Roughing it in style
The complete idiot-proof camera
Fact: over 70% of the planet is covered in water. Many a gadget geek has succumbed to the dangers of H20 – everything from basic humidity corroding your precious toys to complete dunkage in floods, oceans, or toilets. With the Optio W20 you need no longer fear.
To the untrained and trained eye alike it looks like your run of the mill quick snapper. Silver metal finish, basic buttons... nothing screams water- and dust-proof except for two physical features. The first is the lens, which is enclosed within the case, and second is the tiny lock on the bottom of the battery bay, which closes the seals to make it completely airtight. It would have been nice if the W20 were a bit more “ruggedized” to suit its adventuresome nature. The metal exterior makes it feel pricey, but it’s prone to scratching.
Even though it packs a whopping 7.0 megapixels, the optics are limited by its enclosure and it only has a 3x optical zoom. Picture and video quality are slightly above average, but video sound quality is horrendous. Optics and audio however, aren’t the only reasons why you buy this camera. This digital snapper keeps on snapping up to 1.5 meters underwater.
This is truly a no-brainer camera. It has modes for virtually anything: facial recognition for portrait shots, text for capturing documents for OCR, and fireworks and underwater settings for, er, fireworks and underwater shots.
This camera is ideal for the clumsiest of geeks, or for those who enjoy cliff diving and shooting landscape photography (simultaneously). The W20 can get a bit frustrating if you want more manual control over your pictures, but with all the available settings you don’t really need it. Ibba Rasul Bernardo
PENTAX OPTIO W20 | P24,995
www.pentax.com
TECH 7.0 Megapixels. Rated for 1.5 meters underwater. Dust proof. 3x optical zoom. 21.9MB internal memory. SD memory card. 640x480 video resolution. 107x55x23mm. 150g
LOVE Perfect for vacations where sand, rain, and beaches are involved.
HATE The overwhelming number of auto features. Easily scratched shell not suited for outdoor use.
WE SAY The W20 is the take everywhere and anywhere camera perfect for the beach.
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T3 Magazine Philippines - March 2007 Issue
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 PENTAX OPTIO W20
Fast facts
The Optio W20 is rated JIS class 8 waterproof and JIS class 5 dustproof. Translation? The W20 can be used continuously under water for 30 minutes. The JIS Class 5 dustproof rating means you can use the device safely in dusty environments.
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