Pentax is introducing a compact digital camera, called the OptioWP, that can be used to shoot underwater. The camera won’t be available until March, 2005.
The seams in the camera are protected with rubber sealant and an interlocking design to resist dust, pressure and moisture. Inside, an internal 3X optical zoom captures images as close as 0.36 inches without protruding from the camera body. A water-tight locking mechanism secures the camera’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery and SD memory card slot.
It can shoot “continuously for up to approx. 30 minutes underwater at a maximum depth of 1.5m.” It is recommended to rinse wash it afterwards. Good for those who snorkel, ski, sail, surf or just like to shoot near water.
The OptioWP is 5 Megapixel Camera with a 3.3X optical zoom. A 2″ LCD screen is on the back. It’s size is 102×51x22mm (WxHxD).
More details: Imaging Resource
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I recently purchased the newer version of this camera, the Optio W10. The main difference is the upgrade from 5.0 megapixels to 6.0 megapixels. Beyond that I cannot say. However, the model I got has performed far beyond my expectations. I was very suprised at the ease of use to switch between the 24 different settings. All but one of the 24 are pre-programmed for different situations, such as fireworks, underwater, and portraits to name a few, and the last is one that is manually programmed. The most interesting feature, beyond the waterproofing, is that the camera can be programmed to take a single picture in a given interval, then will shut of until its next needed power up. For example, when I was on vacation I set the camera up to take a picture of the sunset every 30 seconds. Which allowed me to forget about it and choose which pictures I liked the best of the group. And since I had my tripod, I set the camera up in the pool to take the pictures. The only downsides to this camera managed to be a non issue for me since I am used to taking large numnbers of digital pictures. The first is that it comes with no memory card, not a problem since I already had several for my other camera that also uses SD. The other problem is the lack of specific features that can be adjusted, shutter speed and aperture can’t be manually adjusted like on a SLR-style camera. Overall it takes great pictures, is durable enough I take it almost everywhere, has a good battery life and can do a great job if you do not need to manipulate everything about your pictures.