Pentax Optio 33WR Weatherproof Digital Camera [3MP 3xOptical]

I am new to Digital cameras, but have been shooting film in a variety of formats and systems for over 30 years. After much research and agonizing compromises, I waited and purchased this Pentax Optio 33WR. It is small, but fits my small hands well. All the controls are nicely defined and laid out. I began using the camera prior to consulting the manual because the camera is logically engineered. The manual is well done and thorough, and Pentax also spells out the accompanying ACDSEE software - not needed if you own a Mac. You can also download the manual and specs for this and many Pentax cameras directly from Pentax's doc site - free, prior to purchase if you want to study this. The specs available are quite accurate. Output is great! Sharp lens, fast focus, accurate exposure, and it fits in my pants pocket. It has a lot of flexibility for a P&S and a fair number of manual features if you need them. Nicely sealed, all weather unit. solid feel! Lots of positives! Negatives are: Came with 2 inexpensive alkaline batteries instead of lithium versions - I replaced them, but one can find power for this camera anywhere. The camera comes with an 16MB SD memory card which is good for about 8-10 hi-res pix, so I replaced it with a 64MB version ($34). All-in-all, 4 stars may be conservative because I like it and it is nearly all I need and want.

I can be rough on cameras so I wanted a digital camera that could take at least a little abuse. I considered the Olympus Stylus 300/400 but didn't care for some of the reviews and the kind of batteries they use (I'm a rechargeable AA fan). What I read on the Optio 33WR was impressive, it has more mode features than I'll probably use (even a specialty mode for fireworks!) Although not quite as easy to use as the Kodak 6330 I feel this is offset by the extra features of the Optio 33WR. Since the Optio 33WR is "immersible" it *should* be able to handle rain and splashing from white water rafting and other water sports (I'll find out the hard way next summer) which greatly appeals to me. Taking pictures is easy and the 3.2 megapixel results are great even for 8x10 prints. Pictures are easy to download to your computer w/the included USB cable and the ACDSee photo-editing software is surprisingly easy to use as well. With a 256MB SD memory card I can take over 100 max quality/resolution photos and battery life is very good. It's small enough to drop in a pocket yet controls are large enough to be easily used. However, the Optio 33WR is not *quite* perfect... A docking bay w/battery charger for downloading photos would be nice and very convenient, I can't locate the optional AC adapter *anywhere*, a *slightly* more powerful flash (adequate as is) would be good, the power on/off button is a little too close to the shutter release for my comfort and the camera strap can dangle in front of the lens/flash when holding the camera at 90 degrees for more vertically oriented shots. Despite these minor quibbles I'm *very* happy w/my Optio 33WR and recommend it to anyone looking for a good digital camera that isn't afraid of the water. I give it 4.75 stars out of 5.
Added: I found a suitable AC adapter at Radio Shack (...) and the ACDSee photo-editing software that comes with the 33WR does a good job of lightening/brightening photos that the flash couldn't quite handle.
Added: The Vivitar DF200 Digital Flash looks to be my choice for better flash performance: It takes AA batteries like my Optio 33WR, "learns" the camera's flash characteristics for better results, tilts/aims for more lighting options and comes with a mini flex tripod & a special bracket for attaching to the tripod hole of the 33WR.
EDITED 5/04: The Phoenix D91-BZS 4-Stop Digital Slave Flash looks to be even better than the Vivitar (even comes w/a camera bracket). I now have the Optio 43WR which is nearly identical to the 33WR except for slightly greater resolution (no big deal) and a much-improved movie mode (640x480@30fps instead of 320x240@15fps) which I really like. However, it requires hi-speed memory to achieve 30fps and the SanDisk 512Mb Ultra II will provide 7.5 minutes of movie recording time at 640x480@30fps. If the movie mode isn't that important to you then I suggest you stick with the 33WR and less expensive memory.

I've waited a long time for a decent digital camera that's rugged enough for going outdoors and enduring a little punishment. This thing is all you could ask for if your looking for a camera to go fishing, duck hunting and anything else you throw at it. It's simple and well laid out but still has all the features of a mid-range camera. It takes great pictures and comes with ACDsee for a wonderful software package.
Enjoy!!!!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 10 reviews  4.4 out of 5 stars