Pat in SF posted: > My friends often spend time outdoors camping, hiking, etc. The usual gear > consists of 35mm SLR + accessories. This can get cumbersome should the group > want to endulge in water play, canoeing, kayaking, etc. Does anyone who has a > Pentax Zoom 90-WR care to comment on its portability, ease of use, size, water > tightness, other high lights, or low points to watch out for? I know that it's > since been replaced by the 105-WR, so what would be a value on the used market > for the 90-WR?
I've had one for about five years. I can't comment on the used price at all -- bought it new and haven't tried to get another one. It's big for a P&S; not pocketable or anything like that but a bit smaller than a ZX-5n with a lens. However the very fact that it's on the big side makes it very comfortable to hold. It's extremely easy to use. I rarely use mine these days because I just don't like the P&S way of shooting, but I do use it for situations like shooting very near to water. I also made one of my most popular photos with it -- the moonbow at Cumberland Falls -- which needed a multi- minute exposure. This camera has a feature allowing you to set a range of long shutter speeds, from 1 second to 10 minutes (none of my SLRs have this ability), and that feature, along with the large amount of spray coming off the waterfall, made me choose that camera for that particular shot. It's been covered with spray from the waterfall; used in swimming pools and on beaches; had sea spray rinsed off it. The only problem I've had with it was the remote control mysteriously stopped working at one point (repaired, under extended warranty, by Pentax Colorado). Incidentally there are two newer models, not one. The 105-WR you know about. There's a more recent 95-WR as well. I am not familiar with either. If you want more specifics, let me know. Hope this helps.
