Pentax has released the 12.1mp Optio W80 digital camera aimed at fans of outdoor adventure and extreme sports. The compact is dustproof and waterproof to a depth of five metres and capable of operating in temperatures as cold as -10°C. It is also shockproof and can withstand a fall from a height of 1m.
Featuring an optical 5x zoom lens and 2.5in screen, the Optio W80 will cover focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent in the 35mm format to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto).
Coupled with the Intelligent Zoom function, which allows even tighter zooming in on the subject, the zoom range can be extended to approximately 31.3 times.
The camera also captures video in high definition at 16:9 TV standard proportions at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. In movie shake reduction mode, the camera automatically compensates for camera shake. In underwater movie mode the compact chooses the optimum camera settings for recording.
In stills mode, the compact compensates for camera shake by processing affected images. When it detects low-lighting conditions it automatically raises its sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed.
An auto picture mode selects the most appropriate shooting mode for point and shoot situations such as landscape, portrait, sport and an auto macro mode, which automatically switches the camera’s focus range to macro in close-up applications. It also features face recognition and smile capture technology.
