Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Ocean Blue)

It is easy to use. The videos are much better quality then earlier models.
I just love it.

I've only used it a little bit, but so far so good. Easy to use, waterproof, and takes great shots, especially with the macro feature. A great value and I would recommend it to anyone with an active lifestyle that needs a small waterproof camera.

Nice little camera for skiing or kayaking. Takes great pictures and video. One draw back to waterproof cameras are they don't have a view finder. Glare can be an issue without one.

My last waterproof Pentax was the W30, i recently traded up to the W60 based on my positive experience with the W30. The battery life on the W60 is horrible compared to the older model. Be sure to have plenty of spare batteries! This may be my last waterproof Pentax.

Ok, I spend a lot of time fly-fishing, which generally entails a wet and often sandy camera. Having owned and loved an Optio Wpi (2-3 generations back), I immediately went for the new Pentax waterproof over the comparable Olympus. The main reason that I was told that Olympus' retracting lens cover is easily jammed by sand. So I was an easy sell on the w60, after finding out I couldn't buy another wpi - which could have used the 4 batteries I now own for a broken camera. I should mention that broke the wpi, it was so sturdy it could have lasted for ages had I not put about 300 lbs of pressure between it and a solid metal object. I just bought the w60 and took it out for a week on the river. Here are my three frustrations:
1. light areas are totally washed out. I know, I have to figure out the settings to correct this issue... and I will correct the issue. But the settings are going to need serious tweaking before the w60 will take sensible photos. I mean, there was rarely 'true black' in any of my shots. Inexcusable & highly disappointing to have amateur looking vacation photos. The old wpi took awesome - truly awesome - pics straight out of the box.
2. some settings dont seem to stick after powering down. i cant tell you how many times I unchecked the "digital zoom" box, only to find my camera digitally zooming after powering back on. That's the only one I've seen not sticking so far, but I've only been playing with the camera here and there for the last 5 days. digital zoom is useless, in case you're wondering why this is one of my complaints. It basically does on your camera what your home computer can already do... and it sucks battery life. Never be impressed by a camera's digital zoom feature.
3. at full wide angle, corners get faded out. This is a minor issue for me, but definitely true. I read it elsewhere, so I was on the lookout. When you're zoomed out entirely, the corners of your photos CAN (not always) fade a little. eg, took a picture at twilight, corners were darker than they should have been. that being said, the wide angle is an amazing feature. In one frame, I could fit the boat I was fishing on, my fishing companion and his fish, and the incredible landscape/backdrop. I don't know how i lived with out this before.

Other than that, it's an amazing camera. I just wish I had known about these issues before I bought and shot vacation photos all week. Other cool features include a 'digital panorama' that will absolutely knock your socks off. it stitches three photos together for you... but also leaves a little 'ghost' at the end of each shot so you know where you left off. The result is perfect panoramas. There's a 'digital wide' feature that is similar but combines two 'portrait' (ie rotated 90 degrees) photos together in case 10 MP isnt a big enough pic for you.

my opinion: buy this camera if you spend time near the water, or just want that added layer of protection. it's perfect for your pocket, boat, river, kids' soccer game, etc. Not an SLR, but great for everyday use.