PENTAX Optio WS80
A go-anywhere, waterproof digital compact camera coupling a compact, lightweight body with underwater-shooting capabilities
August 5, 2009: HOYA CORPORATION PENTAX Imaging Systems Division is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX Optio WS80 digital compact camera. The combination of a compact, lightweight body and outstanding waterproof and dustproof capabilities makes the new Optio WS80 an ideal choice for casual, day-to-day applications, including a variety of outdoor activities.
Within its compact body, the Optio WS80 offers a number of advanced, user-friendly features. These include: the assurance of high-quality, high-resolution image reproduction thanks to 10.0 effective megapixels; an optical 5X zoom lens; a large 2.7 inch LCD monitor; HDTV-proportioned movie recording; and a state-of-the-art Face Recognition function. Its airtight body also allows underwater photography to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to two hours continuously. This eliminates worries in situations where water or dirt can be a concern, such as outdoor events, in the garden or kitchen, or on a rainy day.
Major Features
Exceptional waterproof performance for worry-free underwater shooting
Despite its compact, palm-sized body, the Optio WS80 assures reliable waterproof performance conforming to IPX 8 (or JIS Class 8) standards, allowing underwater photography at a depth of 1.5 meters for up to two hours continuously.
It also features the PENTAX-exclusive, highly water-repellent SP (Super Protect) coating on the protective glass element installed at the front end of the zoom lens. As a result, the Optio WS80 can be simply rinsed clean with fresh water if it becomes covered with dirt or sand. Coupled with remarkable dustproof capabilities equivalent to JIS Class 6, the Optio WS80 can be used without worry in many different situations where water or dirt can be a major concern, including water and winter sports.
High-speed Face Recognition, with a range of user-friendly features
The Optio WS80’s advanced Face Recognition AF & AE function comes in handy for casual shooting of people. This user-friendly function not only captures 32 faces in sharp focus and perfect exposure in a mere 0.03 seconds, but can even accurately detect a subject standing diagonally to the camera, or one with a tilted head.
The Optio WS80 also offers other user-friendly features, including: the Small Face filter, which makes the subject’s face appear smaller in proportion to the body than it actually is, to produce attractive, well-balanced portraits; the Smile Capture mode, which automatically releases the shutter the moment the camera detects the subject’s smile; and the Blink Detection function, which warns the photographer when the subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.
High-performance optical 5X zoom lens
Despite its compact dimensions, the Optio WS80 features an optical 5X zoom lens covering focal lengths from 35mm to 175mm in the 35mm format. It also offers the Intelligent Zoom function, which extends the zoom range up to approximately 28.5 times for even tighter zooming in on the subject.
Triple anti-shake protection to prevent different types of camera shake
Pixel Track SR mode
When recording still images, the Optio WS80’s new Digital SR (Shake Reduction) mode effectively compensates for camera shake by processing affected images.
High-Sensitivity SR mode*
When it detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, the Optio WS80 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 mode**
During movie recording, the Optio WS80 prevents blurry images by effectively minimizing annoying camera shake through the use of exclusive software.
High-quality HDTV-proportioned movie recording
The Optio WS80 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. It also comes equipped with advanced, user-friendly features designed to facilitate movie recording: the Movie SR (Shake Reduction) mode, which automatically compensates camera shake during movie shooting; and the Underwater Movie mode, which automatically optimizes all camera settings for underwater movie shooting.
High-quality images delivered by 10.0 effective megapixels
Combining approximately 10.0 effective megapixels with the PENTAX-developed imaging engine and high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio WS80 allows the user to produce brilliant, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness, even when images are enlarged to larger sizes.
Large 2.7 inch LCD monitor for effortless image viewing
Despite its compact body, the Optio WS80 features a large 2.7 inch high-brightness color LCD monitor, which allows the photographer to view on-screen images and menus with great comfort and facilitates mode-setting and other camera operations — during both shooting and playback.
Other features
- Interval shooting mode, convenient for fixed-point observation of starry skies, flowers and plants
- High-speed AF system, with Auto-Tracking function, to maintain constant focus on a moving subject
- Auto Picture mode, to automatically select one of the eight shooting modes for the optimum result
- A variety of digital filters, including Toy Camera and Retro, to add distinctive visual effects to recorded images
- D-Range setting, to prevent whitewashed (overexposed) and blacked-out (underexposed) areas in images
- Digital Wide function, to create a panoramic, extra-wide-angle image (equivalent to an image taken with an approx. 25.4mm lens in 35mm format) from two images
- Digital Panorama mode, to create a single panoramic picture from as many as three images
- Style Watch function, to display the time with pushbutton operation, even when the camera’s power is turned off
- Image recovery function, to recover accidentally erased images
- Frame composite function (with 90 frames stored in the camera) to shoot or compose images with decorative photo frames
* When the High-Sensitivity SR mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed to 5M (2592 x 1944 pixels).
** When the Movie SR mode is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.
*** When the Optio WS80’s AV output terminal is used, movie clips are output as normal image-size data. If the user wishes to play back movie clips at high-definition-TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels), the data must be transferred to a personal computer for playback.
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