Camera Review: Pentax Optio WG-1

We were in the search for an underwater camera and it led us to buying Pentax Optio WG-1 in Purple.

What made me choose this camera was primarily because of it's appearance. It looked so awesomely handsome! Aside from that, I wanted a decent camera which we can actually bring when diving. There are a lot of affordable underwater cameras in the market today but they're mostly usable only up to 3 meters and you can't bring that while diving. 

All images used in this post (even those edited by me) were taken from the Pentax website.

What Pentax has to say about the camera:

12th generation

PENTAX’s 12th rugged generation waterproof digital camera is adventure proof, and suitable for almost any environment.

Shockproof

Shockproof, ruggedized design protects from drops up to 5 feet.

Coldproof

Coldproof to sub-freezing temps of minus 10 degrees C (14 degrees F).

14 megapixels

14 megapixel sensor offers plenty of image detail.

Large 2.7 inch LCD

Large 2.7 inch LCD features a wide angle 16:9 aspect ratio with anti-reflective coating.

HDMI port

An HDMI port plays back beautiful, high def images and video on HDTVs.

Digital Shake Reduction

Pixel Track and Digital Shake Reduction ensure sharp, blur-free images.

Waterproof

Waterproof to 33 feet is perfect for use when submerged.

Crushproof

Crushproof construction withstands weights up to 220 LBF (Pound force).

Dustproof

Dustproof design protects the camera from dry, dusty environments.

Wide angle 5X internal optical zoom lens

Wide angle 5X internal optical zoom lens (28-140mm equivalent) provides flexible capture of subjects near or far.

Digital Microscope mode

Enhanced Digital Microscope mode uses 5 macro LEDs for perfect focus and smooth, even lighting.

720p HD video

Capture video in widescreen 720p HD at 30 frames per second.

I haven't tried much of its features but I was very satisfied with the underwater photos we got from the Pentax Optio WG-1. I was actually really amused with its capability to capture panoramic shots. As to the video, the quality isn't very good and I've seen the underwater video taken by an iphone (with the use of an underwater gadget, of course) to be much better than Pentax' video. Nevertheless, it is a great deal for its price of P17,500.

Just a caution, though... We find the battery closure to be a bit loose but we were told by the saleslady that it was normal and that we shouldn't worry about it. When we asked to compare with the other Pentax Optio WG-1 cameras on stock at the store, the battery closure is the same for all stocks. Nonetheless, we had no problems using it underwater. Thankfully, it did not leak.

Pentax Optio WG-1's body is rubberized, and I think that this would be a great feature for this adventure-proof camera. I hope this camera would last us a long time.

Click for photos and videos.