Pentax rocked the boat today with the announcement of the company's most rugged waterproof and shockproof compact digital camera to date. The Pentax Optio W80 promises to be "more adventure-proof than ever," rocking a waterproof, dustproof, coldproof (14 degrees Fahrenheit) and shockproof design that can withstand an impact of just over three feet and a submergence of 16 feet underwater.
But don't be wooed just yet. Let's take into consideration the Pentax Optio W80's competition. The highly anticipated Canon PowerShot D10 is shockproof up to four feet and can be dunked in the ocean up to 33 feet (10 meters) while the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 survived a fatal 6.6-foot drop to the pavement in our Underwater Shootout. In fact, most waterproof compacts dip down to 33 feet these days and can take a ruthless beating, so the Pentax Optio W80 looks to be in a bit of a tight spot.
So, we've got our money on the Pentax Optio W80's 5x internal optical zoom and 28mm wide-angle lens, as it appears Pentax is striving for higher-quality hardware rather than ruggedness. The 12-megapixel Optio W80 will also shoot 1280 x 720 HD video, a feature shared with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. The basic 2.5-inch LCD is not very exhilarating, but the Optio W80 has a Face Detection function that can see up to 32 faces, which is a preposterously large crowd to cram into such a tiny LCD.
Other passengers on the consumer control train are Smile Capture and Blink Detection technology, and an Auto Picture mode that automatically chooses from eight different Scene modes. The Pentax Optio W80 will feature Pixel Track Shake Reduction, which is not as effective as most Dual Image Stabilization modes we've tested. A few pearls in the oyster include a new D-Range setting for taming blow-outs and shadows, and the inclusion of 20 digital filters that range from Toy Camera to Retro.
The Pentax Optio W80 will be available in Cardinal Red, Azure Blue or Gunmetal Grey for $300 and is set to ship this July.
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