Manufacturer Description Lightweight and fully waterproof, the Optio W60 features 10 megapixels and a 5x zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle capability. The enhanced design of the Optio W60 allows the camera to operate up to 13 feet underwater for two hours and at extreme temperatures well below freezing. Perfect for photography in adventurous as well as everyday settings, the 5x optical zoom refraction lens never protrudes from the Optio W60, yet it covers focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (approximately 28mm to 140mm in 35mm format). This range allows the camera to capture a wide variety of scenes including expansive landscapes, architecture, and group photos in confined spaces as well as close-up telephoto shots of subjects. A Digital Wide function merges two shots into one image for ultra-wide-angle image capture (equivalent to a focal length of 21mm in 35mm format). The Optio W60 also accompanies users to new aquatic depths. With improved design and construction of the shutte (more…)
UPDATE: This review was updated on 9/1/08 to reflect the announcement of the Olympus 1050SW.
I am a self confessed camera freak. I have owned the Pentax WPi, W10, W30, and now, the W60. My other primary cameras are the Canon SD 870 (with waterproof housing for diving) and a Canon SLR system with L series lenses, etc. I live in Hawaii and I travel for a living and I can say that without a doubt, the Pentax W series of cameras have been my “go to” cameras for any activities that involve water, snow, sand, or dirt. They take A LOT of abuse even if they don’t advertise that fact like Olympus. For optical quality in a “friendly” environment when I don’t want to lug my SLR, I prefer my Canon SD 870 which has noticeably better optics.
Like many people who somehow trashed their previous W series camera, I have been waiting over a year for the W30 upgrade and I can report that all in all, the W60 is a worthy upgrade to the W30 if only for the 28mm lens. In addition, it’s lighter, the screen is brighter, and it’s got a couple of useful software upgrades. I’ve been using the camera for a month now.
Make no mistake, this is a “fun” outdoors camera. If you’re not going to take your camera in the water, to the beach, or mountain biking stop reading now and find a camera with better optics. The W60 is just o.k. and certainly no worse than the W30. As for the barrel distortion at 28mm, it’s probably just slightly worse than my Canon SD 870 which means that the distortion is there and is noticeable, but for a group shot at the beach or trying to get the full length of a kayak AND an isle in the background, I’ll live with the ever so slight distortion. You can always just click the lens down to 37mm and eliminate the distortion just like any other compact.
I’ll also confess that I’m a Mac user and therefore don’t know how to read manuals. Because of this, I find the “smile detect” and “blink detect’ features amazingly annoying although they seem to work as long as your subjects are not wearing sunglasses. Fortunately, for illiterate and/or lazy idiots such as myself, you can ignore most features and easily find the important ones like underwater white balance.
Here’s what I like and dislike about this particular model.
LIKES
1) Nothing beats not worrying about sand, water, dirt, or mud. I had the Olympus 1030SW for two days before sand screwed up the retractable lens cover (great idea, poor execution which has been addressed on the recently announced 1050SW). Also, if you let your kids take photos like I do, you can worry less about camera damage when one of them inevitably throws your camera at the other one or tries to hit them over the head with it in the pool.
2) 28mm lens. Wide angle (vs. the typical 38mm) is an option I’d rather have than not. Also, there is a crazy “wide” feature that’s a bit different than panoramic stitch that actually works pretty well. In a nutshell, two portrait shots are stitched in camera into a 5MP 21mm image. It’s by no means “publishable” quality, but I’ve actually been having quite a bit of fun with it.
DISLIKES
1) HD movie clips. I was very disappointed that the 720p movie clips are only 15 fps. My old Canon S80 had the same specs and I find the jerkiness at 15 fps too distracting. The initial press release (specs since updated) didn’t disclose this. Oh well. I’d still buy it. 640 movie clips at 30 fps are as clean as expected and the shake reduction works fairly well (but reduces the frame to something less than 28mm). Also, a note on reviewers who complain about sound recorded from the focusing drive, switch to infinity focus which works fine in 90% of all situations and that annoying sound will be eliminated).
2) Noticeable barrel distortion at 28mm. Like I said earlier, better to have the option available and zoom in when able. Even at 28mm, your shot won’t be ruined. Also, if you have a mother-in-law you can cleverly position her at the end of the frame and the distortion will make her look slightly thinner (in case she accuses your SLR of making her look fat).
3) Still no travel charger included or officially available (which I find inexcusable) although inelegant third party solutions exist online (and the multi battery use ones still work even though they’ve changed the battery model).
4) No external user replaceable lens protecter. Come on Pentax engineers. How hard would it be to design an exterior casing that allowed for a user replaceable transparent protective “filter” like an SLR. There’s a reason I’ve bought four models. I trash them.
Now for the important feature: Underwater Imaging
If you want a camera for scuba diving stop reading now and go buy yourself a Canon with any of their factory built cases. This is not a diving camera.
If you want a camera for snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, or kiteboarding; or if you plan to take your camera to the beach; or if you like hiking in the rain or mountain biking, you will be stoked with this camera. (Previous W series models I owned worked fine in the snow and cold whereas my compact Canons sometimes freeze) The Olympus 1030SW is a close second for me for the following reasons. 1) I like the rectangle form factor of the Pentax a tad more; 2) I find SD cards more convenient than XD cards (plus I own a bunch and my computer has a slot for them); 3) a personal bad experience with the 1030SW retractable lens cover; 4) movies on the Olympus models are capped at 10 seconds (vs. the size of your memory card on the Pentax – 30 minutes on my 4GB card); and 5) the Pentax is noticeably lighter (but does not feel cheap). I think there’s also some merit to the fact that this is Pentax’s sixth generation of W series cameras. They’ve learned a lot. Also, I should mention that I used to use a Sony compact with a waterproof “Sport” case and besides making the whole camera “fat”, the picture quality suffered greatly.
UPDATE regarding the new Olympus 1050SW: While i have not used this camera (to be released on 10/31/08) from the specs and photos I can see that they have addressed the retractable lens cover issue with a Sony style system however they have increased the focal length to 38mm (equivalent). I’d still prefer a 28mm. Also, 640 movies are still inexplicably capped at 10 seconds vs. the size of you memory card for the Pentax models.
Underwater videos of kids in the pool rock (set focus to infinity in the Settings menu to avoid mechanical noise). Videos of them surfing are priceless (buy yourself a neckstrap). Being able to wash your camera off at the end of the day is amazing. It’s also kind of fun to drop it in a mug of beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich and freak your friends out.
I highly recommend the Pentax W60 for anyone that has an outdoor lifestyle and likes to record memories. It’s a great secondary camera when paired with something a bit more serious like an SLR. It is not the best camera for going out for a night on the town and it’s not the best camera if you’re going on the vacation of a lifetime that doesn’t involve a lot of water or dirt. Have fun!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great little camera
I really like this camera. I bought it because it was waterproof, but discovered it was capable of almost as much as my DSLR.
UPDATE: This review was updated on 9/1/08 to reflect the announcement of the Olympus 1050SW.
I am a self confessed camera freak. I have owned the Pentax WPi, W10, W30, and now, the W60. My other primary cameras are the Canon SD 870 (with waterproof housing for diving) and a Canon SLR system with L series lenses, etc. I live in Hawaii and I travel for a living and I can say that without a doubt, the Pentax W series of cameras have been my “go to” cameras for any activities that involve water, snow, sand, or dirt. They take A LOT of abuse even if they don’t advertise that fact like Olympus. For optical quality in a “friendly” environment when I don’t want to lug my SLR, I prefer my Canon SD 870 which has noticeably better optics.
Like many people who somehow trashed their previous W series camera, I have been waiting over a year for the W30 upgrade and I can report that all in all, the W60 is a worthy upgrade to the W30 if only for the 28mm lens. In addition, it’s lighter, the screen is brighter, and it’s got a couple of useful software upgrades. I’ve been using the camera for a month now.
Make no mistake, this is a “fun” outdoors camera. If you’re not going to take your camera in the water, to the beach, or mountain biking stop reading now and find a camera with better optics. The W60 is just o.k. and certainly no worse than the W30. As for the barrel distortion at 28mm, it’s probably just slightly worse than my Canon SD 870 which means that the distortion is there and is noticeable, but for a group shot at the beach or trying to get the full length of a kayak AND an isle in the background, I’ll live with the ever so slight distortion. You can always just click the lens down to 37mm and eliminate the distortion just like any other compact.
I’ll also confess that I’m a Mac user and therefore don’t know how to read manuals. Because of this, I find the “smile detect” and “blink detect’ features amazingly annoying although they seem to work as long as your subjects are not wearing sunglasses. Fortunately, for illiterate and/or lazy idiots such as myself, you can ignore most features and easily find the important ones like underwater white balance.
Here’s what I like and dislike about this particular model.
LIKES
1) Nothing beats not worrying about sand, water, dirt, or mud. I had the Olympus 1030SW for two days before sand screwed up the retractable lens cover (great idea, poor execution which has been addressed on the recently announced 1050SW). Also, if you let your kids take photos like I do, you can worry less about camera damage when one of them inevitably throws your camera at the other one or tries to hit them over the head with it in the pool.
2) 28mm lens. Wide angle (vs. the typical 38mm) is an option I’d rather have than not. Also, there is a crazy “wide” feature that’s a bit different than panoramic stitch that actually works pretty well. In a nutshell, two portrait shots are stitched in camera into a 5MP 21mm image. It’s by no means “publishable” quality, but I’ve actually been having quite a bit of fun with it.
DISLIKES
1) HD movie clips. I was very disappointed that the 720p movie clips are only 15 fps. My old Canon S80 had the same specs and I find the jerkiness at 15 fps too distracting. The initial press release (specs since updated) didn’t disclose this. Oh well. I’d still buy it. 640 movie clips at 30 fps are as clean as expected and the shake reduction works fairly well (but reduces the frame to something less than 28mm). Also, a note on reviewers who complain about sound recorded from the focusing drive, switch to infinity focus which works fine in 90% of all situations and that annoying sound will be eliminated).
2) Noticeable barrel distortion at 28mm. Like I said earlier, better to have the option available and zoom in when able. Even at 28mm, your shot won’t be ruined. Also, if you have a mother-in-law you can cleverly position her at the end of the frame and the distortion will make her look slightly thinner (in case she accuses your SLR of making her look fat).
3) Still no travel charger included or officially available (which I find inexcusable) although inelegant third party solutions exist online (and the multi battery use ones still work even though they’ve changed the battery model).
4) No external user replaceable lens protecter. Come on Pentax engineers. How hard would it be to design an exterior casing that allowed for a user replaceable transparent protective “filter” like an SLR. There’s a reason I’ve bought four models. I trash them.
Now for the important feature: Underwater Imaging
If you want a camera for scuba diving stop reading now and go buy yourself a Canon with any of their factory built cases. This is not a diving camera.
If you want a camera for snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, or kiteboarding; or if you plan to take your camera to the beach; or if you like hiking in the rain or mountain biking, you will be stoked with this camera. (Previous W series models I owned worked fine in the snow and cold whereas my compact Canons sometimes freeze) The Olympus 1030SW is a close second for me for the following reasons. 1) I like the rectangle form factor of the Pentax a tad more; 2) I find SD cards more convenient than XD cards (plus I own a bunch and my computer has a slot for them); 3) a personal bad experience with the 1030SW retractable lens cover; 4) movies on the Olympus models are capped at 10 seconds (vs. the size of your memory card on the Pentax – 30 minutes on my 4GB card); and 5) the Pentax is noticeably lighter (but does not feel cheap). I think there’s also some merit to the fact that this is Pentax’s sixth generation of W series cameras. They’ve learned a lot. Also, I should mention that I used to use a Sony compact with a waterproof “Sport” case and besides making the whole camera “fat”, the picture quality suffered greatly.
UPDATE regarding the new Olympus 1050SW: While i have not used this camera (to be released on 10/31/08) from the specs and photos I can see that they have addressed the retractable lens cover issue with a Sony style system however they have increased the focal length to 38mm (equivalent). I’d still prefer a 28mm. Also, 640 movies are still inexplicably capped at 10 seconds vs. the size of you memory card for the Pentax models.
Underwater videos of kids in the pool rock (set focus to infinity in the Settings menu to avoid mechanical noise). Videos of them surfing are priceless (buy yourself a neckstrap). Being able to wash your camera off at the end of the day is amazing. It’s also kind of fun to drop it in a mug of beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich and freak your friends out.
I highly recommend the Pentax W60 for anyone that has an outdoor lifestyle and likes to record memories. It’s a great secondary camera when paired with something a bit more serious like an SLR. It is not the best camera for going out for a night on the town and it’s not the best camera if you’re going on the vacation of a lifetime that doesn’t involve a lot of water or dirt. Have fun!
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good underwater pictures
The Pentax Optio W60 10 megapixel camera was a great addition to our digital camera collection. We used this on a trip to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia recently for pictures taken…
Clearly, this is not a camera for everybody. It’s designed for those outdoor enthusiasts who’s willing to trade the picture quality for the taking anywhere feature. I wish I could have a compact camera that can be used anywhere but still has DSLR picture quality — but that camera doesn’t exist!
If the underwater capability is important to you, then there are not so many choices out there — and the only two get head to head are Olympus 1030 and the Pentax W60. Both are 10M pixels which I don’t think it’s really needed — you can’t fully use the 10M capability because of the lens quality. Some important difference:
- Olympus can go 30 ft deep, Pentax 10 ft.
- Olympus is crash proof, Pentax is not
- Olympus’s lens is 28-105, Pentax is 28-140
- Both can take video of 640×480, up to the size of the flash card (Olympus may need a firmware upgrade), but Pentax can take 1280×720 in 15 fps.
- Olympus can’t use zoom during video taking, Pentax can, but records the zoom sound as well.
- Pentax has slightly better picture quality, but little noisier.
- Pentax uses SD/SDHC card, Olympus uses xdpicture card, which is more expensive.
Finally I decided to go with the Pentax.
Things I like besides the under water capability:
- Feature rich. There are 24 different scene mode, a good fit to novice users, and there are also face detection, blink detection, smile detection and some on-camera editing capability. You can also do the slide-show on camera.
- Easy to follow interface. I learned to use more than 90% of the functions without even reading the manual.
- Macro that closes up to 1cm, not so many cameras are capable of that.
- Picture color is normally good.
- Live histogram view
Things I don’t like:
- Poor low light performance, very noisy
- The so-called image stabilizing is just to bump up the ISO, which cause noisier image
- Below average image quality (comparing other point and shoot)
- Metering/White Balance/EV Adjustment only available in the P mode! This is my biggest complaint. I don’t know what’s in Pentax engineer’s mind. I can live with no AP/SP/manual mode, but I still need these adjustments!
- No lens cover. Even though there is a protective layer in the front, so one can’t touch the real lens, but that layer can still get dirty and I’m also afraid to simply put the camera in my pocket with other stuff.
With all that said, am I returning the camera? The hell no! I have my DSLR for better image quality, but I still need a compact one that I can bring with me on trips to ski, beach, or even snorkeling!
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this camera!
This camera was bought simply to be able to snap pictures anywhere. I bought this camera because I was very unhappy with my Canon Powershot and the picture quality I was getting…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excelente product for outdoor and water activities
This camera is great if you need to take photos out of the roof of your house! I’ve take it to a rafting tour here on Costa Rica to the Pacuare River, also I have use it for…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pentax Optio W60-So far it’s great
I have not tried it in the water yet, but have taken at least 300 pictures and I love it. It’s small & easy to use.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Go Anywhere
Works easily in auto mode; lots of bells/whistles which I haven’t tried out yet. Miss having a viewfinder as it is sometimes difficult (out of doors) to “see what you’re getting.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice all round camera!
This is a really nice camera if you are looking for something that goes anywhere and will last through just about anything, then this is the camera for you.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this new version of my previous OptioW
I loved the original and this one is so much more amazing. The underwater colors are fabulous. The new larger screen perfect to view.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice camera
I bought this camera as a gift for my brother. I don’t know much about it but he seems to like it especially around water sports and he did a lot of research before picking it out.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great adventure and all around camera…
I bought this camera for a surf trip to Panama. It worked fantastic in and out of the water. Although it does not say it is shock proof, I droped it 2X and it still works fine.