Pentax OptioWP Digital Camera Review

Connectivity
Software (8.0)
The Pentax OptioWP comes with software that is almost cooler than the camera. An included CD-ROM packs three programs: ACDSee for Pentax 2.0, ACD Showtime! for Pentax, and ACD FotoSlate 3.0. The programs load onto a computer in about ten minutes and once uploaded, advertise upgraded versions of the software (which at this point you haven’t even tried). Once you bypass the ad screen and restart your computer, the software wizard uploads images from your computer and saves them within the program (as well as wherever they were saved before). Pictures can be viewed as thumbnails and previews in a browser. When users doubleclick on them, the pictures can be viewed in full, then edited, printed, or emailed.

The following editing options are available: exposure, color, red-eye, sharpness, noise, resize, crop, rotate, and effects. These will be more than sufficient for the average user of the Pentax OptioWP. Individual colors can be toyed with in the color adjustments option. Pictures and even entire photo albums can be emailed easily – when your computer is connected to the Internet, of course. The Pentax software syncs with sendpix.com to send pictures without even opening an email browser.

The ACD Showtime! for Pentax program takes selected pictures from the browser and weaves them into slide shows complete with music, video, and still images. Users can choose from a lengthy list of transition effects to add interest to the show. The software is easy to use, so it would be feasible to create a cool slide show in ten minutes after a day of photographing at the family reunion.

The ACD FotoSlate 3.0 program takes photos and makes them into larger projects easily. Users can form their own creations or follow wizards and templates to make calendars, greeting cards, contact sheets, and photo albums. The program is as simple or difficult as you want it to be. Isn’t that how software should be? Overall, Pentax included a powerful package that is almost cooler than the camera.

Jacks, ports, plugs (7.5)
The ports for the Pentax OptioWP are located beneath the battery cover on the bottom of the camera body in a sealed and fastened port chamber. Once opened, this cover reveals the battery slot, memory card slot, DC in, and A/V digital out port for the camera. The A/V jack also accepts mini-USB cables for transferring images to a computer or printer. The jacks are protected by a rubber seal on the port door, keeping water from leaking in. Don’t try to transfer your pictures in a downpour, but don’t worry about the sealed door leaking either – it holds quite tightly.

Direct Print Options (6.5)
This camera is PictBridge compatible, which allows the user to bypass computers or photo stores and print their own photos directly from the camera. To print photos, users must first change the USB connection option in the setup menu from PC to PictBridge. Then users must choose the DPOF option in the playback menu to select photographs and copies. Users can also choose whether to include the dates on the pictures. While this process isn’t quite as streamlined as some cameras (designated print buttons are becoming more and more popular), it’s not incredibly tedious either.

Memory (6.0)
There is a built-in memory of 10.5 MB on this digital camera, but with such a small internal memory the user of the Pentax OptioWP would probably want to purchase optional SD memory cards to supplement it. Internal memory is a nice security to have, but unfortunately means that no memory card will be included with the initial purchase of the camera.

The memory card slot is located within the battery compartment of the camera to keep it safe from water damage. The battery compartment may be found on the bottom of the camera under a fastened cover which must be depressed slightly and moved to the left to open.

Other features (8.0)
Green Mode Presets - If photographers use a particular image setting frequently, they can access it through the Green Mode button by entering the Setup menu and selecting the Green Button option. Users can choose four image parameters from the main recording menu and set them to appear with 2, 3, or 4 clicks to the Green Mode button.

Recovery Function – There is an Image Recovery option in the playback menu. Supposedly, images that were previously deleted can be recovered. However, I had no such luck. After deleting pictures directly after taking them, and deleting within the playback menu one by one and all at once, and formatting the memory – all in separate experiments mind you – the same phrase appeared: "No image to be processed." In the owner’s manual, that translates to, "There are no files to recover!" This would be a cool feature if it worked as planned.

Synchronous Sound - This feature on the OptioWP lets the user record up to twenty seconds of audio and attach it to a captured still image.

Movie Editing - The user can edit movie clips while they are still in-camera through this feature. It allows movies to be separated, divided, and for individual still image clips to be saved separately from one another on the same memory card.

Underwater Mode – Pentax markets this camera as waterproof (thus, the WP), so it is only fitting that there is a preset underwater mode. This mode can shoot for 30 minutes continuously underwater, according to the camera’s specs. Keep in mind that the camera can’t go below 1.5 meters, so it’s okay for snorkeling or a little jaunt in the pool, but don’t drop it to the bottom of the ocean or anything.

Self-Timer – Located near the burst modes, the self-timer can be set to take a picture 2 or 10 seconds after the shutter release button is pressed. The LCD screen on the back of the camera shows an enormously large countdown, while the front simply shows a blinking red light.