Waterproof Camera

Looking for suggestions for a waterproof camera. Nothing with lots of bells and whistles, just a simple point and shoot (but a little better than a disposable :p).

Did a pretty neat excursion in Dominica and missed A LOT of pictures because I couldn't get my camera wet :( and want to keep that from happening again.

Looking for suggestions for a waterproof camera. Nothing with lots of bells and whistles, just a simple point and shoot (but a little better than a disposable :p).

 

Did a pretty neat excursion in Dominica and missed A LOT of pictures because I couldn't get my camera wet :( and want to keep that from happening again.

Panasonic TS25 - Lumix

Good to 23 feet, so it is fine for snorkeling, not diving

16.1 megapixels

4X optical zoom

takes panorama shots and video

I paid $170 for it on a ship [because both cameras I brought with me decided to stop working on Day 1 of the cruise!!] so I would guess you could find it for less at home.

I just went through this. You didn't say what your budget was. I looked at SVP cameras. They go on Amazon for around $53.00. But the reviews were mixed. So I decided to look at more expensive cameras. I ended up with an Olympus TG-630 for $149.99 on Olympus's website and I couldn't be happier!

I have had Olympus cameras (in fact my regular camera is also an Olympus) and they are great cameras! The reviews on this one were very good and I will add my vote. Yes it is more money, but you get what you pay for.

This camera is a 12 megapixel and it has a 5x optical zoom. It uses SD cards but has its own rechargeable proprietary lithium ion battery. But it lasts a long time. You could easily use this camera as your sole camera.

And right now if you order from Olympus.com they throw in a case and float.

Check it out. I am very happy. And oh yes, I have had a Olympus underwater digital camera before and they do work great underwater.

Thanks for the replies....I'll check on both

I found this web site very helpful for waterproof cameras.

http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/snorkeling-camera.html

I ended up getting the Olympus Tough TG-2, which may be more camera than you're looking for. It was around $300 I think. I opted for that one because it has a very wide aperture which is good for low light pictures. I specifically wanted it to take pictures on a nighttime manta ray snorkel in Hawaii and I got great pictures with that camera!

Oly's are a frequent choice, they tend to have a good lens and good low-light performance. I use a ZX-1 as my dive camera, but that's in a housing and not what you're after... Pentax makes several good waterproof P&S models, I have a WG-10 that I use for kayaking, rafting, etc. You can often find them at Target. Nikon, Canon, Sony all have waterproof models too, so it depends on which one you like. Best to try and get one into your hands rather than online, though - everyone's preferences are different when it comes to controls, menus, etc...

Jim

Dumb question... BUT

if you buy a water camera can you use it on ground too? that way i only have to invest in one good camera?

havent even begun my research for a camera yet, but i stumbled upon this post and figured id ask!

Yes you can use it both in and out of water! I think the big potential downside of having one camera for both is the the image quality won't be as good as what you can get in a non-waterproof camera, in general. But for a lot of people, they'd be fine with using a waterproof camera for both.

Thanks!! :)

yes you can use it both in and out of water! I think the big potential downside of having one camera for both is the the image quality won't be as good as what you can get in a non-waterproof camera, in general. But for a lot of people, they'd be fine with using a waterproof camera for both.

The Olympus waterproof we had took fantastic on-land picture as well. A couple years ago, we bought a little Samsung W300 Sportscam waterproof video camera at Costco for around $120. It takes amazing video and you can "pull out" stills from the video. The video it takes out of the water is just as good as the in-water ones.

Nikon AW110. I have the Nikon AW100 which was the model before the AW110. It's a good camera, takes great pictures, has just a few bells and whistle's.

I second the suggestion for the Olympus TG model. I just purchased one for a recent trip. I was very impressed, not only with the underwater pictures but with all the pics. It's easy to use & has some fun features. it was hard to tell which were taken w/ this little point & shoot & which were taken w/ my DSLR.

Good Luck

The Olympus TG-630 I just bought takes excellent pictures on land. That is why I said you could easily use it as your only camera! The pictures are great because you are shooting at 12 Megapixels. And as I said, it has a 5x zoom which is a lot for a waterproof camera! Takes video also.

Just went through this a few weeks ago. First snorkeling excursion in a couple of weeks. Researched online and these boards. I narrowed down to two options, Dicapac waterproofbag/case (there are several models) or Nikon S30 camera.

Dicapac for my model compact would have been about $40 and one guy said he had it leak on him:eek:

S30 is no longer made but you can still find new and refurb online. New is about $100. I bought a refurb for $48 free shipping online. I have taken on above water pics and they are OK, will test underwater this weekend. It takes SD card and two AA batteries. Was recommended by several CC users. As a bonus if you have kids it is a great kids camera (waterproof and shockproof) and it does 720p video.

Dicapac for my model compact would have been about $40 and one guy said he had it leak on him:eek:

This is why I decided not to go the Dicapac or similar pouch route. Many people have a lot of success and are happy with them, but it's not uncommon for them to malfunction and I don't want to take that chance with my camera!

Most people will be fine with using a waterproof camera for underwater and on land. Just depends on how much of a photo person you are and how picky you are when it comes to photo quality and other photo nerd features :-)

Thanks for the suggestions on models you've been happy with. We've been researching WP cameras also and, in reading Amazon reviews, find that a fairly high % of all brands/models seem to leak and end up unusable. No matter what we look at, some people love them, some hate them (kind of like cruise reviews!!). We plan to test whatever we buy at home before leaving (maybe gently weigh it down in a bucket of water for an hour or so) so that we can return/replace it if necessary before our trip. This won't guarantee no problems, but might give us a little better chance of getting a good one.

Still looking at cameras. Would like to stay under $250. For those of you who mentioned the Panasonic and the Olympus 630.....how are they holding up??? Seems like these must be older models now....any new suggestions to look at?

I'm interested in this too--I'm tired of not getting pictures because I don't want to ruin my camera, or leave it on the beach to get stolen.

I've been researching, but there are so many options, plus I want reliable and easy to use plus inexpensive; I'd prefer under$150. I don't care about all the bells and whistles, just good pictures and a decent zoom--and really waterproof for snorkeling/beach use.

Its six months later and I am still happy with my Olympus TG-630. I have actually found myself reaching for this camera even on land for its compact size and ease of use.

I'm interested in this too--I'm tired of not getting pictures because I don't want to ruin my camera, or leave it on the beach to get stolen.

 

I've been researching, but there are so many options, plus I want reliable and easy to use plus inexpensive; I'd prefer under$150. I don't care about all the bells and whistles, just good pictures and a decent zoom--and really waterproof for snorkeling/beach use.

Yes. I'm willing to spend a little more money but this is what I'm looking for.

Dicapac for my model compact would have been about $40 and one guy said he had it leak on him:eek:

I have had a Dicapac waterproof bag for about 6 years, and it has been used numerous times with several different p&s digital cameras, and nary a leak. I water test it before using it every snorkeling occasion and the kleenex is always completely dry. The photo quality has been very good too, because of the optical quality lens the bag has.

It's been a very good purchase for me.

Its six months later and I am still happy with my Olympus TG-630. I have actually found myself reaching for this camera even on land for its compact size and ease of use.

This is one I've been really looking at. BUT...they must not be in production any more. I've seen a few blue ones or white ones that run between $250 -$350. I'd really like a bright color like red or yellow (easier to see). Anyone know what replaced the 630?

Did you check on Olympus.com? That is where I got mine for $149.

Did you check on Olympus.com? That is where I got mine for $149.

Yes...listed as out of stock .... :(

I HIGHLY recommend the Olympus Tough cameras. I love them so much that I purchased 2 of them. I have the 620 and the 830. They both take AMAZING pictures. I have been so impressed with them that I actually stopped taking my DSLR camera with me. Now no, I'm not saying they take the same pictures, but I am saying that they do such a good job that it's worth it to me to not to have to lug around my SLR with all the lens and equipment while on vacation. :D

They both have a lot of great features built in and take awesome under water pictures, land pictures and even night pictures and fireworks.

You can take a look at some of my reviews and see what type of pictures they take. :)