The Pentax OptioWPi digital camera is announced. The Pentax WPi is an updated version of the waterproof Optio WP camera. A larger 2 inch LCD screen and 6 megapixel sensor are amongst the changes. Price and availability of the Pentax OptioWPi to be announced.

Pentax Press Release

A compact digital camera with waterproof performance, 6.0 effective megapixels, a 3x optical zoom lens and a large LCD monitor - all in a slim, flat, easy-to-carry body.

Following the success of the OptioWP launched in February 2005, Pentax is continuing the concept of combining ‘sportiness, elegance and leisure’ with the OptioWPi. Offering the same waterproof performance, the OptioWPi also boasts a sophisticated design, making it suitable for use on virtually any occasion.

Only 22mm thick, the OptioWPi offers a large 2.0 inch LCD monitor and 6.0 effective megapixels. Despite this, the body of the OptioWPi is the robust enough for most shooting environments, including watersports, skiing and other outdoor pursuits.

The first true ‘extreme’ digital camera to offer compact dimensions and leading edge performance.

Major features
1. High waterproof performance, without the need for a case
The OptioWPi complies with JIS class 8 waterproof performance, enabling it to withstand up to 30 minutes of continuous operation underwater at a depth of 1.5 metres. Furthermore, the OptioWPi has also been proven to conform to Class 5 dustproof performance of Category
2. Such capabilities make it ideal for use when skiing, taking part in marine sports, going fishing or enjoying other outdoor pursuits. Waterproof performance of this kind also means users can simply rinse the camera off any time it becomes dirty.

2. Sophisticated body design
- A slim, flat body boasting a depth of a mere 22mm
- An ergonomic contoured grip design provides users with a more confident, more comfortable shooting experience
- The OptioWPi makes extensive use of high-quality aluminum alloy for the front panel with a brushed finish

3. A 3x optical zoom lens and 6.0 effective megapixels
The OptioWPi delivers pleasing optical performance with a lens comprising 9 groups of 11 elements. It also includes three aspherical lens elements that compensate for aberration to make for even sharper results, and makes use of a refraction lens system that enables it to deliver 6.3-18.9mm 3x optical zoom performance and cover angles of view equivalent to those of a 38-114mm lens in 35mm format without ever extending from the camera body. Together these features allow photographers to make the very most of the OptioWPi’s ample 6.0 effective megapixels.

4. 2.0 inch, 115,000-pixel LCD monitor
Despite its slim, flat body dimensions, the OptioWPi features a large, 2.0 inch LCD monitor with 115,000 pixels for speedy and precise confirmation of recorded images. This low-reflection monitor also features a backlighting mechanism that effectively maximises visibility, even when used outside on sunny days, and additionally offers a “Power saving mode” that automatically reduces backlighting intensity to make batteries last longer.

5. Mode palette makes operation even easier
The Mode palette has been popular with consumers ever since its introduction on other Optio models, displaying multiple shooting or playback options simultaneously. For the shooting Mode palette, the user can display 15 mode icons at once out of a total of 22, with the remaining 7 icons replacing the selected 15 on the user’s command. What’s more, just a press of the Green button while the Mode palette is on is all it takes to display easy-to-understand explanations and photos for the selected item - reducing the need to consult the user manual..

6. Continuous AF and tracking AF
Continuous AF* or tracking AF** are activated automatically upon selection of Sport, Pet or Kids modes - allowing the camera to track a moving subject within the frame and maintain accurate focus accordingly.
* For focus on stationary subjects, the shutter release button is depressed halfway to drive the lens to focus lock. Continuous AF, on the other hand, allows the lens to be driven constantly to ensure swift, precise focus as soon as the shutter release button is depressed halfway.
** Tracking AF continually detects both horizontal and vertical movement of the main subject to ensure sharp focus at the desired moment. Confirmation of the focus area can be done on the focus frame on the LCD monitor.

7. High-sensitivity shooting
The OptioWPi supports mixed-pixel, high-sensitivity* shooting, which offers the choice to shoot at a Standard Output Sensitivity of 800. This results in crisp and clear shots with minimal noise, hand shake and other blurring.
When high-sensitivity shooting is selected, recording size is fixed at 1280 X 960 pixels.
*Available when using Candlelight mode and Report mode only (automatic or manual activation).

8. Green mode gives you swift, automated shooting
Just one push of the Green button activates Green mode, which takes automatic control of all settings with the exception of zoom. Not only is this function handy when asking someone else to take your picture or when you’ve simply lost track of camera settings, but the Green button can also be used as a shortcut - allowing the user to assign up to four* frequently used functions for quick access.
*Functions that can be assigned to the Green button: Green mode, recording size, image quality, white balance, AF area, focus limit, sensitivity, exposure compensation, sharpness, saturation, contrast, and off.

9. Recovery function lets you retrieve erased images
With the OptioWPi, there’s no need to panic if you accidentally erase an image or audio data. That’s because it comes equipped with a handy recovery function that remains active until the erased data has been overwritten or the power is switched off.

10. Picture Voice* function attaches sound data to stills
Up to 20 seconds of audio data can be recorded while a still image is being shot - extending from 10 seconds before to 10 seconds after the moment of shutter release. Such capability allows users to capture special moments in a more memorable manner.
*How it works: upon selecting Picture Voice mode, the OptioWPi starts accumulating audio data, then automatically stops recording 10 seconds after shutter release. The accumulated audio data (10 seconds before the shot, plus 10 seconds after) is then stored as an attachment to the recorded image.

11. A range of options for framing
Not only does the OptioWPi enable users to put images together with photo frames within the camera itself, but it also offers a choice of shooting options to produce results best suited to a pre-selected frame.

12. Movie editing in-camera
With the movie editing function, users can actually edit recorded movies in-camera. Selected clips can be saved as new movie files, users can select single frames for saving as individual still images, and separate movies can also be combined as one file.
* The size of a storable still image depends on the recorded size of a movie.

13. Other features
1) Ready to shoot just 0.6 seconds after the power is turned on
2) Real-time display of “washed out” and “blacked out” areas
3) Soft flash function avoids overexposure when shooting with flash in close proximity
4) Up to 4x digital zooming
5) Macro mode enables shooting as close as 1cm from the subject when lens is in wide setting
6) Three color modes (full-color, B&W, sepia) for versatile movie recording
7) “Clock Mode” function displays the time even when the camera is off
8) SD memory card compatible; approx. 10.5MB built-in memory
9) Standard image viewer, ACDSee for Pentax software
10) FotoNation’s red-eye compensation function for flash shots
11) DPOF, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III compatibility