Pentax Optio WS80 review

Will Pentax’s waterproof compact sink or swim?

With the rising popularity of rugged compacts, the market has become increasingly competitive. Pentax’s W-series has included an evolving line of high-quality waterproof cameras. The latest offering is a cheaper alternative to the Optio W80 – the WS80.

Pentax has gone for a two-tone colour scheme on this model, and it is offered in two varieties: black with orange detail and white with purple detail.

The body is a good weight and small enough to easily be slipped into a pocket. It has strayed away from the tough look both in size

and appearance, but is equally as robust. Although a cheaper plastic body is used, that doesn’t look to be the case.

A 2.7” LCD screen dominates the camera back, which is an unexpected addition with the W80’s larger body only utilising a 2.5” screen. Button layout is simplistic and the functions are clearly marked out. When the initial settings have been configured, there are multiple ways to operate the camera.

Using Easy or ‘green’ mode means the camera will shoot for you in simplified full auto settings. The only options to be manually altered are face detection settings, flash and self-timer. All of these are accessed through simple graphic menus.

Outside of this mode you can use the scene selection, offering up to 22 pre-defined camera settings for everyday situations. The shortcuts all remain the same, with slightly more options than before. Using the Program setting will open up the more advanced shooting options like white balance, manual focus and metering.

No zoom on start up means you can have the camera out and shooting in seconds. The zoom and focus are quick to respond in most lighting conditions. One drawback is that the plastic lens cover is very prone to getting dirty. This will constantly need to be cleaned or it will start to effect the focus and your pictures.

Unfortunately image quality has been reduced from the already below-par W80 sensor. When using the auto settings in sunny conditions the camera is prone to overexposing images. Colours can look washed-out and lack realistic contrasts. Noise is apparent in most conditions and is especially bad in low light, rendering higher ISOs useless.

Macro shooting isn’t particularly impressive on this model, which is a shame because some of the most unique water-based photos are shot at close distance. Face recognition is responsive and teamed with blink detection, which produces good results. Having a smile shutter is particularly handy when you are solo and want to get a self-portrait without having to play with the timer settings.

Waterproofing to 1.5m allows you to get a bit more adventurous with your shooting. This model is best suited to shooting a colourful reef while snorkelling, but other than that is going to be good for swimming and water sport images.

We managed to shoot over 300 images on a single charge, admittedly with fairly minimal flash use. While good for a day’s shooting, it may not be enough for the aggressive photographer. If you are getting the casing wet or sandy, the last thing you want is to change batteries. Shooting video will also reduce your battery life dramatically although the HD video is a good addition, offering 720p movies at 30fps.

Waterproof cameras are an expensive luxury and it shows in the image quality of this compact. If waterproofing were a necessity, then for the money it may be better to pay the extra for something more substantial, like the Olympus Tough [Mju:] 8000.