Gizmodo Australia » optio

Pentax’s Optio W80 Can Take A Serious Beating

Adam Frucci — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Pentax’s Optio W80 is its most rugged and waterproof point-and-shoot yet: it goes 4.8 metres underwater, survives drops from 1 metre and works in -10 degree weather. It’s coming next month for $US300. Hit the jump for the full presser.

PENTAX ANNOUNCES ITS MOST SHOCK AND WATERPROOF DIGITAL COMPACT CAMERA EVER: THE OPTIO W80

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.

Other important features in the Optio W80 include a:

* Coldproof design that allows the camera to be used in sub-freezing temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius), ideal for cold weather activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.
* 2.5 inch LCD monitor that features anti-reflective coating, making it easy to view, even in bright sunlight.
* Widescreen, HD movie capture that records resolutions up to 1280×720 pixels at full-speed 30 frames per second.
* Fast Face Detection technology that sees up to 32 faces in 0.03 seconds, with Smile Capture and Blink Detection, for perfect portrait shots.
* Pixel Track Shake Reduction (SR) that ensures sharp images in any lighting condition, without adding high ISO noise. Digital SR and Movie SR are also available.
* Close focusing, Super Macro mode that brings out the details in even the smallest subjects as close as 1 cm (less than one inch).

Available in Cardinal Red, Azure Blue and Gunmetal grey, the Optio W80 will be available in July 2009 for $US299.95 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). More information about the Optio W80 and these accessories is available at: www.pentaximaging.com *

and preorders may be placed now at www.pentaxwebstore.com .

Pentax Optio W60 Extreme Weather Cam Good for Dips, Not Dives

Benny Goldman — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:00:00 +0000

The Optio W60 is the most waterproof Pentax cam yet. A step up from the W30, it’s a 10MP point-and-shoot that will survive at depths up to 4 metres for two hours, good enough for the pool, beach and most non-competitive snorkeling. It also handles freezing temps (-10°C) and is certified dustproof against dirt, sand and dust. The Optio features 5x optical zoom, 28mm wide-angle shooting, and HD video recording. It comes in silver and blue and will be out in July for US$330. Maybe this summer I’ll test it against the Olympus 1030SW and others in a Bathtub Battlemodo. Additional picture after the jump. [Pentax]

Optio V20 from Pentax has 5x Zoom, Smile Recognition and Blink Detection

Gizmodo US Edition — Mon, 19 May 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Six months after Pentax released the Optio V10, the japanese company has upped the stakes with the V20. The slimline point-and-shoot has upped the zoom from 3x to 5x, as well as increasing Digital SR mode to ISO 3200 and ISO 6400. With a nice, big 3-inch LCD screen on the back, smile recognition and blink detection, (Earl Hickey, this one’s for you) the V20 will be available in Japan next month for the equivalent of US$288 Bonus shot of the V20 after the jump.

[Impress]

Pentax Optio T30: touchscreen simplicity done well

Seamus Byrne — Wed, 09 May 2007 00:25:42 +0000

There were a few new options in the Pentax Optio range of happy snap digitals, and the T30 was the most interesting by far. A total touchscreen interface for your settings and menus, the 3-inch screen is a goodun’ and it was very simple to navigate and set the options you want.

It helps lose the clutter of buttons on the back too, though some will prefer having said clutter for quick access to all the specific functions they want. But for average punters, this could be a big winner. 7.1Mp, 3x optical, 3200 ISO… so you get some good grunt for a mid-range shooter too. All that said, not too many spec adjustments from its predecessor. You’ll find it for sub $400.

More pics, front and back, after the jump.