When shoppping for a waterproof digital camera to use while river floating, I was drawn to this one. Small, sleek & stylish, it's better looking and has better resolution than any of the other offerings. I've only used mine on one trip, but I already like it. Although I was somewhat disappointed by the lack of an optical viewfinder, the large LCD is bright enough to use in sunshine with sunglasses on. A few of my photos came out blurry even though the beep indicated the autofocus had locked. These were photos of other boats coming toward me rapidly while I was sitting in my boat, so my movement may have contributed. I need to experiment with the continuous AF and high-speed shooting modes to perfect these shots. It's great that the camera offers you so many options of AF and shooting modes. It also offers a large array of options for tweaking your images in the camera, from adding a frame to eliminating red-eye. This makes me think it might be feasible to print good hard copies without using a computer, something I never considered with other cameras.

All in all, I'd say this is a very good do-it-all, take-it-anywhere camera, with the bonus of it being waterproof. Highly Recommended!

I am very impressed with this small, easy-to-use, fun camera. First of all, it is very stylish. Its body is small and shiny and its screen is quite large. I was actually surprised by how small it is because the pictures make it seem about average size. In terms of performance, the five megapixels, built-in memory, and 3x optical zoom set it out from digital cameras of similar price. Plus, its water proof and durable. In all, you really can't go wrong with this camera.

I bought this camera after one of my daughters swimming instructors showed it to me at their swim meet. He had used it to take underwater photos of the kids during their swim lessons. The quality of the photo was amazing. They have another camera, much larger of course, in a plastic case that doesn't take photos as nice as this little pentax. I was amazed at the small size, 5 megapixs, large lcd screen, and wonderful picture quality!
This is the perfect camera to take along on vacation or anywhere you go. The size allows you to stow it away in your purse or diaper bag for those pics you don't want to miss of the kids! It is also small enough to hang around your neck on a lanyard so you won't miss a second of the action. You won't be disappointed in this one!
It has only been 2 weeks and I keep finding more and more to love about this great little camera. It even takes great photos of fireworks with its built in fireworks mode! Love it more every day!!!!

I have owned several digital cameras, including the WR33, and a great deal of photo experience. I like the size and shape of this camera and have always been a fan of Pentax. However, I wonder why Pentax did not include a view finder. It clearly would be a plus. My experience with LCD's is they wash out in bright sun and thus useless. When your on water, you are usually in bright sun. Do others have thoughts on the matter? Does it make a difference (I did note the comments in the one review).

Let's be clear. To date, only one digital camera can go underwater without some sort of special housing and that is this camera, the Pentax Optio WP. It is small, light, and has a very intuitive set of menus (who needs the manual, this thing is darned easy to use). That said, if you are looking for a general purpose point and shoot digital camera, look elsewhere. The quality of the photos are only average at best. Despite the 5 megapixels, significant detail is lost in the capture of the photograph. Noticeable fuzziness exists on the perimeter of all photos. Close inspection (zoom in with your favorite photo editor) shows a great deal of pixelation (read interpolation). My guess is the CCD sensor in the Optio isn't grade A. Don't misunderstand, I want to like this camera, but I've used too many that yield better photos (for Point & Shoot, the Canon Elph still can't be topped, if you are an enthusiast go Nikon or Olympus C Series).
So in the end, it will go in my camera bag where it will stay until the trips to the beach and the water park... because after all, that's why I bought it!

I purchased this little camera mainly because I was attending a Formula 1 race and the weather forecast was: rain. It proved to sustain not only the rain but also seawater, with the proper care of course. It is also very handy and easy to take along because of its small size, and it has a lot of features! The only cons I find is that low light pictures are not all the good as they should be and the door to access the battery and memory card is somehow fragile.

I purchased this after dropping a Casio Exilim EXZ55 about 3 feet of the ground. Seams like a tough camera, but afterwards the flash didn't work, then the next day the screen went blank, then it stopped working entirely. luckily I was able to return it... Figured I needed something a little more rugged, and hey waterproof is a HUGE perk!

about the Optio WP's performance:
This is the area I was unable to find much about, reviews are slim picking online, so I figured id just try it out.

picture quality - grainy is the word that comes to mind if you zoom in much. Even with the quality all the way up (***), the pictures are noticably lower quality than the casio. That being said, for the purpose I purchased the camera (mostly social ocasions) I would most likely shrink the image before sending it out to friends and such, so it doesn't really matter THAT much, but at times I like to get artsy and take really nice photos. (I esp. like taking night shots) This camera isn't suited for that. I'll try to post some photos after playing with it a while.

It seams quick enough
turns on and off quickly. There is a slight delay between pressing the button and taking the picture, not huge, but not instant like the exilim. Shot to shot times with flash on (what I really care about) seam very quick at about 4-5 seconds. thats faster than the exslim and I think thats faster than most cameras.

I've really noticed that my memory card is slow with this camera, as it will let you take pictures while its writing to it, but doesn't let you do anything else - can't enter any menu's or turn the flash on or off, whatever, until its done writing the the memory card. This can take 15+ seconds if you fill the buffer!! find this highly anoying as I take lots of photos very quickly at times. So make sure you get a fast memory card, as mine was just the cheapest one I could find...

Flash - seams bright enough, need more testing to really know, but its very bright.

design - menu system seams pretty nice. the buttons are a little wierd feeling at times, but that probably has to do with the waterproofing. compairing the size to the casio, this one is a little shorter and about a half a inch longer, but about the same thickness. Really feels like a cell phone in your pocket.

Battery life - lasted longer than I thought it would, and replacement batteries are like $10 with shipping off ebay, but nothing like the exilim... that thing would go FOREVER. Need to use it more to really get a feel for this as I havn't really used it besides testing it.

what has really bothered me is this cameras ability to take night shots. I tooks some great night shots with the exilim, but this I would rank it a D- as the shots I have taken all look like butt. The longest shutter time is 4 seconds, so it uses higher iso's to compensate, and defaults to iso200 even if it could use lower. (the exslim used iso50) If you need a tripod anyways, whats the point in limiting the shutterspeed? heck if it has to sit there for 20 seconds to take a nice photo, great, I'll take quality over speed when i'm taking night shots. speaking of tripods the part it screws in is all the way on the edge of the camera... just seams like the worst place for it.

there is no cover for the lens. sure its hardend glass or something, but If I carry this thing around in my pocket I know it will get scratched up, or at least dirty all the time, the exilim turned on in my pocket a couple times (not good), so at least I don't have to worry about that.

So its small, waterproof, and seams faily durable. Its quick, but only if your memory card can keep up. photo quality is not its strong point, but its also not that bad. It meets my main objective of why I purchased this camera, I just wish I could take excellent photos if I got in a photography mode and wanted to get all artsy. Knowing me, I probably should stick to something tough and somewhat cheap to carry around, as I tend to break things, but my complaints are problems I really don't see a reason why they have to be there at all.

Really if it wasn't for this being waterproof I'd return it right away as I know there are better cameras. But I'll use it a while and see... $300 for a waterproof camera that really isn't half bad AND really small? yes please... being able to go out in a hurricane and take pictures of crazy stuff without worrying about water is apealing, not to mention taking it to pools or the beach... I'll update this if I decide to return it, I think I won't unless I break it though, haha...

Photography has been my hobby for many years, and I own some prosumer level equipment, so bying a little snap-shot camera like the Optio WP seemed like regression.
We went on vacation to Sanibel Island, and I have to say that 60% of my pictures were shot with the Optio. Why? Because is was always there! It is extremely convenient, very quick to power up and fast enough for true snap shots (in good day light). The picture quality using the presets is amazingly good (that's coming from a control freak who never uses automated settings), and the under-water shots were excellent as well (in clear water). I was a little worried about it truly being waterproof, but it is! I had it in the pool just about every day and in the Ocean several times as well-it never failed.
I am impressed and have enjoyed this little gem more then I imagined. Short battery life, especially when using flash, and flash reach is poor, but that really did not impact on the utility of this camera. I love it and will have it with me from now on. (FYI, buy a second battery and the little nylon case (PTX-L100), which has a little pocket inside for a spare battery, and you are set to go anywhere).
Shortcomings: as stated ealier, battery life and flash reach. Also, the camera has problems aquiring correct focus in very low light. On one occasion, the camera "misbehaved", it was obviously a software malfunction and fixed itself by using the
"reset to default" function from the menu.
Have fun with it.
Hartmut Uschmann

I have been waiting for a 5 megapixel camera to take underwater pictures. This product fits the bill. As an avid flyfisherman, I take pictures in wet environs, and don't want to worry about getting the camera wet. Awesome underwater pictures of fish being released. I have been very pleased with "dry land" results also. Great product.

Althought I haven't capitalized on all of the features yet, I do believe that this is a good camera. I still can't believe that it's possible to take it underwater. I plan on reading the book soon so I can figure it all out.

Waterproof allows pictures to be taken in rain or mist worry free. Small overall size with large view screen. Camera + portabe printer+ laptop= mobility

this is the best camera I have ever owned. Easy to use, simple instructions, and great results. This is the first digital I have purchased, and I couldn't be happier.

We just got back from a 7night souther caribbean cruise and this was the first time I used the camera. I loved it! It is small and easy to carry and light weight. We used it snorkeling and at the beach and it took great pictures. The only negative is that in bright light and underthe water, it is sometimes hard to see the display. Otherwise this camera is great and I highly recommend it for anyone that wants a small camera for everyday use. My other camera is a digital SLR and it was great to carry this one in my pocket for quick use!

It has more functions then I would ever have need for and it is very easy to use. It's small enough to take everywhere and waterproof. The internal memory was inadequate. I bought two 512MB memory cards capable of handling ±300 photos or ±30 minutes of video at the highest resolution. I wish it would float 'cause if it sinks I'm sunk.

I have bought two of these cameras because I like them and they are easy to use. However, both of the LCD screens have broken even though I tried to be careful and it will cost money to get them fixed. I use my camera on the job where I remain very active and need a camera that can stand up to the elements. If it had rubber bumpers and a screen that was more protected, I think it would be a great investment.

I really like the features about this camera, its fun, small, and takes good pictures. It works great underwater and is alot of fun to use at pools or beaches... however, the camera doesn't float, so when i dropped it in the ocean handing it to a friend that was the last time we ever saw it. It also has a slight delay from when u push the button till when the picture is taken, not a big problem and definately not a unique problem to this camera. I would suggest simply getting a strap that floats to attach to the camera if u decide to get it. Its alot of fun, just doesn't float.

Great idea, too bad the pictures sucked.
Great size, excellent menu navigation. Always wants to use flash. The water has to be really clear for the photo to come out. You need a tripod, photos without flash are always blurry.

maybe they'll get it right next time.

I bought this camera to take on a vacation to Mexico, after about a an hour of poolside activities in which the camera got wet it refused to turn on and when I opened the battery compartment water leaked out from everywhere. I'm taking it home as soon as I get back.

I purchashed this camera for underwater photography for an upcoming cruise. I have an underwater camera that uses regular film and got tired of taking the film in to be developed just to fing out that half the pictures did not come out. I took this new camera to the Caribbean and fell in love with it! I took it snorkeling and the pictures were amazing. You can set it for underwater or landscape or any other number of settings. With the underwater setting, the pictures were so vivid and crisp. You can use the zoom to get up close with the fish and just shoot away! The above water pictures also turned out great too! The camera is small enough to put in your pocket and forget it is there. I would definetly recommend this camera to snorkelers and those who want a small camera that gives great pics.

This is certainly not the best digital camera out there, but it is a rugged, all-terrain little critter that can go places you wouldn't dream of taking another camera.

If you just want to take great pictures, go elsewhere. If you want decent (more than decent, actually!) pictures and the peace of mind of a waterproof camera, this is a great choice.

I always bring it along on trips to the beach and have grown to love the little thing.
My friends have "better" cameras, but are always stressed out about getting them wet or full of sand... not me!

Great if you only plan to take pictures, but the video is really fuzzy. I bought it to take fishing with me, and I like to take short vidoes as well. Unfortunately, the videos are poor quality.

I purchased this camera because I take a lot of action photos on the water. After losing the last to rainy weather in AK, I opted for the Optio. This is an easy to use, waterproof unit which is nice. Unfortunately the picture quality totaly lacks. Since the quality of my photos is important, I wouldn't buy this camera again.

The Pentax Optio waterproof line of cameras are an interesting bunch. Picture quality is mediocre but where this camera shines is in its carefree appeal. A lot of point-and-shoots fail when their protruding lense assemblies break or the lens cover gets stuck with dirt or lint. Atleast these two most common ailments cannot aflict the WP. The reason I got the WP is because it the perfect pocket of backpack camera. Not having to worry about it, it's there when you need it to snap a quick shot.

Better, I should say newer versions of the WP are now available from Pentax (W10, W20, etc) but I gladly grabbed one of the last WPs available, as the simple WP serves it purpose.

For quality pictures I use a DSLR.

My dad bought this camera two weeks after it came on the market in June 2005 and it was the COOLEST THING. But after the nostalgia wore off it turns out this is a pretty average camera. The big LCD is nice and the 3x optical zoom is pretty good, but the camera takes blurry/fuzzy shots 50% of the time! The underwater feature is nice, but for $250+ don't buy it unless you live in a coastal town, or have a hobby of taking shots of the insides of pools!m (don't take it scuba diving either, it's only waterproof to 6 feet (1.5 meters))

This camera really is a waterproof pocket camera, and it removes worries of rain, sand, mud, or other substances getting into the camera and ruining it. Its very carefree in that way. Unfortunately, it does such a lousy job of exposing, focusing, and capturing that in place of your worry about rain damage is your new worry about capturing that special moment.

I love virtually everything about this camera....except the lousy picture quality. The camera looks great, feels nice, is easy to use, starts up quickly, and is of course waterproof. It fits easily in a pocket and the battery lasts for a reasonably long period of time. It even comes with a nice padded belt case. But after you have seen the results, all you will be thinking about as you frame that next shot is if you'll get home and discover the picture you just took is so bad its unusable.

Outside of bright, direct sunlight, I would guess that 50% of the images from this camera are sub-standard. And half of those are so bad they are unusable. If you can live with those odds and you need a pocket camera that is waterproff, then you will like this camera. I honestly have had better, more consistent shots from a 2MP Fuji camera from 2001 than I have with the Optio.

One of the best 5MP cameras in the market, if not the best. Granted there are many other cameras in the market and one might wonder why is this the best. Compering it to all the other compact 5MP, the quality of pictures, the easiness of the menu and the fact thatit is waterproof make it top its competition. The size of it is an extra bonus as it truly and easily fits in ones pocket. I use it under all possible conditions, day, twillight, night, indoors and always had great results.

As far as taking pictures, it isn't bad, but there is no optical viewfinder, and the LCD screen is impossible in bright light. It gives new meaning to "point and shot." And there is no automatic lens cover, so the lens is vunerable and gets dirty easily.

I bought this camera at the very beginning and was kinda surprised and happy with the underwater pictures it takes. It did froze a few times, but all recoverable ones. After a while it began to take overexposed pictures with horizontal lines. I know that it happened with several other people too and there is no garantie that it will be fixed. I would go with another options from now on.

Great little camera. Very reliable. Takes nice pics. I get it dusty all the time and its working fine.

I purchased this camera while on vacation in Hawaii. It took VERY decent underwater and daytime pictures. The flash kind of drowned out inside close-up pictures, but I didn't use for night pictures much althought the Nightshot mode pictures worked well for me on a fixed mount. My underwater snorkeling videos made this purchase well worth it. I would not have some great shots & video with a disposeable camera. I ended up upgrading to the Sanyo Xacti, but miss my Pentax already. It was super easy to use and had a fast start up time (I think 0.7 sec).

I love this camera! This is my second one. I keep my camera with me at all times so it really gets banged up. It eventually died after about 3 years... doesn't seem long but I really put it through a lot. I bought the same one again because I love it so much. Perfect for the beach and pool

I have taken this camera everywhere! I have snorkled with it in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Florida, and the Mediteranian. It has been dropped multiple times but I have never had a moments problem. I think my favorite feature is that it fits perfectly into your pocket. It is a perfect camera for an active person who doesn't want to carry another thing around in their hands and runs a high risk of destroying their camera. It takes a lickin and keeps on clickin!
It does have it's shortcomings however. The zoom isn't really amazing and the lag between when you press the shutter release butten and when the camera takes a picture isn't very good but it's the best you can expect from a point and shoot.
The quality of the photos are great. It is probably the best point and shoot camera anyone could ask for. It won't do the things the digital 35mm types will but then again, you can't just stick them in your pocket and drop them and take them underwater.

I purchased this camera for watersports only. Have used in on my boat in rough weather and I have found it small, compact, and easy to use. The quality picture digitally is good but have not yet printed. Am very happy with the camera.