Pentax Optio W30 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: New fully waterproof camera from Pentax...

Review summary: The Optio W30 is equipped with Ultra-fast 9-Point Autofocus and features Tracking AF. Portrait mode combines Face priority AF with Face priority auto-exposure for perfect results. This technology is particularly effective at preventing "dropout" ...

Verdict: With Pentax's Mode Palette, the selection of shooting and playback modes is made much easier. By arranging 25 shooting modes and 15 playback modes, the Mode Palette speeds up mode selection with its easy to use display. After choosing a mode a guide ...

Review summary: With apologies to Captain Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean: "dead cameras take no pictures".

Pros: Limited underwater capability, excellent foul-weather capability ; High ISO capability provides low-light flexibility ; 2.5" LCD

Cons: No RAW capability ; No manual controls (manual focus only) ; Hard to autofocus in dim lighting conditions

Verdict: The W30 is an improved version of the Pentax Optio W20, with the primary changes being increased depth and duration limits (up to about 10 feet and 2 hours from about 5 feet and 30 minutes in the earlier camera) and an increased maximum ISO ...

Review summary: Pentax is showcasing the release of their latest waterproof camera, the Optio W30, at PMA in Las Vegas this year. Like its predecessor, the W20, the W30 received the highest ratings for water protection (JIS Class 8) and the second highest level for ...

Pros: - Rugged construction - Improved waterproof capabilities - Ability to set up to four different controls for the on-camera green button - Ability to reset menu order - Competitive price in the compact waterproof category

Cons: - Poor lens - Low LCD resolution and angle of view - Lens position easily gets covered by left hand's fingers

Verdict: The Pentax Optio W30 offers some great features for a slim, pocket camera, like multiple scene modes, customizable menus, programmable control button, good macro focus range, and of course, the waterproof qualities. However, unless you're only ...

Review summary: The Pentax Optio W30 is a 7 megapixel (CCD) compact camera with a 3x optical zoom and the ability to shoot underwater (to a depth of 3 meters) for up to 2 hours. It has an LCD screen that is 2.5 inches. The Pentax Optio W30 is a replacement to the ...

Verdict: The Pentax Optio W30 is a replacement to the popular Pentax Optio W20 and it features ISO of up to 3200, Macro mode with the ability to take shots from as near as 1cm, face recognition priority (for both auto focus and auto exposure), movie mode at up ...