinder  - Higher resolution on LCD  - 32 MB memory card included  - Metering modes - Shutter speeds and manual aperture control	- Navigation of menu  - Higher resolution on LCD screen  - Optical viewfinder (small)  - Faster frame rates in movie mode - Higher resolution settings in Movie Mode  - 13.5 MB of internal memory  - D-Lighting mode
Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal	Equal
- Price Range of under $350 (US) - 10 digital effect settings - "manual" focus - EV Comp. scale - ISO scale - Shutter speed range - Manual white balance - PictBridge compatible - Macro Focus - Poor Mic Placement	- Price Range  - EV Compensation Scale  - Shutter Speed range  - 3x optical zoom range  - 5 MP CCD  - PictBridge compatible  - Audio Recording  - Manual White Balance  - No viewfinder  - Start to first shot is comparable	- 5 MP CCD  - 2 inch LCD screen  - 3 fps burst mode  - Exposure Compensation scale  - Direct Printing  - Manual ISO range - No manual metering settings  - No aperture priority  - Max Image Resolution  - Max Image resolution in Movie Mode   - Max 30 fps frame rate - No viewfinder	- 3x optical zoom lens  - 5 MP CCD  - Poor resolution scores below 70%  - 9 point AF system  - "manual" focus  - ISO Range manual  - Manual white balance setting - Exposure compensation scale  - Direct Print capabilities - Audio recording	- Same retail price range  - 5.1 MP CCD  - 2 inch LCD  - 3x optical zoom lens  - Mic has poor placement near fingers  - AF Modes  - "manual" focus sliding scale  - Manual White Balance mode  - ISO Range  - Shutter speed range  - Direct Print with PictBridge compliant printers
Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse	Worse
- 2.8x optical zoom  - 1.6 inch LCD screen  - 4 MP CCD  - 30 fps movie mode requires add. mem cards  - 3 feet immersion only  - Manual claims faster start up  - 12 preset scene modes  - Fewer AF settings  - Slightly heavier square body design  - Lower Max. Still Image Resolution	- All weather construction for slight dampness  - Slightly larger body  - Heavier camera body - Lower color score and under-saturated	- Heavier and larger camera body  - No 9 point AF  - No manual focus  - No manual white balance  - 8 preset scene modes  - Less extensive digital effects  - Slower start up to first shot time	- Water Proof housing costs extra $240  - 1.8 inch rotating LCD screen  - Slightly lower color score  - Manual ISO noise levels  - Larger camera body  - Heavier camera  - Slower frame rates in movie mode  - Slower start up time - Slower shutter to shot times  - 13 preset modes - Higher retail price	- Slightly larger and heavier body  - No 9 point AF  - Slower advertised burst speed of 2 shots per second  - Fewer picture effects  - At least $200 (US) extra for any sort of water-proof housing