Underwater Camera?

[princessME!]

Anyone considering buying an underwater camera specifically for the cruise might also want to think about renting one. If you Google it, there are several good companies out there that will rent these for various amounts of time and it's usually very hassle free! Of course, if you are a frequent cruiser it might be best to just buy your own, but I can't convince DH, so we're doing this to try it out! (The Canon I am getting is about $35 for a week, which is what I was planning on spending for 3 disposables)

I just want to say thank you for this post and for reminding me that I need to get a underwater camera! And thank you pixiemom712 for the idea of renting one. I never knew you could!

 

[tinkerbellmom31]

Here are 3 pics I took with the Sony tx5. We were at stingray city Grand Cayman last July. I like the camera so much that when I found the newer TX10 on sale for $189 at christmas time I bought it. My kids love it so I figured they could use the old one. Definitely get a 2nd battery. Only problem I had is the older one I got in red. When I soaked it in water, like they said to after using in a pool or ocean, the red peeled off. I didn't mess with any settings just the zoom as I was to excited and enjoying the experience. I just clicked away lol.

 

[princessME!]

Now that I think about it however, should I get a underwater camera? I mean at altantis they take pictures for you, I would only need it for castaway cay, but should I just use my regular digital camera?

 

[stacyk9]

I never knew you could rent an underwater camera. Very good information and I'll definitely be looking into this!

 

[jenifred]

Make sure the camer has a view finder or a really good/ bright screen. Ours takes pictures fine, but has no view finder and the screen is not bright enough in the Bahamian sun. It makes it hard to aim correctly. Ours is a off market I got cheap on eBay. No brand name on it.

 

[tinkerbellmom31]

Nowadays you don't need a underwater camera.They make underwater cases for all kinds of cameras, even the iPhone. Some can even go pretty deep. Just google it.

 

[psimon]

I bought a Fuji waterproof camera back in 2009 and have been very happy with it. My only complaint is the battery doesn't hold a charge as long as my Sony camera.

What do you define as doesn't hold a charge as long...?

If I were to get a waterproof camera, it is for shots where I don't' want to take my good camera (pool, beach, Aquaduck, etc). Can I get maybe 50 shots before I need a charge?

Thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[psimon]

LL Bean sells a water proof camera pouch that will fit most point and shoot cameras. I am going to try it before spending $ on new camera. Also the $11 disposables work great too, I give them to my kids when we travel.

If you use a waterproof pouch how do you keep the lens of the camera in the lens of the bag? Isn't there distortion from the extra glass?

Thoughts?

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[justmestace]

Here are some important things to consider when looking for an underwater camera...
A. Get one that uses a rechargeable battery. If it uses AAA batteries or similar, forget it. They run through batteries like that in no time flat.

B. Most "accidents", such as leakage, are "operator error"....make absolutely certain that the door is closed and locked. Do not open it AT ALL until it is completely dry....like after you're back in your room for a few hours.

C. The key to great underwater pictures has more to do with the lighting than megapixels. If the sun is shining, you're going to get some good shots.

D. Make sure it's a good "land" camera also. I'm getting rid of my Olympus Tough, even though it's pretty new, because it takes lousy pictures on land. I like to take a smaller camera with me sometimes, since it's easier than hauling my Nikon D40X.....and I regret it every time.

I just bought the brand new underwater Nikon Coolpix AW100. I'm so excited to try it underwater!!

 

[Tngrl78]

One word for your underwater camera search: GoPro!!!! You will not be disappointed. It is affordable and multifunctional and has the most awesome reviews. Snorkel, Scuba, parasail, sking, sky diving....it takes it all.

 

[generaltso23]

One word for your underwater camera search: GoPro!!!! You will not be disappointed. It is affordable and multifunctional and has the most awesome reviews. Snorkel, Scuba, parasail, sking, sky diving....it takes it all.

Does it take stills?

 

[tkmom]

I just bought a dicapac wp-410 underwater case for under $25.00 to fit my Canon digital elph. (I'll start with my oldest model just in case!) I did lots of research and looked at photos posted online, and it says that it's been tested as waterproof to 33 feet. It looks like a custom ziploc bag with velco closures and room for the zoom lens too... easy to google to see and price near you... I plan to take it snorkeling on our cruise next week, but I think we might be too deep when we Scuba in Cayman to try it there. It seemed to be an affordable option for this trip and for the kids at the beach and pool and spray park this summer. Let's hope it works as well as the reviews say it will!

 

[wmharley]

I dropped our camera on Easter and now the Flash won't pop up, wasn't charging either but now it is.



I'm getting a disposable underwater for snorkling.

 

[jwatters]

I just bought a dicapac wp-410 underwater case for under $25.00 to fit my Canon digital elph. (I'll start with my oldest model just in case!) I did lots of research and looked at photos posted online, and it says that it's been tested as waterproof to 33 feet. It looks like a custom ziploc bag with velco closures and room for the zoom lens too... easy to google to see and price near you... I plan to take it snorkeling on our cruise next week, but I think we might be too deep when we Scuba in Cayman to try it there. It seemed to be an affordable option for this trip and for the kids at the beach and pool and spray park this summer. Let's hope it works as well as the reviews say it will!

I bought one of these for our cruise last year. The pictures turned out okay,but it was a hassle to use and it's hard to keep the lens in the center of the extender so I have a bunch of pictures that look like I was shooting through a tunnel. Next cruise i'll be using it to keep my KTTW and cash dry.

 

[Dave1442397]

I just bought a Panasonic Lumix TS3 after reading this comparison:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311waterproofcompactgrouptest

I have other Panasonic cameras and have always had good results with them, so I went for this one. The price has dropped because the TS4 just came out, but the features on the TS3 are all I need for my trips.

 

[jxd]

Not wanting to spend the money on a waterproof camera, I purchased the Dicapac camera case for my Cannon Elph for our first DCL cruise in 2009. It worked great but it was kind of a hastle. While snorkeling at CC, I spent as much time making sure the case was not getting in the way of the lense as I did taking pictures. This becomes a challenge when you are bobbing up and down in the water and trying to capture photos. The pictures come out great but the effort is more than I want to deal with again.

After researching several forums and sites, I purchased the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX10. I mainly wanted it for the underwater feature but it appears to be a good land camera as well. I am also not as nervous when I hand it off to the kids for them to use. I have a Sony Nex 5 for my "good" camera so it made sense for me to stay in the Sony family. I really think I will use the TX10 more than I imagined due to its ruggedness and versatility.

 

[belkisima]

We bought an Olympus Tough camera for our cruise last year and we took it everywhere on the Dream - Aquaduck, Castaway Cay, etc. It even went jet skiing with us. We got great pictures and I use it all the time when we go to Blizzard Beach. We are taking it on our Fantasy cruise in two weeks. It's Waterproof and Shockproof. We've dropped it and it takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

 

[Dallas_Lady]

For our last cruise I bought a underwater camera bag from Amazon and used it with an old digital camera. Worked like a charm, pictures came out really nice, even down at snorkeling depth.

Plus I didn't feel a lot of anxiety that an expensive camera was going to get damaged.

I've been thinking about buying one of these but I was concerned that it wouldn't work. Can you share with us which one you got?

 

[Aby]

I love my Canon D10 - it's a little bulky but I only used it for underwater use or when it was pouring rain. It takes very nice pictures.

Aby

 

[psimon]

I have seen comments regarding make sure it is dry before opening the camera to make sure it isn't contaminated by moisture.... how long a period is that?

--Paul in Southern NJ