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Pentax Optio WG-3 and WG-10 offer ruggedized shooting with a unique design, we go hands-on (video)
Some might call it ugly; we'll say unique. Regardless of your take on Pentax's ruggedized Optio housing, you'll get a capable waterproof shooter, with a handful of practical features. Two new models appeared this week at CP+ in Yokohama, Japan, and while both may look like they came from the same mold, the feature sets differ vastly. The more powerful compact, the WG-3, is also the slightly larger flavor. It packs a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, a sharp 3-inch LCD and a 4x, f/2-4.9 lens. Its survivability stats, printed around the lens, include waterproof to 14 meters (46 feet), shockproof to 2-meter (6.5-foot) drops, crush-proof to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of force and cold-proof to -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). Then there's the WG-10, which is basically just a rebranded WG-1, so we won't focus much on that. Both cameras have similar designs that scream "rugged" -- in other words, if you're a fan of Panasonic's original Toughbook design, you might find these attractive. They're incredibly solid-feeling, so while trade show tethers prevented us from doing any durability testing, they definitely look the part. We spent a few minutes with the WG-3 (or WG-III as indicated to the right of the lens) -- it's almost intimidating in appearance, as if it's telling other cameras to watch their backs. The display is sharp and bright and the camera was generally responsive, though it certainly won't break any records for speed. Interestingly, the WG-10, which we were originally told was a Target-exclusive, and therefore only available in red, was displayed with a black finish as well -- perhaps Pentax has different plans for that model in Japan, which makes sense, considering that there aren't any Target stores here. Either way, you should expect to see both of these hit stores in April, or you can sneak a peek now in our hands-on video after the break.
Pentax expands ruggedized series with Optio WG-3, Target-exclusive WG-10
Think it might be time for a new ruggedized Pentax? It looks like the company agrees -- two new models are making their debut this week at CP+. The first is actually a rebranded WG-1, now called the WG-10, which will be available exclusively at Target stores and the website beginning in April. It's identical to the WG-1, save for the obligatory red finish and a $180 price tag. The second model is more of an original number -- it's an update to last year's WG-2. The new compact, dubbed the WG-3, maintains the unique design of the other two Optios, including a nifty LED ring around the lens for lighting macro shots. There's a 16-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor, a 3-inch 460k-dot LCD, a 4x lens with an f/2 wide-angle maximum aperture, along with options for 1080/30p and 720/60p video capture. It's waterproof to 14 meters (46 feet), shockproof to 2 meters (6.5 feet) and freeze-proof to -10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). The basic version will run you $300, while a tricked-out $350 model adds GPS and Qi wireless charging, along with a secondary LCD that displays the current time, barometric pressure, a compass, altitude and underwater depth. Snag a peek in the gallery below.
Pentax K-01 and Optio WG-2 cameras now available
Pentax has been teasing us with its trio of cameras for what seems like an eternity. It's been long enough that we've actually had playtime with the new mirrorless flagship, the K-01. That chunky retro body will turn some heads in the street, so any fashionistas can now pick it up. It'll be winging its way to stores at the same time as its extreme-living WG-2 and WG-2 GPS, which are perfect for recording your Bear Grylls routine. The former will set you back $750 for the body, or $900 with a 40mm kit lens, whilst the Optio WG-2 is $350 or $400 if you want one with built-in GPS.
Pentax crams 18x optical zoom into Optio RZ18 point-and-shoot camera
Guess what, amateur shooters? The superzoom just got shrunk. Pentax has just outed a new compact that touts a downright impressive 18x optical zoomer (25-450mm equivalent), with the snooping lens married to a 16 megapixel sensor, a smattering of shake reduction technologies and a 3-inch HVGA LCD 'round back. Moreover, you'll find a nine-point autofocus system, face detection algorithms, an SDXC card slot and an HD video mode capable of snagging 720p clips at 30 frames per second. It's all set to ship next month in black, white and orange for $299.95 here in the States, with the full presser embedded just after the break. %Gallery-133276%
Pentax reveals Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS rugged cameras, limited edition K-5 DSLR
Who woulda thunk it? Half a year ago, finding a conventional point-and-shoot with integrated GPS was a chore, but these days, it's growing tougher and tougher to find one without it. Pentax is joining the geotagging frenzy this evening with its Optio WG-1 GPS, a rugged 14 megapixel shooter that's waterproof up to 33 feet, shockproof in nature and engineered with a "crushproof" body that can withstand weight force of up to 220 pounds (but not another Black Eyed Peas halftime show). You'll also get integrated face detection technology, the ability to snap in sub-freezing temperatures, a 5x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch rear LCD. There's also a 720p movie mode, HDMI output, IR control compatibility and support for Eye-Fi's wireless SD card. It'll ship this April in black or yellow-green for $399.95, and if you're uncomfortable remembering where you took each and every photograph, the GPS-less Optio WG-1 will also be available (in black or purple) for $50 less. In related news, the company is taking this opportunity to issue a limited edition K-5 DSLR, with this one touting a silver body, a uniquely shaped grip and shock-resistant, scratchproof glass surrounding the LCD. Outside of that, everything else about the 16.3 megapixel shooter will remain the same as it ever was, and the $1,699.95 (body only) price point is most certainly no easier to swallow. For those still sold on the idea, Pentax will also be offering a trifecta of silver prime lenses: the 21m f/3.2 AL, 40mm f/2.8 and the 70mm f/2.4. Check out Sir Silver (and the full press releases) just after the break.
Pentax Optio RZ10 point-and-shoot offers 10x optical zoom, plenty of color options
This one slipped by us when it was introduced alongside the RS1000, but Pentax is once again highlighting the Optio RZ10 point and shoot here at Photokina. This cutesy compact touts a 14 megapixel sensor, a 10x optical zoomer, an upgraded Auto Picture mode (you know, for the newbies), a CCD-shift-type shake reduction mechanism, 720p HD movie mode, face detection, a pet mode for snagging better pictures of Fido and a 2.7-inch rear LCD. There's also nine-point auto focus, an ISO range of 80 to 6400, inbuilt flash, 82.7MB of integrated storage, an SD / SDHC expansion slot and a rechargeable battery good for around 260 shots on a full charge. Pentax still isn't talking dollars and cents, only noting that you'll need to contact a dealer for more. At least you don't need a liaison to decide on a favorite color below, right? %Gallery-102738%
Pentax announces customizable cameras, faceplate-swapping RS1000 and Lego-loving NB1000
Sure, you can buy compact cameras in dozens of garish and offensive colors, but what if you're the sort who craves a different garish and offensive color every day of the week? You need the $150 Pentax RS1000, a 14.1 megapixel shooter with a 4x optical zoom, 720p video recording, and faceplate that's just four screws away from getting lost. Using the Personal Skin Designer app you can craft your own custom cover (the first one is free), meaning you could be just a few clicks away from having that brick of a camera look like a real brick. Far more exciting, however, is the identically spec'd NB1000 and its Nanoblock connectors, which are a lot like Lego but smaller and presumably cheaper to license. With that you can truly shape whatever you want, like the above safari scene, which makes this model particularly pocket unfriendly. Both cameras are set to release later this year, though the Lego-esque NB1000 is tragically destined only for kids of all ages in Japan.
Engadget's back to school guide: Digital cameras
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we've got our optical viewfinders set firmly on digital cameras -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Time for us to open up chapter two of this year's Back to School advice compendium. Up for discussion today are digital cameras, which have been in the gym all year working on their processing prowess and return today with 720p HD video as an almost standard feature. We've got a good cross-section of young pretenders and finely aged veterans for your perusal, so why not give your mouse a little exercise as well and click past the break?
Pentax Optio X90 superzoom reviewed, trumps many beginner SLRs
The power of an SLR with the ease of a compact. That's what Pentax would like you to believe its Optio X90 offers and, according to a Photography Blog review, that's about what you can expect. The 12 megapixel, 26x superzoomer's lens offers amazing flexibility without doing the lens-swap shuffle, and image quality was said to deliver very good with "striking colours" (it's a British site, mind). This is definitely a camera with a focus on helping users, but there are controls for setting shutter and aperture priority, and you can go fully manual if you like to work it, work it. Pentax's shooter doesn't score a perfect recommendation, with an inability to optically zoom while filming being a definite bummer, but the X90 earns high marks for its combination of performance and usability -- and at $399 it's something of a good deal, too.
Pentax's all-weather Optio W90 gets reviewed: brawn meets brain
As we've seen in the past, rugged point-and-shoots aren't necessarily the greatest pure shooters; generally speaking, compromises are made when it comes to image quality in order to manufacture a camera that can withstand an atypical amount of abuse. With that in mind, critics over at Photography BLOG went into their review of Pentax's all-weather Optio W90 with lowered expectations on the image quality front, but they actually came away duly impressed. Deeming the cam one "not just of outer muscle, but with inner strengths too," they found the W90 able to produce images "better what [they were] used to [seeing] from models that major on toughness." As you'd expect, it was able to shrug off bouts with dust, water and the occasional rude encounter with concrete, but reviewers did lament the omission of optical stabilization, and low-light performance was unsurprisingly lackluster. Still, it seems a solid overall option for those concerned with rigidity, but we'd encourage you to visit that source link before making a final call either way.
Pentax Optio M90 compact shows that VGA isn't dead
Image sensors keep getting more and more pixels shoved onto their tiny surfaces, but still VGA video capture just won't die. The latest to extend its legacy is the Pentax Optio M90, a 12.1 megapixel compact that gathers light through a 5x (28-140mm equivalent) lens up front and records to SD/SDHC cards. It naturally sports all the fancy smile- and blink-detection modes you'd expect in a little shooter, plus a so-called Copy mode, which pledges to somehow make it act like a hand-held scanner. We're intrigued, but the lack of HD video capture is a definite bummer. Neither price nor specific availability have been announced, but we're going to guess cheapish and soon.
Pentax Optio I-10, Nikon S3000 and Canon PowerShot SX210 IS seen in the wild
'Tis a nice day to dream about how much you could capture with a shiny new point-and-shoot, isn't it? Our best buds over at Engadget Chinese were recently able to swing by an exhibition far, far away from US shores in order to catch some of the Spring's finest new pocket shooters in action. The standouts? Canon's succulent PowerShot SX210 IS (spotted in a variety of hues), Nikon's 12 megapixel Coolpix S3000 and Pentax's Optio I-10. We'll confess -- that I-10 really has our number, and its retro styling and accompanying leather case could find its way into our pockets any day. Just sayin', is all. Hit that source link for the rest of the action.
Pentax Optio I-10 reviewed: 'perfectly average compact camera' in a decidedly stylish case
We had high hopes for the Pentax Optio I-10, a little compact camera that breaks out of the brushed metal box and delivers a style reminiscent of a '70s SLR. Unfortunately, initial hands-on reports weren't encouraging and, now that we've had a chance to read a full review, it seems this one lacks the performance to back-up its looks. Neutralday.com put this 12.1 megapixel, 5x zoom model through its paces and found that it delivers thoroughly average images in most situations, with highlights being its compact size and fast startup, but low-points including inaccurate auto-focus in low light and poor ISO performance. Ultimately it's not a bad camera and we're certainly not opposed to paying a little extra for a gadget that makes you feel warm inside, but if you're strictly looking for the best performance you can save money by choosing a model without faux leatherette styling.
Pentax makes all-weather Optio W90 and superzoom X90 official
Pentax is going for broke with its take on the rugged camera, the W90, which is unlikely to ever be confused for a svelte and stylish point-and-shoot. What it loses in looks, it gains in usability, however, as the 12.1 megapixel shooter can withstand shocks from a height of four feet, go nearly 20 feet under water, and withstand temperatures as slow as -10 degrees Celsius. The dustproofing is just topping on that rugged cake, though it still offers things like 720p / 30fps video recording and 5x optical zoom that are now considered standard camera specs. There are also three forms of shake reduction: one is post-processing of affected images, the second is by automatically increasing the ISO in low light conditions, and the third is the use of "exclusive software" during movie mode. We can't say any one of those will be as good as a well-implemented optical image stabilization, but at least they're there and might offer some assistance. As to the X90, it joins a growing band of 26x and above optical superzoomers, while adding the W90's 720p video mode and anti-shake plus its own sensor-shift stabilizer for good measure. Both shooters are expected in April, priced at $330 for the W90 and $400 for the X90, though we've noticed the former will show up a month earlier in the UK with a £270 ($417) price tag.
Pentax's Optio I-10 point-and-shoot gets the hands-on treatment
Pentax managed to turn a few heads with its new batch of retro-styled point-and-shoots, and the folks at Pocket-lint have now already managed to get a hands-on with the top-end model of the lot: the Optio I-10. As you might expect, they seem to have been suitably impressed by the "cute and miniature" design, although they're quick to point out that this is far from the "hybrid" camera it might appear to be In fact, they say it's "very light," which apparently prompted some folks they handed it to question if it was "even a real camera." Not exactly the most encouraging sign, but Pocket-lint is promising to say more once it's had a chance to really put the camera through its paces.
Pentax confirms Optio I-10, H90, and E90 budget-friendly shooters
With a couple of leaks to get our mouths watering, Pentax has at last confirmed its new trio of Optio cameras: the I-10 (pictured), H90, and E90. The SLR-inspired I-10 sports a 5x zoom, 12.1 megapixel sensor, 2.7-inch LCD and 720p / 30fps video capture. There's also optical image stabilization, smile capture, and face detection to round out the feature set -- not bad for a $300 camera. Meanwhile, the similarly classy, 80s-inspired H90 checks most of the same boxes (including HD video, 12.1 megapixel stills and 5x zoom) with a $180 pricetag -- we can only guess its sacrifices involve a downgraded lens, sensor or general sense of class. Finally, the E90 throws off all classic pretension and does up 10 megapixels, 3x zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD for a mere $100. No optical stabilization here, but the 6400 ISO and Digital Shake Reduction mode should help out a little bit. All three cameras ship next month. PR is after the break. %Gallery-83857%
Pentax Optio I-10, H90, and E-90 leak out in full
We caught a glimpse of some new Pentax cams yesterday, and now the new Optio I-10, E-10, and two-tone H90 have leaked out in full. We still don't kow a ton about them, but the higher-res images mean we know some basic specs: the I-10 cops an old-school vibe and features a 5x zoom on top of a 12.1 megapixel sensor, the H90 also has a 5x zoom, and the E90 looks to be a little more basic with a 3x zoom and a 10.1 megapixel sensor. So... let's get official with these soon, okay?
Pentax's waterproof Optio W80 reviewed: tough as nails, 'so-so' image quality
We've always heard that life was full of compromises, and evidently Pentax made a few when it decided to build its toughest, most rugged point-and-shoot camera of all time. On paper, the Optio W80 looked mighty promising, but in practice, the all-important image quality was found to fall short. Over at PhotographyBLOG, critics found that the camera could withstand "virtually anything" within reason, and while the 5x optical zoom and HD movie mode were both appreciated, most everything else was at least somewhat disappointing. The anti-shake system was found to simply slow the camera down, and the image quality was hamstrung by excessive noise at all ISO levels -- even 100. Feel free to peek the full review down in the read link, but make sure to keep your expectations in check.
Pentax debuts waterproof Optio WS80 alongside P80 and E80 point-and-shoots
Not turned on by Pentax's recently released Optio W80? How's about a colorful variant for $50 less? This fine evening, the waterproof Optio WS80 is being unveiled alongside two other entirely less enchanting point-and-shoots. The $249.95 WS80 (shown above) looks about as natural as a waterproof camera can, arriving this September in "his-and-her designs" with a 10 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom, a sub-1-inch thick body, 2.7-inch LCD and the ability to withstand depths of up to five feet (lackluster, we know). Still, the ability to snag underwater video at 720p is a real boon, and there's even face detection, shake reduction and sensitivity modes as high as ISO 6400. As for the other guys, the Optio P80 gets things going with a 12.1 megapixel CCD, 2.7-inch LCD, 720p (30fps) movie mode, face detection, shake reduction, a 4x wide-angle optical zoom lens (equivalent to 27.5 - 110mm focal length) and support for AA batteries. It's expected to ship this September for $199.95 in black, pearl and mint hues. Finally, the low-end E80 is pretty much the same as the P80 save for its 10 megapixel sensor, 15fps 720p movie mode and 3x optical zoom lens with a focal length equivalent to 32 - 96mm. It should also ship in September for $129.95. Check the full releases and specification sheets after the break... if you dare.
Pentax's Optio W80 point-and-shoot shrugs off water, haters
While Canon's PowerShot D10 has been hogging the spotlight in the waterproof point-and-shoot arena, Pentax is dropping in a formidable opponent this evening with the Optio W80. Said shooter measures in at just one inch thick and features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, a 5x internal optical zoom, a wide-angle 28mm lens and a SuperProtect coating that helps repel water, grime and finger marks from the len's crystal cover. The chassis is built to handle submersion in water up to 16 feet deep, not to mention extreme cold, dust and drops of one meter or less. There's also a 2.5-inch rear LCD, a 720p movie mode, face detection and shake reduction. It's slated to ship next month for $299.95; now you've just got to decide between Cardinal Red, Azure Blue and Gunmetal Gray. Tough call, right? The full release is just past the break.
