Pentax Optio WG-2 Digital Camera Review

Effects, Filters, and Scene modes

A healthy selection of scene modes and picture effects are available, but without some of the extras we've come to expect in compacts, like sweep panorama or in-camera HDR.

Other Features

Durability

Durability is the main feature on the WG-2—you're paying $349 for a tank-like object that happens to take decent pictures. See our Durability section for more.

GPS

The WG-2 GPS comes with a GPS antenna for geo-tagging photos. For some adventurous photographers, it's a must-have feature. They can map out their photos and figure out exactly where they took their favorite shots—and share that info with friends and other outdoor enthusiasts.

But like most in-camera GPS systems, it takes a few minutes to sync with the satellite, doesn't work very well in urban areas (or at all underwater), and is a major drag on battery life. The WG-2 GPS allows you to completely disable the GPS function, and Pentax also sells a cheaper, non-GPS version of the WG-2 (it's completely identical otherwise).

If GPS is a critical feature for you, the best in-camera GPS system we've seen is in the Panasonic TS4.

LED Macro Lights

The WG-2 has 6 LED lights situated around the lens ring. These lights enable clear macro shooting from as close as 1cm—basically with the lens leaning against the object. It's a very cool feature without any significant downsides.