Product Features and Technical Details

Product Features Pentax Optio W90 12.1 MP Under Water Cameras

  • 12.1 megapixel CCD
  • 720p high-definition video at 30 fps
  • Wide-angle 5x optical zoom (28¿140mm equivalent)
  • 2.7" LCD 16:9 display
  • Waterproof up to 20 ft
Under Water Cameras

Technical Details

  • Brand Name: Pentax
  • Model: W90 Black
  • Optical Sensor Resolution: 12.1 MP
  • Optical Sensor Technology: CCD
  • Optical zoom: 5 x
  • Maximum Aperture Range: F/3.5-5.5
  • Minimum focal length: 5 millimeters
  • Maximum focal length: 25 millimeters
  • Lens Type: Zoom lens
  • Optical Sensor Size: 1/2.3"
  • Included Flash Type: Built-in flash
  • Display Size: 2.7 inches
  • Light Sensitivity: ISO 80-1600, ISO 3200 (5Mpix), ISO 6400 (5Mpix), ISO auto (80-6400)
  • Image types: JPEG
  • Shooting Modes: Frame movie mode
  • Exposure Control Type: Candle, Night scene with portrait, Anti shake, Frame composition, Kids, Report, Landscape, Portrait mode, Digital wide, Digital microscope, Underwater movie, Text, Surf & snow, Pet, Food, Fireworks, Panorama assist, Flower, Night scene, Underwater, Sports mode
  • Width: 1.0 inches
  • Depth: 1 inches
  • Height: 2.3 inches
  • Weight: 0.36 pounds

 

Product Details

  • Date first available at Amazon.com: February 24, 2010

 

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The eleventh generation Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras are built for rugged adventure in every way. It offers enhanced waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and coldproof performance and features an inventive Digital Microscope mode with LED lighting to capture small but intriguing subjects. Designed with the look of mountaineering equipment, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras kit includes a woven web fabric strap complete with a carabiner to attach the camera to a backpack and other outdoor gear. 

Adventure photography doesn't get any better than this. The rugged Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras offers photographic performance, innovative features and style that surpass other outdoor compact digital cameras now available on the market.

  • Waterproof to 20 feet for reliable underwater photography
  • Shockproof to 4 feet withstanding the rigors of extreme use
  • Coldproof to sub-freezing temperatures for use in wintery, snowy activities
  • 12.1 megapixel sensor and wide angle 5x optical zoom (28-140mm equivalent)
  • Digital Microscope mode with LED lens lighting perfectly captures the smallest and closest macro subjects as near as 1cm from the camera
  • Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity for built-in Wi-Fi capability to transfer photos and videos from the camera to a computer or an online sharing site such as Picasaweb, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube. (Eye-fi cards sold separately.)
  • Large 2.7-inch LCD with 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio that is easy to view in strong light or underwater
  • Capture movies in widescreen 720p HD video at 30 frames per second An HDMI port plays back beautiful high-resolution imges and video on HDTVs
  • Advanced Pixel Track Shake Reduction captures blur-free images in any lighting Fast Face Detection, Smile Capture, Blink Detection, and processing modes specifically designed for portraiture, and new Pet Recognition captures up to 3 pre-programmed pet faces in memory
  • Infrared remote control compatibility with new waterproof Remote Control WP, as well as other Pentax infrared remotes
  • Autofocus assist lamp helps to quickly and accurately focus, even in challenging lighting

Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras Highlights

Waterproof, Shockproof, Dustproof, Freezeproof
Rated JIS Class 8 waterproof, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras captures images up to 20 feet underwater (four feet deeper than the previous Pentax W series model) for up to two hours. The shockproof* Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras are designed to withstand falls from a height of four feet without damage to the body. Rated JIS Class 6 dustproof, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras also offers exceptional coldproof performance for reliable operation at temperatures as low as -10 degrees C, making it a perfect choice for active photographers who venture to shoot pictures in demanding outdoor conditions. The Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras also comes equipped with carabiner strap to attach the camera to a backpack or other outdoor gear.
* Measured under Pentax-original testing standards (from a height of 1.2 meters, onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood), conforming to the Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL-Standard 810F.

Digital Microscope mode for nature observation from 1cm away
Combining a macro shooting capability from less than one inch away with the Digital Zoom function, the Pentax Optio W90 under water camera's new Digital Microscope mode magnifies the view and captures miniscule subjects that are difficult to observe closely with the naked eye.
* Three LED Macro Lights installed on the face of the lens barrel camera captures subjects such as plants and insects clearly and brightly on the LCD monitor for extreme macro photography.
** When using the Digital Microscope mode, the image size is fixed at 2.1 megapixels (at 16:9 proportions). 

Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity
Eye-Fi SD memory cards store media and offer built-in Wi-Fi capability that accesses an assigned wireless network to effortlessly transfer photos and videos from the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras to a computer and online sharing site such as Picasaweb, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube. Equipped with an Eye-Fi Card, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras allows users to enable/disable the Eye-Fi Card's Wi-Fi connectivity via the camera menu and provides an on-screen card activity indicator. (Eye-fi cards sold separately.) 

Upgraded face detection detects dogs and cats
The Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras features a new-generation Face Detection AF & AE function, which instantly and accurately detects up to 32 faces in the image field and captures each in sharp focus and optimum exposure in just 0.03 seconds. This upgraded version is programmed to detect not only human faces, but also the faces of dogs and cats. When the user selects pre-registered dog or cat faces (up to 3 choices), the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras automatically detects them and optimizes focus and exposure. Users may program the camera to automatically release the shutter the moment the subject's face turns straight toward the camera, which is helpful for pet photography. 

High-quality, HD-proportioned movie recording
The Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras captures beautiful, flawless movie clips at 16:9 high-definition TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels) at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. This mode also offers a variety of editing functions: Still images may be extracted from movie clips; title images can be added to the beginning and/or end of a movie clip; and more. The Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras also provides an HDMI micro terminal for audio/video signal output. 

Extra-wide 2.7-inch LCD monitor for effortless outdoor viewing
The Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras features a large 2.7 inch high-brightness color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 dots and horizontally extended 16:9 proportions. This monitor is treated with a special AR (Anti-Reflection) coating to cut the glare of external light and minimize annoying reflections, making it easy to view recorded images and on-screen menus even in bright sunlight. 

High image quality
Combining approximately 12.1 effective megapixels with the Pentax-developed imaging engine and the high-performance Pentax zoom lens, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras deliver brilliant, high-quality images with well-defined details. Even when images are enlarged to larger sizes, users are assured of sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness. 

Optical 5x zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle coverage
Despite its compact dimensions, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras features an optical 5x zoom lens covering focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent in the 35mm format to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto). This wide zoom range may be used for a wide variety of subjects and scenes, from spectacular landscape and group shots to tightly framed snapshots taken from a distance. 

Triple anti-shake protection to prevent different types of camera shake

Pixel Track SR
When recording still images, the Pentax Optio W90 under water camera's Pixel Track SR (Shake Reduction) effectively compensates for camera shake by processing affected images. 

High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode*
When the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras detect low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, it automatically raises its sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake under poor lighting conditions. 

Movie SR**
During movie recording, the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras prevents blurry images by effectively minimizing annoying camera shake through the use of exclusive software. 
*When the High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed to five megapixels (2592 x 1944 pixels). 
**When the Movie SR is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting. 

Subscreen Input function for constant display of a favorite image on the screen
The Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras features a Subscreen Input function that allows users to display a thumbnail of a recorded images in the upper left corner of the LCD panel for a picture in picture effect that may be used as a reference. This features is helpful when the photographer wants to shoot subjects from the same angle and at the same image size every time (such as photographing prepared food in the same way to compile a recipe file) or when the user wants to constantly keep a favorite image on the screen. 

Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras Additional features

  • Remote Control Waterproof O-RC1 (available as an optional accessory) for wireless remote shooting*
  • New Collage function to compose a single picture from multiple images
  • New Ink Rubbing filter to create a monochromatic, high-contrast image from a recorded image
  • Auto Picture mode to automatically select one of the eight shooting modes for the optimum result 12 digital filters to add distinctive visual effects to recorded images
  • Digital Wide function to compose an extra-wide-angle image (equivalent to an image taken with an approx. 21mm lens in 35mm format) from two images
  • MediaImpression 2.0 for Pentax image viewing, editing and filing software included (compatible with latest operation systems, such as Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6)

* Wireless remote operation is not available when shooting under water.

 

Review By 

Kristin D. Henry "living abroad

I read the reviews for the previous models of the Pentax, Canon, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Olympus waterproof cameras and most were mixed. I purchased this Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras before taking a vacation in the Caribbean. I was very pleased with the performance and results of this camera. Now to be clear, it doesn't replace my Nikon D40, but complements it. This Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras simply allowed me to get pictures I would never have gotten with another camera. I took it to the beach, out in the water, snorkeling underwater. It performed well underwater and was great for pictures out of the water with very acceptable resolution. 

I had the Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras immersed in saltwater, freshwater for extended periods of time. No signs of leaking. It is compact, durable. I like its functions, options etc. I was worried that it might work great underwater, but that I might have to compromise on normal pictures where I would have typically used another compact (non waterproof) but didn't want to carry another compact camera with me. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the pictures under normal shooting conditions. 

I see a lot of use coming from Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras. Kayak trips, beach trips. just taking it places where I wouldn't want to take my other cameras. 

I highly recommend Pentax Optio W90 under water cameras — but understand what you are getting, incredible flexibility with very good quality, but don't expect it to perform like your digital SLR. But some of the pictures I got with Pentax Optio W90 underwater cameras, I simply wouldn't have gotten with my digital SLR because it wouldn't have been with me!

Buy here:

Pentax Optio W90 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)

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