Like each year, Pentax renews its waterproof compact here with the Optio W60 and its impressive technical sheet:  a 10 Mpix sensor, 28 mm wide angle, 5x optical zoom, HD video (1280 x 720 pixels) and of course a camera that is waterproof up to 4 meters.

Handling

This new waterproof Optio does not radically change from previous models.  While it keeps its long shape, angles are no longer rounded.  In fact the W60 now has more of a "brick-like" look.  On the back, there is a 2.5 inch screen with highly visible black buttons, although the latter are a bit small for fluid use as is the case with the joypad.  This was a small disappointment but the little Optio W60 has other arguments to seduce the photographer, notably a waterproof body up to 4 meters and up to 2 hours (the W30 could no deeper than 3 meters).  It might not be enough to capture your first scuba experience but the Optio W60 can be the ideal companion at the beach, pool or quite simply while skiing or under the rain.

The LCD screen is of good quality with rather large viewing angles and fluid display even in poorly lit situations (though with quite a bit of noise).  Otherwise, the screen is reflective and not too pleasant in full sun.

Previous waterproof models didn’t stand out for their reactivity.  Unfortunately, the new W60 does not raise the bar here.  Count on a little less than 3 seconds for startup and more than 2 seconds between two photos.  Autofocus performances, which are satisfactory in good lighting, are inferior when there is a lack of light.  Moreover, connected systems (detection of faces, smiles and closed eyes) do not accelerate things.  On the other hand, the 5x optical zoom is interesting, fast and (especially!) combined with a wide angle.  The only disappointment is the low brightness of the entire system.  Finally, the zoom is entirely internal and proof of solid construction.


Quality of images

The lens is of good quality with little deformation and limited chromatic aberration.  Outdoors and in "normal" conditions, the W60 produces nice images.  In full sun, this compact sometimes has the tendency to overexpose shots meaning bright zones are burned out.  While automatic white balance functions perfectly under natural lighting, it is significantly less efficient with artificial sources.  Thus in our test scene, the W60 produced very cold photos (a blue dominance).

Noise control is classic.  At 100%, ‘’billowing’’ is visible starting at 50 ISO although this is entirely invisible on 10x15 or A4 prints.  However, the amount of noise increases rapidly to eventually become a real problem at 800 ISO.  This is when the W60 is capable of shooting at 6400 ISO!  To limit the effect of noise, pixels are grouped together (called pixel binning with 5 Mpix images) starting at 3200 ISO to smooth out defects – and details.  Only use higher settings for 10x15 cm prints.

The video mode can record in 1280 x 720 pixels.  Unfortunately, we have to settle for a speed of 15 i/s.  The lack of fluidity is not obvious but other compacts offer real high definition video.   One good point is that the video mode offers continuous focus (which is very noisy) and the optical zoom remains functional.  Otherwise, while image quality is good it suffers from very ‘’metallic’’ rendering.

As is usually the case for Pentax there is a high performance flash even in macro shooting.  Finally, this last mode enables focusing from 1 cm.