W80 Dolphin Shots
Shooting a dolphin with Pentax Optio W80 waterproof camera. Read More »
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Waterproof Depth: 16ft
Shock Proof: 3.3 ft
Freeze Proof: Yes
Resolution: 12.1MP
Zoom: 5.0x
Focal length: 28-140mm
Shock Proof: 3.3 ft
Freeze Proof: Yes
Resolution: 12.1MP
Zoom: 5.0x
Focal length: 28-140mm
Pentax Optio W80
Site Score
2.7 Good: Better video quality than the predecessor
Bad: Softer picture and low battery life
Retail
$300
Pentax has been making waterproof cameras since 2003 – so we expect them to impress us with this retro looking W80.
With 28 mm wide angle lens, 5x zooms and HD video, it is statistically better than the more expensive Canon D10.
But in reality, the pictures are not as good as the Canon. In fact, it’s no better than the lower spec W60 it is supposed to replace.
The Good
- Price — has dropped like a rock since it’s launch.
- HD video. Relatively high quality.
The Bad
- Pictures not as good as it’s rivals.
- Slow.
- Short battery life.
- Menu is not user friendly.
The Verdict: How Good Is This Camera ?
| We Review | We Found | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Picture Quality | The image quality of the W80 is poorer than the W60 - especially during the night where it gets trouble focusing. Daylight pictures also turn out to be soft and grainy. We suggest you turn off the digital stabilizer and set the picture quality to Fine for less noisy photos. Performance wise, it won't beat the Canon or Panasonic, but if postcard size pictures is all that you need, this camera should deliver acceptable images. | B |
| Video Quality | The 30fps HD movie is sharp and vivid but the background mono noise that comes with it is poor. And you can't use the optical zoom while recording.Since the camera uses the space consuming AVI format for it's clips, shooting movies can fill your memory card in no time. Make sure you have spare memory cards while shooting. | B+ |
| Ease of Use | The Pentax menu system is not as easy to navigate as one from Canon or Olympus. So make sure you spend your time getting used to the camera menu and options. If you don't care about the settings, you can use the Green Mode where you let the camera does the thinking and you do the shooting. | C+ |
| Battery Life | The 680 mAh battery will only give around 170 shots per charge - which is half the life of the Panasonic waterproof camera. | C+ |
| Built Quality | Apart from the brushed front plate, this camera is made mostly of plastic and rubber. It is small. In fact, more compact than most waterproof cameras and should easily fits your pocket. Despite the size and unimpressive exterior material, it does feel solid. | C+ |
| Speed | It starts up reasonably fast (less than 2 seconds). But it takes around 1 second to focus and a couple of seconds to process your photos. And if you turn on the digital stabilizer (Pixel Track SR), it gets slower as the camera add 3 to 4 seconds to process your picture. Navigating the menu to finetune your setting is also far troublesome than rival cameras. | B |
| Toughness | Despite added rubbers on the edges of this little camera, it doesn't feel as tough as the other high end waterproof models. But we don't doubt it's ruggedness since it shares the same built as the w60. It should handle a bump or two and extreme temperature well. | C+ |
| Number of Functions | 22 modes should be enough for casual shooters. But the non intuitive menu system is a big minus. | B+ |
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Optio W80 Spec
Toughness
Water Proof Depth:
16feet
Shock Proof:
3.3feet
Freeze Proof:
-10Celcius
Picture Taking Ability
Resolution:
12.1MegaPixel
Zoom:
5.0x
Focal length:
28-140mm Wideangle
28-140mm Wideangle
LCD Size:
2.5inch
2.5inch
Picture Taking Assistance
Image Stabilizer: noDigital only
Face Detection:
yes32 Faces
Scene Modes:
yes22 Options
Viewfinder:
no
Video Taking Ability
Type:
High Def.
Zoom:
no
Max Shooting Duration
Photos:
170photos per charge
Video:
info not avail
Memory & Battery
Memory Type:
SD/SDHC
Battery Type:
Lithium-ion 680mAh
Optio W80 Sample Pictures
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