Pentax OptioWP Digital Camera Review

Front (7.5)
The front of the Pentax OptioWP has a dark gray finish. Its horizontal built-in flash is located in the upper left corner of the camera body, and to the right of the flash is the self-timer lamp. This self-timer lamp is next to the ring surrounding the 3x optical zoom lens, which itself is situated in the center of the camera’s front face. This lens does not extend out from the camera body, and remains recessed behind a protective plate. In the lower right-hand corner is the camera's insignia set on top of a circular series of ripples, alluding to the waterproof nature of the camera.

Back (7.5)
The prominent feature on the back of the Pentax OptioWP is the impressive 2.0-inch LCD screen. This LCD screen really makes an impression, especially considering that the body of the camera is only four inches wide and two inches high. There is no viewfinder available on this camera, but the LCD screen should more than make up for it. Beside the upper right corner of the LCD monitor is the Green/Delete button, a dual feature depending on the mode and menu that’s currently engaged. Beneath the Green button is the camera’s playback button which allows the user to quickly switch between shooting and review mode. Slightly to the right of the playback button is the camera’s four-way controller.

The four-way controller’s exact function depends on if the user is in shooting, playback, or menu modes. The up arrow also controls the drive mode, the right arrow controls the capture mode palette, the down arrow changes the focus modes, and the left arrow controls the flash mode. If the user chooses to select the manual focus control setting for the Pentax OptioWP, the up and down arrows will control the focal distance of the lens. The OK/Display button is located in the center of the four-way controller. This button selects settings and changes the amount of information available to the user on the LCD screen. At the bottom of the camera body beneath the four-way controller is the Menu button. This button, when engaged, will display the menu for the specific mode the user is currently using. Above the four-way controller in the upper right corner of the camera body is the zoom toggle. This toggle controls telephoto and wide angle settings on the camera when in regular shooting mode, and when in playback the toggle controls multi-up or playback zoom levels.

Left Side (7.0)
The left side of the Pentax OptioWP is slightly rounded from top to bottom and features no controls. The battery compartment door, which opens from the bottom, is visible from this side.

Right Side (7.5)
The right side of the Pentax OptioWP is also void of controls, though there is an oversized wrist strap bar which runs vertically upon this surface. This bar makes it easy to add or remove the camera’s wrist strap, while other cameras which are a little too sleek feature minuscule eyelets that make adding a wrist strap like threading a needle.

Top (7.5)
Right in the center of the camera’s top face is the playback speaker. To the right of the playback speaker is the monaural built-in microphone, which in turn is placed directly beside the on/off button for the camera. The on/off button has a green LED built in to indicate whether the camera is currently on or has been turned off. Finally, on the far right side of the top is the Pentax OptioWP’s large and prominent shutter button.