1. 7.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
2. 3x optical zoom; 3.0-inch touch-screen LCD display; slim 0.77-inch-thick body
3. Records movies at 30 frames per second; includes in-camera movie-editing functions
4. With My Drawing mode, write directly on the image shown on the LCD or add a stored illustration with the Stamp function
5. Stores images on SD memory cards (includes 12MB internal memory)

Editorial Review :

Experience "fun photography" with the impressive 3.0 inch touch-panel LCD of the PENTAX Optio T20. This is a camera that offers a Creative Drawing Function, Stamp Modes and built-in picture frames to enhance your images. All this and a 7.0 megapixel CCD, 3X optical SMC PENTAX lens with an ultra-slim and stylish aluminum alloy exterior with the intuitive touch-panel operation with included stylus makes the Optio T20 a camera you won't want to put down.

Customer Review :

Find another camera... Do not buy this one.

This camera has better features than the pictures that it takes. Dont be fooled by this. The sleek neat feel of the camera ia a good selling point. It is one of the cleverest models that I have seen, but I would never buy one again, or purchase another item from pentax. I bought this camera because my girlfriend had one. It seemed like something that would be fun to have, and it was, for about a year. Like the other reviews that I have read, you do not EVER want to buy a camera that does not have a view finder. It is difficult to see your subject in outdoor lighting conditions and, as such, impossible to take the pictures that you would like to. Additionally, the camera took terrible photos in "challenging light conditions" i.e snow, or bright light. The video function captured light wrong in brighter light conditions as well turning the brightness into a pink haze that saturated the video. These were all things that I could deal with though.

A few months back after roughly a year of use, my girlfriends camera lens froze on the startup procedure which caused the camera to default to an off condition. She has not been able to use the camera since. My camera did this a few times as well, but after some fiddling, I was able to get some extra life out of it. Well, a few weeks ago, the autofocus quit working and I could not take anything but a blurry semblance of a photo. I sent to pentax for repair and they told me that it would cost $167 for a complete repair. The camera originally cost $280.

In summary, I would recommend that you spend your money on something else. This camera, though full of technically fun options will ultimately leave you with a bitter taste of disappointment even if you are lucky and it does not malfunction as did mine and my girlfriends.

Rating :

Problem Camera

Camera worked OK at first, then stopped working. We got a new battery, still no power. I plugged it into a correct voltage charger, still nothing. The camera had not been dropped, has always been kept in a padded case when we travel, etc.

I will never buy a Pentax product again. This is the second one that we purchased on recommendation of a friend that failed within a few years of ownership.

Pictures taken with it were just OK

Rating :

No complaints.

Don't need to be too detailed. The camera is great. Big screen, looks good, works good. Takes good pictures.

Nothing to say.

Rating :

Stay away from Pentax cameras - bad products - service even worse

Camera offers great features and high quality pictures; however, it is poorly built and won't last very long.

I purchased mine in 8/06. By December it was broken (lens mechanism ceased) and had to be shipped to Pentax for repair (on my dime). It took them 10 weeks to realize they can't fix it and send me a replacement camera.

6 months later the replacement camera broke (same problem). I sent it back to Pentax 6 weeks ago and they still have it. They no longer make this camera, so they can't replace for me. They won't refund my money and pretty much won't do anything for the customer.

Bottom line - spend your money elsewhere. Buy a canon, buy a Casio, buy a Kodak - just don't buy a Pentax.


Rating :

Terrible Camera

This camera has been sent back to Pentax twice because the lens froze and camera did not function. That problem was repaired. Now it does not hold memory properly. I have lost pictures. Pentax will not fix it. I have just put it in the hazardous material pile to take to the dump. Will be purchasing a Canon product as a replacement.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 10.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
2. Waterproof to 13 feet; coldproof to sub-zero temperatures
3. 5x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD screen
4. 720p HD movie capture (15fps)
5. Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Editorial Review :

Optio W60

Throw caution to the water
Take snow, surf and sand to new extremes with the waterproof (for up to two hours), dustproof, coldproof Optio W60. Now water doesn't stop the adventure; it starts it.

• 10.0 megapixels
  
• Wide-angle 5x internal optical zoom
  
• Waterproof, dustproof and coldproof

Customer Review :

I love this camera!

I love this camera! I was looking for something to be able to take to the pool and the beach in the summer. I thought I would only use it for those purposes, but now I use it as my main camera. It works great and I don't have to worry about getting it wet or sandy. I find the Pentax Optio series the easiest menu to use and it has some great features.

Rating :

Handy portable water proof camera but low picture quality

I bought this camera a year ago and have taken in few outdoor trips. It's a handy waterproof camera. I noticed few water condensation in inner side of display screen when I used in sea water (1/2 feet deep beach area) for longer than 2 hours but it went away after a day and still working fine. Under water images or video are okay. But this camera is not for poor light conditions. Picture quality is not so great and takes some time to take picture on clicking. Small portable and waterproof camera for casual outdoor person. Battery life is average. However in good light condition this camera works fine, video is of good hd quality, and has different shooting modes.

Pros: Durable, waterproof, good hd video in daylight, small and portable, different shooting modes.
Cons: Not so good picture quality: average in good light and less than average in poor light.



Rating :

Grand Canyon Test

I don't usually write reviews, but I had to tell you this story. I rafted the Grand Canyon for 23 days and on DAY 1 we swam a class 5 rapid and my camera was lost, I was sure into the Colorado. 4 days later I found the camera in 2 inches of water under the cooler a little dinged up. At first it didn't function well, kept firing willy nilly and the view screen was clouded up. I just put it away for a week thinking it was done. I pulled it out and it had completely dried and functioned perfectly the rest of the trip. The battery lasted the whole trip. It now continues to work perfectly. It took a licking.....

Rating :

Fun, Easy and Better Than Expected.

I'm not a great camera person, but did some research and finally decided upon the Pentax W60 for my upcoming cruise. I made a great choice for an underwater camera that takes pretty good non-underwater photos too. I can actually get some really excellent shots that make it look like I know what I'm doing even though I don't. It has alot of cool features, and takes some nice video. Sure you can hear the tap, tap when you zoom in, but that's no big deal. I have tested the different modes on the same photo to see what works best and it varies depending on subject. Night photos can be blurry sometimes when shooting distant photos, but if you can set the camera on a sturdy surface and put it on self portrait mode they usually come out pretty good.

I've had the camera for about two years, and it still works great underwater -- no leaks. There are only 2 issues I can find, which is probably due to my own camera skills. One is when zooming in, the focus doesn't always catch up to the zoom so it can be blurry. A pain when you are trying to take a quick shot that would be easy to miss (like a whale suddenly breaching the surface of the water). But if I shut it off and on, or click to view photos and back to photo mode(which is quicker than turning it off), it generally falls in line. The other issue is that when I download my photos onto a computer and I put my memory stick back into the camera and then try to scan through photos, some appear black and say I cannot look at them.... still not sure what that's about. As long as I download and save my photos it's not a big deal, but if I wanted to show someone my photos from the camera it doesn't allow all of them to be seen -- could just be my memory stick -- so I will buy a new one this summer and update if I continue to have those issues.

Overall: I still really like this camera alot and it still takes great photos in and out of the water, as well as video. But for my next trip in the Spring, I think I will purchase the Pentax W90 as an additional camera and use both on my trip and compare the two. (updates/reviews later)

Rating :

Disappointing. Poor followon to the W10


I bought the W60 early this summer when my W10 was damaged in an accident. I am extremely disappointed in the W60.

The user interface is basically fine, but I find it hard to press the separate buttons (I always feel fat-fingered on it). The W10 in contrast was much easier to manipulate.

The waterproof housing is noticeably improved over the W10.

The battery has almost no lifespan. I get about 60 pictures (no flash) before I have to recharge it. Even more annoying, the battery doesn't sit terribly well in the recharger, so you have to be careful to ensure that it's actually recharging. I find it *exceedingly* annoying that you can't recharge this camera from the USB port -- you plug in the camera to download the pictures, and even if the camera is attached to a wall outlet, the battery fails. I am also disappointed that they changed the battery shape from the W10 -- I have perfectly good batteries from that camera, and had to buy new ones for this; not very environmentally friendly!

The flash is weaker that it was in the W10; and it's now almost useless. I get about 1.5 meters (4 feet) of range before the light fails -- that's extremely close up.

The focus is quite poor. Even when in "portrait" mode (when it tries to look for faces), the camera does not always focus on the face it found. About 1/3 of my photos are out-of-focus. (On the W10, I'd only have problems when the subject was moving.) My suspicion is not that the focus mechanism itself is poor, but the algorithm that decides on where to focus picks the wrong item.

About 4 weeks after I purchased the camera, the power switch failed. (It took quite some googling to figure out what the problem was, as the manual only says to recharge the battery.) Since I was on vacation at the time, I was VERY happy that I had a second camera with me. I sent it back to the manufacturer for repair, and it was returned about 10 days later. They had corrected the power switch, focus, and zoom block. It still can't focus well.

The quality of underwater photos is slightly improved over the W10, but given that you're moving in the water and the fish are moving, the focus problem is really serious.

Overall, I'm very disappointed. Even more so because I loved the W10, and was really looking forward to the next generation.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Pentax Optio H90 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD - Ceramic White (Includes manufacturer's supplied accessories)
2. 8 Gigabyte SDHC Secure Digital Memory Card - Secure Digital USB Card Reader - Universal Memory Card Wallet
3. Additional D-Li88 Rechargeable Lithium Ion Replacement Battery - Package of LCD Screen Protectors
4. Naneu Pro Compact Digital Camera Carrying Case w/Pockets & Strap - Lens Care and Cleaning Kit
5. Flexible Legged Mini Table Tripod - BONUS!! 25 FREE Quality Prints (Promo code# on invoice)

Editorial Review :

The Optio H90 digital camera features a clean, contemporary design that is as in style in a museum of modern art as at a concert or sporting event. Developed with the concept of "functional beauty" in mind, the fashionable and affordable Optio H90 offers a full assortment of features to capture a variety of subjects and scenes. This first model in the new Optio H line features a wide angle 5x optical zoom lens (28mm-140mm equivalent), a 12.1-megapixel high resolution CCD sensor, and widescreen HD video capture at 720p and 30 FPS. Improved Pixel Track Shake Reduction technology captures blur-free images and the Face Detection, Smile Capture, and Blink Detection functions help users create better portraits.
++PLUS++ 8GB Deluxe Accessory Kit: 8 Gigabyte SDHC Secure Digital Memory Card - Secure Digital USB Card Reader - Universal Memory Card Wallet - Spare D-Li88 Rechargeable Lithium Ion Replacement Battery - Digital Camera Carrying Case with Pockets & Strap - Lens Care & Cleaning Kit - Package of LCD Screen Protectors - Flexible Legged Mini Table Tripod - BONUS!! 25 FREE Quality Prints (Promo code# on invoice).

Customer Review :

No review yet

1. 10.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
2. 2.5-inch LCD display; 3x optical zoom with Shake Reduction technology
3. Face-Recognition Auto Focus and Auto Exposure assure properly exposed portraits
4. Record movies with sound in Divx MPEG-4 movie format
5. Powered by D-LI8 lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD/SDHC memory cards (includes 22 MB internal memory)

Editorial Review :

The 10.0 Megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom assure high-resolution images while Enhanced Shake Reduction technology includes SR, Digital SR and Movie SR. The 2.5-inch LCD monitor makes sharing images easy with Bright mode and wide field of view. Face Recognition Auto Focus and Auto Exposure assure properly exposed portraits. The 0.02-second shutter lag time let's you have swift operation and the intelligent zoom function enhances the digital zoom. High-quality movie can be captured at MPEG-4 DivX (640 x 480) at 30fps with anti-shake and editing functions. Choose from a wide range of automatic and manual exposure modes including manual exposure and shutter priority modes. ISO Auto - 64-1600, 3200 available in Digital SR Mode at 5MP ISO Manual - 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 White Balance - Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Manual modes Shutter speed - 1/2000 to 4 sec Sensor Type - 1/1.8-inch Interline Transfer CCD with primary color filter Lens Type - SMC Pentax Zoom Lens (7E, 5G, 2 dual aspheric lenses, 1 single aspheric lens) 160 degrees horizontal and vertical wide angle viewable LCD Viewfinder Capture Modes - Auto Picture (Normal, Night Scene, Landscape, Portrait), Program, Night Scene, Movie, Voice Recording, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Kids, Digital SR, Surf & Snow, Sport, Pet, Text, Food, Frame Composite File formats - JPG (EXIF 2.2), DCF, DPOF, Print Image Matching III Sills, AVI (DivX with MPG-4) Movie, WAV (PCM), monaural sound NTSC and PAL Video out Aluminum Alloy Construction Materials System Requirements - Windows ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS 9.2, X (10.1 or later) and USB port Dimensions - Width 3.5 x Height 2.3 x Depth 0.9 inch Weight - 4.6 ounces without battery

Customer Review :

do not buy this camera!

This camera breaks with the slightest impact! I bought it 3 times, I should know! First time, i put it in my purse without a case, next time I tried to use it, it would not stay on. So, I bought a new one, because the quality of the pictures is pretty amazing...second time around, it fell from the couch onto my hardwood floors..same thing: would not stay on. So, I bought a 3rd one, and lo and behold, it stopped working too, but this time, for no apparent reason. I am giving up on this camera and shopping around for another brand.

Rating :

Nice Camera :)

My husband bought me this camera about 2 years ago for my birthday, and now again that my birthday is approaching in 6 days, my husband purchased me the new Pentax 70x. I loved this camera when I first got it, however after a year of having it, no drops or any misuse. The lense wouldnt shut properly, and the pictures are always blurry. Its like you have to wait for the camera to adjust whenever you need to take a picture, and take multiple pictures until it does. Also, the camera will turn on and the lense will go out, and then turn itself off right away even with a fully charged battery. I love Pentax products, I have used their cameras all my life and my husband has a scope for his rifle made by them. For some reason this camera is just iffy after a year of use. I also find that it is very pricey on Amazon.com. Much cheaper on QVC and you get a kit full of extras.

Rating :

Pentax will take you to the cleaners.

DO NOT BUY PENTAX- THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE. The product is just as bad. Amazon needs to really consider dumping them.

Rating :

Pentax junk

First camera DOA, lens extended on power up and the camera locked up. Have to pop battery out to reset.
Sent back, 2nd camera worked about 3 months and then the famous date-time resets everytimg you power off. Very common read dpreview.
Got it fixed under warranty (PCB repair) and 6 months later the problem reappeared.
Picture quality good though very contrasty and oversharpened. Divx video is horrific. LCD near impossible to see in daylight. Battery life non-existent

Rating :

Great little camera for the price!

I just bought this Pentax Optio A30 as a replacement for my old Pentax Optio M20 that died from one fall too many. I took a chance on buying a used unit to keep the price down, but I have had no problems with it so far.
The shake reduction feature is great. The pictures are much sharper than the M20.
I do prefer the battery option in the M20 of AA rather than the charger type, but I'll just have to get a spsre to carry.
I haven't yet taken a video, but I expect that function to be at least as good as the M20.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 7.0-megapixel CCD and 3x Pentax optical zoom lens
2. JIS Class 8 Waterproof and Class 5 Dustproof performance allows underwater photography and video
3. 2.5-inch low reflection LCD monitor; 115,000 pixels
4. Ultra-fast 9-point auto focus; Portrait mode utilizes Face Priority AF for perfect results
5. High-quality extended movie captures QuickTime motion JPEG (640 x 480) at 30fps; built-in editing functions

Editorial Review :

MD) CL) AA) PENTAX OPTIO W20 DIG CAM

Customer Review :

Good for what it is.

My wife purchased the Pentax Optio W20 7MP Waterproof camera for my birthday a couple years ago. I needed to replace a Nikon which had drowned in a rain storm. The camera proved to be very useful and reliable. I shot both video and stills in the ocean and lakes. The camera never took on water. The picture quality was good in and out of the water.
I would say that this is a basic point and shoot with the only exception being that it is waterproof.

The layout and functions are easy to use, although coming from a fairly high end digital Nikon and an old Nikon SLR, I missed the manual controls. The 3x Optical begins with a recessed lens, so close ups can appear a bit distorted. I recommend, stepping back and zooming to capture close-ups.

High ISOs give a great deal of noise, but with the automatic 400 setting, indoor and low-light stills looked great.

Overall, I'd recommend to anyone as a second camera for rainy days, or rafting/kayaking trips. The pictures are good, but you will have to play with the settings to get really good pics.

Rating :

Great for underwater!

If you're looking for a great point-and-shoot camera with a fast flash and great clarity in most of your shots, this is probably not the camera for you. That being said, this is a great second camera for the beach, swimming pool, indoor water parks, and snow.

The Good: I have gotten some amazing and really cool photos of my kids under the water at swimming pools and water parks. The underwater video feature is also awesome. I've captured their first attempts at swimming on video from UNDER the water! I have videos of them swimming toward me and also waving, so I e-mail them to the grandparents and deployed Dad. I was even able to get shots of a friend who threw his son into the air at a water park (the son is in mid-air). I've taken pictures and video underwater of my kids swimming in a jacuzzi (the hot temperature doesn't affect it). I can take the camera to the beach and not worry about the sand getting into it. I take pictures of sand castles and then wash it off in the ocean water. No sweat. Because of its "toughness," I feel comfortable taking it out in the snow. I don't like to expose my other cameras to cold temperatures.

Modes available (I haven't tried most of these): Auto Picture; Program; Night Scene; Movie; Voice Recording; Landscape; Flower; Portrait; Underwater; Underwater Movie; Blur Reduction; Surf & Snow; Sport; Pet; Frame Composite; Syncrho Sound Record; Kids; Soft; Self-Portrait; Fireworks; Food; Text; Museum; Natural Skin Tone; Report

The Bad: Because the camera housing is waterproof, all of the menu selections are on the screen (no dial). So, to switch from Auto Photo to underwater photo to underwater video, you have to go through the menu program on screen. Not a big deal--just have to adjust. The main thing is the lag time of the flash. Unless you're at an outdoor pool, most photos (in and out of the water) need a flash. The flash is SLOW, especially the underwater flash. I sometimes have to try 3 or 4 times to get a nice shot--but worth it! Also, if there are lots of bubbles in the water (wave pool), the focus can get thrown off.

The Bottom Line: This won't likely fit the bill to capture amazing shots and certainly not indoor photos where the target is moving (takes patience and several tries). However, for places with water or sand, it will take some awesome photos and videos your other non-waterproof cameras can only dream about.

Rating :

No dissapointments

I have had this camera for four years now, and i still love it. I've never had a problem with it leaking underwater (one of my innitial fears), the buttons still all work, it turns on and it ready to use in 3 seconds, it is very small (but not too small), and can go a whole day on one battery as long as you turn it off in between photos (tested in spain, portugal,poland, and prague. The bad things: the flash washes pictures out more than some of the newer camera and it tends to take fuzzy pictures if you dont have a steady hand. I do have the first edition of this camera (optioWP), so they might have fixed these things.

Rating :

Dead and useless

I owned this camera for about three years. I used it often for the first two years and now am using a small LEICA point and shoot. I just tried to put the Pentax back in service and it is dead - will not turn on. A new battery doesn't help. It was stored in a drawer without a battery under good conditions. Next time I will pay more attention to the negative reviews.

Rating :

Great!

I've had this camera for the past five years now and let me tell you its been everywhere. I've taken it to the ocean, the pool around campus to parties... This camera is the most durable little sucker you could possibly want.

Rating :

More reviews...