[layfsphoto]

What a fun little camera. I purchased this as a birthday present to my self.
Underwater pictures are pretty good for a P&S. The Video is slick (but dont use the zoom on a handheld) and is fun making a water shots while jumping into a pool. See my you tube video (keyword pentax w90 pool) my boys love it.
The microscope mode is a feature i use only when I want to press something against the lens. Oddly it works . I dont like the battery life or the card holder. That aside I love this camera. I strap it to my hip and go everywhere with it. Fits nicely in my pocket and is so simple my wife and kids can use it.
Flickr: layfielders' Photostream (for some samples) Paid less than $300 at adoroma

[bdery]

Around here we love our w80 too. glad you like your w90.

[Ole]

Could you elaborate on the issue with the card holder?

[layfsphoto]

The card slot next to the Battery pack. Just seems a wee bit weak compared to My K20d card holder. It works great just when I remove the battery to charge I bump the card and it pops up.Also I wish the w90 had a battery charger connection instead of removing battery everytime. Not really a big deal in the real world but we are talking about perfection.

[GerryL]

The card slot next to the Battery pack. Just seems a wee bit weak compared to My K20d card holder. It works great just when I remove the battery to charge I bump the card and it pops up.Also I wish the w90 had a battery charger connection instead of removing battery everytime. Not really a big deal in the real world but we are talking about perfection.

Battery charger connection would require another hole onto a waterproof camera.
This would eventually add to the cost of building/ making the camera, that is why the usb connection is also inside the battery compartment (for the W80, at least).
Once you open the battery compartment, what would be the use of just a charger connector when you can take out the battery itself.
This is also the reason why the memory card slot is in the battery compartment too.
Less holes to make the W80/90 watertight.
With just one battery door for memory card and usb connection, the more easily to make the camera watertight when that door is closed.

[GerryL]

Just a rejoinder..it is also to keep a vacuum in something (thereby making it more less for water to go in), it is better to just make one hole.
Imagine a can of soup or milk, punch a hole into it and tip it upside down and the contents won't spill.
Now, add another hole and it would be rather easy to displace the contents inside with air.
It is the other way around with the waterproof cameras, air is kept inside the camera so that water would not penetrate. If it just has the battery door as an opening, then it is less likely that the air would escape and let water in.
If you have two holes, apart from the battery door, then the likelihood of one of those opening failing would be more and once that happens, air would escape and would be displaced with water, thereby causing the camera not to be waterproof anymore.

[layfsphoto]

Like i was saying not really a huge deal. However. Why can some technology be charged while on a usb and some can not. Just saying. I love the camera but hate having to remove the battery. Its on the wish list.

Nothing like running and jumping into a pool while recording in 720p. At least its a fun way to shock your friends.

[GerryL]

Nothing like running and jumping into a pool while recording in 720p. At least its a fun way to shock your friends.

That's why I bought a W80 too..soo true!

[gazonk]

That's why I bought a W80 too..soo true!

My W10 (now 4 years old and still doing fine) looks even less like an underwater camera. I just love the weird looks I get when I go swimming with it at our local beach :-)

But I have to say that I'm disappointed by the noise levels of the W80 that I bought for my daughter for christmas. At ISO 200 the noise is actually more annoying than with my W10 when viewed at screen size. It's a shame they replaced the better-performing sensor of the W60.

How does the W90 fare at ISO 200?

Sample W80 ISO 200 shot (click for large or original size):

[unixrevolution]

The reason most cameras don't recharge from USB is because they have battery voltages that are too high, and amperage spec that is too low. USB only provides 5V, and with very little current before it fries something. It would take too long to recharge a standard camera over USB.

[GerryL]

My W10 (now 4 years old and still doing fine) looks even less like an underwater camera. I just love the weird looks I get when I go swimming with it at our local beach :-)

But I have to say that I'm disappointed by the noise levels of the W80 that I bought for my daughter for christmas. At ISO 200 the noise is actually more annoying than with my W10 when viewed at screen size. It's a shame they replaced the better-performing sensor of the W60.

How does the W90 fare at ISO 200?

Sample W80 ISO 200 shot (click for large or original size):

I would think that the more megapixels you cram into a small sensor, the more noisy it would be so I would suspect the W90 to be the same.
It is usually the noise reduction software that goes with the camera built-in processing that reduces these noises.
On the monitor, these noise would readily appear but in print, it should be not to much of an issue..not unless (I think) you blow it up to large size prints.

[gazonk]

I would think that the more megapixels you cram into a small sensor, the more noisy it would be so I would suspect the W90 to be the same.

Well, sensor technology improves too, the W60 (10mp) seems to be less noisy than my W10 (6mp), and the K-x (12mp) is definitely less noisy than the K10D (10mp). So I was wondering if they use a better 12mp sensor in the W90 than the W80.

But otherwise, it's probably the software. My wife recently bought the Panasonic ZX-1, which also is 12mp. Panasonic's "Venus engine" makes an artificial mess out of details, destroying textures or creating textures where there are none (OOF areas may look "hairy" ) but at least for on screen viewing, even on "HD" screens, ISO 400 shots look less noisy than on the W80.

[Buddha Jones]

From what I keep reading and seeing elsewhere this is probably tow worst camera that Pentax has ever made... which is a shame because I love the build and design and as much as I want to love this camera, I am afraid that if I buy it I will hate it...

[layfsphoto]

Okay so the camera failed me this weekend. Went to the beach and took some pictures hung the camera on a pop up tent and went to leave and saw that water was behind the LCD. I battery door oring failed me . 1 month into it. I had a Canon Aqua Snappy for 15 years (b4 wifey lost it) replaced the o-ring once and NEVER had a issue. I really enjoy this camera it fits my life style quite a bit but it only got splashed and submerged maybe a foot.

I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED.. Now I get try to have it replaced. FUN FUN..

[r0ckstarr]

From what I keep reading and seeing elsewhere this is probably tow worst camera that Pentax has ever made... which is a shame because I love the build and design and as much as I want to love this camera, I am afraid that if I buy it I will hate it...

I've been reading mixed reviews on this camera as well. I'd like to get one, but feel the same way as you do.

----
Also, I priced around. Adorama has it the cheapest from what I have found.

walmart.com = 279.00 + free shipping
target.com = 329.00 + free shipping
bestbuy = 329.00 + free shipping
bhphoto = 273.00 + free shipping
adorama = 271.95 + free shipping