What waterproof camera do you take on your cruise?

My boyfriend and I are travelling to Vanuatu and New Caledonia on the Carnival Legend in December this year. We will be swimming, snorkelling and carting the camera onto beaches etc and are looking for a camera that is able to withstand being underwater and possibly shockproof.

We are not 'camera savvy' so just looking for a camera that takes great photos and isn't too complicated. After madly researching, we still haven't narrowed down any options. We are hoping to pay $300 or less and the camera must be available in Australia.

Any suggestions, photos or links would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance! :o

*Has also been posted on Photo & Camera Discussions forum

We have a Olympus Tough (TG3) its done our last few cruises, its a great camera and its water proof and its easy to use :)

Not sure of whats the latest,the one i have for several years and has been to most of the islands and parasailing is a canon powershot D10,its easy to use and is indestructable! I am very rough withit,it gets chucked everywhere

Olympus tough is great.

Daughter has a canon 30d which is also great.

I use either a DSL in a housing or a go-pro.

I think you would be happy with the Olympus or the Canon.

You might also want to have a look at the Camera and Photo sub forum here on CC where there is a lot of information.

My boyfriend and I are travelling on the Carnival Legend in December this year. We will be swimming, snorkelling and carting the camera onto beaches etc and are looking for a camera that is able to withstand being underwater and possibly shockproof. We are not 'camera savvy' so just looking for a camera that takes great photos and isn't too complicated. After madly researching, we still haven't narrowed down any options. We are hoping to pay $300 or less and the camera must be available in Australia. Any suggestions, photos or links would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance!

For our early 2014 Australia-NZ-Hawaii adventure, I got the Nikon AW 110 and it has worked well. Below are a few examples. Also used the camera earlier this year during our 26-day Amazon River-Caribbean trip. It takes decent-quality video, too! There are newer models out on this camera, but its basic have served us well and yielded solid sharpness, good quality, etc.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 111,760 views for this posting.

From our snorkeling in Australia's famed Great Barrier Reef, I first got to try out my new Nikon AW110 underwater camera. I shot about 260 underwater pictures. Here is one quick sample below. More visuals and details on the full live/blog.:

Here is on the Big Island at the pools of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort. I used my Nikon AW110 waterproof camera to capture these fun images. Tested all three pools, did the waterslide downward, etc. It's hard work to test and check out such water locations. It was a perfect weather day that contrasted to cold Ohio in Feb. 2014!!:

After being on the very dry and river-less islands in the Dutch ABC's, we got to enjoy river fun in Dominica. It was nice to see some the wonderful trees, mountains, etc. No, I did not take my good Nikon D7100 camera on this trip. My Nikon water and shock-proof model worked very well . . . and survived. I was the first to tumble out of my yellow tube and get stranded in this wild and rocky river. For the sixteen of us, there were four very agile staff members to help us, keep us from serious injury, etc. Yes, we needed these protective helmets and vests, plus a camera designed for these challenging circumstances.:

I bought a cheapie from ALDI ($59).

The Maginon 10MP digital underwater camera has 8x digital zoom and it comes with a 4GB micro SDHC memory card and case. This battery operated camera has a dual screen display with 3 mode flash. Available in three vibrant colours. I got pink as it is easy to spot and pinks and purples attract fish.

:D

I love my sony cybershot. Waterproof and shockproof.

Taken while snorkelling in Vanuatu

I bought a cheapie from ALDI ($59).

The Maginon 10MP digital underwater camera has 8x digital zoom and it comes with a 4GB micro SDHC memory card and case. This battery operated camera has a dual screen display with 3 mode flash. Available in three vibrant colours. I got pink as it is easy to spot and pinks and purples attract fish.

:D

Maginon make some surprisingly good cameras for the price.

Maginon make some surprisingly good cameras for the price.

I am happy with mine.

Nikon Coolpix AW100. Dont think this is the latest model but we bought it at the end of last year during a clearance sale. Very good value and excellent clear photos both in and out of the wa

If you are after something to take underwater video with the SJ4000 Chinese GoPro copy can be purchased on ebay from an Australian seller for less than $65 and comes with an underwater housing. I have one but haven't used it underwater yet. I'm very happy with the quality of video and photos taken out of water. Resolution can be set as high as 1080p but I find 720p good enough.

You can see reviews on youtube.

Sony cybershot takes underwater video too as would most underwater cameras.

Maginon make some surprisingly good cameras for the price.

Ours leaked after about the third use while in the pacific. :(

Thankful we had the Go Pro with waterproof casing as a back up.

If you are only looking to use it once, the Fuji Quicksnap Marine Super Disposable Camera takes a good shot.

Ours leaked after about the third use while in the pacific. :(

Thankful we had the Go Pro with waterproof casing as a back up.

There has only been one waterproof camera that I would trust 100%.

That's why most serious photographers use a housing for underwater photography.

Ours leaked after about the third use while in the pacific. :(

Thankful we had the Go Pro with waterproof casing as a back up.

Mine is now around 3 years old, and I have used it regularly over these years in fresh, chlorinated and salt water. No issues yet (touch wood).:D

Mine is now around 3 years old, and I have used it regularly over these years in fresh, chlorinated and salt water. No issues yet (touch wood).:D

We were probably just unlucky....bought a coolpix and have had no issues with that...yet :)

We were probably just unlucky....bought a coolpix and have had no issues with that...yet :)

Or perhaps I have just been lucky, for such a low price, I wasn't expecting any thing to grand but it has worked well so far.

I purchased the Nikon Coolpix AW110 on board Rhapsody for $300 duty free and is available in Oz. waterproof to 18m.

Same one as Terry in Ohio has and can highly recommend it.

Gave it to my son who uses it very frequently in FNQ.

Hugh

I purchased the Nikon Coolpix AW110 on board Rhapsody for $300 duty free and is available in Oz. waterproof to 18m. Same one as Terry in Ohio has and can highly recommend it. Gave it to my son who uses it very frequently in FNQ. Hugh

TLCOhio- Thanks for the recommendation. The photos are amazing! :)

Appreciate the kind comment fro Ellie D on another board. Glad to hear that things worked well for cassamanda with the same Nikon camera that I have used. Here are a couple of other suggestions and tips with an underwater and/or using such a "higher intensity" camera. The camera is important, as a number of different camera options can work well.

1. Do some practice ahead of your first use with this type of camera. It's a little different and you need to get down the tricks and practices for how best to use it, its controls, etc.

2. Shooting underwater is different. When you first use this type of camera under the water, it is very different than just using it in your family room at home. Prepare in advance for those conditions!! With a mask on and under the water, you cannot easily check your results on the back of the screen, etc.

3. As with most digital cameras, a key advantage is that you can shoot lots and lots of pictures. Take lots of pictures!!! It improves your odds of success!! You can sort out later the better ones from the average and poor ones you manage to capture. Whether under the water or doing an intense activity such as going down a rapid/rocky river, you cannot be checking your results on the back screen that easily. Just shoot, shoot, shoot!! And then, later, only share the best visuals you capture!

Good luck and have fun with your camera!! Below are a few examples from doing an America's Cup racing sail boat in the Caribbean where the water was splashing around fast and only this type of camera could have been used safely.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 25,860 views for these postings.

Here are three views of our crew from making things happen during our exciting and close-finishing America's Cup race while visiting at St. Maartens in February 2015. With all of the splashing around out at sea, I could not use my regular, better Nikon camera. My waterproof camera worked well under these conditions to capture the fun and excitement from this day's activities! My wife is the one with the pink hat doing lots of hard work, cranking, along with me and two others, the sails up and down on the front of the ship.:

Great tips Terry.:D

First time using the camera I took around 200 photos under water while snorkelling and had a about a 15% success rate due to the focus, picture centred, bubbles, etc.

Next time I was up to around 50% and subsequently after many times, am now shooting about 90%.

We had really good fun with Garry's Go Pro last year... just got the waterproof case with it...

don't know if there are cheaper versions...