Pentax Optio WG-2 Digital Camera Review

Lens & Sensor

The WG-2 comes equipped with an f/3.5-5.5, 28-140mm equivalent, 5x zoom lens. It's all internal, encased behind a glass barrier, so it never extends beyond the camera's body.

The 16-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch backlit CMOS sensor is a typical point-and-shoot chip. It's similar to the sensors in just about every other tough-cam out there, give or take a few megapixels.

Display(s)

The 3-inch, 460,000-pixel widescreen LCD is bright and contrasty enough to be seen fairly well in bright sunlight or underwater, though the screens on many other tough-cams are brighter and sharper. It's an upgrade from the 2.7-inch screen on last year's WG-1.

Flash

The flash is built into the upper-left corner or the front panel. Wandering fingers might block it from time to time. The spec sheet claims that it's effective up to 18 feet, which is above average for a point-and-shoot.

Connectivity

Two ports sit behind a latched, rubber-sealed door on the left side of the body. There's one micro-HDMI port for high-def video output, as well as proprietary USB jack for transferring photos.

Battery

The WG-2 runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It's rated for 260 shots, though the longevity plummets below 200 if the in-camera GPS feature is turned on. The battery compartment is next to the memory card slot, behind a latched, rubber-sealed door on the bottom of the camera.

Memory

No surprises here: The WG-2 records to SD/SDHC/SDXC media cards. The card slot is next to the battery compartment, behind a latched, rubber-sealed door on the bottom of the camera.