Pentax WG-8

The Pentax WG-8 is a compact camera released in 2024. A 5x optical zoom covers the 28-140mm equivalent range, so it handles wide scenes, portraits and distant subjects in one body.

Its toolkit leans toward travel and close-up photography. Built-in GPS keeps a travel log of where you have been, a macro mode focuses from 1cm away, and a 6-LED ring light brightens small subjects. The 24 scene modes include an underwater option.

For buyers, it is a point-and-shoot companion: pick it up, choose a scene mode and shoot. Video recording reaches 4K for casual clips.

The lens runs 5-25mm, equivalent to 28-140mm on a 35mm camera, with 5x optical zoom. The wide end suits landscapes and interiors; the long end reaches portraits and distant detail, so a single zoom handles a mixed day of shooting.

Macro is the standout. Minimum focus sits at 1cm from the subject, close enough to fill the frame with insects, textures or small objects. A depth of field composite scene mode is supplied, which helps keep close subjects sharp across the frame.

The 20.2MP sensor uses the small 1/2.3-inch format. Resolution is ample for online sharing and regular prints. The lens is fixed, so the zoom range and macro focus are the whole optical package.

Images record as JPEG only, with no RAW option. That keeps files simple and ready to share, but it removes the editing latitude RAW shooters use for recovering shadows or fine-tuning colour. If your workflow depends on RAW, this is a decisive limitation.

Video tops out at 4K (3840 x 2160), the maximum recording resolution, and the camera records in H.264. On a large screen that resolution holds more detail than Full HD, and H.264 is a widely supported codec, so clips import into most editors and upload to most platforms without conversion.

The supplied frame rate tops out at 30fps, which suits natural-speed footage of walking tours, family scenes and scenery. It is standard playback speed, matching how most casual projects are watched.

Two stabilisation modes are available while filming: Movie SR and Movie SR+. They counter camera shake during handheld recording, which helps when you walk and shoot at once. They reduce shake, not subject movement, so fast action still shows motion blur.

A 6-LED multi-application ring light sits around the lens. Because it surrounds the lens, light reaches close subjects from the front rather than above or beside the camera, which suits macro shots, small objects and detail work.

Built-in GPS includes a travel log, so the camera records your route as you shoot. Anyone photographing hikes, road trips or fieldwork gets location history without manual notes, which is handy when sorting pictures afterwards.

Autofocus uses a 9-point contrast-detect system, and a manual focus option sits alongside it. Manual focus lets you put the plane of focus on a precise spot, which matters at macro distances.

Plugged in over USB, the camera works as a webcam through USB Video Class mode, outputting Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 30fps for calls and streaming, with no capture card required.