Pentax Optio W30 Digital
Camera Review

By Emily Raymond
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
Published on July 30, 2007

The Pentax Optio W30 is a completely waterproof digital camera. The number of digital cameras that can be submerged in water without an external shell can be counted on one hand, and the W30 is listed among that lucky crowd. It has 7.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom lens, and a retail price tag of $299.

The W30 can go underwater as deep as 10 feet for as long as two hours. This is deep enough for most snorkeling trips, but scuba divers will need a sturdier camera. This Pentax has a consumer price tag and is designed for casual beachgoers and swimmers who have already ruined several cameras with sand or water. The Olympus digital cameras are more expensive, with the flagship waterproof Stylus 770SW able to go under 33 feet of water. The 7.1-megapixel camera is also able to survive a fall from 5 feet and crushing weight of 220 pounds.

The tough W30 is water- and dust-proof with its rubber-sealed port and battery doors and internal 3x optical zoom lens. The aluminum alloy body measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches and weighs about a half-pound. So if you let go of the W30 in deep water, it just might sink to the bottom of the ocean.

The Pentax Optio W30 comes with a wrist strap that should be worn to protect it, as handling the camera isn’t easy. The W30 is small and slippery when underwater – especially if your hands are coated with sunscreen.

The camera has 20 Scene modes and a “Green mode” that automates everything except the zoom and image size. There are a few manual controls that include ISO from 64-3200, custom white balance along with presets, and exposure compensation to brighten or darken the image. Face recognition technology helps the auto focus track people in portraits.

There are two Movie modes: one for standard recording and the other for venturing underwater. Videos record at 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 pixels: both can choose from frame rates of 30 or 15 fps. Movies don’t look great because the colors aren’t very accurate and there is a lot of noise. When the lights are low, movies and still pictures look bad. The camera has a hard time focusing because it doesn’t have an assist lamp like on most models. Not many underwater cameras have great Movie modes. The Olympus 770SW's videos record choppy, unpleasant videos at 15 fps.

The Pentax Optio W30 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen, but you can see the individual blue, red, and green dots because it has poor resolution. It has only 115,000 pixels, when most other cameras like the Olympus 770SW are coming out with twice the screen resolution. Unfortunately, the screen is where all the action is on this camera. The control buttons are tiny and there is no mode dial, so almost everything is accessed on the screen.

The waterproof W30 has some interesting features in its Playback mode. Besides the standard slide shows and browsing, you can add just about any color effect imaginable. There are even a few odd effects such as fisheye and frames. Frames aren’t normally odd, but these are: one shows a generic cartoon character with a word bubble saying “Wow!”

With a waterproof body, the Pentax Optio W30 will wow lots of people. It’s easy to use and can go just about anywhere. It can be dipped in the sink and then in the sand – and still snap pictures like nothing ever happened. It certainly has its drawbacks, but it does well for an affordable waterproof camera.

For a more in-depth review, visit the Pentax Optio W30 Review at our partner DigitalCameraInfo.com

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Pentax Optio W30 DigitalCamera Review

Pentax Optio W30 Digital
Camera Review