Review Pentax Optio WG-1 with GPS

There is no dearth of cameras out there that are “waterproof to xx feet/meters” – hell, I can look in my camera bag right now and see three others. What the Optio WG-1 offers though is a lot more than that. Measuring in at 2.3 inches by 4.5 inches by 1.1 inches and weighing in at a low 5.9 ounces, the Pentax Optio WG-1 claims to be waterproof to 33 feet, dust-proof, cold-proof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, shock-proof from falls up to 4.9 feet, and crush-proof for up to 220 pounds of pressure – that’s a lot of “proofs” for such a small package to have. So how well does the Optio WG-1 hold up – does it measure up to the claims it sets forth, or does it get crushed under the weight of it’s own promises?

I did my best to prove the claims that Pentax set forth on this camera – I submerged it in a pool (while only four feet and not the 33 feet it can withstand, I felt it did the trick), and while I was really worried, it held up beautifully. The only caveat (and really this should be common sense) is that you need to make sure the outside of the camera is dry before you open the battery compartment or the HDMI/PC AV port. If you don’t, you’ll inevitably get water inside the camera through no fault of the hardware.

The shock-proof claim was easy enough to test – I just dropped it from an average carrying height onto a variety of surfaces. Wood, carpet, concrete, brick, and blacktop were all used to see if I could get this little guy to show even the smallest hint of damage, but the WG-1 prevailed unscathed. To test the claim of being crush-proof, I took it to the gym and stacked 220 pounds of weights on it – again the camera handled the weight with no issue at all. As it’s not winter yet (and I didn’t feel like screwing with my freezer), I surrounded the camera with some ice water to see how cold-proof it was; as expected, the claims made weren’t false.

The Optio WG-1 also records video, but the video is only 720p at either 15 or 30 frames per second – it’s not great, but it would be good enough for some underwater videos of fish and what not. When I tried the video feature, it looked clear enough for a pass, but it’s definitely not HD. The lens on the WG-1 is better than other cameras of this type, and it shows in the raw data – for instance, you can push the camera to ISO 1600, and have almost no noticeable grain or noise. The LCD screen (2.7 inches, 230K-dot display) is also well lit, enabling you to use it even in direct sunlight.

All in all, the Pentax Optio WG-1 with GPS is a nice camera if you need one that is super rugged – the price might be a bit high for the performance and features though. If you do need something that can withstand most of the situations you’ll face in life and price is no option, you really can’t go wrong here. While other rugged cameras might have a faster recycle speed, or a better zoom – there’s always a tradeoff weather it be even higher cost, less features, or something else