Pentax Optio 43WR

CNET editors' take

• Reviewed by:
  Aimee Baldridge
• Reviewed on: 06/22/2004

This 4-megapixel waterproof camera offers a step up from the 3-megapixel Pentax Optio 33WR, and it comes in a more distinctive--and possibly easier to spot on the beach--charcoal gray color. It's sealed to be watertight, and Pentax says you can dunk it in up to 3 feet of water for as long as 30 minutes.

Upside: We've been pleasantly surprised by the broad set of sometimes useful and sometimes merely entertaining features Pentax puts in its snapshot cameras. The Pentax Optio 43WR continues in that vein, even offering 680x480, 30fps video capture. It feels very solid, with rubberized corners that will both cushion a fall and make its square body comfortable to hold. Its internal 2.8X zoom lens gives you a decent amount of shooting flexibility while remaining watertight.

Downside: You can't actually take any pictures with this camera when it's submerged, so that rules out your snorkeling photo plans. The Optio 33WR's autofocus didn't perform consistently, and unless Pentax has made improvements with this model, getting sharp pictures with it could be a problem.

Outlook: The Pentax Optio 43WR goes head to head with Olympus's heavily advertised Stylus 410. It offers a more flexible feature set and a more dunkable level of waterproofing, but whether it will outpace the Olympus in the areas of photo quality and performance is yet to be seen. The Optio 43WR will be available in June for $349 (list).

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 18 reviews
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• Showing 3 of 18 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "Great Camara For Vacation!"

  by TheMacBeta on April 25, 2007

• 3.5 stars

  "Outstanding field camera"

  by teriyakiboy on April 14, 2005

• 5.0 stars

  "good field camera"

  on February 20, 2005

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 82

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 104 reviews of Pentax Optio 43WR from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 80/100 and users 85/100. Comparing these reviews to 555170 other Digital Compact Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 82/100 = Very Good.

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• photographypress.co.uk

  Editors' rating: 90

  Summary: A camera crafted for outdoors fun. The compact, high resolution, frame, is ideal to make this the perfect travelling companion.

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• laptopmag.com

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• pocket-lint.com

  Editors' rating: 90

  Summary: A camera crafted for outdoors fun. The compact, high resolution, frame, is ideal to make this the perfect travelling companion.

  Read full review