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Pentax Optio W10 waterproof digicam reviewed


The Pentax Optio W10, announced in February, may look like a fairly straightforward point-and-shoot, but if you're familiar with the company's product line, you'll recognize this one's secret weapon immediately: it's waterproof. No, not waterproof as in scuba-diving, but waterproof as in, take-it-to-the-beach or take-it-on-your-next-fishing-trip. That's a distinction shared by very few other compact digicams, and could make this a good option for your summer activities. Digital Camera Review checked the camera out, and found it to be well-designed and durable. The lens is protected by a plastic cover, other openings are sealed, and buttons are harder to press thanks to waterproofing. The reviewer was impressed with the image-quality on the 6 megapixel shooter, saying images "showed accurate color and good exposure in a variety of conditions." The main gripes were shutter lag (hey, it's a compact) and an LCD screen that tends to be a little hard to view in bright sunlight. Given that you may be planning to take this one to the beach, and there's no optical viewfinder, that could be a problem, but chances are you'd rather deal with that than risk dropping your SLR in the water.