Review Date July 22, 2011

Pentax Optio WG-1

  • Pros

    Small build for a ruggedized camera. Good low-light performance.

  • Cons Our first test camera experienced some water damage. Slow recycle times. Dated, complicated interface.
  • Bottom Line

    The cute-but-tough Pentax Optio WG-1 is built to withstand the elements, its image and video quality, though, aren't up to par with some competitors.

By David Pierce

Whether you're at the beach, on the slopes, on a hike, or just have some slippery-fingered kids you don't want handling an expensive and fragile gadget, a ruggedized digital camera can be a handy thing to have. The 14-megapixel Pentax Optio WG-1 ($349.95 direct) is one such camera, and with one exception (more on that in a minute), it was able to handle all the torture we dished out during testing. But with unspectacular still images and video coupled with some speed issues, it doesn't deliver the caliber of performance we expect from a camera in this price range. Overall, it falls short of many rugged competitors including our Editors' Choice, the feature-heavy Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 ($399.95, 4 stars).

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Design and Features
Waterproof to 33 feet, drop-proof to 5 feet, crushproof to about 220 pounds, coldproof to 14 degrees, and generally sand- and dust-proof, the WG-1 is built to survive most anything. Fortunately, despite all the extra hardware required for water- and element-proofing, the WG-1 doesn't feel quite as large as some other rugged cameras. At 2.3 by 4.5 by 1.1 inches (HWD), and 5.9 ounces, it's certainly larger than your average compact camera (thicker, in particular), but it's still pocket-size. The rugged Casio Exilim G EX-G1 ($229.99, 3 stars) is thinner and lighter, but it's not as tough as the WG-1, and Canon Powershot D10 ($329.99, 4 stars) matches the ruggedness of the WG-1, but is nearly twice as thick. Available in purple or black, and constructed mostly from plastic with rubberized edges, the WG-1 has a sporty look.

A quick note: There's an otherwise-identical WG-1 that adds GPS functionality for geotagging photos. At $399.95, the WG-1 GPS is $50 more, but it makes the WG-1 a better travel companion. The Panasonic TS3 goes even further, though, adding an altimeter and a barometer to give you even more information about your location.

To keep dust, sand, and water out of the camera's body, there aren't many unnecessary physical controls. You get the standard Power and Shutter buttons, a zoom rocker, a directional pad, and a handful of other buttons on the camera's back, to the right of the LCD. The 2.7-inch 230,000-dot display is standard for a rugged pocket camera. It's a little larger than the screen on the PowerShot D10, and the same size as the Panasonic TS3's LCD. It's not ultra-sharp, but it's bright enough to use in most conditions, including direct sunlight. The HDMI and USB ports are hidden behind an (intentionally) difficult-to-open door, as are the battery and the SD card slot (the WG-1 accepts SDXC, SDHC or SD cards).

The text-based menus and hard-to-decipher icons make the WG-1 tough to use at times. At first, finding even some basic settings was tough. Fortunately, there are a number of scene modes, which are key to using this camera; rather than trying to set ISO and shutter speed, you can use modes like "Pet" or "Underwater Movie," and the camera will make its adjustments automatically. The mode I liked the most, actually, was "Digital Microscope," which lights up five small LEDs around the lens, making it easy to focus on close-up subjects. I was able to get shots in focus from only a couple of inches away using the LEDs.

The lens is typical for this style of camera: 28-140mm (35mm equivalent), with a corresponding aperture of f/3.5-5.5. The 5x zoom is little more than the 4.6x you get with the Panasonic TS3, and a much better overall package than the Casio G1, which features a 38-114mm 3x zoom lens.

Performance: Ruggedness and Image Quality
During my tests, I kicked the WG-1 around the PCMag Labs, stepping on it, leaving it in water for long periods, running a faucet over it, and generally beating it up as best I could. The WG-1 took it all, and came out snapping photos without so much as a scratch. But that was our second test camera...

Our photographer, Scott Schedivy, had a different experience with the WG-1 than I did. He took our first test camera on a trip to St. Croix, where it went diving a couple of times over the course of a week. The camera operated fine until its final test, when it was dropped into a pool. The display promptly died, and though the camera still snapped pictures after drying it off, the screen never came back, which is a major concern.

In a rugged camera, which you'll use to capture everything from cool animals and underwater life to kids running around on the beach, speed is paramount. The Pentax WG-1, unfortunately, doesn't quite deliver. The camera takes 2.3 seconds to boot and shoot a photo, which is respectable, if unspectacular. The same goes for its 0.4-second shutter lag time. The real problem is recycle time: You'll wait a long 3.7 seconds between shots, so you better get your shot right on the first try. The Panasonic TS3, by comparison, shaves the time between shots down to 1.2 seconds.

In our Imatest trials, the WG-1 averaged 1,644 lines per picture height, which is a decidedly mediocre result, and means you won't get super-sharp photos from this camera. The TS3 scored even lower, though, at just 1,347 lines per picture height. The Canon D10 scored an impressive 2,339. The WG-1 did perform better on our noise tests: We were able to crank the camera all the way up to ISO 1600 while remaining under the 1.5 percent noise threshold, after which images become visibly noisy and grainy.

The WG-1 shoots 720p video at 30 or 15 frames per second. Footage looked good in my tests, but the WG-1 can't zoom or autofocus while recording. The Panasonic TS3 shoots in 1080p, and you can silently zoom and use autofocus while recording.

Overall, the tough Pentax Optio WG-1 is a tough sell when our Editors' Choice, the also-rugged Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 offers more features, a better menu system, faster recycle speeds, more versatile video controls, and a better overall experience. It's slightly more expensive, but its feature list and improved performance are worth the $50.

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David Pierce
By David Pierce Junior Analyst, Consumer Electronics


Follow David Pierce Twitter: @piercedavid
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