Pentax WG-1000

The Pentax WG-1000 is a compact camera released in 2024. At 220 grams it weighs very little, so carrying it on holidays or everyday outings is easy. Its 1/2.3-inch sensor is a small format, in keeping with the camera's compact build.

The mode set shows who it suits. Seven capture modes cover Auto, Program AE, Manual, Movie, Scene, Underwater and CALS, which gives casual photographers simple automatic shooting with room for occasional manual control.

There is no viewfinder, so you frame shots with the camera held out rather than at your eye. Eighteen scene modes and twenty color modes keep in-camera adjustments quick when conditions change.

Movie recording tops out at Full HD, 1920 x 1080 at 30fps, which suits casual clips, family footage and social sharing. The resolution and frame rate are specified together, so this is the fastest pace at the camera's maximum video resolution.

There is also a high-speed mode at 640 x 480 and 120fps for slow-motion effects. The resolution is low, so these clips suit short inserts and small-screen playback rather than a full high-definition edit.

Movie has its own position on the mode dial, so switching between stills and video is a simple choice rather than a menu dig. The 120fps rate belongs to that low-resolution mode, so the top resolution and top frame rate are separate limits rather than one combined setting.

Shooting options are arranged as seven capture modes, from Auto through to Underwater and CALS. That range lets a beginner start straight away while leaving room to try more deliberate settings later.

Twenty color modes let you apply different looks in camera, which saves editing time when you want a particular style straight off the card.

The self timer offers two-second and ten-second delays plus Smile Detection, so it can trigger the shot itself when everyone in the frame is smiling. The built-in flash gives you a light source indoors or after dark.

Interval shooting can fire every 30 seconds or at 1, 5 or 10 minute gaps, which opens up time-lapse projects without extra equipment.

The 1/2.3-inch sensor format places this camera firmly in the compact class. It is a fixed specification rather than a setting you can change, so the shooting modes, scene options and other built-in tools do more to shape how the WG-1000 handles everyday subjects.

Exposure control runs from fully automatic to hands-on. Auto and Program AE handle everyday shooting, while the Manual mode lets you set exposure yourself when you want a specific result.

For less predictable situations, eighteen scene modes pick settings for you, and the dedicated Underwater mode means you can shoot in or around water without working out the adjustments yourself.

Face detection recognises up to twelve faces, which helps keep people sharp and well exposed in group shots. Framing is done at arm's length since no viewfinder is fitted.