Pentax announce the launch of the Pentax Optio WS80 digital compact camera. The combination of a compact, lightweight body and outstanding waterproof and dustproof capabilities makes the new Pentax Optio WS80 an ideal choice for casual, day-to-day applications, including a variety of outdoor activities. Within its compact body, the Pentax WS80 digital camera offers a number of advanced, user-friendly features. These include: the assurance of high-quality, high-resolution image reproduction thanks to 10.0 effective megapixels; an optical 5X zoom lens; a large 2.7 inch LCD monitor; HDTV-proportioned movie recording; and a state-of-the-art Face Recognition function

Pentax Optio WS80 underwater photography
The airtight camera body of the Pentax Optio WS80 also allows underwater photography to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to two hours continuously. This eliminates worries in situations where water or dirt can be a concern, such as outdoor events, in the garden or kitchen, or on a rainy day.

Pentax Optio WS80 waterproof digital camera
Despite its compact, palm-sized body, the Pentax WS80 assures reliable waterproof performance conforming to IPX 8 (or JIS Class 8) standards, allowing underwater photography at a depth of 1.5 meters for up to two hours continuously. It also features the Pentax-exclusive, highly water-repellent SP (Super Protect) coating on the protective glass element installed at the front end of the zoom lens. As a result, the Pentax Optio WS80 can be simply rinsed clean with fresh water if it becomes covered with dirt or sand. Coupled with remarkable dustproof capabilities equivalent to JIS Class 6, the Pentax WS80 can be used without worry in many different situations where water or dirt can be a major concern, including water and winter sports.

High-speed Face Recognition on the Pentax WS80
The Pentax Optio WS80’s advanced Face Recognition AF & AE function comes in handy for casual shooting of people. This user-friendly function not only captures 32 faces in sharp focus and perfect exposure in a mere 0.03 seconds, but can even accurately detect a subject standing diagonally to the camera, or one with a tilted head. The Pentax Optio WS80 digital camera also offers other user-friendly features, including: the Small Face filter, which makes the subject’s face appear smaller in proportion to the camera body than it actually is, to produce attractive, well-balanced portraits; the Smile Capture mode, which automatically releases the shutter the moment the camera detects the subject’s smile; and the Blink Detection function, which warns the photographer when the subject’s eyes close at the time of shutter release.

Pentax Optio WS80 offers a 5x zoom lens
Despite its compact dimensions, the Pentax Optio WS80 features an optical 5x zoom lens covering focal lengths from 35mm to 175mm in the 35mm format. It also offers the Intelligent Zoom function, which extends the zoom range up to approximately 28.5 times for even tighter zooming in on the subject.