9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Outdoor person's camera.
Date of Review: May 31, 2007
The Bottom Line: good investment, as long as you don't drop it. Does live up to it's claim.
I finally bought the Pentax W30 water proof camera and had a chance to test it out this past weekend. Here is my review of the camera. I will not go over the technical aspect because you can pull that up on the web. I will review the camera from a user stand point. I have not tested out the voice recorder mode.
I chose this model over the Olympus SW720 because it was a little $100 cheaper and it use SD cards; which I have 10 gigs worth. Also, the SW720 is for those who do more extreme water sport such as snorkeling and diving. The SW720 is rated up to 30 feet.
Below are the pros and cons not listed in any particular order.
Pros:
A: The camera performed flawlessly in the rain, the pool, and hot tub. I had no issues when the camera was wet. I recommend if you do buy this camera, to dunk it in water just to make sure all the seals work as you are within the warranty period. Here is a caution, once the camera is wet, do not change memory card or battery unless you are sure the camera is absolutely dry. The There are only two compartment in the camera, the first one is where the battery and SD card goes and the other is the USB cable. Both have O-rings to prevent water from getting in. Again, if your camera is wet, do not open any compartment.
B: The LCD screen on the camera is nice and big. It is pretty clear. One feature I like about the camera is the LCD will power down if you leave the camera on. The turn up time is very quick, there is basically no lag time. The reason for this I think is the camera does not have a view finder.
C: The camera has plenty of automatic scene options for any occasion when taking pictures. This is great for users who are not familiar shooting manual. You can also do some on camera editing on the camera. It is very limited but it is better than nothing. Another good thing about the automatic scene is, if you leave the cursor on the scene for several seconds, it will explain what that scene does for you.
D: The controls on the camera are very accessible, which is great when changing settings on the fly.
E: The flash recharges pretty quickly. The lag time is about two seconds. That is not bad considering my old Exilm too about 15 seconds per flash!
G: The play back menu is nice and easy to use. As mention earlier, you can do some on camera editing.
Cons:
A: The camera is not as compact as some others in the market. It is more of a pocket camera instead of a compact camera. If you are looking for a compact camera that can fit your pocket nicely, this is not it. It is a bulky camera.
B: One thing I would have like to see on the camera is a view finder. You have to use the LCD to take pictures. This can be quite challenging on sunny days. I am an old fashion photographer and preferred using the view finder.
C: One thing I find annoying is the play button. You can not just press the play button and view your pictures. You have to turn it on than press the play button.
D: This camera is not meant to be use in darkness or extra low light conditions. I took some night pictures and the camera was not able to focus because of the low light. I had to shine a flash light on the subject. This camera does not have a light that is shines on the subject light the Sony cameras.
E: Another function that I find annoying is the auto focus. The camera will not take a picture unless it is fully focus on the subject. I had someone take a picture of me and they would just press the shutter and let go. The camera will not take the picture. You have to completely press the shutter button all the way down and you must hold it until the camera takes a picture. This maybe a good thing for people who do not understand auto focus. Most consumers will press the shutter all they way down instead of half way first so the camera can focus. This is why you get blur pictures folks. Press the shutter half way first.
Overall:
My main reason for purchasing this camera is I wanted some thing that is water proof and dust proof. I do a lot of out doors activities and being a photographer, I love to take pictures. Now, I don t have to worry about my camera being damage from rain or sand or have to put a clumsy zip lock bag over the camera. For those who are not looking for a waterproof and dust proof camera, there are other lower price alternatives. If you are into more extreme out door conditions, take a look at the Olympus SW720.
There are two things I highly recommend you get. First is a screen protector for the LCD. If your LCD is damage, you are pretty much screwed. Second is to get a skin for the camera. The skin will protect the camera from the elements. Even though it is water proof and dust proof, you still want to protect the camera as much as you can just in case you want to sell it. Other thing I recommend having is a cloth in your camera bag. The lens does fog up here and there or may have some water droplets. This can ruin a picture!
Overall, this camera is a good buy. This camera did live up to its claim. The pictures came out clear and bright. For a point and shoot, that is mainly what you want. At 7.1 mega pixel, you can get poster size prints.
