Pentax Optio W80 camera plays tough card

Takes on Olympus and Canon in Adventure stakes

25 June 2009 5:39 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Pentax has launched its latest waterproof camera promising to let you "go boldly where none have gone before."

Called the Optio W80, the update to the W60 will be more adventure-proof than ever, according to Pentax, and be waterproof, dustproof, coldproof, and now shockproof enough to withstand impact from a fall of more than 3 feet (1 metre), as it plays catch up to Olympus' successful tough series of cameras.

On the tough specs, the Pentax Optio W80’s waterproof design withstands depths of up to 5 metres, letting you shoot photos and video for up to 2 hours underwater. On dry land, the rugged, shockproof design protects against drops of up to 1m. That coldproof badge means the camera can to be used in sub-freezing temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius).

On the camera specs you get 12.1 megapixels, a 5x internal optical zoom (equivalent to 28-140mm), a slim body and a wide angle 28mm lens. There's also a 2.5-inch LCD screen and HD movie capture capabilities that record resolutions up to 1280 x 720 pixels at full-speed 30fps.

There is also fast face detection that sees up to 32 faces in 0.03 seconds, with smile capture and blink detection, for perfect portrait shots.

Available in cardinal red, azure blue and gunmetal grey, the Optio W80 will be available in July 2009 for $299.95 in the US with an expected UK price of around £170.