Waterproof PENTAX Optio W60 Shoots Deeper and Wider

I just saw the new PENTAX Optio W60 compact digital camera. True to form, PENTAX has upped the ante again, offering an advanced, lightweight and fully waterproof, pocket-sized digital camera. The Optio W60 features 10 megapixels and a 5X zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle capability. The enhanced design of the Optio W60 allows the camera to operate up to 13 feet underwater for two hours and at extreme temperatures well below freezing.

Perfect for photography in adventurous as well as everyday settings, the 5X optical zoom refraction lens never protrudes from the Optio W60, yet it covers focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (approximately 28mm to 140mm in 35mm format). This range allows the camera to capture a wide variety of scenes including expansive landscapes, architecture, and group photos in confined spaces as well as close-up telephoto shots of subjects. Another neat feature is a digital wide function which merges two shots into one image for ultra-wide-angle image capture (equivalent to a focal length of 21mm in 35mm format). I really enjoyed this aspect of the camera's performance, as I did not get an opportunity to test it out in cold water (or weather).

Michelle Martin, a honcho at PENTAX told me that the Optio W60 can also accompany you to new aquatic depths. She explained that the W60's improved design and construction of the shutter button and controls, as well as reinforced, airtight joints, allows underwater photography up to 30 percent deeper than previous PENTAX waterproof models. In addition, the camera is well-sealed against dirt, sand and dust and operates in extreme temperatures as low as 14 degrees.

As if this wasn't enough, the Optio W60 includes a high-quality movie mode with HD resolution up to 1280 x 720 pixels (comparable to a 720p HDTV at 15fps) as well as Auto Picture mode, fast Face Recognition, Smile Capture, Blink Detection, an Underwater Movie mode, High Sensitivity Digital SR mode that automatically adjusts the sensitivity up to ISO 6400, and an LCD monitor with a 170 degree wide-angle view and Anti-Reflection coating to reduce glare. Whew!

A perfect companion for your indoor and outdoor activities, the PENTAX Optio W60 is available now for a suggested $329.95 in your choice of two colors: Ocean Blue or Silver. For more information check out: www.h20camera.com.

John Lentz