Experience with the Pentax WG-1 GPS
Posted 07/08/2011 - 13:32
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Hi Axel. I have a WG-1, although have not had it for long. I bought it to have something pocket-able and rugged, especially for climbing, when my hands are usually covered in sweat and chalk and a DSLR would be less practical. I haven't yet tested it a great deal - not underwater as yet, but I have washed it off after a climb in the shower with no adverse effects.
I took it out the other day in central London and here's a handful of pics. Firstly trying out some macro, at Potter's Fields just at the Bermondsey end of Tower Bridge...
and a bit of a crop of that shot:
Here's another to show a bit of DOF/Bokeh:
Overall I think the macro setting is very usable and it focusses VERY close - minimum focus distance is about 1cm (above shots were probably about 5 or 6 cm range. The camera is fitted with LED lights around the lens to assist without using flash, and there is also a ring which you can fit around the lens which serves to illustrate the minimum focus distance (and turn the camera into what Pentax call 'digital microscope') as well as being threaded so you can fit filters etc. (46mm i think). I was keeping the ISO down to 100 and ended up with a number of sharp shots and a number of throw-aways. Higher ISO may have helped to have more sharp shots. The rear LCD screen is pretty good although it was only when I opened the files on my PC that I could properly see how sharp the pics were (maybe that's my eyes!). At high ISO grain seems more apparent as you would expect but in fairness I haven't really tested it that greatly.
Then one or two 'normal' shots from a wander round the nearby development which has some eerie sculptures dotted around (I think they might be Anthony Gormley...? Or if not very similar), although firstly some of the flowers which the bees were enjoying:
again they are down at 100 ISO. All shots have had a little PP although nothing too 'radical'. Overall I think the camera is very impressive. Very rugged and very small. There are a decent number of customisable settings and I have no complaints yet. Off on holiday in September so then I shall be testing it in the sea (I hope), and am also going to strap it somehow to my bike and test the movie capture on a cycle around Richmond Park... Battery apparently is good for about 250 shots. I have noticed that it has dipped down to two bars on the power display much quicker than my K-7 does.
There are one or two other threads on here on the WG1 as well I think. Am sure others will have their own views.
Hope this helps!
Regards
I took it out the other day in central London and here's a handful of pics. Firstly trying out some macro, at Potter's Fields just at the Bermondsey end of Tower Bridge...
and a bit of a crop of that shot:
Here's another to show a bit of DOF/Bokeh:
Overall I think the macro setting is very usable and it focusses VERY close - minimum focus distance is about 1cm (above shots were probably about 5 or 6 cm range. The camera is fitted with LED lights around the lens to assist without using flash, and there is also a ring which you can fit around the lens which serves to illustrate the minimum focus distance (and turn the camera into what Pentax call 'digital microscope') as well as being threaded so you can fit filters etc. (46mm i think). I was keeping the ISO down to 100 and ended up with a number of sharp shots and a number of throw-aways. Higher ISO may have helped to have more sharp shots. The rear LCD screen is pretty good although it was only when I opened the files on my PC that I could properly see how sharp the pics were (maybe that's my eyes!). At high ISO grain seems more apparent as you would expect but in fairness I haven't really tested it that greatly.
Then one or two 'normal' shots from a wander round the nearby development which has some eerie sculptures dotted around (I think they might be Anthony Gormley...? Or if not very similar), although firstly some of the flowers which the bees were enjoying:
again they are down at 100 ISO. All shots have had a little PP although nothing too 'radical'. Overall I think the camera is very impressive. Very rugged and very small. There are a decent number of customisable settings and I have no complaints yet. Off on holiday in September so then I shall be testing it in the sea (I hope), and am also going to strap it somehow to my bike and test the movie capture on a cycle around Richmond Park... Battery apparently is good for about 250 shots. I have noticed that it has dipped down to two bars on the power display much quicker than my K-7 does.
There are one or two other threads on here on the WG1 as well I think. Am sure others will have their own views.
Hope this helps!
Regards
Posted 14/08/2011 - 22:31
Link
matwhittington wrote:
Hi Axel. I have a WG-1, although have not had it for long. I bought it to have something pocket-able and rugged, especially for climbing, when my hands are usually covered in sweat and chalk and a DSLR would be less practical. I haven't yet tested it a great deal - not underwater as yet, but I have washed it off after a climb in the shower with no adverse effects.
I took it out the other day in central London and here's a handful of pics. Firstly trying out some macro, at Potter's Fields just at the Bermondsey end of Tower Bridge...
and a bit of a crop of that shot:
Here's another to show a bit of DOF/Bokeh:
Overall I think the macro setting is very usable and it focusses VERY close - minimum focus distance is about 1cm (above shots were probably about 5 or 6 cm range. The camera is fitted with LED lights around the lens to assist without using flash, and there is also a ring which you can fit around the lens which serves to illustrate the minimum focus distance (and turn the camera into what Pentax call 'digital microscope') as well as being threaded so you can fit filters etc. (46mm i think). I was keeping the ISO down to 100 and ended up with a number of sharp shots and a number of throw-aways. Higher ISO may have helped to have more sharp shots. The rear LCD screen is pretty good although it was only when I opened the files on my PC that I could properly see how sharp the pics were (maybe that's my eyes!). At high ISO grain seems more apparent as you would expect but in fairness I haven't really tested it that greatly.
Then one or two 'normal' shots from a wander round the nearby development which has some eerie sculptures dotted around (I think they might be Anthony Gormley...? Or if not very similar), although firstly some of the flowers which the bees were enjoying:
again they are down at 100 ISO. All shots have had a little PP although nothing too 'radical'. Overall I think the camera is very impressive. Very rugged and very small. There are a decent number of customisable settings and I have no complaints yet. Off on holiday in September so then I shall be testing it in the sea (I hope), and am also going to strap it somehow to my bike and test the movie capture on a cycle around Richmond Park... Battery apparently is good for about 250 shots. I have noticed that it has dipped down to two bars on the power display much quicker than my K-7 does.
There are one or two other threads on here on the WG1 as well I think. Am sure others will have their own views.
Hope this helps!
Regards
wow these pictures are really convincing - I think I just made my decision and I am glad you like my webpage
Hi Axel. I have a WG-1, although have not had it for long. I bought it to have something pocket-able and rugged, especially for climbing, when my hands are usually covered in sweat and chalk and a DSLR would be less practical. I haven't yet tested it a great deal - not underwater as yet, but I have washed it off after a climb in the shower with no adverse effects.
I took it out the other day in central London and here's a handful of pics. Firstly trying out some macro, at Potter's Fields just at the Bermondsey end of Tower Bridge...
and a bit of a crop of that shot:
Here's another to show a bit of DOF/Bokeh:
Overall I think the macro setting is very usable and it focusses VERY close - minimum focus distance is about 1cm (above shots were probably about 5 or 6 cm range. The camera is fitted with LED lights around the lens to assist without using flash, and there is also a ring which you can fit around the lens which serves to illustrate the minimum focus distance (and turn the camera into what Pentax call 'digital microscope') as well as being threaded so you can fit filters etc. (46mm i think). I was keeping the ISO down to 100 and ended up with a number of sharp shots and a number of throw-aways. Higher ISO may have helped to have more sharp shots. The rear LCD screen is pretty good although it was only when I opened the files on my PC that I could properly see how sharp the pics were (maybe that's my eyes!). At high ISO grain seems more apparent as you would expect but in fairness I haven't really tested it that greatly.
Then one or two 'normal' shots from a wander round the nearby development which has some eerie sculptures dotted around (I think they might be Anthony Gormley...? Or if not very similar), although firstly some of the flowers which the bees were enjoying:
again they are down at 100 ISO. All shots have had a little PP although nothing too 'radical'. Overall I think the camera is very impressive. Very rugged and very small. There are a decent number of customisable settings and I have no complaints yet. Off on holiday in September so then I shall be testing it in the sea (I hope), and am also going to strap it somehow to my bike and test the movie capture on a cycle around Richmond Park... Battery apparently is good for about 250 shots. I have noticed that it has dipped down to two bars on the power display much quicker than my K-7 does.
There are one or two other threads on here on the WG1 as well I think. Am sure others will have their own views.
Hope this helps!
Regards
_____________________________________________
Colors are the lack of darkness
You find more of my pictures here: https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/axelluther or on my web page: www.axel-luther.com
Colors are the lack of darkness
You find more of my pictures here: https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/axelluther or on my web page: www.axel-luther.com
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167 posts
16 years
I am using Pnentax DSLR since several years but some of my outdoor activities are either a bit to tough for this camera (like the rafting tours) or my complete equipment is a bit to heavy for high altitude mountain trekking tours. Hence I am looking for a solid waterproof camera, that still makes good pictures. I recently bought my son a panasonic waterproof camera but this one is no longer available. The new panasonic is more expensive then the Pentax WG-1 GPS but I also found some not very promising feedbacks in the web, about the image quality of the WG-1.
Does anyone here owns this camera and can give me some feedback about picture quality of
normal shots
under water shots
low light shots
macro shots
I really like the tough construction of this camera but at the end - what I really like are good photos and the camera should therefore have a decent image quality.
Thanks for any feedback
Axel
Colors are the lack of darkness
You find more of my pictures here: https://pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/axelluther or on my web page: www.axel-luther.com