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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-30-2010, 08:28 AM
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I also have difficulties now because i need to sell the W90 (could not return to the reseller because already used into water).
Already proposed it to few people and everyone told me about the bad image quality so i'll need to propose a huge discount on it...
I think i'll lose lots of money... sad!
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-30-2010, 08:02 AM
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Well... it happened that last week i grasped a FT2 unit and tested last weekend on a canyoning trip.
First of all, the movie noise reduction in low light of the FT2 (or the different optical schema, don't know) does wonders respect to W90. When W90 comes with extremely bluish noisy movie, the FT2 handles it more and more well (you notice some smearing but colors are ok and no background image noise). In sunny conditions image is great and the "high lights" smearing is extremly less visible than W90 (you see it when targeting but when movie record starts it likely disappears, even if i managed to get some artifatcs in difficult light conditions)
Too bad i took all movies in AVCHD lite format (bad camera configuration, would like to record everything with MJPeg that looked better to my eyes) but the battery never lasted (11 hrs canyon trip and battery was 2/3 charged, W90 battery is not so long lasting, now i think i purchased a useless backup battery).
FT2 has a long exposure option (you can choose between 15", 30", 60" and results are pretty good in night shots with tripod).
Anyway, FT2 looks less rugged than W90 (the body looks more prone to scratches) and the sealed door looks more prone to accidental opening due to the different lock mechanichs. W90 is slimmer and its operation is more comfortable than FT2.
W90 has a faster operating speed, interface and optical zoom (but cannot zoom nor auto focus during video recording and FT2 does). W90 has a bigger 16:9 screen and video playback looks better on it, but when you download to PC it's another story.
W90 has weak 3 led illuminator around the lens and FT2 has only one led that doesn't uniformly lights marco subjects... definitely can live without them.
FT2 square lens design makes difficult to clear the protecting glass from water drops, with W90 round shape you just need to submerge for a second the camera on water and then use it out of water with clean lenses.
Anyway, I decided to keep the FT2 even if it's a bit bigger (but not heavier)... i think that Pentax needs some more improvement on his waterproof model?
A W90 body/interface with a FT2 optics and movie quality would be the perfect rugged camera... too bat there is still no such model...
Please I don't want to create flames, just only wrote down my personal experience for you all to know.
Greetings! Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-13-2010, 02:00 PM
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Crossmr,
I'm happy you choosed to keep the Pentax. Yes, if you point it on bright sources you get lot of "smearing", but i noticed this effect also on other models. Also my Panasonic Lumix LX3 has little smearing if you point it on bright lights, but it's less noticeable than Pentax.
Anyway, they're totally different machines (and LX3 is not waterproof)
Umberto.
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-08-2010, 02:20 PM
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I'm sorry you don't like your purchase.
Anyway... isn't it possible to flash the Panasonic with an English firmware?
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-05-2010, 06:43 AM
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Crossmr,
You're right, Lumix has higher image and video quality, hands down.
The difference may be in what you want to do with the camera. I can operate all functions of the W90 with 2.5mm thick gloves without hassle. Some reviews (didn't tried personally) state that the Lumix is difficult to operate with gloves due to small controls.
Well, if I had to choose only for image quality, i'd choose Lumix. But, overall considering, choosed Pentax because is more usable in tough conditions.
Is up to you, obviously :)
Greetings! Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-05-2010, 03:14 AM
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Hello Crossmr,
I can confirm that the video quality is on par with the video you posted. Consider that the front lens protection glass diffraction helps a lot in washing out images (but even the car glass in the video helps). If you keep the sun behind you you avoid the issue.
On low light there is a noticeable amount of noise (i usually fix it with a filter on my video editor, but the original may be really noisy). In good light conditions the quality is pretty nice (considering the lens) but due to the optical schema you can notice some "smearing" if you point the cam on very bright spots.
I was hesitant between W90 and Lumix (reviews show a better handling of high ISO on Lumix, forget getting something decent on W90 over 400 ISO), but I choosed Pentax due to higher waterproof specs, and better grip (Lumix is flat and slippy).
Last but not least... dont' know Lumix speed, but W90 is lightning fast on operation! Quite useful when you need to "catch the moment".
Hope this helps! Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-03-2010, 02:52 AM
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Hi all! I purchased a W90 last month and must say I'm pretty satisfied with it (overall considering toughness and not DSLR image quality, but, hei! it's a P&S!)
I can state that W90 is fully waterproof, since I personally used it while jumping into water from 8 mt height on canyoning trip. I suppose that, given the neoprene suit makes you floating on water, after the jump i gone no more than 2 mt deep, but considering also the water pressure caused by fast entering into water surface, it can be considered as a static 3-4 mt.
I must say too that i didn't stay into water for long time (max 30 secs) so don't know if the cam can really resist 30 mins under water. Anyway for a 4-5 hrs trip jumping, and swimming the cam is good (and the battery lasts for almost 5-6 Gb AVCHD clips).
Greetings! Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-03-2010, 12:37 AM
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Hello G.T.
Found it on the manual, thank you :)
Well, given that in some occasions is really difficult to avoid this smearing, is there a known way to fix them at least in post-production? Any kind of "unsmear filter" in some video processing tool?
Thanks! Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-02-2010, 01:31 PM
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Well, i had a look at the manual, but didn't really full examined in each paragraph. I missed that notice, sure :)
Next time i'll go out for movie clips i'll try a bit of zoom to see if it helps in reducing purple lines. Too bad because i really loved the 28mm equivalent lens. Sigh :)
Thank you guys... Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-02-2010, 05:40 AM
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Well,
I don't think it may be considered lens flare...
Please have a look at the attached screenshot. Do you notice the three vertical purple lines? They follow high lights (some high lights appear to be a bit out of the frame, but they are).
Maybe is this due to front glass diffractions? Looks strange to me. Usually this issues appear only on framing phase, not on recording phase. But, maybe, this cam doesn't filter the input during clip recording hence the issue...
Annoying...
Any hint?
Umberto
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Forum: Pentax Compact Cameras
08-02-2010, 01:48 AM
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Hi all!
I'm using a W90 with a certain degree of satisfaction of canyoning shots and movies. The only defect i notice is that most of the time with movie clips, when some high light spot is visible on the frame (sun reflects over water for example) a vertical purple stripe on the pixel column relative to the spot is visible. Something like an "out of level signal".
I noticed that this issue is present even when framing a photo shot, but it disappears on the final shot. Noticed this issue also on many other compact cameras and it's not a really issue for me, if this would not appear even on movie clips.
Does someone know how to avoid this artefact? Is there some setting i can use to lower that effect?
I didn't notice that issue on other compact cameras while taking movie clips... It looks strange that only Pentax does...
Thanks! Umberto
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