Pentax Canada showed what it calls its 11th generation waterproof digital camera, the rugged Optio W90, at its hospitality suite adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center during PMA 2010. The innovative compact is scheduled to hit the market in April at C$349 MRP.

Besides improved waterproof, dustproof and shockproof capabilities (it can be submersed six instead of five metres for two hours to rate JIS Class 8 waterproof performance; and dropped from a 20 per cent greater height, 1.2m, over a hard surface), its most striking new feature is a new Digital Microscope mode permitting macro capture of subjects 1cm from the lens.

You can have the world's best macro lens, but illuminating a subject practically touching the front lens element is a thorny problem that has to be addressed. A ring flash solves the problem with pro DSLR systems at a cost greater than the W90 itself: Pentax here neatly meets the challenge with three LEDs encircling the lens.

I was able to verify that the system works very well with a brief hands-on session in the suite, as well as by reviewing extreme close ups taken by Pentax Canada staff. The Digital Microscope mode reduces the image size from its native 12.1 mega-pixels to 2.1 (at 1.78:1 aspect ratio, a.k.a. "16:9").

As a rugged camera, the Optio W90 looks the part, with styling that sets it apart from any other digital compact, and lends it a nautical character.

It's also dustproof (meeting the IP6X or JIS Class 6 criteria) and specified to function in temperatures down to -10°C.

Pentax says that to able to warrant a shockproof rating, the W90 has to emerge unscathed from a drop 1.2 meters "onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood, conforming to the Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL-Standard 810F."

Thanks to a new-generation of Face Detection AF & AE, the Optio W90 is well suited to not only functioning well when, metaphorically speaking, it's raining cats and dogs, but also literally, to take better snaps of canines and pussy cats.

Besides such modern amenities as Small Face filter, Smile Capture and Blink Detection, this system can detect the faces of dogs and cats.

Pentax says the user has to first reregister a maximum of three dog and/or cat visages, after which the camera will attempt to recognize them and optimize focus and exposure accordingly. The user can also program the camera to automatically trigger the shutter the instant the pup's or pussycat's face turns straight toward the camera.

The enhanced system is said to detect up to 32 faces in the image field, and properly focus and set the optimum exposure in 0.03 seconds.

Other features include 720p video mode, 2.7" 230k widescreen LCD, 5:1 zoom lens (delivering a wide 28mm field of view).

There's also what Pentax calls "triple anti-shake protection," consisting of high ISO (6400), Pixel Track Shake Reduction, and a high sensitivity mode that reduces image size to 5MP.

The camera comes with a carabiner strap for hooking the camera to a backpack or other outdoor gear, and can be ordered with an optional waterproof remote control.

[photo: Besides the green-accented model shown here, the W90 will be available in black.]

Article Tags:  camera, pentax, waterproof, digital, optio, system, image, besides, reduces, problem, detection, three, faces, field, shake, exposure, focus, capture, detect, greater, rugged, suite, generation, calls, canada, compact, dustproof, microscope, surface, clas