Pentax WG-3 GPS
Come hell or high water, a camera ready for your next adventure
With 15 generations of ruggedized cameras in their back pocket, it’s no surprise that Pentax leads the pack when it comes to durable point-and-shoots. Spotted recently at CES, their latest model is the WG-3 GPS, which takes everything we loved about the WG-2 and tacks on a few more features.
The large F2.0 aperture provides better performance in low-light situations, which is useful in the outdoors and especially for nighttime photography. Also improved is the 16MP CMOS image sensor and sensor-shift shake reduction system for added sharpness and noise control. Designed with microphotography in mind, the lens barrel is ringed with six LED lights for well-lit compositions as close as one centimeter away.
Anyone skeptical of the “adventureproof” designation should be advised that the camera can withstand drops of 6.6 feet, 220 pounds of force and temperatures as low as 14° Farenheit—not to mention underwater performance up to 45 feet. Best of all, the GPS system lets you visually map your adventures at the end of the day, and you won’t get lost with the integrated compass and altimeter.
One thing we’ve always liked about the WG series has been the form factor, which is comfortable to hold, pancaked to fit into pockets and easy to clip onto gear while in the elements. Pentax is also offering a few add-ons for the WG-3, including a wide-angle lens adapter and a chest mount for hands-free shooting.
The WG-3 GPS will retail for around $350 following its March 2013 release, and Pentax is also releasing a non-GPS WG3 for $300.
Images courtesy of Pentax
