The new Pentax Optio WS80 waterproof camera craves shallow swimming pools. Read about the new 10-megapixel camera here.
Let's all get nice and wet with the new Pentax Optio WS80 waterproof camera, the company's second cannonball into the frothy waters of the rugged compact wading pool. Following the recently announced Pentax Optio W80, the Pentax Optio WS80 will assuage the minds of the budget-conscious, for the new 10-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD compact is essentially a scaled-down version of the company's debut dolphin documenter. Whether it's rain, snow, sand or spills, Pentax claims the new Optio WS80 will be able to fend off the minor terrors of the outside world.
Since the Pentax Optio WS80 is a few waves behind the Pentax Optio W80, the camera can only withstand a 5-foot plummet into the deep blue sea, rather than 16 feet. Unfortunately, most manufacturers like Canon, Panasonic and Olympus have submerged to 33-feet capabilities, so the Pentax Optio WS80 seems like a drop in the bucket. If you're looking for a compact waterproof camera with maximum diving distance, even the Pentax Optio W80 will only get you halfway there, compared to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1, Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Canon PowerShot D10.
The new Pentax Optio WS80 will inherit the Optio W80's 720p 30/15fps HD video recording and 5x internal optical zoom. We also get the 32-face capable Fast Face Recognition technology and an upgrade to a 230,000-pixel 2.7-inch LCD. The Pentax Optio WS80 will employ Blink detection to alert the shooter if the subject's eyes are opened or closed. We're predicting that Blink Detection will be quite an encumbrance underwater, especially with subjects that are unable to swim. Shooters will have several different Scene modes to choose from and the Pentax Optio WS80 will automatically select from eight different Scene modes when set to Auto Picture mode.
For Image Stabilization, the Pentax Optio WS80 will use a Shake Reduction system that utilizes Pixel Track SR, Digital SR and Movie SR, and we're eager to see the effectiveness of the combined systems while shooting underwater. We also get ISO sensitivity of up to 6400, though images can only be captures at a max 5-megapixel resolution. In addition to Manual White Balance, the Pentax Optio WS80 will offer Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent presets and a shutter speed that can reach down to four seconds in Night Mode.
We like the sporty two-tone style of the Pentax Optio WS80, and it's certainly one of the better looking underwater models floating in the ocean. We love the new Halloween/Princeton Tigers Hockey color scheme, and the Princess Barbie Purple is not too shabby if you're into that kind of thing. The camera weighs just 4.4 ounces, loaded and ready and measures less than an inch thick. We'll see how the rear-mounted zoom tab stacks up, as well as the four-way directional pad and embedded flash.
The Pentax Optio WS80 is aiming to set sail this September for $250.
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