 | | Discover More About The Pentax Optio W80. |
The brand new Pentax Optio W80 is a compact digital camera that is able to easily fit in the palm of your hand. It can safely stand the pressure in the deep of the 5 meters under water, survive in low temperatures up to minor 10 degrees and will not break when dropped from a height of 3 feet. It comes in a variety of colors, including Honey Yellow, Azure Blue, Gunmetal Grey and Cardinal Red as well.
The W80 has been rated as the better models available at present although it is constructed mainly from plastic. It has a good finish and looks and feels like a more expensive camera with a sale price tag. The small sized camera means it can be easily fitted into a shirt or trouser pocket and you can take it anywhere.
However, the small size also means that the handgrip on the front is more suited to the more delicate female fingers and even then is likely to be restricted to a two-finger hold. The connection for the tripod is on the bottom of the camera, which is not the most convenient spot if you want to use it. However, these are minor gripes that do not take away from the overall support for the camera.
Apart from these two minor issues, the general opinion on the W80 is that it appears to be a sturdy and reliable digital camera that is reasonable priced and easy to use. The W80 has nine button controls that provide the standard photographic functions. The purpose of the Pentax-specific buttons is explained in the camera manual, and all the buttons are clearly labeled for the user.
The on and off switch and the shutter control button are located on the top of this camera. The tripod mount, the battery compartment which also contains the SD memory card slot, and PC/AV ports are found on the bottom of the camera. The back of the camera holds the 2.5-inch LCD screen with the remainder of the controls on the right-hand side.
The navigation pad located at the back of the device is used to access the flash option, the focus and setup modes. The OK button brings up the task menu and can be used to toggle between the displays modes on the screen. A button for zooming in and out can be operated easily with the thumb.
The W80 is an excellent choice for anyone new to photography. The camera can be set to what is referred to as Green Mode and will automatically set many of the cameras options so the user does not have to worry about the settings. The only ones they may want to adjust are the flash, the self-time, focus mode and the face priority setting to achieve the perfect pictures.
In general, the Pentax Optio W80 appears to be a good buy and provides value for money. Its small size and choice of colors may make it more appealing to the female amateur photographer rather than the professionals. It appears to perform adequately for the market it is aimed at. |