Pentax Optio W90 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera
is quite simply the best camera I have ever owned. It is perfect for every situation- underwater or otherwise. It has a mode to fit every situation I encountered on my recent vacation to Oahu, Hawaii. See the "customer images" at the top for my example pictures. The landscape mode is stunning and brings out the greens and blues in a landscape. Pictures of landscapes from my 14 megapixel Samsung look dim and boring in comparison to this camera's landscape mode. And microscope mode can turn the simplest items (sand, dirt, bark) into professional-looking photography. With sand, you can see the individual grains and shells with incredible detail. I even used this mode on a sweet potato... it looked like a purple grand canyon (yeah, the sweet potatoes in Hawaii are purple for some reason). Microscope mode also works well underwater as well for things such as fish and hermit crabs. Panoramic mode is easy to use and patches up to 3 pictures together very well (as long as there aren't moving people or cars in the picture... then there are ghosts of these items where it was stitched together). I took a panoramic picture at the top of Diamond Head that looked incredible. Even the "food" mode impressed me; it made a simple picture of a meal from a shrimp shack look professional and rich in color. Basically, the different modes on this camera automatically make the same adjustments to the pictures that I would normally make in Photoshop, except without the hassle and hundreds of dollars worth of software.My only semi-complaint is that when on the highest quality settings, the movie mode used a TON of space on my memory card. A 90 second video took up almost 300MB! Although that is way too large for a video that short, I have still left it on the highest setting because I don't want to sacrifice any quality (especially when these videos involve giant sea turtles). Also, optical zoom is not available during video; it is purely digital zoom.
And finally, my favorite mode on this Pentax Optio W90 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera is the underwater picture/video mode. I used it while snorkeling in Hanauma Bay and took stunning pictures and videos of tropical fish, giant sea turtles, squid, and so much more. With my goggles on, I could easily see the screen of the camera and had no trouble change modes while underwater. It was just as easy to operate underwater as it was above water. I was surprised to learn that the microphone actually picked up sound underwater. You could hear me breathing through the snorkel and if there are people yelling nearby, you can still hear it underwater. My only problem was that when there was a lot of sand floating in the water, the camera focused on the floating sand instead of the turtle behind it. But this only happened when I put my feet on the sand, which probably kicked it up into the water. So be careful about that.
Three pieces of advice on Pentax Optio W90 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera:
1. After Pentax Optio W90 Waterproof Digital Camera has been submerged, let the camera sit and dry for at least an hour before you open it (even if you dried it with a towel yourself, still let it sit for an hour) because the area right outside the internal waterproof seals cannot be dried without opening the camera and exposing the battery to that small amount of water.
2. ALWAYS TURN OFF THE FLASH in auto mode unless you absolutely need it. This camera tends to flash when it isn't necessary. The first thing I do when I turn this camera on is turn off the flash.
3. Turn the picture quality to the highest setting as soon as you turn on this camera! It is not on the highest setting by default. You can also do this for videos, but I warn you that the high-quality videos will eat up your memory card space. But for me, it's worth it.
I also recommend the floating strap for this camera.Pentax Optio Floating Wrist Strap for Cameras
The reality of my life is that the other members of my family unit consist of two hyper little kids and a clumsy wife. I learned many cameras ago that my cameras MUST be water/drool-proof, shock-proof, nag-proof, and any other proofs they can come up with. Yes, I might sacrifice some picture quality or credit card slim size for my requirements but what good are those other cameras (like a few of my old ones) if they are "accidentally" broken within one month?
over my other camera.
took great pictures (at least to our untrained eyes) in the range of conditions obtaining at the time of the middle of the rain the sun, inside and outside, near and far . With approximately 900 shots behind us, we are very pleased with the quality of both pictures and HD videos. Of course, the best part of robust cameras that you can put them (as we did) rafting on the hiking trail, etc., and small enough to slip into the back pocket (in case it is not break when you accidentally sit on it under the car). He already has a few battle scars from falls of the boat and mountain bike (doh!) but it lasted no problem. And the videos we are going in the Class IV rapids with the recording of the camera is priceless. A high-end camera but it is too sensitive and too bulky to carry when you're in the "wilderness" or on the beach or just knocking around on your bike.