New waterproof camera from Pentax

Pentax has been creating new waterproof--or water-resistant--cameras for a few years now, and the latest is the just-announced Optio W20. While it looks almost identical to the , the W20 adds a handful of new features, including a blur-reduction mode that boosts the camera's sensitivity to ISO 1,600 to capture images in dim lighting without a flash. The new face-recognition mode is intended to find a face and focus and meter for it, while the autotracking AF mode is designed to track your subject so it won't be out of focus if it moves before you snap your shot.

This time out, Pentax boosted the resolution to 7 megapixels, but kept the same 3X optical, 38mm-to-114mm zoom lens and 2.5-inch LCD. The camera also has the same JIS Class 8 waterproof and JIS Class 5 dustproof ratings, so, like its predecessor, you can use it as deep as five feet underwater for as long as 30 minutes, as well as in harsh, dusty enviroments, without a special housing. The Pentax Optio W20 is expected to ship in September with a price of about $300.