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Why I love my Pentax Optio WP
Just over a year ago I decided I needed a digital camera that could get wet. My regular digital camera was great but unfortunately it was afraid of the water. Or more precisely I was afraid of getting it wet and losing it. I did buy a watertight case for it but it was bulky and didn't fit very well. The true underwater case that I desired was a bit too expensive for my taste (Just shy of $1000!) So I did a little research and decided I needed a Pentax Optio WP. Good to about 3 meters (10 feet) it was perfect for my needs. I didn't plan to use it for scuba diving although it appears to work fine for snorkeling. I did plan to use it on the water in my kayaks which is precisely where it works best. This camera uses the tiny little SD chip. I've got a couple of 1 Gig chips and they work great. It's a 5 mega-pixel capable camera with a 3x digital zoom. I tend to avoid the digital zoom because it usually just pixilates the photos. I can enhance things with Photoshop if I need to zoom in on anything in the photo. That works much better than the digital zoom. This camera also shoots movies! A 1 gig chip will let you take 25 minutes of video. I've found it fun to use in certain areas where photos just don't do the scenery justice. It's also fun to capture certain events in motion...like surfing a wave or running a rapid. I've also mounted it on the handlebars of my motorcycle and recorded sections of cool pavement. The only issue I've had is vibration. It can cause the camera to lockup or shutdown. Not an issue if you are shooting by hand or from a tripod. The only other issue is battery life. When it was new I was able to use the camera over four days shooting something like 300 photos and a half dozen movies and still have some battery life left. But over time the battery deteriorates and you will have less time available. I have multiple batteries so I usually have backup. I also found a cheap car charger online so I can charge the batteries from a car power socket. Pentax did not sell one when I first bought the camera. Here's a couple of examples of the camera in action in the water. (click on the pic for full size)
And here's an example of the movie capabilities. The first is a roll in my kayak on the river. Not good video but you see the camera takes the abuse and keeps on going. I've submerged it hundreds of time on the river and in the ocean with no problems at all. If I were starting over and had to buy another waterproof camera today I would by the same one. This thing shoots great photos, is lightweight and easy to carry and is pretty bulletproof. Most of the recent shots on this website are courtesy of this camera. Craig
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