New Pentax GPS camera

With the start of the new year there are some new GPS cameras coming out on the market.  The Pentax WG-3 GPS camera is expected to be released next month.  It is the 15th generation of Pentax’s adventureproof line-up of point & shoot cameras.  In addition to the GPS which was present in the 2012 Pentax, the new WG-3 camera now has a compass which shows you the direction you are facing when you take photos. 

The new GPS camera offers an increasingly ruggedized body boasting improved waterproof depth rating to 45 feet, shockproof from drops of up to 6.6 feet, coldproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and crushproof, withstanding up to 220 foot pounds of force.  The rugged design is enhanced by its folded optical zoom lens that reduces its vulnerability to moisture and dust while ensuring a compact size without the protrusion of a lens barrel. A texturized grip decreases the chances of dropping the camera. And the WG-3 GPS is compatible with the wireless Qi (inductive power standard) recharging system, which automatically recharges the built-in battery simply by placing the camera on a Qi-compatible wireless charger.  Eliminating the need to open and close the battery chamber cover, greatly reduces the risk of sand and dust being introduced into the camera body.

With 16mp resolution, the WG-3 GPS has 4X optical zoom lens with maximum aperture of F2.0 and 25mm wide-angle coverage.  The newly designed optical zoom lens offers a maximum aperture of F2.0 to capture bright, clear images with minimal noise, even under dimly lit underwater conditions.  The camera can also use optional lens adapter with wide-angle coverage to 20mm.  The sensor-shift Shake Reduction system assures crisp blur free images.  The camera has and extra-large, high-resolution, wide-frame 3.0 inch LCD monitor and Full HD movie recording capabilities.

Additionally, the WG-3’s category defining Digital Microscope mode and six LED lights surrounding the lens barrel enable focusing as close as one centimeter from the subject producing bright, shadow-free macro images.

For those of you who don’t know, Pentax is now part of Ricoh Corporation (manufacturer of the G700SE GPS camera).  Priced at $349.95 the new WG-3 GPS will be available in a choice of purple or green.  We expect to receive on in the next couple weeks for testing.