Not wanting to be left out after Sony and Nikon announced their compact digital cameras this week, Pentax has been showing off its latest Optio cameras — the P80, E80 and waterproof WS80.
The Optio P80 features a 12.1-megapixel 4x optical zoom lens, a beefed up face recognition that claims to assess 32 faces in 0.03 seconds including those annoying individuals who insist on tilting their heads in photos, smile detection, high definition 720p recording, and a triple anti-shake system that works on both images and movies in normal and low-light conditions.
The Optio E80 has a slightly reduced feature set, combining a 10-megapixel 32mm wide-angle lens with 3x optial zoom, face recognition, image stabilization, HD movie mode and various automatic shooting modes.
Disappointingly, it runs on AA batteries. Sure, they might be “world standard” but so is the use of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries in digital cameras these days.
Finally, the Optio WS80 is a fully waterproof and highly dust-proof compact camera, which means you can use it to a depth of up to 1.5 meters for up to two hours (if you really want to).
Features include a 10-megapixel lens with 5x optical zoom and many of the same features found on the E80.
The protective glass element on the lens is coated with “Super Protect” meaning it can be rinsed under clean water if it becomes dirty.
Plenty of colors to choose from on the three models. They’re expected to be available within the next month, exact pricing to be confirmed.