Customer Reviews:
  super tough, hard to complain September 28, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
i've had last years model (just like this except 5mp) for about a year and i can tell you one thing, it's tough!
i've dropped mine out of my front pocket so many times, usually on concrete, once from 9 feet off the ground!! and it keeps on ticking,
the controls are easy to get used to,
the only thing negative, but this goes with alot of dig. cameras, if you want to take a picture at night, with out flash, you absolutely must use a tripod, or set it down and use the delay cycle.
i have taken this on my trips to mexico, washed, rinse, repeat, it's a great camera
water proof and compact! September 17, 2006
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I have to say I was a little skeptical about this camera... wow was I wrong, this camera takes great pictures in and out of water. The underwater video is such a great feature too.
About a year ago I was going to buy $500 reefmaster, glad I didn't. And instead of the pentax optio I was thinking of buying the Olympus Stylus 720. The deciding factors were that the optio is cheaper, weighs less, the shutter speed is faster and it uses an SD card (I already own 2 SD cards, but I did end up buying a 2G SD card anyway)
I also own the rebel XT and this pentax camera compliments it well. The first time I really used the Optio was 2 weeks ago for my trip to puerto rico, wow wow wow. I took it snorkeling almost everyday for atleast an hour at a time. My friend swam atleast 3ft to get a closer photo of the coral and fish. I think one day I took it out for longer than an hour and when I opened the latch I could see a couple of 1mm water droplets . I didn't worry though, I left it open in an air conditioned room for a while and it was fine. I imagine if I did this all the time it might break or shorten the life of the camera.
Compact, powerful, and it is really waterproof September 4, 2006
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I sold my Sony 2mp waterproof camera and put the money towards this one. Why? Well, the Sony was waterproof deeper and longer (the Optio10 manual states that it is only waterproof for 30 minutes at a time - the Sony had no such caveat) but the Sony had very limited functionality, few bells & whistles, small display and was only 2mp. The Optio 10, while waterproof to 5 feet, offers a ton of features. High quality video (with sound!), lots of photo resolution options (a 1 gig card holds over 325 images at the highest quality, almost Ten thousand at the lowest quality, or 15 minutes of video with sound at 30fps!), and a lot of options. You can use the "green button" for fool-proof shooting (this button is also programmable to a total of 5 functions), add your own shutter, power on and function sounds via the external mic. And set almost anything manually for more advanced use. You can set the sensitivity (ISO/ASA) as low as 64- this means noise free, fantastic quality images (but if you forced 64 asa, you'd need a tripod at lower light levels.) The camera automatically sets the sensitivity between 64 and 800, but you can override this.
When you see low-light shots that look grainy (even with high-end DSLRs) it's because of low-light shooting at a high ISO/ASA - this allows better exposure results, but lower quality. Lowering the ASA manually corrects this.
This camera really has it all. Sure there are some trade-offs. The zoom is only 3x, and it is a little larger than the more compact models. There are no external jacks or ports for video, USB, etc. There is one mini USB port under the cover that uses different cables (included) for image transfer or TV out, plus a charge/power port (the battery can also be removed for charging.)
Other features worth mentioning: Time lapse shooting (10 seconds to 99 mins, 59 seconds), basic in-camera video and image editing, anti-shake, voice memo, red-eye flash, built-in memory (enough for several HQ images), clock display (handy if you don't have a watch).
A little more on the time-lapse / interval shoot: You can set a start time plus the number of images shot at that time. For example, at 1:22pm, take 5 photos. Or starting at 4:01 pm, take one image every 10 seconds until the card is full. Lots of options and combinations.
Plus if you drop it in the sand or water, it's not going to suffer! Most cameras, digital or otherwise, would be a paperweight after dropping it in the pool or ocean. A sandy plunge usually leads to parts jamming, buttons sticking, etc. It's not like you can just wash it off. With the Optio10 - you can!
 Lived up to expectations and beyond August 30, 2006
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I have owned and tested the Pentax Optio W10 for three months now. It has been in bright sun, night and sunset scenes, and underwater -- and passed with flying colors. If you are looking for an easy to use, lightweight, all around WATERPROOF camera for still and video pictures with sound, this is it. (It took a lot for me to switch from my Canon D-Elph, but I'm glad I did). 1. Size & weight are just fine -- I always carry the camera with me which is the main reason why I purchased a new lighter camera. It slips into a pocket, pocketbook, or sunglass case with ease. The slightly larger size in an ultra compact makes it easier to hold -- also necessary as the zoom lens is water/dust protected in the casing. 2. Battery Life & Card Size are very adequate. I have purchased a second battery and 2 1.0Gb SD cards (the camera does not come with a card, it has 10.5 MB built-in memory), but even a full day of shooting rarely prompts me to change the battery or card. 3. The viewfinder has not been missed. The big 2.5" LCD screen is wonderful. The only time I have had any problem is from fade out in full bright sun, but adjusting the brightness of the screen allows me to see 99.9% of the time. I can't stress how rare this is, and I am using the camera in Hawaii with lots of beach and water scenes. 4. Ease of use is why I rate the camera 4 out of 5 stars. Pentax has loaded this camera with so many features, that it not only is incredibly adjustable, but it also will require a small learning curve if you decide you want to start using them. For the beginner, there is a simple Program Mode that will automatically do everything. From there, there are over 20 preset modes to photograph everything from underwater to surf/snow to sunsets to flowers to nightscenes. From there, there are manual modes to allow for soft flash, manual focus, timed/ continuous/ interval shooting, and more. Then there are the editing features from cropping to resizing, and the ability to add a voice memo to images (how cool is that?). 5. Picture quality is 5 stars. Macro to Large, still shots to ones with movement, all types of lighting conditions -- I have been really impressed. Not being a big video shooter, I cannot give you a review on this side of the camera. So, if you are in the market for an ultra compact, consider the Pentax Optio W10. I love mine.
A fantastic camera for a sun filled vacation August 19, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have a large digital camera and wanted a small one that I could take on my trip to Hawaii. I started searching and was amazed that there was a small underwater camera. The reviews seemed to be very good so I gave it a shot. I loved the camera on my trip! I took underwrater photos and movie clips, took tons of landscape photos, close ups of flowers, profiles, etc. I was even able to take a beautiful night photo of a full moon over Diamond Head! Everyone of the photos came out great. The only thing I miss on this camera is that it doesn't have a separate view finder. All pics have to be taken through the large screen which can be difficult in the sun. Small problem!
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