Pentax Optio WG-2

Zitat: Though costly if you take its maker’s suggested cost as the one you’ll have to pay – pitching it directly against the still-to-be-rated but less eccentric looking Olympus TG1 – street prices for the ‘adventure proof’ WG-2 GPS shave an enticing margin off this. It has to be said though if you’re not too bothered about the toughened qualities, a travel zoom camera for a very similar price (Sony Cyber-shot HX20 or Panasonic’s TZ3 to take two leading exponents) may prove a more creatively versatile option thanks to the broader focal range on offer compared to the modest 5x found here. Since the likes of Olympus’ entry level E-PM1 digital Pen camera are also hovering around the £349 mark, which offers interchangeable lenses to boot, there’s a tough decision to be made. All this being said and without wishing to be the killjoy of anyone’s fun, results from the Optio WG-2 will certainly be good enough – and perhaps even a pleasant surprise – for anyone looking to capture an aide memoire of a scene that they wouldn’t have attempted with any camera other than the toughened WG-2 (or one of it competitors) – as long as they are happy with snapshot quality images of course. And, over time and a few weeks of use, you begin to see past the stylistic horrors/design genius of the WG-2’s faceplate. Though rather more than most cameras it’s what’s on the outside that counts as much as what’s on the inside when it comes to the WG-2, one aspect – try as hard as it might – doesn’t totally overshadow the other. Shop around for a good price first and you just might be tempted by this Pentax.

Zitat: Pro: + Aggressive, sculpted armor design screams adventure + Shooting is easy and fun, producing good image quality + No-slip surfaces make camera easy to hold + LCD works well in bright sunlight + Unique Macro and Digital Microscope modes. Contra: - Difficult to view LCD screen underwater - Poor button layout - No optical or sensor-shift image stabilization - No high-speed full-resolution burst mode. If the Autobots had a digital camera, this would be itStrikingly cool and playful, the Pentax WG-2 has some pretty unique features and takes pretty good pictures too. Pros Aggressive, sculpted armor design screams adventure; Shooting is easy and fun, producing good image quality; No-slip surfaces make camera easy to hold; LCD works well in bright sunlight; Unique Macro and Digital Microscope modes. Cons Difficult to view LCD screen underwater; Poor button layout; No optical or sensor-shift image stabilization; No high-speed full-resolution burst mode. Price and Availability The WG-2, available in vermillion red, blue and black was originally priced at US$350 when it shipped in March 2012, but is available online for US$250. The GPS version is about US$50 more. This camera was featured in our Waterproof Camera Shootout 2012 . To find out how it compares head-to-head with five other rugged, element-defying compact digital cameras, click here ! Pentax Optio WG-2 Review by Daniel Grotta, Mike Tomkins and Shawn Barnett , with Roger Slavens Review postedNovember 9, 2012

Zitat: Pro: + A camera that will take snaps where others fear to tread + easy to use + non-slip surface design and big wide controls + picture quality better than expected given its wacky styling Contra: - Design is love it or hate it - software-enhanced digital image stabilisation only - mono sound for video - occasional pixel fringing between areas of high contrast

Zitat: With a costly suggested price of £300+, we found the WG2 on sale for a more reasonable £270 online. If you’re looking for a fun, waterproof snapper that delivers on its promise, you’ve found it.

Zitat: Das neueste Modell der bewährten Pentax-WG-Serie ist mit oder ohne GPS-Funktion (Geotagging) erhältlich. Die für hohe Belastungen ausgelegte Kamera ist gegen Stürze aus Höhen von bis zu 1,5 m geschützt und widersteht Gewichtsbelastungen bis zu 100 Kilogramm. Die Kamera ist bis zu einer Tiefe von 12 m wasserdicht und auch Staub und Kälte bis zu -10°C können ihr nichts anhaben. Das Objektiv bietet einen 5x optischen 28-140-mm-Zoom (35-mm-Äquivalent). Der MP-CMOS-Sensor mit Hintergrundbeleuchtung ermöglicht Fotos ebenso wie Full-HD-Videoaufnahmen (1920 x 1080 Pixel) mit 30 fps und H.264-Komprimierung in hoher Qualität. Die TIPA-Jury hatte viel Spaß an dem digitalen Mikroskop mit LED-Lichtunterstützung für einen Aufnahmeabstand von 1 cm.