Pentax OptioWP Digital Camera Review

Model Design / Appearance (7.0)
The overall model design of the OptioWP is highly reminiscent of a larger bodied cell phone, horizontal in overall orientation and low slung. Nonetheless, this camera manages to stay small and compact. The long, low body is light silver with a slightly darker gray front face. The edges of the camera are gently rounded and add to the overall cell phone appearance. The back of the camera features a well sized 2.0-inch LCD screen for easy viewing; the opposite side of the WP has a small 3x optical zoom lens that does not extend from the camera body. This is intentional, as everything in the camera is designed to be compact, durable, and waterproof. Most compact cameras place port plugs beneath a small cover. Pentax placed its jacks in the battery compartment, which closes securely with a rubber seal to keep water out. Although the OptioWP’s mechanics are designed to go under water, the lack of grip and texture makes it ergonomically difficult for a snorkeling expedition.

Size / Portability (7.5)
The size of this camera is great, considering that it still manages to boast a 3x optical zoom lens. The camera easily fits into the user's hand, measuring a mere 4 x 2 x 0.9 inches and weighing a feathery 4.2 ounces without battery or memory card. This allows for the camera to easily fit into a pocket without adding uncomfortable bulk. The OptioWP uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery, so its overall weight is not increased much when the battery is added. The camera also has a wrist strap located on the right side of the camera body in case you'd rather carry it or fear its escape in the depths of the sea.

Handling Ability (6.0)
Handling on the Pentax OptioWP, at least as far as menu navigation goes, is pretty good. This camera uses a series of illustrated program preset modes to allow the user to scan control options on the LCD screen. The mode titles are simple, and detailed descriptions are available at the press of a button if a user is unsure of the proper mode to engage prior to shooting. The controls that are located externally on the back and top of the camera are all easily within the reach of the user's fingers, mostly because the camera is so small.

As for physical handling, the lack of grip on the camera surface is troublesome, especially considering the OptioWP's heavily-promoted waterproof ability. The sleek body of the camera could be problematic while you're snorkeling in that coral reef and trying to snap a photo of a tropical fish--just don't drop your $350 camera in the poisonous coral…

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.0)
The placement of the controls on the Pentax OptioWP is logical. All are within reach of even the smallest hands, and all are labeled either with words or common symbols. The controls which engage the on-screen menu options are both easy to intuit and also, when pressed, present the user with more detailed explanations of which selection does what. The major contention I have with the controls revolves around the continuous navigational dial (rather than separate buttons) – which often made it difficult to render alterations by feel. When shooting with the WP, I often accidentally engaged a setting or exited a series of menu options without intending to do so. This was problematic and could be a constant struggle, particularly if underwater.

The other major qualm I have with the controls on the OptioWP is that they are quite small. Slim-fingered users may not have this problem, but I found that making quick alterations sometimes caused me to accidentally hit other controls. Fortunately, control settings are immediately recognizable on the nicely sized 2.0-inch LCD screen, and this will alert the user when any error has been made.

Menu (8.0)
There are two separate menus available to the user of the Pentax OptioWP. There is the standard recording menu, brought up by the Menu button to the right of the LCD screen, which arranges options in list form. This menu allows for manipulation of image size, image quality, white balance, AF setting, ISO, exposure compensation, sharpness, saturation, and contrast. This menu is straightforward and appears against a live image background, which makes it easier for photographers to make informed decisions about which selection to choose.

The mode menu is accessed with the down arrow portion of the navigation dial. This colorful menu spreads 15 modes across the live image, each represented by a simple and straightforward icon. When users highlight an icon, the full textual title appears on a bar above the icons. The following modes are available in this menu: Program, Night Scene, Movie, Voice Recording, Panorama Assist, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Underwater, Surf & Snow, Sport, Synchro Sound Record, Pet, Candlelight, and Soft.

If the parameters of a certain setting are unclear, the user can press the green button, which acts as a Help button. This action brings up a lengthier explanation of each mode. For example, the Flower mode’s description is, "For capturing brightly colored flowers. Reproduces the outline of the flower softly." Next to the description is a small sample picture. The Help menu makes choosing a mode more like reading an informative book than performing a tedious task. At the bottom of each menu is a bar with button icons and directions, such as how to exit a screen or scroll through a menu (yeah, it’s not hard and could be quite beneficial for technologically-slow users).

The menus in the Playback mode are a little confusing. When the Menu button is pressed while in Playback mode, the recording menu appears, but none of the selections can be made. The only function this button serves in Playback is access to the Setup menu, which is buried next to the Recording menu. The real Playback menu is found by pushing the bottom of the four-way navigational dial; this isn’t very intuitive. Once found, it provides the following options: Sideshow, Resize, Trimming, Image-Sound Copy, Image Rotation, Digital Filter, Brightness Filter, Movie Edit, Frame Composite, Red-eye Compensation, Voice Memo, Protect, DPOF, Image Recovery, and Start-up Screen. The most important function in playback mode, the Delete function, has its own separate button, so it is not included in the main menu.

The Setup menu also presents the user with a Green Button option, which when selected allows the user to select up to four image parameters from the main recording menu. These parameters are then quickly accessible with 2, 3, or 4 taps of the Green button, depending on how the user has programed it.

Overall, I like the colorful iconic format of the menus and the live background feed the camera provides. I also value the explanations provided by the help menu and sample pictures. Directions and text made navigation (once in the menu) simple. However, the menu placement of the playback mode isn’t very intuitive.

Ease of Use (7.5)
For the most part, the Pentax OptioWP is straightforward and easy to use, since each shooting preset setting is represented by a basic image and can be further explained with the touch of a button. The buttons are easy to access and the lack of an undersized viewfinder means that the user must rely on the generously sized 2.0-inch LCD screen—not at all a bad thing. Some of the settings such as the color overlays could be more easily located and better labeled; most first time users will find the number of steps necessary to access these modes to be overwhelming and confusing.