Pentax finally brings back its best-rugged camera lineup with the WG-8 and WG-1000

Finally! Years after the last time the beloved Pentax WG series had a new main camera, Ricoh announced the new WG-8 ($399) and WG-1000 ($229) rugged cameras. We technically didn’t have a new main camera in this series since the WG-6 ($346), as even the WG-7 we got a few years ago was just a WG-6 with a UVC webcam protocol. So, what do the new WG cameras bring to the table after years of anticipation?

The Pentax WG-1000 – super affordable rugged camera

The Pentax WG-1000 is super affordable, coming in at $229; it’s impressive just how rugged Ricoh managed to make this camera for this price. The camera is dustproof against dirt and stains and shockproof against a fall from a height of two meters. Most impressively, the WG-1000 can shoot underwater to a depth of up to 15 meters for up to an hour of continuous operation.

The WG-1000 features a four-times optical zoom lens with a focal-length coverage from 4.9 mm to 19.6mm (equivalent to approximately 27 mm to 108mm in the 35mm format). When coupled with its Digital Zoom function, the camera’s range can be extended by approximately 24 times for high-magnification zoom photography. Its back-illuminated, 16.35-megapixel CMOS image sensor delivers sharp, clear, high-resolution images, even at a super-high sensitivity of ISO 3200. It also comes with a convenient strap.

The Pentax WG-8 – return of the king

As the name suggests, the Pentax WG-8 is the replacement for the previous mainstay, the WG-7. (Fun fact: Ricoh changed the name of the WG-7 to WG-6, probably because it’s essentially the same camera). But what does being the new main camera mean? Well, according to Ricoh’s lab tests, it’s the toughest WG camera yet.

The Pentax WG-8 is waterproof to a depth of up to 20 meters and shockproof against falls from heights of up to 2.1 meters. It can also operate in temperatures as low as -10°C. So yeah, I’ll say the WG-8 is pretty rugged.

The Pentax WG-8 captures images of approximately 20 effective megapixels and high-quality 4K-resolution movie clips. It features a five-times optical zoom lens with a focal length coverage from 5mm to 25mm(equivalent to approximately 28mm to 140mm in the 35mm format). With its digital zoom function, the zoom range extends by approximately 40.5 times.

The lens’s minimum focusing distance of one centimeter allows the user to capture a wide range of images, from eye-catching close-ups to sweeping landscapes.

The WG-8 has a host of advanced features and user-friendly functions, including a multi-application ring light, ideal for close-up macro photography. Also, just like the WG-7, the WG-8 has web camera capability when connected to a computer.

Pentax WG-8 and WG-1000 specs

Camera	Pentax WG-8	Pentax WG-1000
Lens	PENTAX lens, 11 elements in 9 groups (5 aspherical elements)	PENTAX lens, 7 elements in 7 groups
Focal Length	5 – 25 mm (in 35mm format equivalent) Approx. 28 – 140mm	4.9-19.6mm (in 35mm format equivalent) Approx. 27 – 108mm
Maximum Aperture	F3.5(W) – F5.5(T)	F3.0(W) – F6.6(T)
Number of Effective pixels	Approx. 20 megapixels	Approx. 16.35 megapixels
Image Sensor	1/2.3″ CMOS	1/2.3″ CMOS
Display	3.0″ LCD, approx. 1040K dots, AR Coating (Cover only)	2.7″ LCD, approx. 230K dots, HD Coating (Cover only)
Storage Media	Built-in Memory (approx. 27MB), SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card FlashAir™ Card	Built-in Memory (approx. 29MB), SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card
Interfaces	USB3.0(Type-C), HDMI output terminal (Type D)	USB2.0(Type C), HDMI output terminal (Type D)
Waterproof / Dustproof	Equivalent to JIS Class 8 waterproof and JIS Class 6 dustproof capabilities	Equivalent to JIS Class 8 waterproof and JIS Class 6 dustproof capabilities
Dimensions	Approx. 118.2 (W) x 65.5 (H) x 33.1 (D)mm /4.7 (W) x 2.6 (H) x 1.3 (D) inches (including lens depth)	Approx. 116 (W) x 68.5 (H) x 50.5 (D)mm / 4.6 (W) x 2.7 (H) x 2.0 (D) inches (excluding operating and protruding parts)
Weight	Approx. 242g / 8.5 oz. (Included dedicated battery and SD memory card), Approx. 215g / 7.6 oz. (Body only)	With battery & SD card Approx. 220g / 7.87 oz. (including battery and SD memory card) Body Approx. 200g / 7.1 oz. (without battery and SD memory card)

Price and availability

The WG-1000 will be available in mid-July for $229. The WG-8 will be available shortly after, in late July, for $399.