As early as 2003, Pentax has been marketing waterproof cameras for water sport enthusiasts. The company built on this and today it has produced an even tougher and more adventure-appropriate camera. This is the Pentax Optio W80.
The new camera, with its airtight external joints, resists water up to a depth of about five meters. Even at this depth, it can continue to capture still pictures and videos of all kinds of marine life and landscape up to two hours. Dust, too, cannot penetrate into the camera keeping all its internal parts clean. Apart from this, the camera is fitted with shock-absorbent material that absorbs any impact inflicted on it even from a height of one meter. It is also cold proof. You can go skiing in temperatures as low as -10°C and bring home your photo or video executing a 540° aerial maneuver.
Pentax Optio W80 boasts of 12.1 megapixels. This means you can photograph the rich details of an anemone fish hiding among seagrass and enlarge it to an 11 X 8 print without losing sharpness. A 5X internal optical zoom, equivalent to 28 – 140 mm, allows you to view the world almost like a fish and to get up close and personal with them.
In place of a viewfinder a 2.5-inch LCD screen gives you a preview of your photo. This is coated with an anti-reflective overlay giving you a clear view even under bright sunlight.
The camera has a Pixel Track SR (Shake Reduction) feature that compensates for camera shake. Its High-Sensitivity SR Mode adjusts ISO levels if it detects low lighting conditions. Its Face Detection Technology senses up to 32 faces, and it also has Smile Capture and Blink Detection capabilities. Its Super Macro Mode allows you to focus on a subject as close as 1 cm.