Pentax Optio WG1 A User’s Review by Lee Kok Wei
Lee Kok Wei is a 26 years old Bio Tech Scientist working in an innovative start up company providing DNA sequencing analysis and applications for the Scientific Community. He joined a PhotoMalaysia PhotoSafari to the Himalayas, and brought along a new Pentax Optio WG1. Below, in his own words, are his impressions.
The Pentax Optio WG1
W
hen I learnt that my company was bringing all employees for a 2 weeks team building trip to the Himalayas, I was ecstatic. It was the first time that I would be going on a trekking trip to one of my dream places on earth. However, when I found out that this trip was organised by PhotoSafari.com.my, I panicked. I was not much of a photographer and this was a trekking cum photography trip. I started looking for a camera that would be suitable for this trip. Someone suggested a Pentax Optio WG1 as the camera of choice.
32 THE THIRD EYE
On first inspection, I realised that this camera was supposed to be a rugged camera and suitable for people with an outdoor lifestyle. Butterfly shaped, constructed with metal housing and rubberised grips, this camera gave the impression that it could take a lot of beating. Specifications as advertised: The Optio WG1 is PENTAX’s 12th generation series of rugged, waterproof, adventure proof digital cameras, claimed to be suitable for almost any environment. It is Shockproof, and its rugged design is supposed to protect it from drops of up to 5
The winter snow hadn’t yet melted in Manang District when we went there
feet. It is cold proof to sub-freezing temps of minus 10 degrees Celsius. It has a 14 mega pixel sensor which offers plenty of image detail. At the back of the camera there is a large 2.7 inch, wide angle, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD screen with anti-reflective coating. An HDMI port plays back high definition images and video on HDTVs. Pixel Tracking and Digital Shake Reduction helps to ensure sharp, blur-free images. It is claimed to be waterproof to 33 feet. It’s crushproof construction is supposed to allow it to survive weights up to 220 pound-force. The dust proof
design protects the camera from dry, dusty environments. The camera has a wide angle 5X internal optical zoom lens giving it a zoom range equivalent to 28-140 mm. This makes it very suitable for flexible capture of subjects near or far. There is a Digital Microscope mode which uses 5 macro LEDs for perfect focus and providing smooth, even lighting. And the Pentax Optio WG1 has a video capability too, which can capture video in wide screen 720p HD at 30 frames per second. Gosh, that’s a lot of features in such a tiny camera.