Pentax Câmera Digital Optio W30

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

It's only advantage is the waterproofness. It focuses slowly, is worst, bigger and heavier than the older WP. And I can't understand why Pentax doesn't make cameras whith batteries that can supply ennergy for some more time. Very poor. I bought one of them...

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I bought 2 of these cameras one for each daughter, having a touch screen was the only requirement. It was so easy to set up and use - it only took a matter of minutes. It is a great camera for the price has more features and megapixals then most more expensive models.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I took this camera to St. Maarten to use it while snorkeling. The camera held up as far as its water tightness as I like to dive down and take pictures. Some of the pictures came out very clear. Howeverif the water is murky, then the picures will be murky (obviously). If there is a lot of glare in the water, it is hard to see the viewfinder to know exacly what you are taking picures of. Sometimes it was hard to tell if the camera was on as well.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I purchased the W30 to replace an Optio WP I've had since 2005 that was stolen this last winter. That WP was a great camera. I liked it because it was small, easy to use, and overall, it took really good pictures even for a 5MP camera. I really liked its fast click to capture time. That is, when I clicked to take a picture it took it almost right away.

The W30 is a little larger and thus a little more obtrusive when carrying it in a pocket, but the larger screen is nice to have as it is easy to find options you're looking for and easy to read. The 7MP resolution is a welcome addition to the package and being a little larger makes it a little easier to hold and manipulate than the original WP. The only downside to the new camera is its click to capture time is a bit longer than I would like. I am sure there is a mode to allow for less "focus" time as this seems to be the issue with the time it takes to "take" the picture.

I hope to find this camera as useful and versatile as the WP was. It was so handy to take it anywhere (from the ski lifts to the beach) and know no matter the conditions at hand you were still able to take pictures of events that would destroy other cameras.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I spend 3+ days per week in a river fly fishing and needed a water proof camera and the Optio 30 fits that need very well. I want fairly good pictures of the good fish before releasing them plus pictures of the wild flowers and the surroundings and I like the quality that the Optio 30 gives. I also take close up pictures of the trout flies I tie to send as attachments to e-mails and the Optio 30 gives great(in my opinion) detail close ups.

For what I needed this camera for, it is just perfect and I have no complaints with it. I also, would highly recommend B&H for their friendly service and sales staff. I called them to order the camera and everyone I talked to was very helpful and there was no high pressure. Camera was here in 2-3 days of the phone call. Overall, I would recommend the Optio 30 water proof camera plus B&H to anyone.

Thanks,
WP in Tennessee

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

We now have our second one ! His & hers! It is
the perfect camera for cruising, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, skiing, etc. User friendly,
takes fabulous pictures, lightweight and small
enough to take everywhere, yet big enough to
manuever. There is nothing we don't like about
this camera.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

This is a great all-around little camera, and waterproof too! My only complaint is that it doesn't have a viewfinder.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I think the quality of this fairly priced camera is excellent....but it's a little complex for me.... and taking regular still life photos....especially of people is where I am strugglling.......

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

Just the camera we needed for outdoors! Don't have to worry about water or dirt or sand. Great for the beach, boat, camping.... all the places that I don't want to take my higher quality (expensive) cameras.
No complaints with the picture quality.
Video could be sharper... but good enough not to take the video camera in the canoe!

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I bought this camera to use snorkeling in St. Maarten and was surprisingly pleased. It took excellent pictures down to the 3-4 ft. depth of normal snorkeling. I didn't try it deeper. On a reasonably well-lit day and with the flash, the photos were very detailed. It pays to focus on something about the correct distance, then be ready to shoot when your fish comes into range or you'll find you have a lovely picture of the ocean floor and the fish is long gone. I used it for snorkeling, sailing (great so you don't have to worry about your regular camera getting wet while boating), in the pool and on land and the camera stood up to all climates just fine. I followed the instructions of using it max 2 hours, in max 10 ft. depth, then rinsed it for several minutes in clear water and let it dry before I opened it. Actually some days it didn't get rinsed for 3 hours but it wasn't submerged for more than an hour or two at a time. I used it on land, too, but be sure to wipe off the lens or your photos will have waterspots in the middle, especially if it's salt water. I always buy an extra battery so I can start the day with a fresh one--very important with this camera since you can't open the camera after use till its rinsed and dry again. I did have another camera with me for my normal land photos because of the rinsing/drying thing. Be sure to have a secure wrist strap because it doesn't float. In my opinion, for the money, it's an excellent value.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I purchased this camera for snapshots at the beach and around the pool, and fortunately it seems to live up to its waterproof promise. Unfortunately the general photo quality has been very disappointing.
Auto focus is slow and and often inaccurate - expect lots of blurry pics and missed shots.
The exposure controls offer many options - none of which seem to work very well. Expect many blown highlights and dark shadows.
Low light performance is weak - very grainy in low light at high ISO. Images suffer from "purple fringe" artifacts.
The charger also requires a cord - the whole charger assembly is many time larger than the camera - give me the Canon chargers that are super compact with built in plug.
This camera is ok for snapshots at the pool, but don't expect great image quality. At 7 MP you can make some nice enlargements, but you probably will not want to.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

This is the second such camera I have purchased. I still have my original purchased three years ago - works perfectly every time. This is one of the best and most rugged/versatile cameras ever made. I have dropped it from ski lifts, into water, onto concrete and it still takes perfect pictures - and decent movies w/sound!

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

User interface is easy to use and learn.
I use this camera for everyday photos of family events.
No complaints.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I use this camer as tool to document issues on the shop floor. It is dusty dirty and prone to splashing. The fact that this camera ia dustproof, waterproof and has a great screen lets me capture the situation and then begin to adress the issues quickly without worrying about the camera. The fact that the lense never protrudes from the case is great.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

Despite being a professional photographer who regularly utilizes my Canon 5D DSLR I'm thoroughly impressed with the optio W30. I purchased this camera for fun, underwater, traveling with friends etc and it's excellent. It's light and small fits easily in my pocket without bugging with it's bulkyness or weighing me down, and it's very rugged. The lack of a lens protruding from the camera's face is genius. I surely would have knocked it off against a rock or some other inanimate object by now but have had no issues. And last but certainly not least is image quality. The final images far exceed my expectations for this point and shoot they're beautiful.
The only bad thing I have to say about the camera is the lag time. It seems to take longer than most cameras to focus and shoot. but not so long that it's really an issue

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I wish it had a view finder. The audio is very good from underwater!!

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

I use the camera for both work and play. At work I photo various assemblies for formal Work Instruction. The anti-shake feature is a godsend! Even at full macro, the pictures are clear and crisp. At play, I'm a kayaker. The waterproof feature gives me the confidence to take photos unobtainable except with at least twice the equipment. A 2 gig memory chip holds more photos than a single charge of the battery can handle. I like it!

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

My 1st Digital...I was a bit overwhelmed with all of the features this camera has to offer...still learning. I chose Pentax for their reputation for lightweight/quality cameras.
Being a Flyfisherman I wanted something for taking quality close ups of fish & bugs..this camera is outstanding !!

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

Especially during snorkeling trips.
It takes time to focus and has a "delay" when taking a picture, so activity shots like moving fishes are difficult to keep in the center. The sealing rubbers dry out after a while so inform clients to use silicon gel.

Comments about Pentax Optio W30 Digital Camera:

Very sharp pictures, good quality on the movies. After I'd had this for a few months I was finally ready to test the waterproofing. Something un-natural about deliberately putting a camera in water. I started the movie rolling, filled a bucket with water then put the camera in faceup for several minutes. Came out just fine and the picture from under the surface was good too. I bought this for a flyfishing trip for salmon in Alaska during the rainy season. Am confident the Optio W30 will get the job done well.