The Imaging Resource looks at seven contenders (the Canon Powershot D10, Olympus Tough-8000, Olympus Tough-6000, Olympus 550WP, Fuji Z33WP, Pentax W60, Panasonic TS1 / FT1) and has the conclusion.
Pentax W60 Reviews
Pentax Optio W60 Express Review at The Imaging Resource – The Verdict:
Plenty of detail, 13×19 inch prints at low ISO were very sharp, The Pentax W60's images are perhaps usable to 16×20 for wall display. The limit for 8×10 inch prints is probably ISO 400, as our shots were quite usable at that size, albeit with a little noise in the shadows. ISO 800 shots looked surprisingly good at 8×10, but there was too much noise in the shadows for us to give them an official "usable" ranking. ISO 800 shots were good at at 5×7, albeit still with some noise in the shadows. ISO 1,600 was OK at 4×6, but with noisy shadows. (Better than most of its competitors at that ISO level, though.)
Don't forget to visit their gallery of full-resolution test photos and real-world image samples.
How the Pentax W60 fared in DPReview's 'Waterproof' Camera Group Test (Q2 2009) – In this Digital Photography Review's test, the
Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera emerged as the overall test runner-up.
Don Wan, the reviewer, wrote:
The Pentax W60 certainly was the most feature-packed camera in the group with a 5x zoom lens that starts at 28mm and the ability to record 720p video, which when combined with an impressive 50 – 6400 ISO range make this a camera that will be near the top most potential buyers shopping lists. Overall performance was quite good, and it managed to produce image quality that was just about on par with the D10.
However, read the extracts at Canon D10 vs Pentax W60 to understand why the D10 was picked as the overall test winner.
Canon D10 vs Pentax W60 – In Digital Photography Review's 'Waterproof' Camera Group Test (Q2 2009), Don Wan, the reviewer, sums up nicely the differences, strengths and weaknesses of the
Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera in comparison with the Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera:
It is interesting that Pentax (which has been making waterproof cameras since 2002) and Canon (for whom the D10 represents the first attempt at a waterproof camera) are the two that managed to produce the best image quality of the group. Where the D10 uses more sharpening at lower ISO settings and more noise reduction at higher ISO settings, the W60 sharpens less at low ISO settings and employs less aggressive noise reduction at higher ISO settings, producing a more even output across the range. The W60 has a wider zoom range, and a larger ISO range and is more pocketable, but it lacks the D10's image stabilization. In essence the W60 seems to be the camera that you can use all the time but also take underwater, while the D10 is the camera designed to be used underwater which you can also use all the time if you choose.
… also …
The Pentax W60 is certainly an attractive package, and with a 5x zoom lens that extends from 28mm to 140mm HD video capture, you would think that it would make a great competitor to the D10 for winner of the group test. But looking closer you find that the 720p video is only recorded at 15 fps, and to get 30 fps you have to step down to VGA resolution. The lack of built-in image stabilization means that the W60 needs to use higher ISO setting to reduce camera shake compared to the D10.
Looking closer at the image quality, especially at lower ISO settings, the D10 constantly produces sharper more detailed results than the W60, and with no control over sharpening or noise reduction, you are pretty much stuck with the output of the camera as it stands. The flash performance is also not as good at the D10, and the very poor red eye performance with flash is especially concerning. As a underwater camera the W60 can only be used to 3m / 10ft, which is far off the 10m / 33ft of the D10, and the interface of the W60 is harder to use while in the water than the D10. Ultimately if you are going to mainly use the camera out of the water, and need something that can fit easily in your pocket then the W60 is certainly worth a closer look.