Pentax Optio W80 Review

Quick Take

Pros

• Water, Dust, Shock and Freeze Proof; 720p HD movies; Ability to Travel and Shoot where most cameras can’t

Cons

• Weak Flash; No HD output for HD videos; Noise in images at ALL ISO settings; Very Short Battery Life

Bottom Line

• Great features and excellent performance, but there was noise in ALL of our sample images. Read more in our Full Conclusion.

Pentax’s toughest camera yet, the Optio W80, has been built to withstand an active lifestyle that most other digicams can not. This 12-Megapixel model is waterproof up to 16ft., Shockproof from over 3ft., coldproof and even dustproof. It features a 5x internal optical zoom lens, 2.5-inch LCD screen, 720p HD movie mode and multiple shake reduction options that allow this camera to compete with any other digicam in its price range as well as making it one of the top waterproof/tough models on the market. It is available in several stylish yet tough-looking colors.
Pentax Optio W80 Features:

• 12.1-Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD imaging sensor
• Waterproof up to 16 ft. (5 meters)
• Dustproof
• Shockproof from drops of up to 3.3 ft. (1 meter)
• Coldproof in temperatures as low as 14°F (-10°C)
• 5x internal optical zoom lens: F3.5-5.5 28-140mm, 35mm equivalent
• Image Stabilization: Pixel Track SR, Digital SR, Movie SR
• Shutter Speed: 1/1500-1/4 (4 seconds in night scene mode)
• Shooting modes: One Shot, Self Timer (10s, 2s), Continuous, High Speed Continuous, Interval, Auto Bracket; Continuous FPS
• Multiple Scene shooting modes, including several for underwater
• Smile Capture
• Blink Detection
• 720p HD video mode
• Li-Ion Battery – Approx. 170 recordable images or 65 min. movie record time
• USB computer and A/V output

In the Box:

• Software CD-ROM S-SW87
• USB Cable I-USB7
• AV Cable I-AVC7
• Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI78
• Battery Charge Cradle D-BC78
• AC Plug Cord
• Strap O-ST20

Pentax Optio W80 Quick Reviews

Available now with a MSRP of US$ 299.95
Additional Images:

Physical Views

Features & Controls

The PENTAX Optio W80 features an internal 5X zoom lens that covers focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (approximately 28mm to 140mm in 35mm format) and a refraction lens that never protrudes from the camera while zooming. This system allows the camera to capture a variety of scenes including expansive landscapes, architecture, and group photos in confined spaces as well as close-up telephoto shots of subjects. When combined with the intelligent digital zoom function (up to 6.25X) zoom magnification may be increased to 31.3X.

The built-in flash has modes for Auto, forced on (fill), forced off, redeye reduction, and soft flash. The working range at wide angle is approx. 13 ft wide., and telephoto is approx. 8.2 ft. (using ISO auto).

On top of the Optio W80 is the speaker, microphone, power button and the shutter release.

The 2.5 inch high-resolution (approximately 230,000 dots) LCD monitor features an Anti-Reflection coating to reduce reflective glare and be easily viewed even in bright sunlight. The monitor’s wide viewing angle (about 170 degrees both horizontally and vertically) allows users to view images from nearly any angle.

Controls on the back: Top right is the zoom control, which also handles the zoom and index options in playback mode. Next is the Playback button for reviewing your images. The MENU button calls up or dismisses the onscreen menu system. The face button toggles the face priority on and off and also turns on the smile shutter mode. The 4-way selector switch is for navigating menu options, press the OK button in the center to accept selections. Press "Up" to change Drive modes in record, press "Down" to change the recording mode (see the next page for the modes available), press "Right" for focus modes and "Left" for flash modes. The Green button enters the Easy record mode, and you can also set a desired shortcut function to this button (ISO, white balance, contrast, etc.).
Both connecting the camera to a computer or printer and viewing your images and movies on a TV is done with the USB port under battery/memory card door.
Images and movies are recorded on a SD/SDHC memory card. The Optio W80 is shown here with a 4GB, SDHC Eye-Fi Pro card. This card allows you to connect your camera directly to a Wi-Fi network to upload your images directly from the camera.

The Optio W80 is powered by a D-LI78 proprietary 3.7 680mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery. Pentax claims a battery life of up to 170shots and a playback time of 180 minutes in accordance with CIPA measuring conditions. The battery is charged out of the camera with the provided AC charger.

The Optio W80 shown here with the optional Optio Floating Strap and Pentax camera case.

Record Screens & Menus

This is the "green" point-n-shoot mode. Here the camera controls all aspects of the exposure process. The Record and Mode menus are locked, you may only change the flash mode (Auto or Off), enable the Self-timer, or change between 9-point AF, Pan Focus or Macro focus mode while in point-n-shoot.Face detection is ON and you are shown the number of remaining pictures (872) and the battery level.
Auto picture mode gives you a few menu options like resolution, image quality and ISO. The camera still adjusts everything else so you can just point and shoot.
Program mode gives you the most control over the camera, however, It is not a full manual mode. Pressing the OK button changes the amount of information that is shown on the screen. The RED background shows highlight areas that too bright.
With the shutter half-pressed the autofocus locks, the active AF point bracket will shrink, turn green, now you are ready to shoot.
Pressing the directions on the 4-way controller brings up several shortcut menus. Left takes you to the Flash settings, Up goes to the drive modes, Right are the Focus modes and down are is the Mode Menu which is shown below.
Shooting Modes:

Auto Picture, Program, Night Scene, Movie, Underwater, Underwater Movie, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Digital Wide, Surf & Snow, Digital SR, Kids, Pet, Half-Length Portrait, Sport, Fireworks, Candlelight, Night Scene Portrait, Text, Food, Digital Panorama, Frame Composite and Report

The Optio W80 not only offers Face Detection, it also has an auto Smile Capture feature as well as Face Priority that will choose specific faces over all others.
Record Mode Options:

• Image Tone – Bright, Natural, MonoChrome
• Pixel Track SR – On or Off
• Recorded Pixels – 12M, 3:2, 16:9, 7M, 5M, 3M, 1024×768 or 640×480
• Quality Level – Three (Best), Two (Better) or One (Good) "stars"
• White Balance – Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent or Manual
• AF Setting – Focusing Area (9 point AF, Spot AF, Tracking AF)
• AE Metering – Multi, Center-weighted, Spot
• Sensitivity – Auto or fixed at 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 160, 3200, 6400
• ISO Correction in AUTO – 64-100, 64-200, 64-400, 64-800, 64-1600
• EV Compensation – Override metering ±2.0EV in 1/3 steps
• Movie – Enters the Movie mode menu (shown below)
• D-Range Setting – Highlight Correction and Shadow Correction
• Interval Shoot – Choose interval, number of shots, and start time
• Blink Detection – On or Off
• Digital Zoom – On or Off
• Instant Review – On or Off
• Memory – Memorize settings between power on and off
• Green Button – Choose the function of the Green Button
• Sharpness – Settings for minus, normal, plus
• Saturation – Settings for minus, normal, plus
• Contrast – Settings for minus, normal, plus
• Date Imprint – Off, Date, Date & Time, Time

The Optio W80 has the ability to capture movies at 720p HD as well as the standard 640×480 and 320×240 resolutions at both 15 and 30 fps. You also have the option of using the Movie SR to help steady your handheld videos.
Movie Menu Options:

• Recorded Pixels – 1280 @ 15 and 30fps, 640 @ 15 and 30fps, 320 @ 15 and 30fps
• Movie SR – On or Off
• Interval Shoot – Allows the camera to capture images on a set interval or a set period of time (time-lapse photography)

Playback Screens & Menus

The Review button brings up the last image captured in full screen mode with some information overlaid. Press "right" or "left" to scroll through the captured images. A musical note indicates an audio memo has been added to this image, press "up" on the 4-way controller to play. Pressing the "OK" button will change the amount of onscreen information shown.
Pressing the Wide Zoom control button brings up the thumbnail index mode, here you can quickly search through the stored images and select one for full screen playback. You have option of 4 or 9 thumbnails based on how many times you press the button. Press it again and the calendar mode is displayed. You can then press the "Green" button to select which folder you want to search through.
You can magnify an image up to 10x in several steps by pressing the telephoto zoom control. Using the 4-way selector allows you to move around inside the enlarged image.
Playback Modes:

Slide show, Digital Filter, Frame Composite, Resize, Cropping, Image/Sound Copy, Image Rotation, Movie Edit, Red-Eye Compensation, Voice Memo, Protect, DPOF, Image Recovery, Start-Up Screen

The Resize option lets you create a smaller image in-camera for email or web page use or to reclaim some memory space in a pinch.

Rotate allows you to change the orientation of an image by 90° at a time.

The crop function lets you trim/crop an image and then save it as a new image with the quality level of your choice.

Movie clips playback full screen, the 4-way selector acts as the start, stop and pause control similar to that of a VCR/DVR. You can pause a movie and play it forwards or backwards one frame at a time.

The movie edit function allows you to save a still image from any frame in the movie. It also allows you to split your longer movies into shorter ones, no computer needed.

Camera Settings Options:

• Sound – Set volume and type of camera operation sounds
• Date Adjust – Set Date & Time
• Alarm – Set an alarm time
• World Time – Set World Time
• Language – Select the camera’s language
• Folder Name – Create an image folder
• USB Connection – Set transfer mode (PC, PictBridge)
• Video Out – Set video format (NTSC, PAL)
• Brightness level – LCD brightness
• Power Saving – Time delay before LCD auto dims
• Auto Power Off – On, Off
• Quick Zoom – On, Off
• Guide Display – Enable the brief popup labels when switching modes
• Reset – Return settings to default
• Delete All - Delete all images off of the memory card
• Pixel Mapping – Check and adjust the image sensor for bad pixels
• Format – Formats the SD card

Steve’s Conclusion

Pentax’s latest underwater digicam, the Optio W80 shows a few improvements over the previous model, the Optio W60. It features a 12-Megapixel imaging sensor, 5x wide internal optical zoom lens, HD movie mode and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. With it’s ‘go-anywhere’ construction, it can handle depths of up to 16 feet (5 meters), withstand drops of up to 3.3 feet (1 meter), and operate in temperatures as low as 14° F (-10°C). The rubber gaskets that are used to keep water out of the camera also work very well for keeping out dust and sand. Like most regular point-and-shoot digicams, the W80 also offers Shake Reduction, Face Detection, and a full selection of preset scene modes to assist you in tough shooting conditions.
Unlike some waterproof digicams, the Optio W80 does not have any odd or bulky shapes. It’s compact body is stylish and incredibly durable which you will notice the very first time you pick it up. Shooting with the camera is very easy both in and out of the water. The shutter release and zoom controls can be operated either with one hand or with two hands via the "pinch" technique. Pentax has made better use of the back with larger buttons, compared to the W60, making them easier to press. Framing and viewing your images is done on the 2.5-inch LCD screen. Featuring 230,000 dots, an anti-reflective coating and a 170° angle of view, this screen makes the W80 easy to use in almost any situation.
Performance from the Optio W80 is good overall for a camera in its class. It takes 2.1 seconds for the camera to capture its first image after being powered up. Shutter lag is less than 1/10 of a second when the camera is pre-focused and between 3/10 and 8/10 of a second when allowing the camera to auto-focus depending, on distance and available light, which is very good. The shot-to-shot delay is just over 2 seconds between shots when shooting without the flash and 2.65 seconds between shots with the flash. If this is not fast enough for you, there are two continuous burst modes offered. Normal continuous is able to capture 8 images at 1.36 fps. (8 images in 5.9 seconds). High speed continuous offers more speed but a smaller image, capturing 8, 5-Megapixel images at 3.33 fps (8 images in 2.4 seconds). In both continuous modes the buffer was full after the 8 shots and the camera stops shooting until it is cleared. All of our tests were completed using a Lexar Pro 133x, 2GB SD memory card, Program mode, ISO auto, Flash off and all other settings at the factory defaults unless noted otherwise. All times may vary depending on lighting, camera settings, media, etc.
The overall quality of our outdoor images is good. Our samples are sharp throughout the image, while showing excellent exposures and vivid colors. One noticeable problem, especially if you plan on making large prints, is the amount of noise that can be seen in all of our samples. Shooting at ISO 64 on a bright, sunny day, we should not be able to see any noise in our sample images, which was not the case with the W80.
Accurate framing is possible thanks to a 5x, internal, optical zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent of 28-140mm. This allows you to capture vast landscapes with the wide end of the zoom, however you will see some barrel distortion. While the telephoto end will not get you incredibly close to your distant subjects, it is a great tool for framing your images and enables you to single out individuals from a group. Throughout the zoom range there are some slight aberrations in high contrast areas.
Our indoor samples showed similar results as above. Even at the lowest ISO, there is a noticeable amount of noise present. Another issue we had shooting indoors without a flash is the minimum shutter speed of ¼ second. At lower ISO settings, this did not allow enough light to be captured for a proper exposure. Assisting in your indoor and low-light shots is a built-in flash with a range of up to 13-feet (w) at ISO auto. At lower ISO settings, this range is much shorter. The flash was not near powerful enough in our sample shot taken from 6-feet away, mid-telephoto, at ISO 64. The flash is controlled pretty well when shooting in macro mode, but do not expect to be able to use it when shooting with the 1cm mode, as only a small portion of your image will benefit.
Shooting portraits with the Optio W80 is very easy, as the camera does a descent job of finding and tracking faces. The first face is found very fast, while any others after that take a little longer. Once a face is detected, the camera adjusts the exposure, white balance, focus etc. to produce the best possible exposures for the detected faces. When a face is detected, the flash automatically uses the red-eye reduction flash (if the flash mode is auto), which did not work in any of our sample portraits. Our sample shows red-eye in both of our subjects despite the pre-flash. Using the in-camera red-eye removal tool easily fixed this problem.
Shooting underwater is easy using the preset "Underwater" scene mode for either still images or movies. These settings have been adjusted to produce correct colors for most underwater situations. In order to get a clear shot indoors, in deep water or even on a cloudy day, you will almost always need to use the flash. As light does not travel as far underwater, so you will want to keep your subjects as close to the camera as possible.
Movie mode allows you to capture videos with sound at resolutions of 640×480, 320×240 and 720p HD (1280×720), at 15 or 30fps. This is an excellent feature, especially for a waterproof model. Both of our samples, in and out of the water, have smooth playback and good color but some noise, which is not surprising with the noise we saw in our stills. The AF system did a good job of keeping the subjects in focus, as long as they are not too close to the camera. The built-in mic is very sensitive and will not only pick up the noises in front of you, but also any background noises as well. These sounds will seem much louder when the video is played back. To avoid this, be careful where you position yourself while you shoot. Noises under the water can be more difficult to stay away from as you can even hear water moving around the camera.
Powering the Optio W80 is a 3.7v, 680mAh, Li-Ion rechargeable battery. This is one of the smaller batteries that we have seen for a digicam lately and only allowed 50 images and a couple videos before the battery indicator warned of low power. During our tests, capturing just under 150 images and 10 videos, the went through almost two full charges. This falls considerably short of the 170 images that Pentax claims can be captured on a single charge. With this camera you will definitely want to have a second battery and the charger on hand, because it does not take long to run out of juice.
Bottom Line – The Pentax Optio W80 is an incredibly versatile compact digicam, with the ability to go and operate in conditions that only a few other cameras can. Featuring a 12-Megapixel imaging sensor, 5x optical zoom lens, and 720p HD movie mode, this camera comes loaded with great features. Performance is very good, while image quality suffers a bit due to the amount of noise present in our photos. This is something to consider, especially if you plan on making large prints. With a MSRP of US $299.95, this is one of a few waterproof models available in this price range. You can also check out the Canon PowerShot D10 or the Olympus Tough 8000.

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