Pentax Optio W60 review

Is being waterproof a blessing or a curse for this compact?

A few years ago, a waterproof digital camera conjured up images of a huge transparent monstrosity to strap around a conventional camera, making it three times as large and half as usable. The Pentax W60 may look like a reasonably standard compact digital camera, but beneath the surface lies the ability to withstand similar conditions to an expensive casing.

Being upwards of 13 feet water-resistant and capable of withstanding temperatures that would usually spell the end of the photographer, the W60 certainly has the credentials to become a surfer or diver’s best friend. The only real possible downside would be if the other elements are ignored, such as the optics suffering from being stuck behind a layer of protective glass. The controls are also a concern, as making a button capable of being pressed in the aforementioned extreme conditions will need to be far larger, more robust and harder wearing than that of the average compact.

Thankfully, the majority of the controls have been kept the same as the W60’s nonsports-proof siblings, with a large D-pad complete with function shortcuts in each direction. Pressing the likes of the Menu and Playback button does require a touch more effort than usual, which has the benefit of allowing the camera to be stored in places such as a wetsuit without filling the SD card with accidental shots of the inside. The zoom is the only real element to suffer, with little gradient allowed in the speed of the magnification. This does lead to some toing and froing between depths at times, as the 5x optical zoom is quickly exhausted by leaving the telephoto button pressed for a few seconds. The delay in powering the camera up is also a cause for frustration, as little indication is given as to what the W60 is doing other than some green illumination on the power button. A blank screen remains for a few seconds before jumping into life, which can easily lead to the misapprehension that there’s no reaction from the camera at all, and the power button is pressed yet again. Although after a few uses this becomes less likely to lead to any repeats of this, there are instances when moments are missed in the seconds the W60 takes to spring to life. The availability of the controls is impressive enough, offering up Face Detection and the simple Green mode without the need for entering a menu.

Even the menu has an air of simplicity about it, offering large text, basic colours and a symbol-based system for when the major functions are activated. This makes the camera all the easier to operate when water comes into contact, and makes the LCD more difficult to make out.

Although plenty of the camera’s parts are built with the more extreme end of the W60’s capabilities in mind, the optics haven’t been forgotten. Starting at a wide 28mm, the lens heads through to 140mm at the telephoto end to give 5x optical zoom. As the optics are sealed within the casing of the camera having an above average level of magnification is no mean feat. The focus does suffer somewhat from having that extra layer of protection in front, taking plenty of time to pick out a person in a portrait shot. This can lead to the odd blurry image, especially when cold waters are making the photographer shiver. In the correct lighting, the end results aren’t too disappointing and can easily stand up against the average 10MP compact. When pushed to work under less light, where the ISO range is tested more thoroughly, the image quality tended to suffer at the higher end of the scale. In spite of having the capacity to top out at ISO 6400, noise started becoming visible at closer to the 800 mark and increased to the almost unusable 3200. Although having such an impressive ISO range makes good reading on the specs, not having the ability to fully utilise it makes the addition something of a letdown. The skin tones aren’t the warmest we’ve seen, though, as most other compacts give the red end of the spectrum more focus to make the subjects look healthier. The W60 seems more concerned with the bluer end of the scale, which is understandable due to the primary usage, making portrait shots less welcoming than the likes of Panasonic and Nikon’s equivalents.

The Pentax W60’s merits need to be judged with the extra protection taken into account. Comparing it entirely to another 10MP compact would be unfair, as the waterproof element both adds functionality and forces a fair few ergonomic changes to be made. While this may not make the W60 as simple to use as its rivals, the usability of those controls while underwater is the proof in the pudding. The images weren’t spectacular, and the frustratingly slow focus time wore on the nerves, but the end results were perfectly usable, and the often-spectacular surroundings the W60 made it possible to shoot in reduced any minor niggles to nothing. The W60 is certainly perfect for those going to be in, near or around water, and can still perform as a standard compact.