A Viewfinder Darkly
Phil Northeast is Feature Writer for Photography at 
Stock photography by Phil Northeast is available from Ozimages International
Pentax Built the Waterproof Optio W90 Digital Camera for Adventure
The new PENTAX Optio W90 offers enhanced waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and coldproof performance and features an inventive Digital Microscope mode with LED lighting to capture small but intriguing subjects. The Optio W90 comes with a woven web fabric strap, complete with a carabiner, for attaching the camera to a backpack and other outdoor gear, giving the W90 the look of mountaineering equipment.
It takes more than mud to stop the Pentax Optio W90 (Pic: Pentax)
The Pentax Optio W90 offers photographic performance, innovative features and style making this a versatile outdoor compact digital camera.
Waterproof, Shockproof, Dustproof, Freezeproof
Rated JIS Class 8 waterproof, the PENTAX Optio W90 is rated down to 20 feet underwater, four feet deeper than the previous PENTAX W series model. The shockproof* Optio W90 is designed to withstand falls from a height of four feet without damage to the body. Rated JIS Class 6 dustproof, the Optio W90 also offers exceptional coldproof performance for reliable operation at temperatures as low as –10°C, making it a perfect choice for active photographers who venture to shoot pictures in demanding outdoor conditions. The camera also comes equipped with carabiner strap to attach the camera to a backpack or other outdoor gear
* Measured under PENTAX-original testing standards (from a height of 1.2 meters, onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood), conforming to the Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL-Standard 810F.
High image quality
Combining approximately 12.1 effective megapixels with the PENTAX-developed imaging engine and the high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio W90 delivers brilliant, high-quality images with well-defined details. Even when images are enlarged to larger sizes, users are assured of sharp, high-resolution prints with edge-to-edge sharpness.
The large LCD screen on the rear of the Pentax Optio W90 (Pic: Pentax)
Optical 5X zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle coverage
Despite its compact dimensions, the Optio W90 features an optical 5X zoom lens covering focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (equivalent in the 35mm format to approximately 28mm wide angle to 140mm telephoto). This wide zoom range may be used for a wide variety of subjects and scenes, from spectacular landscape and group shots to tightly framed snapshots taken from a distance.
Digital Microscope mode for nature observation from 1cm away
Combining a macro shooting capability from less than one inch away with the Digital Zoom function, the Optio W90’s new Digital Microscope mode magnifies the view and captures small subjects that are difficult to observe closely with the naked eye.* Three LED Macro Lights installed on the face of the lens barrel camera captures subjects such as plants and insects clearly and brightly on the LCD monitor for extreme macro photography.
* When using the Digital Microscope mode, the image size is fixed at 2.1 megapixels (at 16:9 proportions).
Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity
Eye-Fi SD memory cards store media and offer built-in Wi-Fi capability that accesses an assigned wireless network to effortlessly transfer photos and videos from the camera to a computer and online sharing site such as Picasaweb, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube. Equipped with an Eye-Fi Card, the Optio W90 allows users to enable/disable the Eye-Fi Card's Wi-Fi connectivity via the camera menu and provides an on-screen card activity indicator. (Eye-fi cards sold separately. More details available at www.eye-fi)
High-quality, HD-proportioned movie recording
The Optio W90 captures beautiful, flawless movie clips at 16:9 high-definition TV proportions (1280 x 720 pixels) at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. This mode also offers a variety of editing functions: Still images may be extracted from movie clips; title images can be added to the beginning and/or end of a movie clip; and more. The Optio W90 also provides an HDMI micro terminal for audio/video signal output.
Ice is not a problem for the Pentax Optio W90 (Pic: Pentax)
Triple anti-shake protection to prevent different types of camera shake
Pixel Track SR
When recording still images, the Optio W90’s Pixel Track SR (Shake Reduction) effectively compensates for camera shake by processing affected images.
High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode*
When the Optio W90 detects low-lighting conditions in still-image shooting, it automatically raises its sensitivity to as high as ISO 6400, making it possible to use a higher shutter speed. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of camera shake and subject shake under poor lighting conditions.
Movie SR**
During movie recording, the Optio W90 prevents blurry images by effectively minimizing annoying camera shake through the use of exclusive software.
*When the High-Sensitivity anti-shake mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed to five megapixels (2592 x 1944 pixels).
**When the Movie SR is selected, the angle of view becomes narrower than normal shooting.
Upgraded face detection detects dogs and cats
The Optio W90 features a new-generation Face Detection AF & AE function, which instantly and accurately detects up to 32 faces in the image field and captures each in sharp focus and optimum exposure in just 0.03 seconds. This upgraded version is programmed to detect not only human faces, but also the faces of dogs and cats. When the user selects pre-registered dog or cat faces (up to 3 choices), the camera automatically detects them and optimizes focus and exposure. Users may program the camera to automatically release the shutter the moment the subject’s face turns straight toward the camera, which is helpful for pet photography.
There is an Autofocus assist lamp to help the focus,system even in challenging lighting
Price and Availability
Priced at $329.95 USD, the PENTAX Optio W90 ships in April 2010. A waterproof infared remote control (sold separately) for use with the PENTAX Optio W90 and other infrared compatible Optio models will be available at the same time for $29.95 USD