Pentax Optio W80

The rugged, 12-megapixel Optio W80 is an attractive little beast that can withstand a good deal of physical punishment. It's over-reliant on its menu system, but it's a versatile snapper, offering a 5x wideangle zoom, a high-def movie mode and a sensitivity range that goes all the way up to ISO 6,400

The Pentax Optio W80 is a new all-action, go-everywhere camera. The W80 is shock, freeze, dust and water proof, features 12 megapixels, a 5x zoom lens and HD movie recording, and currently costs less than £250 / $275. Mark Goldstein braved the elements to find out if the Pentax W80 can survive what passes for a British summer...

It's summer in the northern hemisphere, and as the weather heats up, many readers will be heading to the nearest beach or river bank to cool down and relax. In these situations it's nice to have a camera that you don't have to worry about getting wet, and can maybe even take into the water with you. Manufacturers have offered underwater housings for compact cameras (as well as DSLRs) for some time, but with the high price and significant extra bulk of these accessories, a more compact and sometimes cheaper option could be a waterproof or water resistant camera.

Earlier this week Pentax announced a new addition to their ‘rugged’ line of camera – the Pentax Optio W80. The 12.1 megapixel Pentax Optio W80 is being promoted by Pentax as their ‘most shock and waterproof digital camera ever’. It is operational to depths of 16 feet for up to two hours at a time,

The Pentax W80 is their latest in a long line of waterproof cams that take decent shots, but have always been my favorite because of their compact size. This one is a bit bigger, but gains ruggedization and depth.

Pentax W80 review, find out how the W80 stacks up against the competition in our real-world review with in-depth image quality comparisons.

Pentax Optio W80 Above 10 Megapixel user reviews : 3.1 out of 5 - 3 reviews - photographyreview.com

“The Pentax Optio W80 is an incredibly versatile compact digicam.” Steve’s Digicams has posted their review of the Pentax Optio W80 [QuickPrice Check], an ultra compact digital ca…

Pentax W80 is a 12.0MP Small Sensor Compact camera with a 1/2.3-inch sized CCD sensor and 28-140 mm F3.5-5.5 lens. Read our W80 review to find its pros and cons.

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Review posted 10/27/2009 Quick TakeProsWater, Dust, Shock and Freeze Proof; 720p HD movies; Ability to Travel and Shoot where most cameras can'tConsWeak Flash; No HD output for HD videos; Noise in images at ALL ISO settings; Very Short Battery LifeBottom LineGreat features and excellent performance,