Pentax has announced the Optio W90 waterproof camera, the successor to the W80. The W90 offers enhanced waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and coldproof performance and features a digital microscope mode with LED lighting to capture small but intriguing subjects.

The W90 is designed with the look of mountaineering equipment and includes a woven web fabric strap complete with a carabiner to attach the camera to a backpack and other outdoor gear. Here are some of the features of the W90:

  • Waterproof to 20 feet
  • Shockproof to four feet
  • Coldproof to sub-freezing temperatures
  • 12.1 megapixel sensor and wide angle 5x optical zoom (28-140mm 35mm equivalent)
  • Digital microscope mode with LED lens lighting to capture macro subjects as near as 1cm from the camera
  • Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card connectivity for built-in Wi-Fi capability to transfer photos and videos from the camera to a computer or an online photo or video sharing site
  • 2.7 inch LCD with 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
  • HD movie capability (widescreen 720p HD video at 30 frames per second)
  • An HDMI port to play back high resolution images and video on HDTVs
  • Shake reduction technology
  • Face detection, smile capture, blink detection, and processing modes specifically designed for portraiture, and new Pet Recognition that captures up to three pre-programmed pet faces in memory
  • Infrared remote control compatibility with Pentax infrared remote controllers
  • An autofocus assist lamp to quickly and accurately focus in challenging lighting

Pricing and availability
The Pentax W90 will ship in April 2010 at a price of $329.95. Additional information about the W90 can be found at the Pentax website.