Pentax Optio WG-3 ($ 300) - dustproof and waterproof, shockproof representative of a line of compact cameras with reinforced construction. The 16-megapixel camera offers many improvements over the previous WG-2 model, including a faster and sharper lens with 4-optical zoom, covering a wide-angle range and having a maximum aperture of f / 2, image stabilization by sensor offset, 3 ”LCD screen resolution 460 thousand points and an overall improvement in image quality. True, the photos are a little noisy, and they don't look as good as the frames shot by the Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS.
Pentax WG-3 Design Review
The body finish, combining bright metallic colors, diagonal lines, sharp corners and industrial screw mounts, clearly indicates a particularly robust device design. The camera is slightly wider than most compact cameras. Its dimensions are 64.5 x 125 x 32.5 mm and its weight is 209 g. Comparing it with the catchy, reinforced design of the Canon PowerShot D20, despite the elegant design lines, the D20 has more traditional proportions - the camera measures 71.1 x 111.8 x 27.9 mm with a weight of 227 g.
The standard flash is complemented by 6 LEDs surrounding the lens, which provide uniform lighting in macro mode. They can be activated via the menu and automatically switched on when switching to the digital microscope mode - a special setting that allows you to focus on objects located at a distance of about 1 cm from the camera.
On the right side of the camera, when viewed from the side of the LCD display, there is an industrial-looking mount for a short climbing carabiner, rather than an ordinary graceful strap. On the bottom panel there is a plastic screw mount for mounting the camera on a tripod, but it is located on the side, and not, as usual, in the center, and occupies about half of the entire base. A sliding cover protects the compartment with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, an SD card slot (compatible with Eye-Fi cards) and two HDMI and AV / USB ports. The cover has a security lock and opens with considerable force.
Generally speaking, the build quality of the WG-3 is high, and the camera certainly gives the impression that it is able to survive heavy loads with minimal damage, better than many of its cheaper, plastic competitors.
Pentax WG-3 GPS Review
This model is one of two versions of the camera manufactured by Pentax. Another, WG-3 GPS, is $ 50 more expensive. It has a GPS system, supports Qi wireless charging and has a monochrome frontal information display. The Pentax WG-3 GPS is available in green and purple, while the WG-3 is available in orange or black. The rest of the cameras are identical.
Lens
Optics is a 4x zoom with a fairly wide angle. The lens is designed so that it extends inward, never protruding from the case, so as not to expose the camera to potential hazards. Therefore, fingers sometimes accidentally appear in the field of view of the camera, since they have nothing to rest against. Fortunately, the coating of the optics is impervious to prints and dirt, and the water drains from it, so the device does not require special care after immersion in water. The range of focal lengths is 25–100 mm with apertures f / 2-4.9 (in 35 mm equivalent). The lens is quite bright at the wide end, which is useful for underwater shooting. It is necessary to swim as close as possible to the photographed object, since even the purest water will cloud the field of view. When zooming, less light enters the lens, but this should not be a problem when using the camera outdoors in the daytime.
Controls
The shutter and power buttons are located on the top panel of the Pentax WG-3, while other controls are located at the back to the right of the LCD. There is a zoom control rocker, a separate video button, the navigation panel allows you to change the self-timer, macro, flash and mode switch settings. Also present is Pentax's proprietary green button. It brings up a software menu with 4 customizable functions, each of which is called up by a standard 4-way navigation bar. By default, they set ISO, exposure compensation, focus area and trigger automatic macro photography, but the user can give them functions that best suit their shooting style. Despite the fact that all the buttons are textured, for the photographer wearing gloves they will be too small for comfortable and accurate use.
Screen
Pentax WG-3 3-inch widescreen LCD with 460k dots wider than other cameras. It has a 16: 9 aspect ratio - the same as HD video. The image sensor has a 4: 3 format, but the camera trims it by recording 12-megapixel pictures in 16: 9 format, if it is preferred to him. The screen is not as clear as 610 thousand. Olympus TG-1 and TG-2 dot OLED, but it is much sharper than the display with 230 thousand points budget Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS20. The image is clearly visible in bright sunlight, but it lacks contrast so that you can better see the fine details.
Reinforced construction
The camera is designed for use in water at a depth of 14 m, which is 1.5 m deeper than the previous model. The camera is strong enough to withstand weight up to 100 kg and falling from a height of 2 m. The camera can shoot at temperatures up to -10 ° C, which is good news for those who live or like to spend time in cold conditions. The camera can dive a little deeper than the Olympus TG-1, which is limited to 12 meters, but the TG-2 model can withstand 15 meters.
Performance
From the moment you turn on the Pentax WG-3, it takes about 2.5 seconds to capture the image. The camera can continuously shoot with a delay of 0.7 s between each photo, and the shutter releases after 0.2 s. Canon D20 is faster - the camera starts in 1.4 s, takes every 0.5 s.
The start speed of the WG-3 is hampered by the fact that photographers are used to turning the shutter release fully on after turning on the power. At the same time, the WG-3 activates the pan function, which focuses on distant subjects and does not use the AF system. The camera can turn on and take a picture in this mode in about 1.8 s, which is still not the fastest result. If you do not remember the features of the camera, then you can accidentally start focusing the pan, when you need to aim at something closer. To avoid this, you can enable the macro function, which will always confirm the focus when capturing a frame, if it is on. Unfortunately, after turning off the power, the camera does not save this setting.
Image clarity
According to users who checked the sharpness of photos using Imatest, at the widest angle and aperture of the lens, the camera shows a result of 1,948 lines along the height of the image. This is better than 1,800, necessary for the photo to be clear, which is an exceptional achievement for a camera with a reinforced structure with such a fast lens. This is one of the areas in which the model is ahead of the Olympus TG-1 with 1656 lines, mainly because of the softness at the edges and corners of the picture.
Photosensitivity
As the ISO increases, the camera becomes more sensitive to light, but with additional sensitivity, granular noise occurs and details are lost. Pentax WG-3, according to user reviews, does not shine in this regard. The camera is capable of maintaining noise levels below 1.5% to ISO 200. Detailing remains pretty good up to ISO 400, even with 1.7% interference, but as soon as the light sensitivity is set to ISO 800 or higher, the image quality deteriorates quickly. Compared to WG-2, the shots are much better, but they can not compete with competitors in this class with higher ISO settings. For example, the Canon D20 controls noise at ISO 800, and images at ISO 1,600 and 3,200 are much better than the WG-3.
Video
The quality of the video is mixed. The Pentax WG-3 camera shoots in QuickTime format with a resolution of 1080p30, 720p60 or 720p30. The frames are sharp and the colors are accurate, but the sound of focusing the lens is heard on the soundtrack. When you change the focal length, the sound of the motor drowns out everything.
Connectivity options
The micro HDMI port is located in the battery compartment. There is also a USB connector, which also serves to charge the battery. A special charger is not included. Standard SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards are supported.
Finally
Pentax WG-3 is one of the most interesting heavy-duty models on the market. The camera can be deep under water, its lens is characterized by high aperture and clarity, and the LEDs around the latter are an excellent tool for macro photography. Image quality is noticeably better than the WG-2, but it still lags behind the Olympus TG-1 with average ISO settings. The camera does not have inductive charging and the GPS module is available with the more expensive version of the WG-3. If shooting usually occurs in bright light, the quality of the photos will be excellent, but in situations where you need to shoot with a higher ISO, it is better to use the Canon PowerShot D20. However, this will have to pay a little extra.