Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

I bought this camera mainly to take to the pool this summer. I usually buy one time use cameras but since they are film, I need to wait until they are completely used to develop the pix. As soon as I received this camera, I dunked it into a sinkful of water and took pictures of objects in the water. I wanted to make sure it really was waterproof. I have used the video and taken "DRY" pictures with great results.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

works underwater. Has many good features like wide mode, 3 picture panorama and face detection.

Pictures are not the crisp pictures one expects from a 12 megapixel camera.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Plan to use this on outdoor activities where I just want to slip a small camera in my pocket. I got a waterproof because I am around water doing a lot of fishing. So far I used it on one fishing trip and it seemed fine. Pictures looked good.
There is no cover on the lens to protect it so I kept it in a case but that made it a little inconvenient to get the camera out quickly and made it too bulky to carry in my pocket so I kept it on my belt.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

I am an beginner photographer and have done a few weddings with my other SLR camera. This was bought specifically for a trip. This tough camera is everything it says it is. However, what I didn't notice was that the camera does not have a lens cover. Nothing protects the lens when it is in storage. This means constant cleaning and goodness knows what else if you drop it. All things considered it's great. I thought however that a "tough" camera should have something to protect it's lens. The color is nice and comes with a wristlet wire to attach to the side. When you zoom the video it's quite grainy. Careful if you take a lot of video, your battery will run out before you use your 4GB card. I haven't tried out the pano mode but I'm really excited about that!

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Just took this camera to Jamaica and it performed awsomely! Takes good pictures and films, and also can take a beating! Had no trouble with the water proof abilities. Took underwater photos and videos (shallow, less than 2 meters) and had no issues. Great for the adventurer who wants a tough yet slim camera that travels well!

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Received the camera in perfect packaging conditions from BH as always but as soon I started to use it a terrible noise(grainy) appears in most of the pics even in high light conditions.Tried different set ups and concluded that my previous Pentax optio W10 is far superior than this one.Battery is a joke, stays alive less than hour.As this small camera was inttended to be used in beach during surf sessions I'm back to my underwater house with Canon 40D ..
I don't know if the problem is with this camera I owned but there is a better choice in this category like the Canon D10.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

This is my 2nd generation PENTAX OPTIO. I loved my first camera and did not hesitate to go for another PENTAX OPTIO when I needed a new one. i had so much luck with the 1st clicking over 20,000 photos in a few years. Carrying in my purse daily with the compact size, always ready for the perfect shot whether in the rain, in the ocean, or whatever foul weather I would find myself in. If it got dirty, wash off and ready to go again.

Now with the NEW PENTAX the improvements have been great and yet familiar and easy.
Loving the wide angle and panorama feature.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Pentax Optio W80, favorable first impressions.I purchased the Pentax Optio W80 in January 2010. I am an amateur photographer that also owns a Nikon D70s, a Canon PowerShot SD600 (currently not working), and a Pentax K1000.When I bought the camera I was looking for a waterproof point-and-shoot, durable enough to take the abuse dolled out fishing, skiing, whitewater rafting, etc. I compared several cameras in this class on paper including the Olympus StylusTough 6000 & 8000, the Canon version and the Panasonic version and also made a trip to the local camera store to kick the tires.I ultimately decided to purchase the W80 [...] The non-price features that influenced my purchase decision included the wide-angle 28mm equivalent lens with 5x optical zoom, HD video capability, and the camera's feel.I've played with the camera daily for about one month and I am quite pleased with the performance photographically (note I am yet to submit the camera to any truly abusive outdoor behavior or use it underwater so I unfortunately can't comment on its durability). The camera feels very durable and it seems to have very few moving parts. I was a little disappointed that there is no lens shield that covers the lens when the camera is powered off or in play mode. I fear the fixed plastic(?) lens shield will scratch over time. The camera has many pre-set shooting modes for just about every situation, but also a program mode that allows for lots of user input. For example, it has a manual focus option with which I've been able to capture some pretty cool shots. I think the menus are easy to navigate. Relative to other point and shoot digital cameras I have used, the shutter lag does not seem to be a big problem. The face recognition mode produces nice shots though I've had trouble getting the smile capture to trip the shutter automatically. Based on my experience so far I would recommend this camera.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Generally a very simple camera, but that's not all bad when you plan to use it in the water because it makes for less to deal with. Decent still shots, HD video leaves me wanting better quality. WA images are especially sharp, but zoom in and it starts to get a tad sketchy.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

I bought the camera to use outdoors like the beach or in the snow etc. The waterproof aspect was fine, the problem was that the pictures were so bad most were unusable. Video was grainy as well. It was very difficult, (even out in the daylight)to get a shot that wasnt blurry or hazzy. Even though my expectations werent high to begin with i couldnt believe how bad and grainy the shots were even using their anti shake and a lower iso.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

I purhased (3) of these cameras for my sons prior to going on a Hawaii vacation. All 3 cameras worked great for the trip and were used a lot by everyone. Pictures turned out great, even the ones that were taken on our snorkeling trips.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Cool design, clear functions, easy handling, love this little piece of well-made equipment

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

Always owned a oentax and this one will be used plenty. It was a much loved gift and will really get a work out. I think it has all the features to cope will a cameraholic

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

i use it for underwater shots and it works great. clear and bright

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

I wanted a camera to take along daily. Not practical with my K20D. I chose the OptioW80 for it's weather resistance & compactness. Made a varity of close-up table shots to scenics & made 8 1/2x 11 prints. The scenics are very acceptable & the close-ups are good. Contrary to the so-so reviews, I am very happy with the quality of the camera. No camera takes quality photos--the person behind it does. If you want a durable all climate everyday camera go for it, you will love it.Read the manual & your photos will be great.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

i use the camera predominately in the water or on the beach. i love the HD video, but do not like the lack of control while shooting stills.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

If you're looking for a great underwater camera that is also a decent point and shoot, you'll love the Pentax Optio W80. I just returned from a snorkeling trip to the Bahamas and the camera performed wonderfully while taking both still images and video while submerged.

Out of the water it also has some great points:
- Fantastic color representation. Saturation is great.
- Very quick autofocus. My last point and shoot (a Canon S2 IS) was extremely disappointing in this department, and I was pleasantly surprised with the Optio's performance.
- Easy to switch modes, and has a lot of pre-programmed modes that make it fairly easy to get the right settings for what you're shooting.

The camera also has some cons to it, but I think that these would apply to most point and shoot cameras. I'm slightly spoiled by my Nikon D300 and a set of fast primes, but I also realize that the Optio wasn't built to handle some of the situations that the Nikon excels in. That being said:

- I would have liked to have been able to put the camera in Aperture or Shutter priority or Manual mode. I have seen numerous other point and shoots that allow these modes, but the Optio W80 doesn't have them. This is probably my biggest complaint against the camera.
- It gets VERY noisy at higher ISOs VERY quickly. This is NOT a good low-light camera.

Comments about Pentax Optio W80 Digital Camera (Gunmetal Grey):

This is a perfect camera for snorkelers on vacation. It can be used on the beach, at the pool, IN the pool, IN the ocean. So long as you don't go to scuba depths, it will be fine.
The only thing I would change if I could, would be to add a slider to the strap so that it can be cinched tight to avoid falling off while swimming.
I love the interface and the 5x optical zoom is simply amazing.